Can You Name These Motorcycle Parts From an Image?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name These Motorcycle Parts From an Image?
Image: redhumv/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Motorcycles have been tearing up the highways for well over a century. The earliest models date back to the late 1800s in Europe. The Daimler Reitwagon, a truly antiquated-looking mostly wooden machine, is considered the first motorcycle ever, and it was made in 1885. It's amazing to compare that early model with its spoked wooden wheels to a modern Harley-Davidson or Honda. And while the basic principles are the same, the advances have been impressive. Modern bikes with room for a friend on a pillion or in a sidecar, with keyless ignition and chromed-out exhaust pipes and mufflers. Some even have massive windscreens and crash bars, and dramatic and stylish fairings to make your bike look as cool as possible. 

If you've done your share of cruising on a bike over the years, whether it's an old school beast like a Harley-Davidson or an Indian motorcycle or something more sleek and trendy from Yamaha or Honda, or even high-end rides like BMW or Ducati, then you should know a bit about a bike's anatomy. If you know a clutch from a choke and a throttle from a petcock valve, now's your chance to show your stuff. Head out on the highway, open 'er up, and take the quiz.

2 - Saddle bag
By Eve Livesey/Moment/Getty Images
Which of these is for storing your gear on a bike?
Saddle bag
Muffler
Auxiliary tank
Luggage rack
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although some bikes can be outfitted with small storage compartments like a trunk, a lot of bikers choose to use saddlebags to store their gear. Just as the name suggests, they're inspired by saddlebags that used to be on horses back in the day.

Advertisement

9 - Battery
Pixabay by Capri23auto
Do you know which of these provides energy to run the ignition system?
Battery
Carburetor
Catalytic converter
Turbocharger
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like any car or truck, a motorcycle needs a battery to provide power for the electrical components. The ignition system, the starter motor, the lights, the radio and all of the electrical parts run on battery power. This is especially true of an electric bike.

Advertisement

7 - Rear shocks
Common Motor Collective via YouTube
Supporting the weight of the bike is one of the functions of which of these parts?
Struts
Rear shocks
Highway pegs
Crashbar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Shocks have two functions on a bike. The first is supporting the bike with a spring that softens those bumps in the road. The second is to control the up and down movement of the bike with provides stability to a ride by damping the friction caused by bumps.

Advertisement

6 - Brake pads
Motorcyclist Magazine via YouTube
Friction from which of these stops a bike's motion?
Brake pads
Rear differential
Shocks
Struts
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The brake pads on a bike, or any brake system, are what apply the friction to the wheel by clamping down when the brakes are activated. That pressure stops the wheel from turning, stopping the vehicle. No brake pads means you're going to create a lot of heat and squealing when you try to stop.

Advertisement

12 - Air cleaner
Pixabay by Joakim Roubert
Do you know which of these is often visible as a large circular protrusion on the side of some bikes?
Air cleaner
Choke
Kill switch
Pillion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like the air filter in a car, the air cleaner from a bike filters the air that mixes with the gasoline in the carburetor. It's likely your bike will still work fine without an air cleaner, but the engine will wear down much faster as it's exposed to more airborne pollutants and dust.

Advertisement

8 - Crankcase cover
MotoTrip Motovlog via YouTube
Which of these covers the crankshaft?
Cylinder head
Front master cylinder
Crankcase cover
Pillion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The crankcase cover can be found in different places depending on the type of bike and may also cover additional parts where the cam and pinion gears are located. You generally want to look at the right side close to the bottom end of the engine to find it.

Advertisement

10 - Sidecar
Veronica Verlan/Photodisc/Getty Images
Which of these can be added to a bike to provide room for another passenger?
Sidecar
Saddlebags
Highway pegs
Cylinder head
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Motorcycle sidecars are remarkably old and were first invented in France back in 1893. In fact, sidecars are older than motorcycles themselves. They were first invented to be used on regular old bicycles.

Advertisement

14 - Headlight
John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Modern versions of which of these are LED?
Carburetor
Headlight
Gas cap
Reflector
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Not all headlights are LED but many of them are these days because they're both very bright and very energy efficient. When headlights first showed up in the 1880s, they were fueled by acetylene or oil. Even when electric lights were invented, the flame kind lasted for a number of years just because people were used to them.

Advertisement

17 - Choke
NicheRiding via YouTube
Do you know which of these helps start a bike in the cold?
Choke
Clutch
Carburetor
Crankcase
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you pull out the choke on your bike, it alters the flow of air into the carburetor. It's best done in cold weather to improve the air-fuel mix and help the bike start when it's cold. Once it's going and warmed up, you can put the choke back in place.

Advertisement

15 - Highway peg
Hirkophoto/E+/Getty Images
Bikers can use these for stretching their legs on longer rides. What are they?
Highway peg
Crashbar
Cylinder
Clutch lever
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Highway pegs aren't on every bike, some bikes will have floorboards for resting your feet. Those that do have highway pegs will have the pegs located in a position that allows the rider to stretch their legs on a long ride.

Advertisement

18 - Front master cylinder
tennyshoe17 via YouTube
Which of these is part of a motorcycle's brake system?
Air cleaner
Crashbar
Luggage rack
Front master cylinder
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The master cylinder is used to convert force into hydraulic pressure. The harder you apply force to the brakes, the more pressure is exerted and the more abruptly you'll brake and come to a stop.

Advertisement

19 - Clutch lever
The Inja via YouTube
The left handlebar is where you'll find which of these?
Road peg
Clutch lever
Fairing
Rear flange
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You access the clutch lever with a squeeze of the left hand. It's connected to a cable that disconnects the engine and transmission so you can easily switch gears before reconnecting them again, allowing you to continue your ride.

Advertisement

16 - Horn
Neon Weasel via YouTube
Which of these are known for being rather ineffective without an upgrade?
Ignition
Kill switch
Horn
Muffler
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Motorcycle horns are oddly quiet on most modern models and aren't that effective in loud traffic. Fortunately, they are easily upgraded with louder and more powerful models if you're concerned about being heard.

Advertisement

20 - Crash bar
Wiki Commons by Dbratland
Which of these is a loop of chrome found on either side of a bike's body?
Stabilizers
Fuel injection system
Exhaust
Crash bar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Not every motorcycle has a crash bar, but those that do have them as safety features. They're located on both sides of a bike near the front and work by preventing the bike from fully falling onto either side on in the event of crash, protecting both the rider and internal bike parts.

Advertisement

5 - Tail light
John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
If you're behind a bike at night, which of these are you going to see?
Fuel petcock valve
Signal
Breaker
Taillight
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

All vehicles on the road need taillights, and that includes bikes. Taillights weren't really a thing before 1915 and while that's very early in automotive history it does mean there were a number of years when people were driving around with no lights whatsoever.

Advertisement

23 - Fairing
sweetmoments/E+/Getty Images
What do you call the plastic body of a bike?
Gas tank
Fairing
Trunk
Pillion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A motorcycle can be easily made of just metal parts, but to make them look a little fancier a plastic shell called a fairing is fitted on many kinds of bikes. It gives them a sleek look and also makes them more aerodynamic.

Advertisement

13 - Gearshift
Pixabay by Hermann Traub
Which of these is located on the left of the bike in front of the foot peg?
Highway peg
Handbrake
Ignition
Gearshift
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A gearshift in a car is pretty easy to locate on the steering column on the floor, maybe the center panel. On a motorcycle it's just by the foot peg and follows a standard 1-N-2-3-4-5 system in most bikes.

Advertisement

27 - Foot pegs
Ryan Urlacher via YouTube
When you need a place to rest your feet, you'd use which of these?
Footpegs
Side stand
Rebar
Breakers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Footpegs can be placed in several positions on a bike. Commonly they'll be directly under a rider, but they can be forward to allow for leg stretching or even further back if you're in a crouched-over position like on a racing bike. Some bikes won't have them at all.

Advertisement

24 - Exhaust pipes
tillsonburg/E+/Getty Images
Which of these connect the muffler to the engine?
Exhaust pipes
Fuel line
Brake lines
Catalytic converter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On a bike like a Harley-Davidson, the exhaust pipes will be thick and shiny chrome pipes running down the side of the bike from the engine to the back next to the rear tire, often capped with some kind of a muffler. Other bikes will have them hidden until the muffler is exposed at the back, but in either case they help direct fumes away from the engine.

Advertisement

26 - Kill switch
Biker Sajal via YouTube
Which of these is an emergency shut down?
Rocker box
Breaker
Kill switch
Shock switch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Also called the engine cutoff switch, a kill switch is an emergency device, most often a red switch located on the right-hand side of the handlebars. As the name suggests, if there's an emergency then flipping the switch immediately turns the engine off.

Advertisement

28 - Side stand
hoohoohoblin via YouTube
You can prop your bike up with which of these?
Crash bar
Pegs
Side stand
Brace bar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A side stand, sometimes called a kick stand, is the little arm that braces your bike to hold it up when it's parked. Many bikes can't start unless the side stand is flipped up, and you never want to put one down on a soft surface like mud.

Advertisement

21 - Luggage rack
Wiki Commons by Yogi2795
Carrying gear is a lot easier when you strap it to which of these?
Luggage rack
Pillion
Struts
Foot pegs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A luggage rack on a bike works the same as a luggage rack on a car. It's a simple metal framework that you can use as a mooring to hold things down with some rope or bungee cords when you're driving.

Advertisement

29 - Gas cap
Wiki Commons by Ildar Sagdejev (Specious)
Depending on your bike, which of these can either be out in plain sight or hidden under a door?
Oil filter
Tachometer
Gas cap
Spark plug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Motorcycle gas caps usually come in one of two styles. They can be hidden away behind a door like on your average car or they can be quite ostentatious and chromed out to be part of the general esthetic of the bike. You can even get decorative ones that look like skulls or crowns.

Advertisement

31 - Side mirror
Ben Pipe Photography/Cultura/Getty Images
Do you know which of these is a safety feature that allows you to see what's behind you?
GPS
Side mirror
HUD
Headlamp
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Every modern vehicle is made with side-view mirrors so it's strange to think that the first patent for a side-view mirror was only in 1921. That means there were several decades without the convenience of seeing what was behind you.

Advertisement

22 - Speakers
Scott Mlakar via YouTube
A motorcycle's sound system needs which of these to work?
Ignition switch
GPS
Spindle
Speakers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Motorcycle speakers are typically not nearly as effective as those in a car for obvious reasons, but there are some aftermarket speakers that can be installed which will provide an impressive audio experience if you need to listen to tunes while you drive.

Advertisement

4 - Muffler
shirhan/E+/Getty Images
Exhaust gas is diffused by which of these?
Carburetor
Fuel injection system
Muffler
Farin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A muffler on a bike takes the exhaust gases from the engine and diverts them away. The whole exhaust system accomplishes that task, but the muffler specifically also tones down the noise that it produces at the same time.

Advertisement

3 - Windshield
Lisay/E+/Getty Images
Do you know which of these cuts down on wind in your face as well as bugs and debris?
Windshield
Side view mirror
Shocks
HUD
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Windshields on bikes serve two purposes. The first is to protect from precipitation or bugs on the road, but the second allows the bike to be more aerodynamic as it diverts air up and around the rider in a more streamlined way. This, in turn, increases fuel efficiency.

Advertisement

34 - Fuel petcock valve
Wiki Commons by Mau Spencer
The flow of gasoline to the engine can be controlled by which of these?
Fuel petcock valve
Ignition system
Tachometer
Carburetor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Not all bikes have a fuel petcock valve. As the name suggests, it's a valve you can turn to control the flow of gasoline to the engine. It needs to be in the ON position if you want to get the bike running.

Advertisement

35 - Front brake lever
davidf/E+/Getty Images
Which of these is located on the right handlebar?
Pulley
Choke
Clutch
Front brake lever
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The front brake lever connects to the master cylinder, which in turn controls the front brakes on your bike. The front brakes are where much of the stopping power in a bike is found, so it's important to keep them in good working order.

Advertisement

32 - Seat
Eugenio Marongiu/Cultura/Getty Images
Your ride is going to be awful if which of these isn't comfortable?
Cushion
Saddlebag
Sissybag
Seat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A motorcycle seat is a pretty easy-to-spot part of the bike. A lot of stuff can be stored under a seat on some bikes from fuses to tools to the owner's manual, so you'll want to make sure you know how to remove the seat to have a look under it

Advertisement

11 - Front suspension
Wiki Commons by Khaosaming
Many modern bikes use a form of which of these called telescopic forks. What is it?
Cylinder head
Mudguard
Front suspension
Axle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like your rear shocks, the front suspension helps stabilize a ride and make the whole thing more smooth. Telescopic forks are just one kind of suspension while there are also girder forks which are older and less common these days.

Advertisement

37 - Spark plug
Pixabay by 6584691
Without this you can't ignite the fuel-air mixture to get the engine running. What is it?
Oil filter
Front disc brakes
Spark plug
Carburetor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As in any combustion engine in a car or a truck, the spark plugs in motorcycles provide the spark that causes the combustion part of the combustion engine. Unlike cars, the plugs can be readily visible on a number of motorcycles.

Advertisement

38 - Carburetor
Pixabay by olafpictures
Which of these controls the ratio of fuel and air entering an engine?
Oil filter
Carburetor
Alternator
Differential
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thanks to a carburetor, when you hit the gas in a car or a bike, what you're actually doing is allowing a greater amount of air to enter the engine which in turn pulls in more fuel vapor, which creates greater power as it combusts and gives you speed.

Advertisement

39 - Throttle
piola666/E+/Getty Images
This is located in the right handgrip of a motorcycle. What is it?
Rear brake
Throttle
Choke
Tachometer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Motorcycles don't have a gas pedal like a car. Instead, they have a throttle located in the right handle. Turning the throttle causes you to go faster, and it takes some getting used to in order to master it. You also need to be careful about other buttons nearby, like the kill switch.

Advertisement

30 - Ignition switch
Ryan Urlacher via YouTube
Which of these can be found in the middle of the handlebars or on the left of the engine?
Emergency switch
Choke
Throttle
Ignition switch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like most vehicles, you need to do something to start a bike and that's put a key in the ignition and turn it. Of course, just like cars, a lot of modern bikes have also switched over to keyless ignition making this obsolete on some models.

Advertisement

40 - Tires
RapidEye/E+/Getty Images
Which of these is the rubber part that covers the wheel?
Cam shaft
Rotator
Tires
Roll cage
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arguably the easiest part of any bike to identify, the tires are what provide traction and forward momentum. Tire technology has been progressing pretty steadily since the late 1800s when the first pneumatic tires were invented.

Advertisement

1 - Gas tank
Photo by Rafa Elias/Moment/Getty Images
Some bikes don't have visible versions of these. What is it?
Carburetor
Gas tank
Pillion
Mudguard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A gas tank is obviously important on any bike but they're not always as they seem. Some bikes have what looks like a gas tank which is just for show when the real tank is actually hidden away beneath the skin of the bike. On a Harley, however, the tank is legit.

Advertisement

25 - Mudguard
japatino/Moment Open/Getty Images
What's another name for the fender?
Wheel well
Flap
Chaser
Mudguard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fenders or mudguards can be on the front or back or both wheels of a bike. As the dirtier name suggests, part of the purpose of a mudguard is to prevent mud and water from being sprayed up the back of the driver when the bike is moving.

Advertisement

33 - Pillion
Stefano Oppo/Cultura/Getty Images
Which of these is another name for a passenger seat?
Bucket
Pillion
Slat
Base
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A pillion is a second seat behind the main seat for passengers to sit on. It's best to avoid having passengers at all if you're new to riding bikes but if you do have a second seat back there at least it's a good spot for carrying gear.

Advertisement

36 - Starter switch
MicBergsma via YouTube
After the ignition is turned on, which of these will get the bike going?
Starter switch
Fuel valve
Throttle
Clutch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The starter switch is usually on the right side of the handlebars, and may often say the word "start" right on it. With the ignition on and the kill switch off, the bike in neutral and the choke pulled out, this will start your bike up. A lot of modern bikes really simplify that whole process, though.

Advertisement

You Got:
/40
redhumv/E+/Getty Images