Motorcycle FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycles

I have just released a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the Motorcycle Views Web site.

The questions and answers in the motorcycle FAQ cover a wide variety of information about motorcycling.

My approach is to consider the various phases that a motorcyclist goes through in his/her search for motorcycle information.

In the beginning, a prospective motorcyclist may just have basic questions. As they get deeper into the subject and actually realize that they want to learn to ride, their questions change.

As a person becomes a rider, they then want to buy a motorcycle and all the stuff that goes with it. The questions continue changing as the rider becomes more experienced.

I attempt to treat most of these major questions normally asked throughout the complete life of a motorcyclist -- a big undertaking.

Check out my Motorcycle FAQ for the complete set of questions and answers.

What the Heck is a Balaclava?

I had a Motorcycle Glossary / Dictionary of motorcycle terms on the old site. Those motorcycle terms are also on the new site and I've just revised all 225 of them to cross-reference them and link them to additional explanatory information in some of my articles.

I've even set them up so you can also go from term to term in the dictionary without going back to the index.

The Motorcycle Dictionary has been very popular over the last half-dozen years. I've even had some other motorcycle sites use my definitions on their sites without permission. I guess that means that others find them so useful that they just take them for their own. (I have had to point out these infractions to several webmasters.)

That's also been a problem I've had with some of my more important articles such as You CAN Learn to Ride a Motorcycle and 10 Ways to Be Safe on a Motorcycle. Both those articles started out getting low usage but as time goes on, they are attracting huge numbers of readers.

Well, the Motorcycle Views Motorcycle Dictionary should be on your reading list too. If you have any motorcycle terms that you'd like to see added, just email me (include your own definition).

By the way, a Balaclava is is a thin pull-over head and neck cover with eye slits for winter usage under a motorcycle helmet. Pronunciation: Bal-A-Clav'-A • (noun). Now you only have 224 more motorcycle terms to go.

Demystify Motorcycle Specification Terms

On my old forum, people would constantly ask for the definitions of motorcycle terms used in typical motorcycle specifications found on the Internet and in motorcycle magazines. These were usually newbies but not always.

I decided to prepare a set of definitions that could be used by almost anyone to help decipher motorcycle specs.

These definitions of terms should be easier to understand by riders who would rather ride than learn the technical complexities of their machines. Bear in mind that whole books could be written about each term. We are only touching the basics.

Check out my Motorcycle Specifications - Definitions of Terms as contained on my Motorcycle Views Web site.

How Do Motorcycles Work?

I developed a feature on the old site called "How Do Motorcycles Work?" I did most of it five years ago but kept expanding it. It's a complex of about 60 files so I have been putting off converting it for the new Motorcycle Views site -- until now.

I spent the better part of two days redesigning the feature to present the material differently. The result is a new feature, "How Do Motorcycle Parts Work?" This is an expandable feature with plenty of room for growth.

GoDaddy OCC Bike, Moto Terms, Pics, Forum Talk

I was watching American Chopper last night and found out they were building a chopper for GoDaddy.com. That was interesting since I have my Motorcycle Views Web site on GoDaddy.com and have been quite happy with their service so far. I was amused to see the CEO of GoDaddy.com, Bob Parsons, as he invited the OCC guys to his Customer Service area. Seems Bob likes to award his group with bonuses by letting each person spin a wheel with dollar amounts around the outside and then giving them the amount the wheel stops on. Fortunately, Mikey was standing next to the wheel and made sure each person's wheel landed on $500 and Senior had a pile of cash that he kept doling out to the winners. Everyone seemed happy and apparently Bob Parsons runs a pretty happy shop. I know I had a few problems when I started up my site and I called GoDaddy. I expected minimal help but instead got a very nice young lady who walked me through a 30 minute process and answered all my questions.

I continue to build the Motorcycle Views site. I had all my motorcycle terms and definitions in five files but wanted to separate out each term into its own file so I could link to definitions directly when I'm writing articles. So, I spent the better part of three days creating over 200 files and the result was worth the effort. I also created my top 20 terms based on stats I got from the old site. Here are my Top 20 Motorcycle Terms. Some of these terms are Crotch Rocket, Naked Bike, and Ride Bell.

I'm actively looking for submissions to grow my Moto Pic Gallery. I need pictures of you and your motorcycle. This was a popular feature on the old site.

I'm also looking for pictures of your tattoos for my Moto Tat Gallery. Send them in today.

While you're on the Motorcycle Views site, please take a moment to subscribe to my Newsletter.

Finally, I'm going to be providing links to current discussions going on in the "Still Cruisin' The Curves Motorcycle Forum." Most of the regulars from the old place are now posting there. Here's an excerpt from a discussion by PHIPSD entitled, "What do you look for in a bike?":
"When you go shopping for a bike what features or design elements do you look for? For me the most important by far is comfort and the ergos. In my 50s pain doesn't go away like it used to. Next would be good lighting. The eyes, especially with my night vision, don't work as well either. Third is brakes. Modern traffic and inattentive drivers make this more of an issue every year. Nothing more needs to be said. What would be your list of must haves on that new ride?"
Read the complete discussion