Riding Styles

ADV

Adventure motorcycle

A motorcycle designed for mixed on-road and off-road touring, typically with long-travel suspension, a large fuel tank, spoked wheels, and upright ergonomics. Popular models include the BMW R 1250 GS, KTM 890 Adventure, and Honda Africa Twin.

Dual-sport

Street-legal off-road motorcycle

A motorcycle designed to be ridden on both paved roads and unpaved trails. Dual-sport bikes sit between full off-road dirt bikes and adventure motorcycles, typically with knobby or dual-purpose tires and lighter weight.

Naked bike

Street motorcycle without fairings

A motorcycle with minimal or no bodywork covering the engine and frame. Naked bikes are typically upright, streetfighter-styled, and optimized for urban riding and canyon carving rather than long-distance touring.

Supermoto

Dirt bike with street tires for pavement

A motorcycle based on a dirt bike but fitted with 17-inch wheels, street tires, and upgraded brakes for paved-road riding. Supermotos combine the light weight and upright ergonomics of off-road bikes with street-legal performance.

Twisties

A winding road with many curves

Rider slang for a road section with frequent consecutive corners — typically a mountain pass, canyon road, or coastal highway. Twisties are among the most sought-after terrain for sport and scenic riders.

Techniques

Apex

The inside point of a corner

The geometric midpoint of a corner where the rider's lean is deepest. Hitting the apex correctly allows a smoother, faster line through the turn. Late apexing means entering wide and cutting in closer to the inside later, which opens up corner exit speed.

Chicken strips

Unused edge of a tire

The strip of unused tread on the outer edges of a motorcycle tire, visible when the rider has not leaned the bike far enough to use the full tire profile. Wider chicken strips suggest a more conservative cornering style.

Countersteering

Pushing the handlebar opposite the turn direction

The primary technique used to initiate a turn on a two-wheeled vehicle above walking speed. The rider pushes the handlebar forward on the side they want to turn toward (push left to go left), which causes the bike to lean and follow a curved path.

Counterweighting

Leaning the bike without leaning the body

A low-speed maneuvering technique where the rider keeps their torso vertical while leaning the motorcycle underneath them, typically used for slow tight turns such as U-turns and parking lot work.

Engine braking

Slowing by rolling off the throttle

Slowing the motorcycle by releasing the throttle and allowing the engine's resistance in the drivetrain to decelerate the bike, without applying the brakes. Effective in long downhill sections and controlled cornering.

Hero blobs

Footpeg scrape indicators

Small wear indicators on the bottom of motorcycle footpegs that drag on the ground when a rider leans deeply into a corner. Hero blobs provide feedback that the bike is near its cornering clearance limit.

Highside

A dangerous rear-wheel slide and violent flip

A type of motorcycle crash where the rear wheel loses traction, slides out, and then suddenly regains grip — throwing the rider over the high side of the bike. Highsides are generally more violent and higher-consequence than lowside crashes.

Lane splitting

Riding between lanes of traffic

The practice of riding a motorcycle between adjacent lanes of slow or stopped traffic, typically on multi-lane roads. Legality varies by jurisdiction; California is one of the U.S. states where lane splitting is explicitly permitted within defined guidelines.

Lowside

Losing front or rear traction and sliding down

A motorcycle crash where the tires lose traction and the bike slides down on the low side of the lean angle. Lowsides are typically less violent than highsides and often occur from excessive lean, braking mid-corner, or a cold or worn tire.

Throttle blip

A quick throttle pulse during a downshift

A brief, sharp twist of the throttle during a downshift to match engine speed to rear-wheel speed, preventing driveline shock and rear-wheel lockup. Modern motorcycles often include an auto-blipper that performs this electronically.

Tuck

Lowering the torso behind the fairing

A riding posture where the rider leans forward, bends the elbows, and tucks the torso close to the tank to reduce aerodynamic drag at high speed. Common in sport riding and track days.

Two-up

Riding with a passenger

Riding a motorcycle with a passenger seated behind the rider. Two-up riding affects handling, braking distance, and suspension settings, and in most jurisdictions requires the motorcycle to be registered and equipped for passenger use.

Wheelie

Riding with the front wheel in the air

A maneuver in which the front wheel is lifted off the ground while the bike continues forward on the rear wheel only. Common in stunting and display riding; illegal on public roads in most jurisdictions.

Gear & Tools

GPX

GPS Exchange Format

An open XML file format used to store GPS data: tracks, routes, and waypoints. Motusphere supports GPX import and export on the Pro plan, letting riders bring routes in from other apps or share Motusphere-planned routes externally.

MIPS

Multi-directional Impact Protection System

A safety technology integrated into motorcycle and cycling helmets that uses a low-friction layer inside the shell to reduce rotational forces on the brain during an angled impact.

Panniers

Side-mounted luggage

Rigid or soft saddlebags mounted on either side of a motorcycle's rear for carrying gear on long trips. Hard panniers are lockable and weather-resistant; soft panniers are lighter and more forgiving in a tip-over.

Waypoint

A geographic point along a route

A specific latitude-longitude coordinate used to define a stop, turn, or point of interest along a planned route. Motusphere's AI route planner places waypoints automatically based on scenic value, fuel stops, and road network connectivity.

Mechanical

Displacement

Engine size in cubic centimeters (cc)

The total volume swept by all pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine during one complete cycle, measured in cubic centimeters (cc). Common motorcycle displacements range from 125 cc commuter bikes to 1,800 cc tourers.

OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

Parts or accessories produced by the motorcycle's original manufacturer, as opposed to aftermarket parts. OEM components are typically guaranteed to match factory specifications and fitment.

Redline

Maximum safe engine RPM

The highest engine speed, in revolutions per minute, that the manufacturer considers safe for sustained operation. Exceeding redline risks mechanical failure; modern motorcycles typically include an electronic rev limiter to prevent this.

Community

Cager

Slang for a car driver

Motorcycle community slang for a driver of an enclosed vehicle (a car or truck). Often used when describing drivers who are inattentive to motorcycles in traffic.

Squid

An unsafe or unskilled rider

Community slang for a motorcyclist who rides aggressively or recklessly without appropriate protective gear — typically a sport-bike rider in shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers. The term is almost always pejorative.