“ Hitting the apex” correctly helps carry speed through a corner. On a bike (especially when racing), you look for the apex of a corner or the point closest to the curb/shoulder between the entry and exit of a corner. Usage: “Did you see Bob’s crash? Good thing there was some Airfence in that corner he walked away.”Īpe hangers/”Apes”: Very tall handlebars typically found on cruisers.Īpex: In a car or truck, you go around a corner. When a rider hits an Airfence, it rapidly deflates, absorbing the energy of the crash and lessening the chances of injury. Enter Airfence, an airbag system for racetracks. Guess what? Tires aren’t that soft and many riders got injured. It’s your call on the value of joining.Īirfence: Back in the day, racers could expect to slide into a tire barrier when they crashed in a corner at the track. It also lobbies politicians on behalf of riders and offers services such as roadside assistance. This enormous riding organization puts on races, rallies, and more each year.

I can’t wait to take it on that epic ADV ride this summer.”ĪMA: American Motorcyclist Association. ADV bikes can be ridden on- and off-road and are often called “dual-sport bikes” or “adventure bikes.” A ride on such a bike is often called an “ADV ride,” and there are countless ADV groups, websites, clubs, etc. A-E AĪDV: Short for “adventure,” ADV means both a kind of bike and a kind of riding. You might know the difference between a trike and a bobber, but do you know what a panny or a tiddler is? Good thing we curated this cheat sheet. Whether you own a motorcycle or are thinking of purchasing a new bike, now’s the right time to get a better understanding of motorcycling. This slang might make you sound like a veteran rider and give you helpful tips, like what to know when you need to tune your motorcycle. Motorcycling, just like any other special activity, has its own vocabulary.

Pirsig captures this idea deftly in his book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, when he writes, “It’s the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top.”

Learning this language might not only bring you a new level of enjoyment, but it also could ensure your safety. This unofficial glossary was created by those who travel on “twos” to teach people the lingo of the road.

Welcome to The Manual’s dictionary of motorcycle slang.

Mount your friends custom heads