Motorbike or Motorcycle?

[Dave-]

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]

The Tractor.

[Ixion]

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]

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

[LBD]

infernal combustion motorized bi-wheeled velocipede

[AlBundy]

The retard is going out on the motard...

Or, 'tard for short...

[Richi]

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

[martybabe]

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]

reffered to as my bike

[racerhead]

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]

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

[prettybillie]

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

[Okey Dokey]

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

[ManDownUnder]

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

[mashman]

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)!!!