Biker Culture
Biker Slang: Words From the Clubhouse and the Road and What They Mean
Biker slang in plain language: club terms like colors and prospect, bike words like chopper and hack, and riding words like pillion, each with a source.
Biker slang is the working vocabulary of motorcycle clubs, custom builders and everyday riders, and a lot of it is plain description: "colors" means a club vest, a "hack" means a sidecar, "jugs" means cylinders. Below are terms grouped by where you hear them, each defined in plain language with a published source. Some words are regional or used differently in different groups, so treat them as common usage, not a rulebook. For the wider scene, see biker culture.
Key takeaways- "Biker" can mean any motorcyclist, a club member, or an outlaw club member, depending on who is talking.- Club words (colors, prospect, chapter) are used by some clubs, and meanings vary from club to club.- Many bike words come from a part or a look: "ape hangers," "cowbells," "frog eyes".- Several riding words are British or Australian in origin.
Words from the clubhouse
These terms come from motorcycle clubs. Clubs differ, so a given word may not apply to every club.
For vest names in detail, see what bikers call their vest. For patch placement, see how to place patches on the front of a biker vest. Patch meanings and club symbols are covered in understanding motorcycle club leathers and their symbols.
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Colors | A leather or denim vest worn by club members that identifies the club and shows its insignia |
| Cut | Another name for the club vest; it comes from the early practice of cutting the collar or sleeves off a denim or leather jacket |
| MC | "Motorcycle club." Within the outlaw scene the letters are generally reserved for clubs other clubs recognize; outside it they carry no special meaning |
| Chapter (or charter) | A local group of a larger club. The first one is called the mother chapter |
| Hang-around | Someone who has said they want to become a prospect; one of several stages some clubs use |
| Prospect | Someone who has said they want to become a full member; the club's bylaws usually set how long and what is expected |
| Full patch | A full member, as opposed to a prospect or hang-around |
| Support club | A smaller local club set up by a larger one to act as an auxiliary group; also called a satellite club |
| Road captain | A club officer role; typical clubs also have a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and sergeant-at-arms |
| One percenter (1%er) | A member of an outlaw club or gang; the origin of the phrase is disputed. Read what 1%er means |
Words for bikes and parts
For detail, see what a chopper is, bobber vs chopper, what a bobber is and what a cafe racer is.
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Chopper | A custom bike with lengthened forks and modified steering angles; the name comes from "chopping" an existing bike. It emerged in California in the late 1950s |
| Bobber (bob-job) | A stripped-down custom bike with a shortened ("bobbed") rear fender. The older name was bob-job |
| Cafe racer | A sport-style bike said to come from early-1960s London; the term's exact origin is called dubious |
| Hack | A motorcycle sidecar; a bike with one is also called an outfit or rig |
| Ape hangers | Tall handlebars, usually shoulder height or higher; some places limit the height |
| Crotch rocket | Slang for a sportbike seen as overpowered |
| Jugs | The engine's cylinders |
| Cowbells (beer cans) | Decorative shrouds over the fork tubes, first seen on Harley Hydra-Glide front ends and named for the ringing sound they make |
| Frog eyes | Nickname for the small domed rocker covers on the earliest Harley Knucklehead engines |
Words for riding
The ton-up story has its own page: rockers, mods and the ton-up boys.
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Pillion | The seat behind the rider; a passenger there "rides pillion." The word comes from a Scottish Gaelic word for "little rug" |
| Sweep | The last rider in an organized group ride, usually experienced and sometimes carrying first-aid or breakdown supplies |
| Road rash | A skin injury from scraping along the road surface |
| Spill | A fall or tumble off the bike |
| Tickover | British term for an engine idling ("ticking over") |
| Hoon | A term said to originate south of the equator for a rider (or driver) who puts on an antisocial show |
| Suicide clutch | A foot-operated, spring-loaded clutch conversion; it is so named because lifting a foot at a stop lets the bike lurch ahead |
| Ton-up | British slang for reaching 100 miles per hour (160 km/h); "ton-up boys" were the 1950s and 1960s riders who did so |
What this page leaves out
Some slang is insulting or club-specific, and no reputable published source defines it, so it is not listed. The same goes for gestures and greetings: we found only informal accounts, so they are not included here.
If you want a vest to go with the vocabulary, Leather Collection covers how leather and biker culture fit together in its biker culture and leather guide.
FAQ
What is a biker group called?
A motorcycle club, often split into local chapters (or charters) of one larger club. Support clubs are smaller local clubs attached to a bigger one.
What do you call a person riding on the back of a motorcycle?
A passenger or pillion passenger; they "ride pillion".
What are jugs on a motorcycle?
The cylinders.
What do bikers call their vest?
Colors or a cut. More on what bikers call their vest.
RDUKE Editorial Team
RDUKE articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.