| Want to know what a 'rice burner' is or doing the 'catwalk', but are lost for words? Here’s our A-Z of motorcycling terms - everything you wanted to know about paddock talk and bikes, but were afraid to ask.
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A - C
D - H
I - P
Q - S
T - Z
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| A - C |
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| ACU |
| The Auto-Cycle Union - Recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM) as the official governing body of motorcycle sport throughout the UK, excluding Ireland. One of the founding members of the FIM.
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| AFM |
| American Fédération of Motorcyclists Championship Road racing - dedicated to road racing.
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| Backing It In |
| A move brought from dirt track racing where a rider approaching a corner brakes hard and causes the rear of the motorcycle to slide while counter-steering. This enables the rider to quickly go through the corner and straighten up for a fast exit.
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| Bar Hopper |
| A motorcycle that is not very comfortable on longer rides, yet lavishly styled.
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| Binned It |
| A rider crashes out of a race either completely, or almost, wrecking the bike.
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| Biker |
| Motorcycle operator who gets absorbed by even a short commute. Rarely allow their motorcycle to sit idle for more than a week.
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| Blackie |
| A dark streak left on the asphalt by the rear tyre when a motorcycle drills away from a stop. White smoke often accompanies the formation of a blackie.
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| Brake Check |
| Rider brakes hard while entering a corner causing the rider directly behind to brake hard, thus the rider in front gains distance.
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| Bottom Out |
| The Suspension runs out of room to travel and hits the internal stops.
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| Brake Marker |
| A marker at the side of the track indicating where a rider may want to start braking prior to entering a corner.
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| Brain Bucket |
| Helmet
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| Bob or Bobber |
| Shortening a bike's appearance by cutting down the size of its fenders - popular modification in the 1950s.
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| Boxer |
| Engine with two opposing cylinders.
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| Burn Out |
| Rider applies the front brake and quickly accelerates causing the rear wheel to loose traction and spin so that the tyre rubber overheats and begins to smoke and disintegrate. Often associated with doughnuts.
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| Bus Stop |
| A slow first gear corner.
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| Cafe Racer |
| British biker custom of racing from cafe to café, drinking coffee along the way.
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| Cage |
| More commonly known as automobiles. The name stems from being inside a closed shell, with no contact with outside air.
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| Cager |
| Cage operator, or driver of an automobile.
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| Cans |
| Performance enhancing exhaust muffler or back box, fitted to the exhaust system, made of stainless steel or titanium to improve acceleration and mid-range power torque.
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| Carving |
| Hard fast cornering on roads with many curves, stems from laying the bike down to a nearly horizontal position and carving a line through the road.
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| Catwalk |
| Sometimes seen as MotoGP riders cross the finish line. Riding a motorcycle on the rear wheel only, more commonly known as a ‘wheelie’.
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| Chicane |
| A section of track with back to back turns or 'S' curves.
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| Chopper |
| a style of motorcycle that appears deceptively light, has a greater angle on the front end than usually seen, and radical styling. Owners remove unnecessary components and began to cut, or ‘chop’, sections of the bike and frame.
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| Class |
| A classification given to a specific kind of road racing; Grand Prix, Pro Thunder, Formula Xtreme, Supersport, Superbike and Sidecar, etc.
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| Clip-ons |
| Handlebars that are attached directly to the front fork instead of at the top of the fork; lowers the riding position countersteer.
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| Club |
| A motorcycle organisation made up of members who have come together in a common interest, members have pledged their loyalty (also called prospecting) for some time before becoming active. Distinguishing feature here is a three piece patch consisting of a logo and upper-lower rockers worn on the back of a riding jacket or vest.
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| Consolation (or semi-final) |
| A qualifying race for riders who did not qualify in the heat race.
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| Cowling |
| Body work that covers the engine, transmission and/or mid section of a bike crash bar.
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| Crotch Rocket |
| Sports bike.
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| Cruiser |
| Surfaced in the late 1980s that refers to the laid back-styled street bikes with chrome and boulevard styling.
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 Back To Top |
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| D - H |
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| Displacement |
| Size of an engine, in cubic centimetres (cc) or cubic inches (ci).
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| Disqualified (DQ'ed) |
| A penalty of forfeiture of all awards, points and prizes.
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| Doughnut |
| Rider performs a burn out and carefully moves the motorcycle to encompass a 360-degree circle thus leaving a circular mark of rubber on the road surface.
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| Drag Bar |
| A straight-styled handlebar that does not sweep up from the risers.
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| Drag pipes |
| Straight exhaust pipes with no baffles.
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| Dry Race |
| A race in which climatic conditions affecting the track surface are considered to be dry, opposed to wet.
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| Dual Sport |
| Dual purpose motorcycle, made for both on and off the road travel.
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| Ducati |
| Legendary motorcycle manufacturer.
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| Dump The Clutch |
| A rider quickly releases the clutch while the revs are high.
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| Endo |
| Stopping a motorcycle and having the rear wheel lift off the ground, a reverse of the Catwalk. Also called a Stoppie.
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| Esses |
| Phonetic spelling of back to back turns or 'S' curves.
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| Event |
| A scheduled item, typically a race at a meet.
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| Fairing |
| Body part that protects both the bike and rider from road debris and wind. A form of protection from the weather.
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| FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme) |
| The international governing body of all motorcycle sport at the world level. The FIM groups 80 affiliate national governing bodies on a national level.
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| Foggy |
| Carl Fogarty, the British-born World Super Bike rider who won the championship a record-breaking four times for Ducati.
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| Four Banger |
| An inline four-cylinder motorcycle (or automotive) engine, among the most powerful motors on a bike. Also referred to as an inline four.
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| Grand Prix (GP) |
| Motorcycle racing event for elite professional racers. The race bikes are the elite in performance, engineering and mechanics. A GP is a showcase for technology and new innovations.
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| Green Track |
| A new track with little or no rubber laid down which can be slippery.
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| Grid |
| A pattern marking the starting points on the track.
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| Hardtail |
| A motorcycle with no rear suspension.
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| Hairpin |
| A very slow sharp and often U-shaped corner.
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| Head Shake |
| When the handlebars shake back and forth due to improper set-up or bumps.
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| Heat Race |
| A qualifying race that determines which riders will advance to the final race.
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| High Side |
| A crash in which the rear of the bike slides out then catches traction and flips the bike and rider over.
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| Homologation |
| The approval process of the governing body that certifies that all manufacturers motorcycles meet all standards prior to race preparation.
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| Back To Top |
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| I - P |
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| Inline-four |
| see 'Four Banger'
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| Leathers |
| A safety garment consisting of a skin-tight leather suit, body armour, foam, sturdy stitching and zippers.
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| Love Nudges |
| Also known as swapping paint. Two riders bump in to each other while racing.
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| Low Side |
| A crash in which the rear wheel or both wheels loose traction. The motorcycle slips out from under the rider.
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| Meet |
| A meeting of events where one or more events take place.
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| Megaton |
| Speeds higher 150mph
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| Naked |
| Crossover bike with no fairings or covers.
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| Neck |
| The front of a bike frame, where the steering head can be found.
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| Nipple Surfing |
| Sliding along the ground face down after falling off a motorcycle.
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| Nose Wheelie |
| Rider hits the front brake so hard causing the suspension to bottom out, thus causing the rear of the motorcycle to rise up and stand on the front wheel. Also called a stoppie.
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| OEM |
| An acronym, ‘Original Equipment from Manufacturer’. Refers to parts or components.
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| Official Results |
| A list of the final finishing order of the race event. This is issued after 30 minutes during which a protest may be made. Official results do not exempt riders from future penalties.
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| Oil Dripper |
| Early American and British bikes.
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| Overhead cam |
| Camshaft rides above the valves and directly operates them, decreasing number of parts needed to run the engine.
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| Paddock |
| Area where maintenance on race entered motorcycles takes place, which also includes support vehicles and transport.
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| Parallel Twin |
| An inline two-cylinder engine.
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| Parked It |
| Going slower in a race than conditions allow.
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| Pin It |
| To open the throttle wide open.
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| Pit |
| A designated area where makeshift garages are set up to perform maintenance on race-entered motorcycles takes place.
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| Pit Crew |
| Mechanics and or assistants.
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| Pit Lane |
| A lane adjacent to the track used to enter and exit the race track circuit and where maintenance takes place prior to and during practice sessions and the race event.
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| Podium |
| The top three riders in a race stand on the victory podium.
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| Programme |
| A predetermined schedule of events.
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| Provisional |
| The initial list of the final finishing order of the race event. This is issued at the beginning of the 30 minutes during which a protest may be made.
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| Pucks |
| Part of the required safety garment. Pucks or knee pucks are part of the body armour worn by the rider that attaches to the side of the knee and is used while cornering.
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| Back To Top |
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| Q - S |
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| Qualify |
| To advance to the final race event by timed qualifying or position in a heat race.
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| Qualifying Heat Race |
| A preliminary race used to determine elimination or position in the final race event.
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| Race |
| A competition where two or more riders compete against each other.
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| Race Track |
| A circuit, course or track used for racing that includes run off areas, a pit lane, pits, and paddocks.
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| Racer/rider |
| A person licensed to race.
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| Rice Burner |
| Japanese motorcycle.
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| Rigid or Rigid Frame |
| Frame that has no swing arm. A one-piece neck to rear axle frame.
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| Road Race |
| Road races are performed on a closed circuit that is paved that includes a straight and left, right turns.
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| Road Rash |
| Marks left behind on a biker's body after falling from their bike at speed.
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| Rockers |
| The two curved patches of a Club's patch. This denotes the club name.
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| RUB (Rich Urban Biker) |
| A biker that owns and keeps expensive motorcycles in a garage. The machines rarely get ridden, but the person considers himself or herself a true biker.
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| Scoot |
| A motorcycle.
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| Screamin’ Night Hog |
| A biker who prefers to ride at night when travelling long distances to avoid heavy traffic.
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| Sissy Bar |
| The passenger seat or backrest.
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| Skid Lid |
| Helmet – also known as a brain bucket.
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| Skiing |
| A type of stunt where a rider carefully jumps off the rear of the moving motorcycle, grabs the pillion grab rail and skis on the road surface. The world record stands in excess of 225 kph (140 mph). Also called skating.
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| Slam |
| The lowering or complete removal of a bike's suspension.
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| Sled |
| Motorcycle.
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| Slicks |
| A tyre specifically designed for use in road racing only that is made of a soft compound with no tread.
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| Slip The Clutch |
| To play with or fan the clutch in order to prevent the engine stalling or spinning the rear tyre from the start line.
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| Slug |
| A slow motorcycle and rider.
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| Soft-tail |
| Mono-shock swing arm bike, has the rigid or hardtail styling and a full rear suspension.
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| Sport Bike |
| Race derived lightweight mega-fast bike with full fairing. Made for hard acceleration, quick and responsive handling.
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| Sport Standard |
| Declassified sport bikes. Have no fairings and are a cross between a sport bike and a standard. Usually have race inspired styling and an upright riding stance.
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| Springer |
| A motorcycle that is designed with large springs on the front forks to dampen and absorb road shock.
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| SQUID |
| Acronym, SQUirrely kID. Young rider who takes too many chances on a sport bike.
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| Squat |
| The rear suspension of the motorcycle seems to bottom out due to hard acceleration.
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| Standard |
| An upright styled bike, with little attention to styling. More powerful than cruisers but not tuned to sport bike specifications.
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| Stoppie |
| Stopping a motorcycle on the front wheel while having the rear wheel lift off the ground, the reverse of a wheelie. Also sometimes referred to as an endo.
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| Suspension |
| A penalty resulting in the loss of rights for a certain amount of time.
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| Swapping Paint |
| Two riders bump in to each other while racing. Also known as love nudges.
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| SWC |
| Sidecar World Cup - A highly modified motorcycle has a sidecar attached.
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| Sweeper |
| A broad high-speed turn.
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| Swingarm |
| The rear portion of a bike that the rear wheel mounts to, a pivoting structure that moves up and down with the rear suspension.
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| Back To Top |
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| T - Z |
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| Tank Slapper |
| When the handlebars shake from side to side due to improper set-up or bumps.
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| Technical Inspector |
| An official who inspects all motorcycles and equipment participating in an event.
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| Thumper |
| A large displacement single cylinder four-stroke engines; make a thumping sound.
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| Timed Qualifying |
| A timed qualifying race that determines the qualifying order of the: riders in the final race.
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| Tourer |
| motorcycle designed for long distance riding. A heavier bike with hard luggage panniers and comfortable seating arrangements. Also known as geezer glides as older folks tend to own these.
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| Trail Braking |
| Keeping the brakes applied late in to the corner.
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| Triple |
| A three-cylinder inline motorcycle engine.
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| Triple Trees or Triple clamps |
| : Attaches the bike's front end to the frame, named after each fork tube and a centre for the steering stem.
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| TT (Tourist Trophy) |
| Road race held on closed public roads on the Isle of Man, off the coast of Great Britain. The TT is the oldest motorcycle-racing event in the world. The first race was held in 1907. Racers routinely reach speeds in excess of 260 kph (100 mph) that take them through villages, along rocky mountain sides and along single lane country roads. The TT is also the most dangerous racing event in the world.
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| Twisties |
| A road or race track with many curves.
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| Trike |
| A three-wheel motorcycle with no sidecar.
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| Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) |
| Japanese motorcycles of the 1980s. Look alike, are and air-cooled 750 inline four-cylinder with straight tank and seat.
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| V-Four |
| Four-cylinder motorcycle engine with the cylinders arranged in two rows in an angled V.
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| V-Twin |
| Two-cylinder motorcycle engine with the cylinders and crankshaft arranged in an angled V. Allows for optimum torque for a given displacement.
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| Valanced |
| Large sweeping fenders.
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| Wash Out |
| A crash in which the front wheel looses traction. The motorcycle then slips out from under the rider.
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| Wave |
| Raising a hand to greet a motorcyclist travelling in the opposite direction.
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| Wet Race |
| A race in which climatic conditions affecting the track surface are considered to be wet, opposed to dry.
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| Wheelie |
| The nose or front of the motorcycle rises off the ground due to hard acceleration in conjunction with a quick release of the clutch.
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| Wishbone |
| One-piece handlebar and riser, styled like a drag bar but has a clean appearance.
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| WSB (World Superbike Racing) |
| Production-based, four-stroke motorcycle racing with extensive modifications determined by regulations to control costs and limit alterations. (See Homologation).
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| Z-Bar |
| Handlebar that sweeps out of the risers toward the front of the bike and then sweeps back again towards the rider. A popular handlebar design arrangement from the 1970s.
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| Back To Top |
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