Engine

Word or phrase	Meaning
Barrels / Jugs	Slang for engine cylinders, as in 'new barrels and pistons'.
Big Twin	A large-capacity V-twin, typically a Harley-Davidson or a big Japanese cruiser engine of 1200 cc and up.
Can	Slang for the silencer (muffler) at the end of a motorcycle exhaust, especially an aftermarket slip-on.
Coming On the Cam	Said when a four-stroke engine reaches the rev range where its cam timing works best and power suddenly picks up.
Coming On the Pipe	Said when a two-stroke reaches the revs where its expansion chamber works best and power arrives with a rush.
Crank It Over	Slang for starting an engine, from turning the crankshaft over with the starter or kickstarter.
Duals	Two separate exhaust pipes, typically one per cylinder on a V-twin.
Falling on its Face	An engine that bogs down or nearly dies when you open the throttle, often due to a blocked jet or wrong mixture.
Four Banger	Slang for an inline four-cylinder engine.
Giggle Gas	Slang for nitrous oxide, injected into an engine to give a short burst of extra power.
Jugs	Slang for an engine's cylinders.
Light the Fire	Slang for starting the engine.
Lump	British slang for a motorcycle engine.
Lung	Slang for a cylinder, as in 'single-lunger' or 'four-lunger'.
Mill	Slang for a motorcycle engine, as in “a strong mill”.
Oil Bag	Slang for the separate oil tank on dry-sump bikes, especially older Harley-Davidsons and British singles.
Oil Head	Nickname for BMW boxer twins cooled by air and oil, built from the 1990s until the water-cooled boxers replaced them.
On the Pipe	A two-stroke revving in its powerband, where the expansion chamber works and power surges.
Pipe	Slang for an exhaust, usually an aftermarket system or a two-stroke expansion chamber.
Pot	Slang for a cylinder (a “four-pot” engine); sometimes also used for a carburettor.
Power Plant	Slang for a motorcycle engine.
Pull	How strongly a bike accelerates, as in “it pulls hard from low revs”.
Purring	Said of an engine that runs smoothly and evenly.
Thumper	Nickname for a single-cylinder four-stroke engine or bike, named after its deep, pulsing exhaust note.
Turn It Over	To crank and start the engine, e.g. 'turn it over and let it warm up'.

Fuel system

Word or phrase	Meaning
Dope	Drag-racing slang for high-performance fuel blends based on methanol and/or nitromethane, not pump petrol.
Fat (running fat)	An engine running a rich mixture, with too much fuel for the amount of air.

Electrical

Word or phrase	Meaning
Blinkers	Slang for turn signals or indicators.
Brights	Slang for the headlight high beam.
Idiot Light	Slang for a dashboard warning lamp that only tells you about a problem once it has already happened.
Plugs	Short for spark plugs.

Frame and chassis

Word or phrase	Meaning
Flickable	Describes a light, agile bike that changes direction quickly from one lean angle to the other.
Jiffy Stand	Harley-Davidson's traditional nickname for the side stand, because it lets you park 'in a jiffy'.

Brakes

Word or phrase	Meaning
Binders	Slang for brakes, as in 'hit the binders'.

Wheels and tyres

Word or phrase	Meaning
Chicken Strips	The unworn bands at the edges of a tyre, jokingly said to show a rider who doesn't lean the bike far in corners.
Mags	Slang for cast alloy wheels; the name comes from early magnesium-alloy racing wheels.

Transmission

Word or phrase	Meaning
Dump the Clutch	Letting the clutch lever out suddenly at high revs; spins the rear tyre or lifts the front and wears the clutch plates.
Jockey Shift	A hand gear lever mounted by the tank on old or custom bikes, usually paired with a foot clutch ('suicide clutch').
Lazy Foot	Slang for a half-hearted gear change that leaves the box in a false neutral.

Riding gear

Word or phrase	Meaning
ATGATT	All The Gear, All The Time: wear full protective kit on every ride, however short or hot it is.
Beanie Helmet	Minimal half-shell 'novelty' helmet worn by cruiser riders; most are not ECE-approved and give little protection.
Brain Bucket	Slang for a helmet.
Do-Rag	A cloth cap or bandana worn under the helmet to keep hair tidy and sweat out of the eyes.
Dome	Slang for a motorcycle helmet.
Helmet Hair	The flattened, messy hair you are left with after taking off your helmet.
Lid	Slang for a motorcycle helmet.
Organ Donor	Grim nickname for a rider who goes without a helmet or protective gear.

Riding

Word or phrase	Meaning
Back Warmer	Jokey name for a pillion passenger.
Bail Out / Bailed	Jumping off the bike on purpose to avoid a worse crash; 'he bailed' means he did just that.
Binned It	British slang for crashing a bike.
Body English	Using body movement and weight shifts to influence where the bike goes.
Brake Slide	Locking the rear wheel with the rear brake so it skids straight or swings out; not the same as a throttle power slide.
California Roll	Rolling slowly through a stop sign without coming to a complete stop. Mostly US slang; in Europe it is still a traffic offence.
California Stop	Bringing the bike to a brief stop without putting a foot down, balancing on the brakes before pulling away again.
Canyon Carving / Carving	Riding a twisty road briskly and smoothly, linking one bend to the next; "carving" means cutting clean lines through the corners.
Chopping the Throttle	Snapping the throttle shut abruptly. Mid-corner it can upset the chassis, so smooth roll-off is usually better.
Closing the Door	Group-ride move where the sweep rider takes over a closing lane first, so a car can't cut into the group as it merges.
Corn Snakes	Slang for dried corn stalks blown across rural roads at harvest time, which can look like snakes at a glance.
Coupon	Slang for a traffic ticket or speeding fine.
Crack It	Slang for opening the throttle, as in "crack it open" on a straight.
Death Grip	Holding the handlebars far too tightly out of fear; it stiffens the arms and makes the bike harder to steer smoothly.
Dicing	Racing other riders on public roads, swapping places at speed; risky and illegal.
Dumped the Bike	Dropping the bike at walking pace or standstill, e.g. in a slow tight turn or forgetting the side stand.
Eat Asphalt	Slang for crashing on the road.
Face Plant	Falling off and landing face-first on the ground.
Flogging It	Riding hard: wide throttle openings, high revs and quick gear changes.
Front Door	The lead rider in a group ride.
Full Chat	British slang for riding flat out, as fast as the bike (or rider) will go.
Full Throttle (WFO)	Throttle twisted fully open; in the US also called WFO, “wide flippin’ open”.
Get Off	Slang for a crash in which the rider parts company with the bike.
Goon Riding	Slang for messing about on the bike to look silly or show off rather than ride properly.
Grabbing a Handful	Slang for snatching the front brake or twisting the throttle far too hard and too suddenly.
Hammer Down	Slang for opening the throttle fully and accelerating as hard as possible.
Hanging It Out	Slang for riding aggressively, at or beyond the limit of your own skill.
Hooligan	Slang for a rider who rides recklessly with little regard for their own or others' safety.
Horizontally Parked	Tongue-in-cheek slang for a bike lying on its side after a crash.
Involuntary Dismount	Humorous slang for a crash or fall from the bike.
Keep the Shiny Side Up	Bikers' farewell meaning 'ride safely': keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.
Kickout	A stunt or jump move where the rear of the bike is swung sideways while the front stays on line.
Lane Stealer	Slang for a car driver who squeezes past a motorcyclist within the same lane.
Lay It Down	Slang for a crash where the bike slides onto its side; deliberately laying it down is never better than braking hard.
Lost It	Slang for crashing or losing control of the bike.
Meerkat	A rider who stands bolt upright on the pegs, head high, like a meerkat on lookout.
Monkey Butt	Saddle soreness and chafing after too many hours in the seat without a break.
Nipple Surfing	Sliding along the ground chest-down after falling off the bike.
Off	British slang for a crash, as in “I had an off at the hairpin”.
On Rails	Said of a bike that corners with total stability, as if running on a track.
On the Gas	Riding hard with the throttle open; also simply accelerating.
OTB	“Over The Bars”: a crash where the rider is thrown forward over the handlebar.
Overcook	To arrive at a corner or obstacle too fast to get round it cleanly.
Packing	Slang for crashing, as in “packing it in”.
Pavement Surfing	Sliding along the road surface after crashing at speed.
Pin It / Pinned	Opening the throttle fully; “pinned” means riding flat out with the throttle wide open.
Play the Clutch	Slipping the clutch in its friction zone to control drive at low speed.
Popping the Clutch	Releasing the clutch abruptly for a hard launch or to lift the front wheel.
RTW (Round the World)	Short for a round-the-world motorcycle trip, a common goal in adventure riding circles.
Sweep / Back Door / Tail Gunner	The experienced rider at the back of a group ride who makes sure nobody is left behind.
T-Bone	A crash where one vehicle hits the side of another at roughly a right angle, forming a T shape.
Tar Snake	Strips of crack-sealing tar on the road surface; they offer less grip than asphalt and turn slippery when hot or wet.
The Double	Riding at 200 mph (about 320 km/h), a figure only the fastest superbikes and hyperbikes can reach.
The Ton	Riding at 100 mph (about 160 km/h); the origin of the British 'ton-up boys' café racer culture.
Thrashing It	Riding a motorcycle hard and aggressively, revving the engine high and pushing the bike to its limits.
Trailer Twinkie	A rider who trailers the bike to rallies or events instead of riding it there.
Twisties	A road with lots of bends and curves, the kind of route most riders go looking for.
Urban Tumbleweed	Plastic bags blowing across the road that can wrap around a hot exhaust or hit the rider.
Weekend Warrior	A rider who only gets to ride at weekends, often with a day job keeping the bike in the garage all week.
Went Down	Had a crash, at any speed: 'I went down in the gravel on the corner'.
WFO	Crude acronym for riding with the throttle 'wide f***ing open'; same idea as WOT (wide open throttle).
Whiskey Throttle	Unintentionally twisting the throttle wider as you slide back off the seat, so the bike surges and pulls further away.
Wipe Out	A big, spectacular crash.
Yard Sale	A crash that scatters bike parts and gear across the ground, as if laid out for sale.
Yard Sharks	Dogs that rush out from a yard to chase motorcycles, snapping at the rider or the tyres.

Off-road

Word or phrase	Meaning
Airtime	Time spent in the air on a jump; more airtime is not always faster, as lap times are won on the ground.
Baby Heads	Loose, rounded rocks roughly the size of a baby's head; a slow, technical surface that punishes tyres and rims.
Back Slapper	Motocross slang for the seat smacking the rider's backside, usually after a casing or a nose-high landing.
Backside (Landing)	The downslope of a jump that the rider lands on; landing on it smoothly, not short on the flat, saves bike and body.
Bar Hop	Freestyle stunt where the rider, holding the grips, swings both legs forward over the handlebar in mid-air.
Blitzing	Skimming across the tops of a whoops section at speed instead of jumping or rolling each bump.
Blown Out	A corner whose berm has been pushed away or destroyed by riders.
Blue Groove	Hard-packed, dried clay track that turns shiny and bluish with rubber; very little grip.
Booter	A jump that throws the rider long rather than high.
Braaap	The sound of a dirt bike, especially a two-stroke, being ridden hard.
Clean	Getting through a tough section without a fault; in trials a "clean" means riding a section with no foot down, scoring zero.
Gnarly	Slang for extreme, difficult or intimidating riding terrain.
Grinding	Hard-enduro slang for riding along a log or pole with the front wheel on one side and the rear on the other.
Huck-a-Buck	Slang for when the bike is in charge rather than you, e.g. being bucked about in whoops.
Mud Diving	When the bike suddenly bogs down in mud and pitches the rider face-first into it.
Peewee	Slang for a small 50 cc children's dirt bike and the youngest kids' racing class.
Plastic Princess	A rider, or their bike, that is too precious ever to get dirty.
Widowmaker	A very dangerous trail obstacle or hill climb; also the name of a famous hill-climb event in Utah.

Racing

Word or phrase	Meaning
Back Marker	The slowest rider in a race, at the back of the field and often about to be lapped.
Brake Check	Braking hard and suddenly in front of a following rider; a racing tactic, and dangerous on the road.
In the Weeds	Slang for running off the track during a race.
Love Nudges	Racing slang (also 'swapping paint') for riders bumping into each other while battling.
On the Box	Finishing in the top three and standing on the podium.
Open Class	A racing class with no or a high engine-size limit; its exact meaning depends on the series and era.

Motorcycle types

Word or phrase	Meaning
Airhead	Nickname for older air-cooled BMW boxer twins; later oil/air-cooled boxers are called Oilheads.
Bar Hopper	A showy custom bike that rarely leaves the garage except for short weekend rides between bars.
Bark-o-lounger	Slang for a big, heavy, very comfortable touring motorcycle.
Chair	Slang for a sidecar, or the passenger seat in it; a "chair outfit" is a motorcycle with a sidecar attached.
Crotch Rocket	Slang, often mocking, for a fast sports bike with a crouched riding position.
Digger	A long, low custom bike with a stretched frame but standard-length forks, a style popular in 1970s US customs.
Fiddy	Slang for a 50 cc motorcycle, moped or scooter.
Hack	Slang for a sidecar outfit, or for the sidecar itself.
Husky	Slang for a Husqvarna motorcycle.
Jukebox	Slang for a bike overloaded with lights and chrome accessories.
Milwaukee Vibrator	Joking nickname for a Harley-Davidson, after the factory town and the shaking of its big V-twins.
UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle)	1970s term for the standard Japanese bike: inline-four engine, upright seating, no fairing, built for everything.

Maintenance

Word or phrase	Meaning
Cherry Juice	Slang for red automatic transmission fluid. Motorcycle gearboxes normally use engine oil or dedicated gear oil instead.
Clapped Out	British slang for a worn-out, badly maintained bike that is nearing the end of its useful life.
Ding	A small dent, chip or scratch in the paint or bodywork.
Gremlin	Slang for a mysterious fault in the engine, gearbox or wiring that is hard to track down.
Hosed	Slang for a bike or part that is worn out or broken beyond repair.
Jesus Clip	Slang for a small circlip that flies off and vanishes the moment you drop it.
Knuckle Buster	Slang for an adjustable spanner, whose jaws can slip off a bolt under load and skin your knuckles.
Wrenching	Doing your own maintenance and repair work on a motorcycle.

General

Word or phrase	Meaning
Basket Case	A bike delivered in boxes of parts, or one rebuilt from bits of several others.
Beemer / Beamer	Slang for a BMW; purists say Beemer for BMW motorcycles.
Beeza	British slang for a BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) motorcycle.
Big Red	Nickname for Honda, after its red racing and corporate colours.
Biker	Anyone who rides a motorcycle; sometimes implies the cruiser and club culture.
Biker Friendly	A café, hotel or shop that welcomes riders in full gear and often offers bike parking.
Bling	Shiny accessories and anodised parts fitted mostly for looks.
Boneyard	A breaker's yard for used motorcycle parts.
Busa	Nickname for the Suzuki Hayabusa (GSX1300R) hyperbike.
Cage / Cager	Biker slang for a car, van or truck; a "cager" is the person driving one, shut inside a metal box.
Citizen	Motorcycle club slang for a rider who doesn't belong to any club.
Colours (Colors)	The patches and insignia worn on the back of a vest or jacket to show membership of a motorcycle club.
Dialed In	Said of a bike (or rider) when setup, suspension and engine are tuned so everything works just right.
Donorcycle	Dark slang used by some medics for a motorcycle ridden recklessly, implying the rider may end up an organ donor.
Duc	Short slang for a Ducati motorcycle.
Fan Boy	A rider convinced that only one brand of motorcycle is worth owning.
Farkles	Add-on accessories for a bike: GPS mounts, extra lights, bags and gadgets. From “function” plus “sparkle”.
Fast Riding Award	Tongue-in-cheek slang for a speeding ticket.
Frankenbike	A motorcycle pieced together from parts of many different makes, models and years.
Gearhead	Someone who loves all things mechanical and enjoys tinkering with engines and bikes.
Handle	Slang for a rider's nickname or road name.
HOG	Harley Owners Group, the factory-sponsored owners' club; also slang for a Harley-Davidson itself.
Indie Shop	Slang for an independent motorcycle shop or workshop that is not a brand franchise dealer.
Lemon	Slang for an unreliable motorcycle that keeps breaking down.
Loner	Biker-culture slang for someone who shares the outlaw-club lifestyle without belonging to any club.
MC	Short for Motorcycle Club, often used in club names and on back patches.
NBD	“Never Been Dropped”, a claim often seen in used motorcycle adverts.
Patches	Sewn-on club insignia worn on the back of a jacket or vest to show motorcycle club membership.
PMS	“Parked Motorcycle Syndrome”: the restless mood of a rider who cannot ride, e.g. in winter.
Poser	A would-be biker more interested in the image than in actually riding.
Prospect	A probationary member working towards full membership of a motorcycle club.
Rad	Short for 'radical'; casual slang for something cool or impressive.
Rag Doll	When a rider goes limp and tumbles loosely after being thrown off in a crash.
Rat Bike	A worn, patched-up bike kept running with mismatched parts and minimal care, sometimes styled that way on purpose.
Rip / Shred	Riding fast, fluid and with obvious skill, as in 'ripping it up' or 'shredding the trail'.
Road Agent	US slang for a police or highway patrol officer.
Road Gator	US slang for chunks of shredded truck tyre lying on the road, a real hazard for riders.
Rodeo	Bouncing and bucking over rocks or rough ground, like riding a bull at a rodeo.
RUB (Rich Urban Biker)	Rich Urban Biker: a well-off rider with an expensive, spotless bike and brand-new gear, often used teasingly.
Rubber	Slang for tyres, as in 'fresh rubber' for new tyres.
Sandbagger	A racer who enters a slower class than their real ability to win easily.
Send It!	Shouted encouragement to commit to a jump or obstacle without holding back.
Short Legging	Putting a foot down at a stop and finding the ground lower than expected, often ending in a tip-over.
Showed Him My Wheel	Racing talk for pulling alongside another rider so they see your front wheel, a warning that a pass is coming.
Sick	Slang for something extremely good or impressive, as in 'that jump was sick'.
Side Grass	Tall grass at the edge of a trail that can hide rocks or stumps ready to catch the front wheel.
Sketchy	Feels unsafe or uncertain, as in a sketchy corner or a sketchy-looking bike.
Skid Lid	Slang for a helmet, usually an open-face one.
Skin	Slang for a bike's paint job or a new set of graphics.
Slammed	A bike with lowered suspension sitting as close to the ground as possible.
Sled	Slang for a motorcycle, usually a big, heavy one.
Slink Riders	Riders in a group who can't hold their spacing, drifting back and forth and putting others at risk.
Small Bore	Slang for a small-capacity bike, usually under 250 cc.
SMIDSY	'Sorry mate, I didn't see you': what drivers say after pulling out on a rider, and shorthand for that classic crash.
Soil Sample	Getting a face full of dirt, from a crash or another rider's roost.
Soiled	Covered head to toe in dirt after a hard ride; meant as praise for riding hard.
Sparkin' the Pavement	Leaning so far that pegs, floorboards or exhaust scrape the road and throw sparks.
Spode	Dirt bike slang for a rider with little skill who thinks they are good and hands out bad advice.
SQUID	Rider who is fast, reckless and underdressed: no proper gear and more speed than skill.
Squirrelly Handling	When a bike feels nervous and twitchy, never quite settled or under full control.
Stacking (it)	Slang for crashing, as in 'he stacked it in the first corner'.
Standing on the Brakes	Braking as hard as possible, usually in a panic stop.
Stay Vertical	A riders' goodbye: ride safe and keep the shiny side up.
Stealership	Jokey name for a dealer seen as overcharging for parts and service.
Stitching a Line	Threading smoothly and deliberately through traffic, controlled rather than reckless.
Stoked	Really excited or happy about something, like a new bike or a great ride.
Stroker	Slang for a two-stroke bike; in engine tuning it also means an engine with a lengthened stroke.
Stuff / Stuffed	A hard block pass with contact that shoves the other rider off their line.
Swap	When the rear of a dirt bike kicks side to side through bumps and whoops.
Swapping Paint	Two racers bumping into each other in close combat.
Sweeper	A long, fast, flowing bend, the kind riders love.
Team Green	Nickname for Kawasaki, after the factory racing team's signature lime-green colour.
Trick	Slang for cool or high-end, e.g. 'that bike has some trick parts on it'.
Trumpet	Nickname for a Triumph motorcycle (also 'Trumpy'); can also mean a flared, trumpet-shaped exhaust end.
Waxer	A rider who spends more time cleaning and polishing the bike than actually riding it.
Zook	Nickname for a Suzuki motorcycle.

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