Some terms to remember:

1. BAC - Blood Alcohol Concentration
 
2. Counter steer - To steer in the opposite direction of where you’re going.  Press right,
    lean right, go right.  Press left, lean left, go left.
 
3. Counterweight - Used in slow tight turns, the rider shifts weight opposite the lean of
    the motorcycle.
 
4. Crowned Road - A road surface that is higher in the middle in order to allow for water
    runoff.
 
5. Decreasing Radius Turn - A turn that becomes progressively tighter.  Use a steady
    throttle.
 
6. DOT - Department of Transportation.  Required by all helmets to be sold in the USA.
    Meets minimum safety standards.
 
7. Entry Speed - the speed at which you enter a turn.
 
8. FINE-C - The acronym for the engine pre-starting check-list.  Fuel Valve/ Ignition/
    Neutral/ Engine Cut off switch / Clutch-Choke.
 
9. Friction Zone - The area of the clutch lever movement between no engine catch and
    full engine catch.
 
10. Gauntlets - Protective gloves that extend past the wrist.
 
11. High Side Crash - A crash in which the rider loses control and is thrown in front of the
      bike’s path.  A very serious injury.  Usually the result of releasing the rear brakes
      while the rear tire is not aligned with the front tires.
 
12. Hydroplaning - When water gets under your tires resulting in a loss of traction.
 
13. Hypothermia - Subnormal body temperature due to the cooling effects of wind and
      cold.
 
14. Integrated Brake System - A braking system whereby the front brakes are partially
      applied when the back brakes are used.
 
15. Legal Limit - The BAC level in which your state says is the level of intoxication.
 
16. Linked Braking - A system whereby both brakes are applied when either of the
      brakes are used.
 
17. Load Triangle - The area formed by the 2 tire axles and the top of the rider’s head. 
      This is the area in which the most weight should be placed.
 
18. Lock-up - When your wheels lock up and begin skidding, usually the result of too
      much brake pressure too fast.
 
19. Low Side Crash - A crash in which the rider hits the ground behind the motorcycle,
      usually the result of a front tire skid.
 
20. Lugging - When your engine jerks because the gear is too high for the lower speed.
 
21. Maximum Braking - The application of both brakes simultaneously to a point just
      before skidding occurs. Threshold braking.
 
22. MOM - Motorcycle Owner’s Manual.
 
23. No-Zone - The area around a vehicle that is a blind spot.  You want to avoid being
      here.
 
24. Over riding the Headlight - When the stopping distance exceeds the total distance
      from where you can see using  your headlights.  You don’t want to over ride your
      headlights, that way you know where the bike will be at the stopping distance point.
 
25. Perception Distance - The space traveled from when a hazard exists to when you
      actually notice the hazard.
 
26. Reaction Distance - The distance traveled from when you first notice a hazard and
      when you actually act upon it.
 
27. Red Line - The line on the tachometer that represents the maximum engine speed.
 
28. Safety Margin - The time and space a rider chooses to allow in order to be safe. 
      Consider factors such as your riding ability, the motorcycle, the road conditions and
      traffic.
 
29. SEE - Acronym for Search, Evaluate and Execute.
 
30. Squaring the Handlebars - Refers to keeping your handlebars straight.
 
31. Tailgating - Following behind another vehicle of less than 2 seconds.
 
32. Target Fixation - Refers to being fixated on the object you are trying to avoid
      instead of staying aware of other environmental conditions.
 
33. Threshold braking - Refers to the point right before you experience wheel lock or
      skidding.  The maximum braking point.
 
34. T-CLOCS - Refers to your motorcycle pre-inspection.  Tires/ Controls/ Lights &
      Electrics/ Oils & Fluids/ Chassis / Side stand.
 
35. Traffic Actuated Signal - A traffic light that senses a vehicle before changing.
 
36. Visual Lead Times - Using time and space to reduce risk.  Use your eyes to create a
     2 second following path, 4 second immediate path and 12 second anticipated path
     of safety.
 
37. Weave - a relatively slow oscillation of the rear wheel.
 
38. Wobble - A rapid jerky movement of the front handlebars and tires.
 


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