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

Superbike
A high-performance sport bike with a big engine (generally 1000cc and larger)

Supercharger
An air compressor used to force more air into the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engi

Sushi Wagon
An import motorcycle of Japanese origin.

Subframe
Any auxiliary framework attached to the main body of a motorcycle frame. Typically, this refers to t

Supermoto
Generally, a style of motorcycle usually built around, and looking like, off-road machines with stre

Suicide Shifter
Nick-name for a hand-shifter mounted onto a motorcycle. The term refers to the shift operation which

Supercross
Supercross is a dirtbike competition using relatively short courses inside athletic stadiums with mo

Sump
The oil reservoir for an internal-combustion engine, which is part of the lubrication system. See we

Suspension
The system of components that reduce the impact of surface bumps and serves to keep the wheels in be

Sweeper
A broad high-speed turn in racing.

Swing Arm
Older motorcycles and some new motorcycles have rigid frames much like bicycles. Thus, the frame is

Swingarm
The one- or two-sided arm (often made of aluminum or steel) that connects the rear wheel to the fram

Swept Volume
The volume displaced by a piston

Tachometer
A gauge that measures how fast an engine is spinning. The measurement is usually expressed in revolu

Tall Gear
A gear that, compared to a short gear, results in lower engine RPM for a given road speed. A short g

Target Fixation
A motorcyclist often inadvertently looks at an object and finds himself/herself headed straight for

Tank Bag
A piece of luggage that mounts on top of the gas tank of a bike. Sometimes contains a clear plastic

Tank Slapper
A rapid, high intensity oscillation of the handlebars (literally, slapping the tank side to side). I

Table-Top Jump
Similar to a double jump, except the void between the jumps is filled in with dirt, creating the tab

Tats
Tats, short for Tattoos. Many bikers have tattoos that depict various aspects of their relationship

Tailgunner
The last rider in a group formation of motorcycles is called the Tailgunner.

Telescopic Forks
Front suspension system on a motorcycle comprised of two fork tubes which contain coil springs. The

Telelever
Telelever is the name of a front suspension system used on BMW motorcycles. The front forks are just

Thumper
A single cylinder four-cycle motorcycle engine is sometimes called a Thumper because of its distinct

The Motor Company
Another common name for Harley-Davidson, INC.

The Wild One
Famous motorcycle movie about the Hollister incident starring Marlon Brando. Brando rode a Triumph,

The Dakar
Formerly known as

Throttle Lock
Manual device fitted to the throttle of a motorcycle that applies friction to keep the throttle from

Throttle
The Throttle on a motorcycle is contained in the right grip on the handlebars. The speed of the engi

Timing
Measurement of the exact instant when the valves open or close in an internal-combustion engine, or

Tire Warmers
Real racing tires work best once they

Tiered Licensing
Tiered licensing is a safety and insurance practice that restricts a rider

Tokyo Motor Show
An auto, motorcycle, and commercial vehicle show held October-November in Japan. The event is hosted

Total Loss
An engine ignition or lubrication system in which electricity or oil is used without being generated

Touring Bike
Any motorcycle that you can take on a tour. Normally, it has a fairing, saddlebags, and requires lit

Ton Up
Refers to riding a motorcycle over 100 miles per hour

Top Dead Center (TDC)
The point at which the crankshaft and piston are in their highest possible position. (Compare BDC).

Top End
Top End refers to the top portion of a motorcycle engine including the fuel system, valve covers, he

Torque
Torque is a turning or twisting force applied at a distance from the axis of the object. Thus, if yo

Touring
Traveling on a motorcycle to visit what's over the next hill. Carried to extreme, some motorcyclists

Trike
A 3-wheeled vehicle created by stripping off the rear wheel of a bike and replacing it with two auto

Trail Bike
A lightweight motorcycle for riding on trails and rough surfaces. Also known as a Dirt Bike or Off-R

Triple
A Triple is a 3-cylinder motorcycle engine.

Trailie
Another name for an Adventure Touring Motorcycle, which could be likened to a larger displacement du

Trail Braking
Keeping the brakes on late into a corner, after initial braking has taken place. A motorcycle riding

Track Day
Organized events in which members of the public are allowed to ride motorcycles around established r

Trail
The distance from the front axle

Tranny
The transmission of a motorcycle.

Trials
Trials, or Observed Trials, is a form of off-road racing where the course is made up of a series of

Twin Cam 88
Twin Cam 88 is the name of the Harley-Davidson engine first introduced in 1999. This engine is a 145

Twin Cam 88B
Twin Cam 88 is the name of the Harley-Davidson engine first introduced in 1999. This engine is a 145

Twisties
Twisties are any series of curves in the road that offer a challenge to a motorcyclist.

Two-up
Two people riding on a motorcycle, a rider and a co-rider. Two-up riding requires that the manufactu

UJM
UJM stands for Universal Japanese Motorcycle. It was a radical concept in the early '70s. The UJM wa

Under Brake
Failure to apply the brakes to their full capability, resulting in a longer than needed stopping dis

Uncork
Free a motorcycle from a sealed or constrained state to unleash its power. In general use, it can si

Unit Construction
Motorcycle or automobile engine design where both the engine and gearbox are integrated within the s

Unloading
Reducing the weight, or load, on the motorcycle suspension. Examples

Unsprung Weight
The mass of the motorcycle that is not supported by the suspension, such as the wheels, brakes, tire

Upside-Down Forks
Telescopic forks that are installed inverted compared to typical forks. In this case the slider tube

Valvetrain
An all-encompassing term used to describe the mechanisms and parts which control the operation of th

Valves (Intake and Exhaust)
Poppet valves within a four-stroke cylinder head that open and close to allow fuel/air into the comb

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. It's much the same as the VIN used to identify a car.

Viscosity
Term applying to a lubricant. Defines the liquid

Wannabee
A Wannabee is someone who tries obsessively to emulate a person, profession, or activity, e.g., 'The

Water Cooling
Also known as

Wet Clutch
A clutch that contains many plates that are in the oil spray of the transmission and the oil gets be

Wet Sump
As part of the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine, a wet sump is a built-in oil res

WERA
The Western Eastern Roadracers Association (WERA) also known as WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc, is

Wheelie Bar
A set of short arms that project several feet from the rear of a motorcycle to prevent or control th

Wheelie
A wheelie is a motorcycle maneuver performed by a skilled rider to raise the front wheel off the gro

Whoops or Whoop Section
Also known as whoop-de-doos. A section of track with a row of dirt mounds or moguls. Whoops are one

Wheelbase
The horizontal distance between the ground contact points of the front and rear wheels. Wheelbase is

Wind Triangle
A simple triangular-shaped piece of cloth or leather worn around the neck of a motorcyclist for wind

Willie G
Willie G. is short for William G. Davidson, Vice-President of Styling for Harley-Davidson. Willie G.

Works Racers
Racing machines built and operated by the factory.

Worm and Pinion Gear
System for turning rotational movement through 90

WOW
WOW is short for Women on Wheels, a national women's motorcycle association.

Wrench
A wrench is a term used to describe a motorcycle mechanic.

E-ZPass
Motorcyclists have always had a problem at toll plazas. They have to slow down, push up their face s

G-Out
A rapid transition from a long downhill to a steep uphill causing the rider to experience G-Force at

G-Force
The amount of gravitational pull simulated during a period of high acceleration or a sudden change i

M-C
M/C stands for Motorcycle Club. M/C is also written as MC. A motorcycle club is just a group of ride

T-Bone
A category of motorcycle accident where the rider runs head-on into the side of another vehicle. Usu

V-Twin
A V-Twin is an engine having two cylinders placed at an angle to each other in the shape of a V.

V-Rod
The Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-RodTM is a liquid-cooled, 1130cc V-Twin cruiser. The engine was designed