General Discussion

[try1897]

I'm posting this as a tribute to General Discussion whom my father served under in the second world war. My dad was Sgt . Charles G.Yendell who worked as a driver of a tank retriever for quite some time. His job was to drive a truck with two sherman tanks on it to the battle front and deliver them and then retrive two broken tanks and take them back to be repaired. He was also an excellent mechanic and after putting in his time driving into harms way he got the job of tank repair ( much safer)and eventually premoted to Head of the motor pool. My dad passed away in 1988 and is burried in National Cemetry with full honors. Not the point .....

The point is that all my life my dad used to correct me when I said things like " that motor won't start" He would say well lets look at it and I'd crank it and it wouldn't start and he'd say Well the motors working fine it's the engine that won't start.... You see an engine is gas mechanical thing but a motor is electric. Always without exception if it says motor it's ELECTRIC. So all that being said ... I'm a member of Motoredbikes.com yet I have a bike without a motor on or anywhere near it for that matter. I guess I need to join Engine Bicycles .com or go electric.......Tom in WV

 

[gone_fishin]

oh, geez...i was wonderin' if someone was ever gonna catch that...figures it'd be you

 

[sideshowsideswipe]

I can't believe I never noticed that myself. so then all engine-powered two wheel vehicles are named incorrectly...

 

[Steve]

From the Dictionary

Main Entry: 1mo·tor
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'mO-t&r
Etymology: Latin, from movere to move
1 : one that imparts motion ; specifically : PRIME MOVER
2 : any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion: as a : a small compact engine b : INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE ; especially : a gasoline engine c : a rotating machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy
3 : MOTOR VEHICLE ; especially : AUTOMOBILE


Main Entry: 1en·gine
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'en-j&n
Etymology: Middle English engin, from Middle French, from Latin ingenium natural disposition, talent, from in- + gignere to beget -- more at KIN
1 obsolete a : INGENUITY b : evil contrivance : WILE
2 : something used to effect a purpose : AGENT , INSTRUMENT <mournful and terrible engine of horror and of crime -- E. A. Poe>
3 a : a mechanical tool: as (1) : an instrument or machine of war (2) obsolete : a torture implement b : MACHINERY c : any of various mechanical appliances -- often used in combination <fire engine>
4 : a machine for converting any of various forms of energy into mechanical force and motion ; also : a mechanism or object that serves as an energy source <black holes may be the engines for quasars>
5 : a railroad locomotive

Sorry, I just could not contain myself.

Tom,

In defense of what your Dad told you, I had it explained to me years ago that a motor was a devise that converted any type of energy to another, as in electrical energy to mechanical energy, such as an electric motor.

An engine was a devise that converted fuel to energy, such as gasoline to mechanical energy, or a gasoline engine.

However, today I think the two terms are used allmost interchangably. Come to think of it, I've never heard anyone call it an electric engine.

 

[Mile High Chop-Ped]

So it should be called the DEV not the DMV, Right?