Motorbike or Motorcycle? [Archive]

Dave-

5th January 2009, 22:38

What's the difference?

what do you call it?

I use the term motorcycle when I'm trying to impress or informing people of how I'm getting there/here/up there etc but I use just "bike" to other bikers (or motorcyclists) or to people who know I ride.

but I was thinking about the difference in the words and why it's there.

they both originate from bicycle

bike -> motorbike

and

bicycle -> motorcycle

I havent bothered with google or wiki, I tried serching the forums but almost every thread has "motorcycle" or "motorbike" in it, so sorry if this is a double up.

Big Dave

5th January 2009, 22:39

The Tractor.

Ixion

5th January 2009, 23:10

Most of the time I use something along the lines of

"You poxy stinking perverse bastard heap of crapulatous scrap metal".

Followed with promises of what will happen if it continues to sulk and refuse to start.

zadok

5th January 2009, 23:59

Normally just 'the bike', but otherwise 'motorbike'; never 'cycle'.

LBD

6th January 2009, 01:00

infernal combustion motorized bi-wheeled velocipede

AlBundy

6th January 2009, 04:01

The retard is going out on the motard...

Or, 'tard for short...

Richi

6th January 2009, 06:03

i just say 'my bike' most people assume i bicycle everywhere ohwell they can think what they want :)

martybabe

6th January 2009, 06:22

Just plain 'the bike', moat-or-cycle always sounds too Yankee doodle for me.

It was a bike when it had pedals and a cross bar and it's a bike now, even with 1400 delicious cubes.

hayd3n

6th January 2009, 06:42

reffered to as my bike

racerhead

6th January 2009, 07:24

I call it a bike to people that know I ride or I know they ride
But for normal people use motorbike so they dont get confused

portokiwi

6th January 2009, 07:29

I say bike to everyone... When they look at me they can see that I am way to lazy to ride a push bike and assume its a motorcycle:pinch:

prettybillie

6th January 2009, 07:36

I just always say 'my baby'.....let them think what they like when I say 'I'm taking my baby for a ride' :spanking:

Okey Dokey

6th January 2009, 07:37

I would say "bike" most of the time. Non-riders tend to say "motorcycle" to me; as in "oh, you mean a motorcycle"

ManDownUnder

6th January 2009, 07:46

Motorcycle when speaking to Americans
Motorbike when talking to kiwis
Bike when talking to Kiwis that ride, or know I ride.

mashman

6th January 2009, 07:58

Motorcycle, as it can be a valid argument when police pull you over in a cycle lane (not that you have any over here... old habits and all)!!!

racerhead

6th January 2009, 08:07

Motorcycle, as it can be a valid argument when police pull you over in a cycle lane (not that you have any over here... old habits and all)!!!

Ha not a bad idea:clap:
Does it work?

pzkpfw

6th January 2009, 08:23

It rhymes with "pickle".

fliplid

6th January 2009, 08:48

"bike"- they can figure it out.

Badjelly

6th January 2009, 09:08

Motorcycle when speaking to Americans.

Pronounced "motorsickle" I hope!

Sparrowhawk

6th January 2009, 09:08

My household calls the bikes by their names - Lucy, Ginny, and sometimes Rosey (thanks Donor!)

It gets people that don't know us real confused (our fambily & friends are used to it by now). A few weeks ago we were at an extended family bbq and my wife says "you going to take Lucy out tonight?" and the eyebrows started to raise. When I replied "Nah, I was going to take Rosey if you're not going to ride her" the jaws dropped :gob:

Duke girl

6th January 2009, 09:12

When going for your bike licence it is written on the form you fill out Motorcycle Licence as well as your Licence you carry with you while riding it is a Motorcycle Licence. If I was talking about a bike shop I would say motorbike not motorcycle shop. So it comes down to what people feel comfortable in calling it themselves. Bike, motorcycle or motorbike in all I think we all know what 1 is talikng about when it comes to 2 wheels.

firefighter

6th January 2009, 09:21

I just say bike, and everytime people assume pedal power, despite my spare tyre......:rolleyes: ....it's bleedin obvious really that i'm no road racing bicycle freak who rides from one side of auckland to the other just to get around!!!

Duke girl

6th January 2009, 09:27

Everytime I see someone on a pushbike I yell out to them to put a motor into it and they just look at me stupidly.:doh:

Big Zappa

6th January 2009, 09:35

Motorcycle. Because it sounds classy.

Badjelly

6th January 2009, 09:43

Everytime I see someone on a pushbike I yell out to them to put a motor into it and they just look at me stupidly.:doh:

Are you sure they're the stupid ones?

firefighter

6th January 2009, 09:47

I wonder if Burt Munro pronounced it "motorsickle" like mr Hopkins did.

McWild

6th January 2009, 11:03

In my experience, everytime I talk about my bike to non riders/people I don't know they assume I mean a bicycle. Hence many awed expressions when I say, "Yeah just went for a bike ride over to Diamond Harbour this morning."

So motorcycle to clear up any doubts, bike for clever people.

Her_C4

6th January 2009, 11:50

i just say 'my bike' most people assume i bicycle everywhere ohwell they can think what they want :)

I always said 'bike' until my accident last year (oops year before) I had to explain to the boss why I spent a week in hospital and three months off work for a 'bike' accident.

Now, when I go back for treatment, specialists etc I am careful to say 'motorbike' or 'motorcycle' to save time and further explanations as it can get rather tricky as they assume it was a bicycle accident, and I assume they read my rather large file.... :dodge:

NighthawkNZ

6th January 2009, 11:53

I prefer the term... motorised two wheeled forward movement contraption

jrandom

6th January 2009, 11:54

Mine's not a big motorcycle, just a groovy little motorbike.

Her_C4

6th January 2009, 12:02

Mine's not a big motorcycle, just a groovy little motorbike.

Nice quote.:headbang:

quickbuck

6th January 2009, 12:19

I wonder if Burt Munro pronounced it "motorsickle" like mr Hopkins did.

I will have to watch "Offerings to the Gods of Speed" Doco again to see... Thanks for the excuse.... But I'm pretty sure Bert (Spelt Burt only for the Merkins) used to say Motorsickle himself.....
Mr Hopkins did a very fine job with that character.... I'm pretty sure it was a Bert trait.... Like spelling Invercargill with one L to save ink.

Anyways, I say Motorsickle to my work mates/ troops.
Bike to the other half, to keep her guessing what one I'm taking! (I'm supposed to be getting fitter, and meant to cycle to work).
Motorbike to my family (mum, dad, bro sis), as we have always ridden motorbikes.

Big Zappa

6th January 2009, 13:10

I wonder if Burt Munro pronounced it "motorsickle" like mr Hopkins did.

I don't want a pickle, just wanna ride my motorsickle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g266Uwp6ZnI

Her_C4

6th January 2009, 13:27

Mine's not a big motorcycle, just a groovy little motorbike.

Took me a while but I found it ... :sunny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKi_9p1zks

KingJackaL

6th January 2009, 14:03

Heh

*dons flame-retardant suit*

I spend an hour or two a day on a push bike, and only get on the motorbike maybe a couple or three times a week, so it's tricky for me. Normally when I say 'my bike' I'm referring to my push bike, but when in the company of motorcyclists, I prefer to use 'motorbike' vs 'real bike' :D.

All this engine nonsense - it's cheating I tells ya! ;)

Everytime I see someone on a pushbike I yell out to them to put a motor into it and they just look at me stupidly.:doh:

The 2-cylinder engine on my push bike is plenty good enough. The power to weight ratio's not bad - it at least beats those 50cc scoots hands down ;).

Skunk

6th January 2009, 15:29

Autobicycle, Motorbicycle, or Autocycle.

MIXONE

6th January 2009, 15:57

The sickle.

Dave-

6th January 2009, 16:24

hmmmm, sometimes I exagurate the motorsickle as it's been put, but thats just to keep peoples attention.

slofox

6th January 2009, 16:36

"Motor" is the essential part. The second bit doesn't matter...

Matt Bleck

6th January 2009, 16:43

"Motor" is the essential part. The second bit doesn't matter...
if it's some one else's it's "bike"

and if it's my current bike and it is going well it's "the K3", but if it's playing up it's "the piece of SHITE!!!"

mashman

6th January 2009, 17:10

Ha not a bad idea:clap:
Does it work?

It did work, but I think more due to a clerical error than anything. On my licence, right next to the picture of the motorcycle, it said bicycle... so after 2 and a half year of waiting everything came together. Doing my usual cruise through Bearsden using the bicycle lane I got stuck behind an illegally parked lorry and a bus... Turns out the car behind the bus was a police car and when it came to letting me in, fair enough he did, but before hand the passenger officer told me to move on and pull over at the golf shop. I produced my licence and was told what I was doing was illegal. I pointed out that on the rear of my licence is said bicycle next to the picture of the motorcycle and therefore I was perfectly within my rights as i had a licence to do so... So officer, don't you think you'd be better of arranging a tow for the truck that was blocking my right of way... I was told to watch my lip and they decided it was a good idea to comb over the bike!!! didn't find anything, but i've never been smart with an officer of the law again...

gixxer-king

6th January 2009, 18:13

The retard is going out on the motard...

Or, 'tard for short...

oh love it. lost on some i guess but man im still wetting the chair

gixxer-king

6th January 2009, 18:23

What's the difference?

but I was thinking about the difference in the words and why it's there.

they both originate from bicycle

bike -> motorbike

and

bicycle -> motorcycle
.

Well then lets go deeper.

Bike (something you ride and it gets you places)
Cycle (something that has gone round or a pattern expected to re-occur)
Motor (cool thing that makes Gixxer-King go fast)

Motor + Bike = something cool that gets you places fast
Motor + Cycle = Re-occuring Fast Pattern

thus YOUR MOTORBIKE refers to a cool thing that is fast
YOUR MOTORCYCLE is something your engine did and if lucky will do again like i dunno.... revolve?:girlfight:

LBD

13th January 2009, 14:25

It rhymes with "pickle".

Pronounced "motorsickle" I hope!

Did your Ma and Pa know you were listening to that dope smoking Donevan?:doobey:

"Muh Scooter" is a name I use from tme to time, Borrowed from Forrest Gump when he referred to "Thats Muh Boat"

imdying

13th January 2009, 14:48

Fight fight fight (http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=motorcycle&word2=motorbike) :D

Badjelly

13th January 2009, 15:23

It rhymes with "pickle".

Pronounced "motorsickle" I hope!

Did your Ma and Pa know you were listening to that dope smoking Donevan?:doobey:

Arlo Guthrie, surely?

Edit: Yep

http://www.arlo.net/resources/lyrics/motorcycle-arlo.shtml

PS: Sorry for drifting off-topic, folks, but let's face it, it's a pretty boring topic.

phoenixgtr

13th January 2009, 15:51

Well...

I'm a motorcyclist, not a motorbiker, that sounds wrong, so I ride a motorcycle, not a motorbike.

However, it gets difficult for me because I'm also a mountain biker and can refer to either as a bike, so I try to refer to the motorcycle as a motorcycle and my mountain bike as my mountain bike. Although, when amongst other motorcyclists my motorcycle is just my bike (or "the green beast") and when amongst other mountain bikers my mountain bike is just my bike (or "the black bitch")

Confusing enough?