Abbreviation for the American Petroleum Institute. API is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. For consumers, API provides the API’s Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System (EOLCS). It is a voluntary licensing and certification program that authorizes engine oil marketers who meet specified requirements to [...]

An electrical current which constantly reverses direction and polarity.  The number of times it reverses the polarity every second is called “cycles per second”. Motorcycle alternators produce AC voltage which then must be passed through a rectifier and converted into direct current for charging the battery. Unrectified alternating current can be used for lighting circuits [...]

When someone says they have an air-cooled motorcycle engine they are describing a motorcycle engine that is cooled by air, not coolant. Most air-cooled motorcycle engines have cooling fins that surround the cylinder and cylinder head to provide more surface area for cooling. The cooling fins help to dissipate heat when air passes over them. [...]

Many modern four-stroke motorcycle engines have carburetors with built in accelerator pumps. These simple pumps, consisting of a plunger (usually with a vacuum diaphragm) and fuel passageways, squirt a small amount of fuel into the carburetor venturi when the throttle is opened and help to eliminate hesitation on acceleration.

A unit of measure that quantifies the amount of  electrical current flow. The symbol for amp is DCA for measuring DC amperage, ACA for measuring AC amperage.