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WikiProject Motorcycling follows these conventions for all motorcycle-related articles.

Article name

Motorcycle articles should generally be placed under a title named in a two-part format: <Make> <Model>. Example: Honda CBX1000. The make should be a short form of the maker's name, as would be commonly used (see: Wikipedia:Common name), unless disambiguation with other makes is required. The model name should be the basic name for that model.

Disambiguation

• Version: more often, motorcycle models are ambiguous temporally; they refer to different vehicles produced at different times. Identically named models that fill the same market niche might be best covered in one article, for example, Honda CB900F. If the article becomes unwieldy, splitting into multiple articles should be considered.

• Sometimes the same model name is used to refer to unrelated vehicles at different times or in different markets, and it might be preferable to make an article to cover multiple versions in one. The Honda CBR250 and Honda CBR250R (2011) were identically named for some models, but the differences in design, purpose, and market suggested two separate articles.

Titles

Each article shall be titled with the model name used in the subject vehicle's home market, unless a single name other than the home-market name is used in English-speaking markets, and the home market is not English-speaking. In such cases, the article shall be titled with the model name used in English-speaking markets.

Definitions:

• Home market refers to the market the vehicle was primarily designed for, which is usually the country that the vehicle's manufacturer is headquartered. Where no such market is applicable or cannot be ascertained, it should be assumed the "home market" is the market where vehicle was launched first.

• Manufacturer headquarters refers to the entity chiefly responsible for designing and/or producing the subject vehicle, not necessarily the uppermost corporate parent.

Manual of style

• Bold titles — Use boldface markup for the first occurrence of the model name(s) in the first paragraph of articles. For example, '''BMW R80G/S''' (triple apostrophes) would result in BMW R80GS.
  • Do not embed links in these names, such as Honda Super Cub. Instead, link to the maker in the opening sentence of the article: The Honda Super Cub is a motorcycle manufactured by Honda. Only the first instance of the name will be emphasized. Link to Kawasaki motorcycles, not Kawasaki Heavy Industries, BMW Motorrad, not BMW.
  • Bold the <Make> <Model> name (e.g. BMW R1200RT), but not standalone variants (e.g. BMW R1200RT LE). Standalone variants comprise trim levels and option packages, and should never be emphasized by bold or italicized text.
  • Bold, and list in the first sentence of the article, the names of any models that are redirected to the page in question. In other words, since Kawasaki Concours 14 is a redirect to Kawasaki 1400GTR, then the 1400GTR article mentions the Concours 14 using boldface in the first sentence. See WP:R#PLA.

• Specialist terminology and jargon — Avoid ambiguous terms like "transverse engine", "longitudinal engine", "parallel twin", "inline twin" without explicitly saying whether the crankshaft or the cylinder bank is transverse or longitudinal. See discussion at V-twin engine#Orientations and Straight-two engine#Motorcycle use. See also the guideline Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable. Some classes of motorcycles can be ambiguous, like "naked bike", "adventure", or "roadster", so stick close to what sources say, but do not assume the reader knows the precise definition of the terms.

• Lists of media appearances — Manual of Style (trivia sections) says article sections with miscellaneous collections of information, such as lists of movie appearances, should be reorganized. See also content policies for inclusion and exclusion of various types of information. Remember, per WP:NNC, notability guidelines do not limit content within an article, but unsourced and poorly sourced material may be deleted.

Units

We use the local standard first when making judgments on localized units and terms. The unit order follows a vehicle's major market. For example, American-market motorcycles use "horsepower" (hp) with "kilowatts" (kW) in parentheses. Rest-of-world cars will use kilowatts (kW) and metric horsepower, with the general Wikipedia standard suggesting German Pferdestärke (PS) as metric horsepower. British motorcycles may use brake horsepower (bhp) and kilowatts (kW).

General conventions for units:

• We use the standard International System of Units (SI) describing automobiles, and will generally follow the SI writing style
• We separate all units from numbers with a non-breaking space (for example, we type 750&nbѕp;cc so that 750 cc will be displayed in the article).
• We use commas but not spaces in numbers used as measurements, and will separate decimals from whole numbers with a full stop/period, not a comma. That is, rather than "1 796 cc", we use "1,796 cc", and rather than "2,2 L", we use "2.2 L".

• We express compound units in lowercase letters. For example: rpm (not rev/min, not REV/MIN, not Rev/Min, not RPM) for revolutions per minute, km/h (not kph, not KM/H, not KPH) for kilometres per hour, mpg (not mi/gal, not MI/GAL, not Mi/Gal, not MPG) for miles per gallon, and mph (not mi/hr, not MI/HR, not Mi/Hr, not MPH) for miles per hour.

Due to the complexity of some unit conversions, it is highly recommended to convert units using {{convert}}.

Displacement

Engine displacement should be expressed in cubic centimeters. Cubic inches can be used to express the displacement of engines originally engineered, designated, and marketed in cubic inches, such as some American engines. When dealing with engines that were originally marketed using cubic inches, but later adopted metric designations, use {{convert}} with the |disp=flip parameter.

Where conflict exists between the actual and advertised displacement of an engine, we treat the advertised displacement as a part of the engine's designation or name. We also express the actual displacement.

Power

Power figures should usually be written in metric form with the imperial conversion in parentheses. SI measurements should be expressed in kilowatts (kW).

In some cases power figures should should be written in imperial units first, with the metric conversion in parentheses. Imperial measurements should be expressed in horsepower (hp) or brake horsepower (bhp) for British and pre-1972 American vehicles. Cases where imperial units should be given precedence include vehicles produced by U.S.-based companies, or those produced by companies that used imperial units at the time of the vehicle's manufacture (such as in Australia prior to 1974).

Examples:

• Metric: 75 kilowatts (101 hp) or 100 metric horsepower (74 kW; 99 hp)
• Imperial: 100 horsepower (75 kW) or 100 brake horsepower (75 kW; 101 PS)

Torque

Torque figures should be written in metric form with the imperial conversion in parentheses. Metric measurements should be expressed in newton meters (N·m).

In some cases torque figures should be written in imperial units first with the metric conversion in parentheses (see above for more details). Imperial measurements should be expressed in pound-feet (lb·ft) (not ft·lb or ft·lbf).

Examples:

• Metric: 100 newton meters (74 lb·ft)
• Imperial: 74 pound-feet (100 N·m)

Fuel consumption / performance figures

Care must be taken when including fuel consumption and performance figures. Performance figures should only be given if a reliable third party test can be sourced. Performance figures should follow the industry standard 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time.

Fuel consumption figures can be included if independent tests are conducted by reliable third-party resources.

Examples:

• Metric: 10.5 L/100 km (22.4 mpg_-US; 26.9 mpg_-imp)
• Imperial: 23 mpg_-US (10 L/100 km; 28 mpg_-imp)

Infoboxes

Manufacturer

The manufacturer field should list the company, division, or subsidiary responsible for the vehicle's development, for example:

• Manufacturer: BMW Motorrad

The appropriate parent company may be used if applicable. For example, BMW Motorrad is the motorcycle division of BMW:

• Parent Company: BMW

Production

The production field of the automobile infobox should mention the date production started and ended. Dates should be expressed in years (for example, 2001–2006) or in months and years (for example, April 2001–November 2006). Full dates should not be included (for example, 7 April 2001–16 November 2006); these dates can be mentioned in the text of the article if they are known.

"2013–" is preferable to "2013–present" while we are still in 2013. Also, vehicles yet to enter production should state "2013 (to commence)". For all previous years, "since 2006", et cetera is the preferred style.

For vehicles sold in North America where the use of model years is widespread, the "model_years" field of the infobox may be used in addition to "production". Model years are a marketing concept and thus are restricted to full years only; no months or half-years.

Assembly

The assembly field should state the country of manufacture first, followed by a colon, and then the exact location, such as the city or town followed by the state or province if applicable. If the manufacturing entity is separate from the entity responsible for the design and development of the vehicle, then this entity should be parenthesized after the location:

• Australia: Dandenong, Victoria (UAAI)
• Canada: Cambridge, Ontario (TMMC)
• United States: Fremont, California (NUMMI)

Engines

Infoboxes should state the displacement, the engine name/code in italics, the engine type, and then in parentheses, the type of forced induction (if applicable) and fuel type. Engine outputs and other data should be excluded. For fuel type, the terms "gasoline" and "petrol" can be used interchangeably, depending on the market.

The displacement should be written in liters (L).

Examples:

• 0.8 L Alpha I3 (gasoline)
• 1.8 L Delta I4 (gasoline)
• 1.8 L Delta I4 (hybrid gasoline)
• 2.0 L Delta I4 (s/c gasoline)
• 3.0 L Zeta V6 (t/c diesel)

Cubic centimeters (cc) may be used where appropriate.

Examples:

• 789 cc Alpha I3 (gasoline)
• 1,794 cc Delta I4 (gasoline)
• 1,794 cc Delta I4 (hybrid gasoline)
• 1,998 cc Delta I4 (s/c gasoline)
• 2,980 cc Zeta V6 (t/c diesel)

Cubic inches (cu in) should be quoted for engines originally engineered, designated, and marketed in cubic inches. When working with cubic inches, use {{convert}}. We abbreviate cubic inches using cu in rather than in³ or CID.

Example:

• 5.7 L (350 cu in) Gamma V8 (gasoline)

Transmissions

Infoboxes should state the number of forward-facing gears, the transmission name/code in italics, and the transmission type.

The number of forward facing gears should be expressed as a figures (for example: 5-speed) rather than the word (for example: five-speed).

Examples:

• 5-speed Alpha manual
• 6-speed Beta automatic
• CVT Gamma automatic

Dimensions and weight

Infoboxes should express dimensions/weights as a range and should not be listed for every level of trim. Different body styles can be separated.

Examples:

• Sedan: 4,567–4,577 mm (179.8–180.2 in)
• Wagon: 4,645–4,662 mm (182.9–183.5 in)

Images

A halfway decent photo of a 1974 Honda CB360. Non-stock sissy bar and panniers are a minus. It's neither here nor there that the bike is wet from recent rainfall. The main thing is that you can see what it looks like.

Tokyo Motor Show 2007. Many motorcycle photos are taken in trade shows or dealerships with glaring overhead lights, foreground and background clutter, distracting crowds, and bikes placed on platforms, giving an unrealistic upward view angle that distorts the scale. We make do with what we can find.

Action photos can be a good illustration of what a motorcycle is all about, showing context and rider posture, but excessive drama may be unencyclopedic.

1. Respect the user's thumbnail size user preferences rather than force a pixel width on all users, per MOS:IMAGES.
   • "[[File:...|thumb|...]]" is used for almost all images.
   • Use "[[File:...|thumb|upright|...]]" for vertical images.
   • Lead images should be 20% to 35% larger than the thumb width, so use "[[File:...|thumb|upright=1.35|...]]".
   • Where no caption is called for, such as in many infoboxes, use frameless instead of thumb, as in "[[File:...|frameless|upright=1.0|...]]".
   • If the default image width of 180 pixels looks too small to you, change your preferences; don't force the images larger in the article.
   • The "File:" prefix may be used interchangeably with "Image:" See MOS:Image syntax.
2. Always use free images, preferably uploaded to the Commons. Images of vehicles are seldom irreplaceable. Do not use "fair use" promotional images of vehicles. These will be deleted under {{db-f7}} because they are replaceable.
3. The image selected for an article's top (lead) infobox does not need to show any particular version or generation of the vehicle, such as the latest, the last, the first, the best-selling, or any other. Image quality and overall relevance are the determining factors.
4. Infobox pictures shall depict the front ¾ view or side view from the height of an ordinary person. A photo of the motorcycle being ridden may be ideal for a lead image because it adds scale and context. and shows rider posture, but only if it is sharp and shows most of the motorcycle, and does not show the rider's face. See Commons:Photographs of identifiable people.
5. The caption must clearly identify the vehicle. The year or model year (single year or range), model code, or any other relevant descriptor (for example, "pre-facelift" and "facelift") should be included in the image caption. If available, the trim level should also be included.
6. The quality of an image is always more important than the quantity of images included — a gallery or a link to the Commons is preferable to flooding an article with images.
7. In pictures of private vehicles, license plates and other personally-identifying information shall be blurred or edited out. If you are photographing your own vehicle, remove the license plate.
8. Avoid pictures of heavily customized bikes as they may not be very representative of the vehicles most common appearance, unless the text in context to the picture is dealing with the customization of the vehicle. If the only photo available is of a modified motorcycle, note in the caption how it differs from stock.
9. The image subject, motorcycle, engine, or component, must be the center of the image's composition.
10. Avoid photoshopped images, especially those with an unnatural appearance. Avoid images with the background colored white or the background layer cut out.
11. The lighting of a motorcycle is critical to obtaining a good image. Try to take pictures in the middle of the day or under bright but indirect lights. Make sure the sun is behind you—do not shoot into the sun.
12. Make sure the motorcycle is entirely in frame and is not obscured with objects, people, mud, snow, etc.
13. Crop out distracting elements like parking lots, objects, or other cars.
14. Do not take photos through window glass, fog, or with poor focus.

Miscellaneous

Calendar and model years

Articles that use the model year format should clearly differentiate such years from calendar years.

• Prose: when dealing with model years, prose should include the actual model year (e.g. 2006) followed by or preceded by the words "model year" (e.g. 2006 model year, model year 2006). This is only necessary in the first instance per section/paragraph, although longer sections may repeat the term intermittently.

Instead of this:

"For the 2008 model year, curtain airbags were made standard with dual knee airbags offered as an option. 2009 model year versions received a revised grille, and for the 2010 model year, the manual transmission variant was deleted from the lineup."

we write this:

"For the 2008 model year, curtain airbags were made standard with dual knee airbags offered as an option. 2009 models received a revised grille, and for 2010 the manual transmission variant was deleted from the lineup."

• Image captions: when dealing with model years for vehicles sold in North America, image captions should include the abbreviated and linked "MY" prefix (e.g. MY2006).

• Language usage: when referring to model years, state: "for 2010 curtain airbags were made standard" as opposed to "in 2010 curtain airbags were made standard" as the latter suggests calendar years, and not model years.

Classification

Car classification is can be contentious because not all vehicles fall neatly into a particular class. Also, some classes are too subjective and should be avoided, such as "supercar", "hypercar", and "exotic".

Unannounced vehicles

In accordance with WP:CRYSTALBALL, articles about future or speculative vehicles that have not been officially announced by their manufacturer should not be created. If an article is created about a speculative vehicle, it is to be either deleted or redirected to an article whose subject is most relevant to the redirect's subject.