Copy of `Superglossary - Motorcycles`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

Superglossary - Motorcycles Category: Travel and Transportation > Motorcycles Date & country: 09/12/2013, USA Words: 486

Planetary Gear
A gear system that consists of one or more outer gears (or planet gears), rotating about a central g

Plunger Suspension
In the 1930

Poker Run
A Poker Run is an organized motorcycle event where riders travel over a prescribed course and at des

Poseur
A Poseur is a person who pretends to be what he is not. There are those individuals within motorcycl

Positive Camber
A Positive Camber turn is one that is banked higher on the outside of the turn than on the inside. N

Port Timing
In two-stroke engines the critical moment when ports are covered or uncovered by the piston. Port ti

Polar Bear Grand Tour
Most motorcyclists don't ride in the winter. However, the Polar Bear Grand Tour held each Sunday beg

Port
Opening into an engine cylinder.

Podium or The Box
The victory stand where riders placing first through third stand to receive their trophies.

Powder Coating
There are various ways to paint a motorcycle. A popular method these days is powder coating. The pai

Pocket Bike
These are extremely small bikes that look like miniature sportbikes, have engines under 50cc and sel

Pre-Unit
An early motorcycle engine architecture where the engine and gearbox are built as independent casing

Privateers
Motorcycle racers who do not have the backing of a manufacturer.

Pressed Steel
Sheet steel made into curved sections by press forming. It is often used in the construction of moto

Primary Drive
The system of transferring power from the motorcycle engine to the gearbox. Usually achieved by chai

Puck
Knee skids, attached to leathers with hook and loop material, that riders wear to slide their knees

Pushrods
Pushrods are used to connect to rocker arm assemblies which, in turn, open and close valves. In this

Rally
A gathering of motorcyclists. Could be any number as small as 50 or as large as 500,000.

Rat Bike
A rat bike is a bike that is usually unkempt and is loaded with all sorts of luggage, tools, tents,

Radial Mounted Calipers
A transfer of technology from road racing machines to street bikes of today. The brake calipers atta

Racing Flags
Checkered Flag

RAM-Air Intake Ducts
Inlets in the front of the fairing, connected to ducts leading to the airbox, force fresh, cool air

Rake and Trail
Rake is the angle of the fork away from vertical toward the rider. Trail is the distance on the grou

Rake
The angle the forks are from perpendicular, usually expressed in degrees. (Compare trail).

Rev Limiter
Also known as an

Rectifier
An electrical component in motorcycle charging circuits that converts alternating current into direc

Rear Sets
Racing-style footrests fitted towards the rear of the machine to allow the rider to adopt a racing c

Reed Valves
Reed valves are commonly used in high-performance versions of the two-stroke engine, where they cont

Revolution
Revolution is the name of the Harley-Davidson engine first introduced in the V-Rod in 2001. This eng

Redline
The maximum number of revolutions per minute an engine can run before damage occurs. The name is der

RETREADS
The RETREADS

Rearsets
When racing a motorcycle or just doing the twisties, a rider often finds that the pegs just get in t

Rigid
A bike with no rear suspension is said to be a rigid. Harley-Davidson motorcycles all had rigid fram

Riding The Clutch
A clutch generally consists of a disk which, in its normal state, connects the engine to the transmi

Rig
A motorcycle with an attached sidecar. Also any combination of motorcycle with or without sidecar pu

Riceburner
A Riceburner is a Japanese motorcycle. The term tends to be used by riders of American made motorcyc

Rising Rate
A suspension system that becomes harder to compress the further it is compressed. This is usually ac

Rice Rocket
High performance sport bike from Japan

Rich Urban Biker (RUB)
Image-oriented motorcycle owner with more money than riding knowledge or experience.

Ride To Work Day
Ride to Work Day was inspired by various 'Work to Ride - Ride to Work' T-shirts, stickers and other

Rim Lock
Rim locks are used to prevent tires from slipping around motorcycle rims. They are primarily used on

Ride Bell
There are many stories about the Ride Bell. Here's one

Rocker Arm
A centrally pivoted lever that transmits the motion of the camshaft to open and close the valves.

Rotary Engine
An internal combustion engine that does not have pistons, camshafts, valvetrain, or a crank shaft. I

Road Rash
Road Rash is a term used to define injuries to the skin when a rider falls or is thrown from the mot

Rolling Chassis
The assembled frame, wheels and suspension of a motorcycle.

Roost
The debris kicked up by a spinning rear wheel. Used as a verb, to leave someone behind.

Roadster
Type of motorcycle with no fairing or wind protection, and where the bike

RPM
RPM is defined as Revolutions Per Minute. Horsepower, Torque, and RPM are interrelated by the formul

Ruts
When dirt terrain is soft or damp, deep channels or

Saddle Tank
A fuel tank that fits over the top tube of the motorcycle frame.

Saddlebags
Saddlebags are either soft or hard containers attached over the rear fender of a motorcycle. They ha

Scooter
A scooter, in its purist definition, could be considered a small motorcycle with a step-through or f

Scoot
Affectionate term for a motorcycle.

Scooter
Small, two-wheeled, utilitarian motorbike with a step-thru frame.

SCRC
The Southern Cruisers Riding Club (SCRC) was founded by Rick Perry (Rickster) as a local motorcycle

Servo (Servomechanism)
An electronic control system in which a hydraulic, pneumatic, or other type of larger-powered contro

Sender
An electronic sensor unit on a motorcycle conveying information about an engine to a warning light o

Shaft Drive
Shaft Drive is a method to transmit power from the transmission to the rear wheel of the motorcycle

Shovelhead
Shovelhead is the name of the Harley-Davidson engine used from 1966-1985. The shovel engine has rock

Shaft Jacking
Unwanted motion in the rear end of motorcycles with a shaft drive. While under acceleration, the rea

Simplex
A lightweight motorized bike manufactured from 1935 to 1960 in Louisiana. Starting the engine was ac

Sidecar
A Sidecar is attached to a motorcycle to create a 3-wheeled combination. The sidecar is also known a

Single Overhead Cam (SOHC)
A single cam shaft found in the head or top of the engine that activates the valves. (Compare DOHC).

Sissy Bar
A tall backrest on the passenger seat of a motorcycle. It helps to keep a passenger from falling off

Sintered Brake Pads
Asbestos-free brake pads made of sintered metal, with excellent friction coefficient and heat resist

Sipes
One of many small incisions on a tire

Sidestand
The Sidestand retracts from the left side of a motorcycle and contacts the ground to hold up the mac

Sidevalve Engine (SV)
Valves positioned in an engine beside a cylinder instead of in the cylinder head. The design was com

Slicks
Racetrack-only tires, so named because they have no tread at all, just a smooth surface so that the

Slipper Clutch
Specialized clutches developed for racing motorcycles to mitigate the effects of engine braking when

Slip The Clutch
To feather or fan the clutch lever back and forth to prevent stalling the engine or spinning the rea

Snell Rating
The non-profit Snell Memorial Foundation was formed in 1957 and is the world

Snakes
The serpentine tar strips sometimes used to fill cracks on a racetrack.

Snell Helmet Rating
The Snell Memorial Foundation rates motorcycle helmets. The rating is based on dropping the helmet c

Soft Tail
A Soft Tail is a motorcycle that appears to have a Hard Tail rear suspension but in reality has shoc

Sport Bike
A focused motorcycle designed for speed and handling. These machines are usually equipped with aerod

Spine Frame
A motorcycle frame with a single main structural member from which the engine is suspended. Also kno

Sport Tourer
A motorcycle that combines some of the handling and power of a sport bike, with some of the amenitie

Sport-Tourer
A Sport-Tourer bike is one that is sporty like a sportbike but capable of touring with some comfort.

Springer
A Springer is a particular Harley-Davidson model in the Softail family. It is characterized by a fro

Sportie
Harley-Davidson introduced the Sportster in 1957. The Sportster is sometimes called a Sportie or Spo

Sportster
Harley-Davidson's entry level model is a popular model for both men and women riders.

Speedway
Motorcycle speedway is a specialized sport run on oval, dirt tracks with usually four and sometimes

Sportbike
Very fast, colorfully decorated, high-performance motorcycle. Sportbikes are flashy, fast, and light

Squid
Have you seen a motorcycle rider who does not wear protective clothing, darts into and out of traffi

Squat
When the rear of the motorcycle compresses due to hard acceleration.

Stressed Member
A component that is an integral part of the whole structure. A common motorcycle use of this term is

Streetfighter Motorcycle
A custom sport bike noted for having an

Standard
A motorcycle intended for general, all-around street use, typically with an upright seating posture

Stoppie
A stoppie is a motorcycle maneuver performed by a skilled rider to stop a moving motorcycle so the r

Steering Damper
In order to prevent or minimize the front wheel from oscillating left and right over varied or bumpy

Stroke
Measurement of length of piston travel in the bore, usually expressed in millimeters.

Step-Thru
Motorbike frame layout with a low structure between the seat and the steering head often associated

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Motorcycle event held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota. It was founded on August 14, 1938 by the Ja

Stiction
Short for

Stroker
Stroker has at least two definitions. First, it is another word for a 2-stroke engine. Second, it re

Standard Bike
Tends to be a motorcycle without frills such as saddlebags, windshield, radio, or trunk. It is the c

Sturgis
Town of 6000 in SD where the Sturgis Rally and Races is held in early August. Attracts as many as 40

Stretch
Used by those that customize motorcycles