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Tats or Toos – Tattoos
T or GT (Motorcycle designation suffix) – Touring (eg. Boulevard C90T, Honda VTX1800T, BMW K1200GT)
T.W.O – Two Wheels Only, anyone who ONLY rides a bike (no car)
Table-top jump – A jump similar to a double jump, except the void between the jumps is filled in with dirt, creating the table-top.
Tachometer – An instrument gauge that displays how fast the engine is spinning in revolutions per minute.
Taged – As in tag you’re it. Old term for finding out there is a cop or narc undercover in your bar or club. (South)
Tail pack/bag – A bag or luggage that mounts on to the (tail) rear seat or rear luggage rack of the bike.
Tail Gunner – The last rider in a group. This rider is typically responsible for acquiring a new lane when the group changes lanes, rendering assistance to any rider who must leave the group, assessing the skill level of new riders to the group, and communications with the lead bike rider about traffic conditions behind the group. This rider is often the ‘safety officer’ for that group.
Tall – High Final Drive Gear Ratio.
Tank bag – A bag or luggage that mounts on to the top of the fuel tank.
Tankslapper -1. A severe speed wobble that the handlebars bang alternately agaist the sides of the fuel tank. 2. When you get off the side of the road and the handlebars start slamin back and forth.
Tang – The part of the sidestand that sticks out, intended for you to put your toe on to lower the side stand while seated on the bike.
Tappet – Tappets – 1. Device to self-adjust valve clearances. 2. Small metal slugs between the cam and the pushrod or rocker arm.
Tar Snake – An uneven, slippery patch in a road crack
Target Fixation – When a riders eyes focus on a point in the distance, line or debris on the road, causing them to inadvertently steer the bike toward that area rather than in the intended path. The majority of riders fall prey to this as it’s easy to target fixate on a bump/hole in the road or something you didn’t want to run over.
Tarmac– British term for what North American’s call asphalt.
Tats – Tattoos
T-Bone – 1. Crashing into the side of a cage. Can happen when a vehicle makes a left turn in front of a biker or pulls a U-turn in the middle of the street. 2. Common crash condition where a car turns in front of a motorcycle and the connecting vehicles are perpendicular – hence “T-bone”.
T-CLOCK (see also T-CLOCS)– Older term used to help remember your Pre-Ride inspection – Tires, Controls, Lights (and electronics), Oils, Chassis (and chain) and Kickstand (make sure it’s up)
T-CLOCS (see also T-CLOCK)– Updated term used to help remember your Pre-Ride inspection – Tires, Controls, Lights (and electronics), Oils, Chassis (and chain) and Stands* (make sure it’s up). *Both the side and center stands
TDC – Top Dead Center – The point at which a piston is at its highest position (and therefore point of greatest compression) within the cylinder. 2. The piston position when it has reached the upper limit of its movement in the cylinder and the centre line of the connecting rod is parallel to the cylinder walls.
Team – A subgroup of four motorcycles within a larger group ride.
Telelever System – The most successful alternate front suspension, made by BMW, which takes the shock absorption function of a hydraulic fork and transfers it to a shock absorber located behind the steering head.
Telescopic forks – Front suspension system with two fork legs, each with sliding and fixed tubular members that telescope together to allow suspension movement.
Tetraethyl lead – A heavy, oily, poisonous liquid compound [Pb(C2H5)4] that is insoluble in water but soluble in gasoline. It is used as an antiknock agent.
Textiles – The jacket/gloves/etc (safety gear) used by riders that is made out of textile.
The Bicycle Lane – The space in-between those double yellow lines usually in the center of a two lane black top roadway,riding in the bicycle lane predates lane splitting and is sometimes the only alternative when cage traffic is slow or stopped.
The Big Road – The Interstate
The Main Jet – No not the one in your Carburetor , The Main Jet is another word for the Interstate Highway.
The Man – Police or Law Enforcement Officer
The Mann – Artist David Mann
The Motor Company – Harley-Davidson
The Ton – 100MPH
The Double – (also known as the ‘Double T‘, or ‘Double Ton‘) – meaning 200 mph.
Thermostat – Controls engine temperatures by preventing coolant flow when the engine is cold and permitting flow when the engine warms.
Thirteen (13) – It is for Mother Club e.g. The original chapter of the club and the ruling body of the club. If a member is wearing a 13 he is a member of the Mother club and is a boss of the club.
Three Piece Outfit – Refers to a club, stems from the 3 piece patches.
Throttle – The throttle controls the engine’s power by restricting the substance that enters the engine.
Throttle lock – Manual device fitted to the throttle of a motorcycle that applies friction to keep the throttle from moving. Used to temporarily give your hand a rest on long rides.
Throttle Rocker – A Throttle Rocker is a device that wraps around the throttle grip of your motorcycle. The end protrudes out from the grip to form a contoured portion that comfortably fits the heel and palm of your hand. Using the heel of your hand, you apply downward pressure on the Throttle Rocker and the throttle grip rotates.
Thumper – 1. Bikes with large displacement, single cylinder, for stroke engines. Any single cylinder bike (like the BMW F650, Kawasaki KLR650) street or off road.
Thrashing it or Caning it – Self-explanatory terms for taking the bike for ‘a blast’.
Time Hack – An informal measurement of time such as counting distances such as following a car.
Tire, Tyre – Rubber, Sneaker. The round thing made of rubber your motorcycle moves on.
Tire Cross Section – 1. The shape (profile) of the cross section of an inflated tire on a rim. 2. What a tire would look like if you sliced through it.
Tire direction – Unlike car tires, motorcycle tires have an arrow on the sidewall showing the direction of travel. It is important to mount motorcycle tires correctly and the tire direction arrow is correctly oriented in the direction the tire will spin the majority of the time.
Tire Profile – The lateral curvature of the tread of an inflated tire, usally expressed as a comparison of height to width.
Tire Warmers – Real racing tires work best once they’ve attained their high operating temperatures. Electric “blankets” wrapped around the wheels help speed this
process, allowing the rider to start going fast sooner.
Ton – 100 mph.
Ton up – 100 mph plus.
Too Late Light – Oil Pressure Warning Light
Toos – Tattoos
Top-box – A piece of hard luggage mounted behind the seat that sits up high.
Top End – 1. The maximum speed of a motorcycle. 2. The upper part of the engine, which contains the pistons, cylinders, and valve gear, and the induction system consits of the apparati that mix an air and fuel charge and inject it into the combustion chamber, located in the top end.
Torque – 1. The tendency of a force to cause an object to rotate. In an engine, the torque is expressed as the force applied multiplied by the distance from the center of rotation. It is the basic measure of the propulsive effect of a powered wheel. Or, said in other words: The measure of the force applied to produce rotational motion usually measured in foot-pounds or Nm. Torque is determined by multiplying the applied force by the distance from the pivot point to the point where the force is applied. 2. Measure of force producing torsion and rotation around an axis. A measurement of engine power described as the ability to turn or twist. Maximum torque is produced wen an engine is operating at maximum combustion efficiency. 3. A twisting force, and in a motorcycle it is a measure of the leverage the engines exerts on the rear wheel. 4. Turning force, so a measurement of force multiplied by distance. Typically expressed in units of pound-feet (lb-ft (not lb/ft)) or Newton-metres (Nm). Diesels generally develop more torque than petrols and at much lower rpm (engine ‘revolutions per minute’)
Torque Lb-ft – Torque is the rotational equivalent to force measured in pound-feet and is essentially the Engine ‘pulling’ power. High torque is of benefit for vehicles needed for towing, or for performance driving.
Tourer – A type of motorcycle designed for long distance riding, typically a heavier bike with hard luggage and comfortable seating arrangements. Also referred to as “Geezer Glides” and an “old man’s bike” as older folks tend to have these.
Total Motorcycle (TMW) – Total Motorcycle Website. A huge motorcycle resource (largest in North America) since 1999 on the Internet containing dozens of free guides, motorcycle model guides, handbooks, biker’s dictionary, forums, and much more. Supports motorcycling and motorcyclists worldwide. https://www.totalmotorcycle.com
Totaled – Any vehicle that is in an accident. A vehicle that has been demolished in a crash to the point that the insurance company determines that the vehicle is not worth the cost of repairing. *. *Worth as defined by the insurance company.
Touring Bike – 1. A Luxurious motorcycle with many comforts and amenities for long range travel. 2. A bike equipped for longer riders with fairings and saddle bags.
TMW – Total Motorcycle Website. A huge motorcyclists resource (largest in North America) since 1999 on the Internet containing dozens of free guides, handbooks, biker’s dictionary, forums, and much more. https://www.totalmotorcycle.com
Traction – 1. Adhesive friction – traction is the element of vehicle dynamics that gives speed and directional control to the driver. 2. A tires ability to grip the road.
Trail – The distance along the ground from the steering axis to the center of the contact patch. Street bikes commonly have a trail or 4-6 inches.
Trailer Boy – Someone who trailers there bike long distances and then wants everyone to believe they rode many miles to get there.
Trailer Queen – Pristine antique bike brought to competitive old bike meets, and rolled off its trailer or out of the back of a van for judging, and rolled back in immediately after. Rarely, or never, seen to actually run. Back home, it lives under a cover in the owners barn/garage.
Trailer Twinkie – Any person whom is physically able but would rather trailer or haul their bike than ride it. . These people usually come up with some poor excuse to justify trailering and have been the culprits that have caused Bike Week to be referred to as Trailer Week by some. Most likely they are posers and waxers.
Trailing Brake – Applying the rear brake as a motorcycle leans over in a corner.
Trailing Throttle – Closing the throttle as the bike decelerates to apply engine braking.
Transfer Port – Two stroke fresh fuel post between the crankcase and the cylinder.
Transient response – The vehicle’s ability to recover from one corner and set up for the next corner.
Transmission – The system of gears and chains by which power is transmitted from the engine to the driving wheel.
Travel – The distance that suspension components, the forks and shocks, move up and down when the bike rides over bumps.
Tread depth – The distance measured in the major tread groove nearest to the centre line of the tire, from the base of the groove to the top of the tread.
Tri-Armor – Is armor comprised of a plastic membrane sandwiched between dual density closed cell memory armor. Tri-Armor was developed from the results of a four year crash study in Germany. The goal of this study was to develop the most protective motorcycle suit. Construction and placement of the Tri-Armor was designed to provide the best impact and abrasion resistance. Tri-Armor exceeds the current “CE” approved standards.
Trial – Trial is the sport of riding specifically designed bikes to overcome obstacles that often require difficult stunts like jumping from a standstill without touching feet to the ground. A trial bike is very lightweight and is easily distinguished from other off-road bikes by the appearance that the rider will have a hard time finding a seat on it.
Trail Braking – Keeping the brakes applied late in to the corner.
Trials Bike – For competition over radical, rough terrain. Trials motorcycles are designed to be extremely light, minimalist off-road specialties with low gear ratios, high ground clearance and a control layout suited for a standing rider.
Trick – Cool – “That dude’s bike is trick”
Trickle charging – A method of slowly and gently charge the battery. Motorcycle batteries should be trickle charged at a rate of around 1-2 amps and a charging rate not to exceed 6-12 amps.
Trike – A three-wheeled motorcycle with no sidecar. Can either be 1 wheel in front, 2 in back (trike), or 2 wheels in front and 1 in back (reverse trike).
Triple – A three cylinder inline motorcycle engine.
Trip Meter – Displays the distance traveled since the trip meter was last re-set. Used to estimate fuel consumption, or when to stop for gas on bikes without a fuel gauge.
Triple Trees or Triple Clamps – The two pieces that attach the bike’s front end to the frame, named after the three positions on each piece; one for each fork tube and a center for the steering stem.
Troubleshoot/Troubleshooting – Looking for the problem on the bike.
True Blue – A Biker who travels long distances or takes long bike trips.
Trumpet – Slang for a Triumph motorcycle. Can also mean a trumpet-shaped exhaust pipe.
T-Shirt Biker – Someone who has the leather jacket, chain drive wallet, T-shirts and all, but no scooter (motorcycle).
TT (Tourist Trophy) – Road race held on closed public roads on the Isle of Man, off the coast of Great Britain. The TT is the oldest motorcycle-racing event in the world. The first race was held in 1907. Racers routinely reach speeds in excess of 260 kph (100 mph) that take them through villages, along rocky mountain sides and along single lane country roads. The TT is also the most dangerous racing event in the world.
Tuck – Crouched aerodynamically best riding position used to decrease drag and increase speed
Tucking – A front wheel suddenly turning itself too sharply toward a turn with the bike leaned over.
Tune up – When a senior club member sets a junior club member straight.
Tuppermobile – Any Bike that has plastic arm rests for passengers (like Honda Goldwing)
Turbin Top or Cow Pie – 1979 to 1984 4 speed shifter lids because of there shape.
Turbocharger – 1. Arguably a more efficient variation of the supercharger. Impellers in the exhaust are turned by the exhaust gases, which power impellers in the air intake forcing more air past the carburetors. 2. A forced air induction system that increases the amount of air available for combustion in the cylinders by 50% or more.
Trumpet – Slang for a Triumph motorcycle or a trumpet-shaped exhaust pipe.
Turn Out – When all members come together in the case of an initiation for a new member.
Turn Signals – Blinkers
Twenty Twenty (20/20) – A Harley Rider ( $20,000 for the Harley, $20,000 for a pickup to tow it with)
Twenty-two (22) – Someone who has done time
Twin – An engine configuration comprising of 2 cylinders.
Twin Spar Frame – A bike frame with two steel or aluminum spars (flat beams) sandwiched around the sides of the engine.
Twingle – A vertical twin engine where both pistons move up and down together. Combination of the words twin and single.
Twisties – Section of road with a lot of turns. 2. A road or race track with many curves.
Twisting the wick – Speeding up, Roll on the throttle.
Two into one (2-1) – 2 exhaust header pipes mating into one pipe
Two second rule – This is the minimum spacing in seconds between moving motorcycles. While in formation, maintain a 2-second interval from the rider in front of you. It is measured by counting “one-thousand one, one-thousand two” as you see the rider in front of you pass a sign or landmark. Stop counting when you pass the same marker. Under poor weather conditions, maintain longer intervals consistent with safety.
Two Stroke – Two Stroke Engine – 1. Mechanically simple, light and powerful, two stroke engines combine the exhaust and intake strokes, making every other stroke a power stroke. 2. An engine (also called a stroker) who’s power cycle consists of just two movements, or strokes: The piston moves down, drawing in the fuel air charge, and then up, cumbusting the charge. Unfortunately two stroke engines typically produce much more pollution than a four stroke design.
Two tons – 200 mph.
Two Up – A term for carrying a passenger on your motorcycle.
Two-way Street – Playing it even with both parties entitled to & receiving the same treatment