FreeDMVTest — South Dakota Motorcycle 2026 All States

South Dakota Motorcycle Knowledge Test Cheat Sheet

The fastest way to review before your DPS motorcycle test — the numbers and rules most likely to appear.

🪪 Permit & License

  • Motorcycle instruction permit at age 14; full endorsement at 16
  • Permit: pass a vision screening and the written knowledge test
  • Permit valid 1 year — ride only 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Supervisor: a licensed rider 18+ with 1 year of experience, on a separate bike
  • An approved Basic Rider Course waives BOTH the written and riding tests
  • Permit fee $28; three test attempts within six months per fee

🔢 Most-Tested Numbers

  • Pass mark80% — 20 of 25
  • Following gap2 seconds minimum
  • Poor conditions / night3 seconds or more
  • Front brake70%+ of stopping power
  • Search ahead12 seconds
  • Legally intoxicated0.08% BAC adult

🪖 Helmet & Gear

  • Helmet required only for riders and passengers under 18 (SDCL 32-20-4)
  • Riders 18+ may legally ride without a helmet
  • Eye protection required for EVERY rider unless the bike has a windshield (SDCL 32-20-4.1)
  • Helmet should meet US DOT standards and fit snugly
  • A face shield protects the whole face; goggles protect only the eyes
  • Don't wear tinted eye protection after dark

✅ Remember This Answer

  • Quick stop? Both brakes together, no locking
  • Front brake? Squeeze firmly — never grab
  • Curve? Slow, Look, Press, Roll
  • To lean/turn? Press the handgrip toward the turn
  • Swerve? Brake before or after — never during
  • Eye protection? Always, unless a windshield

✅ Remember This Answer (2)

  • Starts to rain? Ride in cars' tire tracks, not the center
  • Railroad tracks? Cross straight, within your lane
  • Tailgater behind you? Slow gently and let them pass
  • Cut reaction time? Cover the clutch and both brakes
  • Daytime visibility? Headlight on — 2x as likely to be seen
  • Where do crashes happen? Intersections, and short trips

⚠️ Common Test Traps

  • "No room to stop" → Swerve — don't just brake harder
  • "Stop fastest" → Both brakes — not front alone, not rear first
  • "Brake while swerving" → Wrong — brake before or after only
  • "Made eye contact" → Driver still may not see you
  • "Following distance" → 2 sec; 3+ in poor conditions
  • "Helmet over 18?" → Optional, but eye protection still required

⚠️ More Test Traps

  • "Curve ahead, too fast" → Slow before — don't brake hard mid-curve
  • "Lane sharing" → Usually prohibited; cars and bikes need a full lane
  • "Chased by a dog" → Approach slowly, then accelerate away
  • "Carrying a passenger" → Bike responds slower — ride slower
  • "Front wheel locks" → Release the front brake, then reapply
  • "Crossing an obstacle" → Hit it at 90°, slow, rise on the pegs

🚨 Emergency Situations

  • Tire goes flat → Hold grips, ease off throttle, brake the good tire, edge off
  • Stuck throttle → Cut-off switch + pull in the clutch
  • Wobble → Ease off throttle gradually — don't brake or accelerate
  • Rear wheel locks → Keep it locked until stopped if straight and upright
  • Chain or belt breaks → Close the throttle and brake to a stop
  • Engine seizes → Squeeze the clutch and pull off the road

🌧️ Surfaces, Weather & Night

  • Pavement is most slippery in the first minutes of rain
  • Slippery surface: slow before it, no sudden moves, both brakes gently
  • Cross parallel seams or grooves at 45° or more
  • Night: ride slower and open a 3-second-plus following gap
  • Night: high beam when not following or meeting a car
  • Ice forms on bridges and in shaded areas

🏍️ Motorcycle Control

  • Countersteer: press left grip → lean left → go left
  • Use both brakes every stop — the front gives 70%+ of the power
  • Corner in four steps: SLOW · LOOK · PRESS · ROLL
  • Slow tight turn: lean the bike only, keep your body upright
  • Pick the lane third that helps you see and be seen
  • Street-legal needs lights, both brakes, signals, horn, two mirrors

🍺 Alcohol & Impairment

  • Legally intoxicated0.08% BAC
  • Under 210.00–0.02% BAC
  • Leaves the body~1 drink per hour
  • Fatal riders over limit~1 in 3
  • As little as one drink hurts judgment and balance
  • Refusing a breath test = mandatory license suspension

🎯 Last-Minute Before the Test

  • Both brakes to stop — front brake = 70%+ of power
  • Every curve: SLOW · LOOK · PRESS · ROLL
  • Press the grip toward the turn to lean (countersteer)
  • Brake OR swerve — never both at once
  • Follow at 2 seconds — 3+ when wet or at night
  • Helmet under 18; eye protection for everyone; headlight on
  • SEE = Search, Evaluate, Execute · pass at 80% (20/25)

Confirm every number against the official South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual (MSF, 18th Edition) before test day. Full helmet law →

Test Yourself Now

Start the South Dakota Practice Test →

Keep Studying

Full Study Guide Practice Test Helmet Law FAQ

Source: Some test details are confirmed by the state agency; the rest reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources. dps.sd.gov states the written test must be passed at 80% or higher; the 25-question count is the third-party consensus. The manual is the standardized MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual, 18th Edition (June 2020), with a South Dakota DPS front section (Revised October 2020).