Motorcycle Terms Glossary

AMA

American Motorcycle Association

Ape Hangers

Handlebars that are very high, and which often raise the rider's hands above his or her shoulders

B

B.R.A.G.^®

Buell Riders Adventure Group

Baffle

Sound deadening material that sits inside a muffler and quiets the exhaust note

Big Twin

Any Harley-Davidson^® that is not a Sportster^®.

Refers to the relatively large size of almost all other Harley-Davidson engines when compared to the Sportster^® engine. Sportster^® models currently have 883 or 1200 cubic centimeters whereas most other Harleys have 1340 cubic centimeters. The single exception to this rule is the V-Rod^® which currently has fewer cubic centimeters (1130 cc to be exact) than a large Sportster, yet is widely considered to be a big twin. Who knows, maybe in a few years' time we'll have to come up with a new phrase to separate the larger motorcycles from the smaller motorcycles …

Blockhead

The Evolution^® engine (V-Twin, produced from 1984 – 2000)

Bullneck Frame

A bullneck frame differs from a standard frame in the way that the frame is connected to the steering neck. On most models there is a triangular or trapezoidal area between the frame and the steering neck that is indented. On bullneck frames this area is not indented, rather the transitional area between the frame and the steering neck is "filled in" and so is smooth and unbroken.

C

Cage

A car, truck, or van

Cager

A person driving a car, truck, or van

Clone

A motorcycle built to resemble and function like a Harley-Davidson motorcycle without actually being a Harley-Davidson motorcycle (the vehicle title will identify it as something other than a Harley-Davidson)

Crash Bars

The incorrect term for engine guards. If you want to see a factory lawyer cringe, there's no faster way than saying this term.

D

DILLIGAF

Do I Look Like I Give A F***

DOT

Department of Transportation

Drag Bars

Low, flat, straight handlebars

E

ECM

Electronic Control Module

The computer brain that controls various aspects of your motorcycle's performance including ignition, timimg, and fuel to air ratio.

EFI

Electronic Fuel Injection

Engine Guards

Metal tubes bolted to the motorcycle's frame that should protect the engine from damage in the event of an accident. They are not designed to offer the rider or passenger any protection in the event of an accident.

Evo

Evolution^®

The Evolution engine (V-Twin, produced from 1984 – 2000)

F

Fathead

The Twin-Cam engine (V-Twin, produced from 1999 – Current Day)

Flathead

The Flathead engine (V-Twin, produced from 1929 – 1972)

FTW

F*** The World

Forever Two Wheels

H

H.O.G.^®

Harley Owners Group

Hard Tail

A motorcycle frame with no rear suspension

Hugger^®

A type of Sportster^®, so named because its lowered suspension and lowered seat make it appear to "hug" the road.

Huggermucker

Huggermugger

General term refering to either an inanimate object with an unidentifiable purpose, or a human being fitting the same discription * Thanks to Big John at Humboldt County Choppers M/C in Eureka, California

I

Ironhead

The first generation of Sportster models (produced from 1957 until 1985). Unlike other models with nicknames that describe the look of the cylinder heads on particular engine ("Knucklehead", "Shovelhead", "Flathead", etc.), the Ironhead name comes from the fact that the cylinder heads on these models were cast iron whereas the heads on other models at that time were made of aluminum.

J

Jockey Shift

A shift lever that is actuated by a rider's hand and which sits either behind the rider's leg (in which case the shifting motion closely resembles a jockey whipping his horse … hence the term "jockey shift") or is mounted on the fuel tank.

See also Suicide Clutch.

K

Knuck

Knucklehead

The Knucklehead engine (V-Twin, produced from 1936 – 1947)

M

M/C

Motorcycle Club

MMI

Motorcycle Mechanics Institute

MSF

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

O

OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

P

P-Pad

Pillion Pad

The passenger seat

Pan

Panhead

The Panhead engine (V-Twin, produced from 1948 – 1965)

PhD

A self-paced learning system designed by Harley-Davidson to keep professional dealership technicians current.

Poker Run

A poker run is, for the most part, like any old motorcycle run. Instead of just riding from Point A to Point B, however, there are also several stops in between (usually 5 total). At these stops you go in to the checkpoint and draw a playing card from a deck of cards. Depending on the rules, you either keep the card or the person at the checkpoint will mark down what card you drew. You do this at each checkpoint, and by the end of the run you will have 5 cards … this makes up your poker hand. At the last stop you turn in your poker hand, and whoever has the best hand wins.

R

Revolution^®

The Revolution^® engine, Harley-Davidson's first water-cooled engine (V-Twin, produced from 2002 – Current Day)

Rice Burner

A Japanese-made motorcycle

RMHD

Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson

RUB

Rich Urban Biker

Rubber

Tires

S

Shovel

Shovelhead

The Shovelhead engine (V-Twin, produced from 1966 – 1984)

Sissy Bar

Passenger backrest

Softail^®

A motorcycle frame whose suspension is hidden, making it resemble a hard tail

Stock

A motorcycle set up to OEM specifications with no alterations

Straight Pipes

An exhaust system with no baffles (technically illegal in most areas)

Suicide Clutch

Suicide Setup

An early-style gear shift mechanism. Unlike modern motorcycles, early motorcycles used a foot-actuated clutch and the gear shifting was done with the rider's hand via a long gear shift knob that was connected directly to the transmission (much like a manual transmission on a car).

Because the rider had to remove one of his hands from the handlebars in order to shift — a dangerous prospect given that most of the thoroughfares of the day were rutted, unpaved dirt roads or brick and cobblestone streets — many people felt that motorcycle riders were literally "taking their lives into their own hands" … hence the term, "suicide clutch".

See also Jockey Shift.

V

VIN

Vehicle Identification Number