| Word |
Definition |
| Amps |
Short for Amperage, a measure of electrical output. |
| Body Armour |
Part of good quality riding safety gear - jacket should have body armour protecting your spine, elbows and shoulders, pants should have armour protecting your hips and knees. Body armour adds both impact and abrasion protection to your riding gear. |
| Bodywork |
The plastic panels on the outside of bikes - may consist of fairing, side panels, tail section, nose-cone, bellypan, etc. |
| Carbon Fiber |
An extremely strong thin fiber made by pyrolyzing synthetic fibers, such as rayon, until charred. It is used to make high-strength composites, including motorcycle bodywork and armour in gloves and other riding gear. |
| Carburetor |
Motorcycles usually have one per cylinder - they are a complex little collection of parts that controls the fuel mixture that enters the cylinders. Fuel injected bikes don't have carburetors, which are sometimes called 'carbs'. |
| Chicken Strips |
The unused side portions of the tire tread which indicate the lean angle the bike has been ridden at - extreme cornering reduces chicken strips to a very narrow band on the side of the tires. |
| Chassis |
The combination of the frame and suspension components. |
| Choke |
A mechanical device to assist in starting up a "cold" motor. It changes the mixture of air and gas that you are trying to combust to get the motor started. |
| Chopper |
Slang for a motorcycle that has been stripped (chopped) of unnecessary parts in order to lighten it. Current usage includes the extremely elongated frames popular with custom bike builders, built long and low but without consideration of weight. |
| Clutch |
A mechanical device that provides a regulated connection between the engine and transmission in order to provide a smoother flow of power to the drive wheel. |
| Constant Radius Turn |
A turn where arc of the turn stays constant throughout the length. |
| Contact Patch |
The patch of rubber on each tire contacting the road while you ride. Generally the size of the palm on your hand |
| Counter Steering |
Pushing the handlebars in what seems like the opposite direction of travel. Unlike a car, a bike can lean. Turning at speeds above 15-20 km/h is achieved by leaning the bike. To initiate a lean you have to push the right bar to go right or the left bar to go left. At slower speeds the reverse is true because you are no longer leaning the bike and using the center or flat part of the tire similar to turning a 3 or 4 wheeled vehicle. |
| Decreasing Radius Turn |
A turn that “tightens up” or closes in on itself; the radius of the corner decreases. |
| DOT |
Department of Transportation – United States branch of the government that provides guidance and regulation to the transportation industry in the US. |
| Drive Types |
"Chain Drive– Power is transmitted from the transmission to the rear wheel by a combination of sprockets and a chain (see Shaft and Belt Drives) Needs constant lubrication and adjustment. Is typically strongest of the three but also the shortest lived.Shaft drive - Power is transmitted from the transmission to the rear wheel by a shaft that is turned by/turns bevel gears. No adjustment and very little maintenance required.Belt drive - Power is transmitted from the transmission to the rear wheel by a combination of sprockets and a belt (generally Kevlar reinforced). Requires very little adjustment and typically very long lasting. (must watch for holes and wear of the ribs)". |
| Duck Walking |
When you sitting on the bike and pushing it with your legs and feet. Paddling the bike along to make it move. |
| EFI |
Electronic Fuel Injection - A more sophisticated fuel system. A fine mist of fuel is sprayed into the combustion chamber for optimum ignition. The more ports, the finer the mist, the more accurate the system. |
| Engine Configuration |
Layout or arrangement of the engine's cylinders - e.g.. V-Twin, V4, parallel twin, opposed twin, single, inline four, inline triple, flat four, square four, straight six, etc. |
| Fairing |
The plastic, fiberglass, carbon fiber or metal panels that wrap a motorcycle for aerodynamics, wind/weather protection and design. |
| Gearhead |
Slang term for anyone passionate about the mechanics of motors and anything motorized. Usually likes to share lots of details that a non-gearhead will be bored by. |
| Gyroscopic Inertia |
What keeps a spinning top upright? Gyroscopic inertia, also known as centrifugal inertia. The spinning top is stable when it spins fast, and becomes less stable (starts to wobble) as it slows down, as the centrifugal or gyroscopic inertia becomes less. The same physics applies to motorcycles, inceasing stability at higher speeds. |
| Horsepower |
A measure of power commonly used to describe a car, motorcycle or other vehicle. I.e.. A cbr600fi has 100 HP (horsepower). |
| Increasing Radius Turn |
A turn that “opens up” or gets straighter; the radius of the corner increases. |
| Iron Butt Rally |
A long-distance rally requiring the participants to ride at least 11,000 miles in 11 days. |
| Lane Splitting |
Riding between lanes of traffic. Illegal in Canada. |
| Lid |
Slang term for helmet. |
| Lugging the Engine |
Being in a gear too high for your speed. The engine “lugs”, rattles or bogs suggesting you to downshift to a gear better suited to your current road speed. |
| Master Link |
A link in the chain that can be disassembled to repair the chain. |
| Naked bikes |
Bikes designed with little or no fairing. Originated when sport bike riders fell over, breaking the fairings and not replacing them. |
| Odometer |
Displays, in kilometers, the distance the bike has traveled, usually runs off the speedometer. |
| OEM |
Original Equipment Manufacturer. Parts coming from the original manufacturer. |
| Pillion |
Passenger seat or sometimes the passenger is described as "riding pillion" (mostly a U.K. term). |
| Powerband |
A specific range of engine speed (rpm) where the engine makes the majority of its power (see horsepower and torque). Where the engine is “happiest” to run. |
| Push Steering |
See counter steering. |
| Riding Gear |
Safety gear you wear, provides wind and weather protection as well as impact and abrasion protection. Leather riding gear is traditional, and provides good abrasion protection. Riding gear made out of manufactured fibers is now available too, including cordura and gortex (tough and breathable, waterproof) and kevlar (body armour/abrasion protection). |
| Riding “Two Up” |
Riding with a passenger. |
| RPM |
Revolutions Per Minute, the 'engine speed'; the number of times a crankshaft rotates 360 degrees each minute. |
| SAE |
Society of Automotive Engineers – Do testing and provide standards for virtually every piece of the motorcycle itself including the fluids. |
| Snell Memorial Foundation |
Private foundation that tests helmets of many kinds to a clearly documented standard and releases reports stating their findings. |
| Speed Wobble |
At high speed, some bikes will wobble in the wind caused by mechanical issues or aerodynamics. Changing speed can sometimes eliminate this wobble. |
| Speedometer |
Displays, in kilometers, the speed the bike is traveling, usually cable driven. |
| Squid |
An aggressive, unsafe rider who does stunts on public roads, usually not wearing suitable safety equipment. |
| Tachometer |
Displays, the number of 'Revolutions Per Minute' (RPM) of the engine. |
| Tang |
The part of the sidestand that sticks out, intended for you to put your toe on to lower the side stand while seated on the bike. |
| Tank Slapper |
Usually at high speed - the bars slap back and forth. This is caused by a few things or a combination of a few things such as: too much power, a bump in the road while accelerating, suspension issues, overloading the rear of the bike etc. |
| Tar Snakes |
Road repairs made with tar strips that run lengthwise on the road - slippery. |
| Thumper |
A single cylinder engine, typically a larger displacement. |
| Touring Bike |
A bike made to ride long days, typically with lots of luggage and other features. |
| Torque |
A measure of twisting force. The engine transmits this through the chain, shaft or belt to the rear wheel. The “accelerating force” whereas horsepower is the “speed force” i.e. horsepower is how fast you can go and torque is how quickly you get there. |
| Trip Meter |
Displays, in kilometers, the distance traveled since the trip meter was last re-set. Used to estimate fuel consumption, or when to stop for gas on bikes without a fuel gauge. |
| Voltage |
A measure of electrical output. Most modern motorcycles have a 12 volt battery system. |
