Glossary
Motorcycle Mechanic Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential motorcycle mechanic terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key motorcycle mechanic vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in motorcycle mechanic training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- ABS
- Anti-lock braking system.
- CDI
- Capacitive discharge ignition.
- Chain slack
- The amount of free play in a drive chain.
- Clutch pack
- Plates that engage and disengage engine power.
- EFI
- Electronic fuel injection.
- Final drive
- The chain, belt or shaft that powers the rear wheel.
- Fork seals
- Seals that keep oil inside front suspension forks.
- Pre-delivery inspection (PDI)
- Setup and checks before a new vehicle goes to the customer.
- Regulator/rectifier
- Converts and controls charging voltage.
- Sag
- How much suspension compresses under the bike’s and rider’s weight.
- Stator
- Part of the charging system that generates electricity.
- Throttle body sync
- Balancing airflow between cylinders.
- Torque spec
- The required tightness of a fastener.
- Valve clearance
- The gap in the valve train that must be checked and adjusted.
- Wet clutch
- A clutch that runs in engine oil.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Motorcycle Mechanic practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Motorcycle Mechanic training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.