“Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca” is a 2.238 miles (3.602 kilometers) paved racetrack near Monterey, California, that features auto and motorcycle racing. It has eleven turns, including the famous “Corkscrew” at Turns 8 and 8A. There is also a 300 foot (91 m) elevation change.
Riding between two lanes of traffic at a greater speed than the other vehicles. It is legal in California if it’s done in a safe manner and it’s also legal in many countries. However, it is illegal in most U.S. states, and there are times when this could be dangerous.
In motorcycle racing, a slow rider who is being lapped by the leaders.
Front motorcycle suspension design in which the axle is mounted at the front end of two short links that pivot at the bottom of solid forks. The links are sprung to control movement. A long leading-link system has a complete fork that pivots behind the wheel.
A type of drum brake mechanism. The “leading” brake shoe is applied in the direction of the drum rotation. This can either be a single leading shoe or a double (twin) leading shoe design and refers to the number of cams used to activate the braking force. When you apply the brakes with a single leading shoe, one cam pushes the same side of both brake shoes out to make contact with the brake drum. When you apply the brakes with a twin leading shoe, two cams (one on each end of the brake shoes) push both ends of the brake shoes out to meet the drum and results in stopping force.
A spring that comprises strips of spring steel clamped together commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. One end is fixed and the other is attached to the spring component. It is also one of the oldest forms of springing and was originally called laminated or carriage spring.
The form-fitting leather suit a rider wears on the street or track. Racing leathers feature special, sturdy stitching, abrasion-resistant hides, and foam and plastic armor at key points such as the back, knees, elbows and shoulders. Leathers are cut to fit a rider when he/she is sitting on the motorcycle, so they look baggy when walking around in the pits. Leathers are also used to refer to the protect riding apparel that non-racing motorcycle riders wear.
Light Emitting Diode tail lights on some street motorcycles are brighter, more compact and simpler than conventional bulb-type lights – and require no maintenance.
This describes the path of the motorcycle as a rider goes through a section of track or around a turn. Riders think hard about the best lines to take, lines that can be used for passing, and lines to be used later in a race when the track surface has changed.
Compression of a motorcycle suspension. (Compare unloading).
Early motorcycle frame design in which the downtube curves underneath the engine case and then upward to become the seat-post. The earliest motorcycle builders were adapting gasoline engines to 19th century bicycle frames which then evolved into sturdier chassis construction to hold larger engines within the frame loop.
A motorcycle crash that results from a wheel losing traction, allowing the bike to fall sideways. The name derives from the fact that it is usually the inward side that the motorcycle will fall on, or the side that points downward in a curve, the low side. Riders are usually advised to do a lowsider rather than a highsider if neither can be avoided. The lowsider has the advantage of the motorcycle sliding before the rider, placing it out of harm’s way. (Compare High Side).