 Motorcycle
Terms & Definitions |
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| Apes
or Ape Hangers |
Refers
to a handlebar style where the handgrips are located at a higher
position, so as to enable the rider's arms to "hang" Picture
"Clyde" from "Every Which Way but Loose" and
you'll get a perfect understanding of the riding position. |
| Bar
Hopper |
A
motorcycle that is not very comfortable on longer rides, yet lavishly
styled. Rigid frames and hardtails
fall into this category. |
| Big
Five |
Refers
to the five major motorcycle manufacturers: Harley Davidson, Honda,
Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. |
| Biker |
Simply
put, a motorcycle operator. True bikers have a passion
for the art of motorcycling, and easily get all wrapped up in this
passion during even a simple 1/2 mile commute, but they rarely allow
their motorcycle to sit for more than a week without taking it somewhere.
Anywhere. Just for the simple excuse of a joy ride will do. |
| Blackie |
A
dark streak left on the asphalt when a motorcycle drills away from
a stop. White smoke often accompanies the formation of a blackie.
<<< DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRY THIS >>> |
| Brain
Bucket |
Slang
term for a helmet. |
| Bob,
Bobbed or Bobbing |
The
art of shortening a bike's appearance by cutting down the size of
its fenders. These bikes were also known as "bobbers". |
| Buckhorns |
A
style of handlebar that comes up higher and sweeps towards the rider,
the stance is more like holding a steering wheel in a car than a
handlebar on a motorcycle. A popular style from the 1960's and 1970's
and still in service today. |
| Cage |
The
sworn enemy of motorcyclists, more commonly known as automobiles.
The name stems from being all cooped up inside a closed shell, with
no contact with the outside air. |
| Cager |
Cage
operator, or driver of an automobile. |
| Carving |
Refers
to hard fast cornering on roads with many curves, stems from laying
the bike down to a nearly horizontal position and "carving"
a line through the roadlike a knife. |
| Catwalk |
Riding
a motorcycle on the rear wheel only, more commonly known as a "wheelie".<<<
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRY THIS >>> |
| Chopper |
A
style of motorcycle that appears deceptionally light, has a greater
angle on the front end than usually seen, and radical styling. The
word originates from the post WW2 era when former GIs were looking
for performance mods, there was no aftermarket back then and once
all engine mods were out of the way the bike's weight needed to
be reduced...owners began to remove uneccesary compnents and eventually
began to cut away (or "chop") sections of the bike and
frame. Used to be called "bobbing"
but the word "chop" became the more popular phrase. |
| Crotch
Rocket |
A
slang term for Sport Bikes. |
| Cruiser |
A
newer term that surfaced in the late 1980's that refers to the laid
back styled street bikes with chrome and boulevard styling. |
Club
Also referred to as MC
Club |
A
motorcycle organization made up of members who have banded together
in a common interest, members have pledged their loyalty (also called
prospecting or a prospect) for some time before
becoming active. Not to be confused with riding
clubs or riding organizations, the distinguishing feature
here is a three piece patch consisting of a logo and upper &
lower rockers worn on the back of their riding jacket or vest. A
patch with or simply the letters MC <Motorcycle Club> will
often accompany the club name. Treat these people with utmost respect. |
| Colors |
Signifies
a club or organization patch. |
| Cubic
Inch Wars |
Refers
to the ongoing battle between the "Big
5" companies for the largest displacement OEM
MC engine. |
| Displacement |
The
size of an engine, in cubic centimeters (cc) or cubic inches (ci). |
| Drag
Bar |
A
straight styled handlebar that does not sweep up from the risers.
[return
to the top] |
| Dual
Sport |
A
dual purpose motorcycle, made for both on and off the road travel. |
| Endo |
The
art of stopping a motorcycle and having the rear wheel lift off
the ground, a reverse of the catwalk.
Also called a stoppie. <<<
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRY THIS >>> |
| Fairing |
The
plastic shrouds that deflect wind and rain from the rider, the motorcycling
equivalent of automotive bodywork. |
| Four
Banger |
An
inline four cylinder motorcycle (or automotive) engine, these are
among the most powerful motors on a motorcycle. Also referred to
as an inline four. |
| Hardtail |
A
motorcycle with no rear suspension.
[return
to the top] |
| Hog |
Several
meanings, as an acronym it stands for "Harley Owners Group,"
it also relates to the larger Harley models (also called "Big
Twins"). |
| Inline
Four |
See
"Four Banger". |
| MC |
Motorcycle
Club, referring to the tightly knit brotherhoods of biker gangs. |
| Neck |
The
front of a motorcycle frame, where the steering head is located.
[return
to the top] |
| Nipple
Surfing |
Self
explanatory, refers to sliding across the ground face down after
falling off a motorcycle. <<< DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO TRY THIS >>> |
| OEM |
An
acronym, "Original Equipment from Manufacturer," refers
to parts or components. |
| Oil
Dripper |
Slang
term, refers to the earlier American and British bikes and often
still used towards the modern ones. |
| Parallel
Twin |
An
inline 2 cylinder engine. |
| RC |
Riding
Club, not to be confused with MC. |
| Rice
Burner |
Slang
term for a Japanese made motorcycle. [return
to the top] |
| Rigid
or Rigid Frame |
A
type of frame that has no swingarm, it is a one piece neck to rear
axle frame. |
| Road
Rash |
Marks
left behind on a biker's body after falling down while moving. <<<
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRY THIS >>> |
| Rockers |
The
two curved patches of a club's
patch, typically denotes the club name or chapter on one and resident
town or city on the other. |
| Rub |
"Rich
Urban Biker" the MC owners with pricy garage ornaments that
rarely get ridden, yet they still attempt to passs themselves off
as true bikers. |
| Scoot |
Slang
term for a motorcycle. |
| Screamin'
Night Hog |
A
biker when traveling long distances, prefers to ride at night (avoiding
the heavy traffic and usually at high speeds). |
| Skid
Lid |
Slang
term for a helmet. |
| Slam |
To
lower a bike's suspension (or in extreme cases remove it entirely),
also a remark made to someone with intent to make comments, sometimes
of a rude nature, to elicit laffs from those who hear/read it.
[return
to the top] |
| Sled |
Slang
term for a motorcycle. |
| Soft
Tail |
Refers
to a mono-shock swingarm bike, has the rigid
or hardtail styling yet full rear
suspension capability. One major company utilizes a play-on version
of the word to describe their line-up of this style; the Softail. |
| Sportbike |
The
racy light weight mega-fast bikes with full fairing, comfort is
not taken into consideration on these bikes rather they are made
for hard acceleration, quick and responsive manuevering, and rapid
stopping power. |
| Sport
Standard |
An
attempt to declassify sport bikes, essentially they are fairing-less
sport bikes. They fall between a Sport
Bike and a Standard,
with some racy styling and a little more upright riding stance. |
| Squid |
Acronym,
SQUirrely kID. In reference to
younger MC riders with little respect to posted speed limit laws,
self safety or safety of others. |
| Standard |
A
more upright styled bike, with little attention to styling. Generally
more powerful than cruisers but not anything like a sport bike.
[return
to the top] |
| Steering
Head |
The
tubular section at the front of a frame where the triple trees mount
to. |
| Stoppie |
The
art of stopping a motorcycle and having the rear wheel lift off
the ground, the reverse of a wheelie. Also called an endo.
<<< DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRY THIS >>> |
| Swingarm |
The
rear portion of a bike that the rear wheel mounts to, a pivoting
structure that moves up and down with the rear suspension. |
| Three
Piece Outfit |
Refers
to a club, stems from the 3
piece patches. |
| Tourer |
A
type of motorcycle designed for long distance riding, typically
a heavier bike with hard luggage and comfortable seating arrangements.
Also referred to as "Geezer Glides" and an "old man's
bike" as older folks tend to have these. |
| Triple |
A
three cylinder inline motorcycle engine.
[return
to the top] |
| Triple
Trees or Triple Clamps |
The
two pieces that attach the bike's front end to the frame, named
after the three positions on each piece; one for each fork tube
and a center for the steering stem. |
| Twisties |
A
road with many curves. |
UJM
Universal Japanese Motorcycle
|
Term
given to Japanese motorcycles of the 80's, because visually they
all looked alike; an air cooled 750 inline 4 with straight tank
and seat, until you were close enough to read the tank emblems they
looked identical. |
| V-Four |
A
four cylinder motorcycle engine with the cylinders aranged in two
rows in an angled V. |
| V-Twin |
A
2 cylinder motorcycle engine with the cylinders arranged in an angled
V This configuration can allow for optimum torque for a given displacement. |
| Valanced |
Refers
to the larger sweeping fenders.
[return
to the top] |
| Wave |
Slowly
becoming a lost art, but the true biker clings to this practice.
It involves raising a hand to greet a motorcyclist travelling in
the opposite direction. Not to be performed under braking or turning
maneuvers, wavers understand this. |
| Wishbone |
A
one piece handlebar and riser combo, styled like a drag bar but
much cleaner in appearance. |
| Z
Bar |
A
handlebar that sweeps out of the risers toward the front of the
bike and then sweeps back again towards the rider. A popular handlebar
from the 1970's. |
