motorcycle

Everyday

1. A heavy two-wheeled vehicle with an engine, ridden like a bicycle. tree →
2. (verb) To travel on a motorcycle. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life a motorcycle is a road vehicle; riders must wear a helmet and have a licence. In maths it appears in speed, distance and wheel-counting problems (a motorcycle has 2 wheels). Short forms: motorbike (UK, Australia), bike. Phrases: ride a motorcycle, on a motorcycle, motorcycle helmet.

Examples

• My uncle rides a motorcycle to work. tree →
• A motorcycle has two wheels and a car has four. tree →
• The motorcycle roared past the school gate. tree →
• Always wear a helmet on a motorcycle. tree →
• A motorcycle travels 60 miles in one hour; how far in three hours? tree →
• The police officer arrived on a motorcycle. tree →
• They motorcycled across the country in summer. tree →

Note

Countable: one motorcycle, two motorcycles. Motorbike means the same; a moped or scooter is smaller and slower. A bicycle has pedals and no engine. In counting problems, each motorcycle counts as 2 wheels.