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34 | WheelsOfGrace.com | Issue 42 B I K E R J A R G O N BIKER J ARGON Every subculture has its own lingo. Bikers are no exception. Are you on the fringe of a motorcycle society? Have you heard a biker speaking and would like to understand what he was talking about? Would you like to gain insight into the biker mindset? Do you just like words? Here you'll find an introductory dictionary of commonly used road-motorcycle terminology and biker slang, compiled with the average "Citizen" in mind. Citizen: (noun) A person with no known affiliation with a Motorcycle Club. • CB750: Honda motorcycle. The first Sport Bike. • CC: Cubic centimeter. 1,000 cc = 1 liter. • CE Armor/CE Certified: A European system designed to rate the effectiveness of motorcycle riding armor. There is no American equivalent. • Cafe Chop: Converting a motorcycle into a cafe racer. • Cafe Racer: Motorcycles customized in the style of the British street-racing motorcycles of the 1960s and 1970s. • Cage: Car, truck, or van. • Cager: Person in a car, truck, or van. • Cam: A circle or oblong with an off-center point of axis. • Can: An exhaust muffler, typically an aftermarket muffler for a sport bike. • Canyon Carving: riding down a mountain road as fast as one possibly can, simply for the enjoyment of the experience. • Carb/Carbs: Carburetor(s). • Carbon Fiber: A strong and light-weight construction material. • Cateye: A style of tail-light. M o t o r c y c l e L i n g o By Axle Addict • Catwalk: A British term for wheelie. • Center of Gravity: Balance point. • Centerstand: A device used to hold a motorcycle upright when it's not being ridden. Serves the same purpose as a kickstand, except that the rear wheel is raised off the road surface. • Century: 100 mph. • Chain: A metal chain that transfers power to the rear wheel. Similar in design and purpose to a bicycle chain. • Chain Drive: system that used a chain to transfer power to the rear wheel. • Chaps: Protective riding gear that goes over pant legs and does not cover groin or posterior. • Chapter: The local entity of a larger club. Example: XYZ Motorcycle Club, Detroit Chapter. • Chase Vehicle: Truck that follows a pack of riders on a run to assist with breakdowns. • Chassis: Frame and suspension. • Choke: Used to make cold-starting an engine easier. Old systems used to "choke" out some air to increase the fuel to air ratio. Newer systems enrich the amount of fuel. • Chopper: Term for a customized motorcycle that has taken various forms through the years. Originally, anything unnecessary was "chopped" off and then custom features were added. The most notable feature of a Chopper is its extended fork system. • Chrome: Chromium plating used to increase corrosion resistance and enhance appearance. • Church: A club meeting. • Citizen: A person with no Motorcycle Club affiliation. • Club: A group of people banded together over a common interest. Motorcycle Club is a generally nefarious term referring to Outlaws/1%ers, whereas Riding Clubs are more community friendly. • Clip-ons: Handlebars that "clip-on" to the top of the forks. Usually seen on Sports Bikes as they lend themselves to a forward-leaning riding position. • Colors: Patches, logo, uniform associated with a Motorcycle Club • Compression Ratio: Refers to the difference between the pre-compressed volume of air/fuel and the compressed volume of air/fuel. • Counter Steer: Counter-intuitive steering system in which a push to the left-side handlebar results in a right-side turn and vice versa. To see just how counter-intuitive, check out the reader comments below. • Cowl/Cowling: Bodywork pieces that cover the engine and transmission of a bike to improve aerodynamics and visual smoothness. These are the parts removed from a naked bike. • Crash Bars: Bars that attach to the frame and protrude outward so as to protect the engine in the event of a dump. They do nothing in a real crash. • Cross Wind: Wind blowing across the direction of travel. • Crotch Rocket: A sports bike. • Cruiser: A bike built for cruising the boulevards as opposed to sports riding or long-distance riding. Typically of classic style with a low seat, pull-back handle bars, fancy paint and lots of chrome. • Cut-Off Switch: A handle bar-mounted switch that turns off the engine. Also called a kill switch. • Cuts: A denim jacket which has had the sleeves cut off. All club patches are sown onto cuts, which are worn as the outer-most layer of clothing, even over leather jackets. Most, if not all, outlaw clubs have cuts or leather vests as their basic uniform. Pick up our next issue of WOG Mag for Part 4 of the Biker Jargon series.