Glossary of Motorcycle Injury
Law Terms
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Legal
Glossaries Index
Tachometer: A gauge that
measures how fast an engine is spinning. The measurement is usually
expressed in revolutions per minute. Also: "tach."
Tank Slapper: What happens in
rare cases when a motorcycle's handlebars slap back and forth at
high speed, often due to alignment or suspension issues.
Third Party Litigation: When a
lawsuit is brought against a defendant and that defendant wants to
add another party to the suit, the original defendant may file a
"third party complaint" which results in a third party
litigation or lawsuit.
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.
Thumper: A single-cylinder,
four-stroke motorcycle engine.
Tiered Licensing: Tiered
licensing is an insurance practice that restricts operation of a
motorcycle, based on its engine displacement.
Torque: A unit of measure
describing the twisting force, or leverage, an engine can exert on
the rear wheel. Typically, an engine with a lot of torque will have
the potential to speed up faster at lower RPM's.
Tort: A civil wrong; a
wrongful injury to a person's property. There are three types of
torts: intentional, negligence and strict liability.
Trail: The distance from the
front axle's vertical position on the ground, to the spot in front
of it created by drawing a straight line from the angle of the
forks.
Triple Tree: The two metal
plates that connect the fork tubes to the steering stem, sometimes
also used as a handlebar mount.
Tubeless Tire: A tubeless tire
is just that - a tire without an inner tube. It's not recommended
for a motorcycle because it tends to deflate rapidly when it's
punctured, which would cause sudden loss of control for the rider.
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 Engine: A
once-common type of engine now found almost exclusively in off-road
motorcycles. A two-stroke motor fires once with every two strokes of
the piston. 1) Once fired, the downward stroke of the piston
delivers power and then draws in a mixture of fuel, air and oil
which displaces the exhaust gases in the combustion chamber; 2) the
upward stroke compresses the mixture for ignition.
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