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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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