A style of motorcycle popularized in London in the ’50s where bikers wanted a fast, personalized and distinctive bike to travel from cafe to cafe. Many Cafe Racer bikes have distinctive small low-cut fairings.
A car, truck, van, RV or other vehicle that confines the inhabitants within an enclosed space.
The driver of a car, truck, van, RV or other vehicle that confines the inhabitants within an enclosed space.
An eccentrically shaped rotor that converts rotational movement into linear movement. Cams are used in the operation of valves, contact breaker points, and drum brakes.
Sideways angle or slant of the pavement.
A metal shaft with two or more cams (oval “lobes”) that rotates to operate inlet and/or exhaust valves in a four-stroke engine.
Serious motorcycle accidents that occur while riding fast on twisty roads that are found in canyons of mountainous areas.
A high-tech material available in many motorcycle applications due to its high rigidity and low weight which can allow improvements in the power-to-weight ratio and suspension response of the bike. Additionally, the distinctive look of the material has become trendy.
A mechanical device found on the intake side of the engine which mixes fuel and air to create the volatile mixture that gets ignited in the engine.
“Casing” refers to landing on the frame rails and engine cases. For example, when coming up short on a double or triple jump and landing on the top of the last jump instead of clearing it. “He cased it hard over that triple.”
A common engine size measurement for motorcycles.
A European system of grading motorcycle protective armor that encompasses both energy absorption capability as well as pad shape and size. The armor or pads are designed to offer added protection to a rider going down on a motorcycle, particularly in the event of sliding or lesser impacts. CE armor is made of hard foam pieces encapsulated in softer foam which compresses on impact. In other words, it’s like a helmet: if you land on it, you must replace it.
For more information, see this article on Motorcycle Armor.
A mechanism that pivots down from the center of the motorcycle frame to support the bike vertically with the rear wheel off the ground.
A common motorcycle drive system that uses a multi-link steel chain and toothed sprockets to transfer engine power to the rear wheel.
For pictures and more info click motorcycle chain drives.
A one-wheeled carriage for a single passenger attached to the side of a motorcycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.
Motorcycle clothing accessory designed for leg protection. They’re usually made of leather and are fastened around the waist, with an open back. They snap at the ankles and zip down the legs.
The frame and suspension systems of a motorcycle.
A part of the track consisting of back-to-back left and right turns. Chicanes can be a part of the original track, or can be created, using cones and hay bales, to slow the riders down for safety.
A cruiser style bike that has a lot of the pieces of the bike “chopped off.” The riders of the ’60s did everything they could to customize their bikes and make them go faster. Thus, much of the existing bikes they bought were chopped off. The bikes in the movie “Easy Rider” are examples.
Type of wheel rim used with early beaded-edge tires.
An engine that attaches to a conventional bicycle frame.
