When people start cruising down the road in their new two-wheeler, they are now officially bikers. More is even true if you have joined a biker gang – either a bike group that enjoys cycling together and cruising quickly down highways, or an outlaw biker gang that is notorious for their way of lifestyle. No matter what biker lifestyle you choose, rest assured you will be privy to biker slang.
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Words That Are COMPLETELY Different For Bikers – The A-Z List
As you might be able to tell, either by the group you have joined or if you are an innocent bystander who watches in awe as big biker groups cruise down the roads, you know that bikers are a different breed. Bikers are a unique culture that embraces their lifestyle, cool and unique customizations to their hogs, octane engines, and a desire to often be on the open road. Depending on how deep the traditions go and how deep your roots go with specific biker groups, you probably know by knowing that bikers have a certain type of language – biker slang.
Did you know that biker slang could potentially confuse a non-biker when you speak, or do you know anyone who knows all of the biker slang terms? No? Well here are some terms that might mean something completely different to hardcore bikers in a biker bar, and something totally opposite to a non-biker who is minding their own business.
Ape Hangers
This one can be kind of a confusing term for non-bikers. To be honest, we’re not really too sure what this means, but it can either refer to a type of clothes hanger that you will find in your closet when hanging up your jacket, or a group of primates who are hanging out among the trees.
In biker slang, ape hangers refer to handlebars that sit at or above shoulder level. Ape hangers typically range from 6 up to 18 inches and beyond. This type of handlebars are either a love it or hate it when it comes to bikers and what they enjoy. Many ape hangers are pretty wide, which can add to a rider’s control of the bike, but sometimes the leverage on the bars is decreased with a very tall set of ape hangers.
BAMBI
Everyone I know has cried at this movie. A deer lost in the wood, and her mom was shot by a hunter. This cute little deer met an untimely fate, but fortunately for bikers, it means a completely different thing in biker slang when conversing with their biker friends.
In biker slang, BAMBI refers to Born-Again Middle Aged Biker. Every biker is prone to know one of these people, man or woman, that is in their motorcycle gang or biker friend group. One of your friends has given up the ways of biking, got soft, and quit riding their bikes for many years. They may have even gotten rid of their bike, and it's hard to purchase a new one for their change in attitude. Eventually, they got back on track and now embrace the open road, biker culture, and biker gangs.
Binders
A kid in school has a binder. This binder is in charge of keeping all of your notes in order, and you have a binder for each subject. These binders fill up your backpack and your locker and provide some organization for you in school. However, in biker slang, the binder in your motorcycle involves the brakes.
Brain Bucket
We don’t really know what this means in “regular life.” This isn’t really a phrase you will ever hear, except for maybe when a parent or teacher is referring to a kid’s wealth of knowledge? However, in biker slang, this brain bucket term is commonly used to refer to a motorcycle helmet – the key piece of equipment that keeps your brains intact.
Although there is a big debate on the best motorcycle helmets being sold on the market today and which one is the safest and most stylish, there is a list of the best brain buckets in biker slang in 2020.
First, the Shoei metallic Neotec road race street helmet earned a 8.5 out of 10, with the key features being a flip up face shield, chin bar, embedded sun shield, and pin-lock anti fog system. The racing stylings of this helmet add aerodynamics and provide a lightweight and comfortable fit.
Another good option for a brain bucket for you on the open road is the LS2 Valiant Modular motorcycle helmet, earning an 8.8 out of 10, with the key features being a twin shield system for optimum sun protection, removable and washable padding, hypoallergenic padding, and a strong outer shell.
Backyard
The standard definition of the backyard can refer to a homeowner’s expanse of green grass, garden, trees, or any space behind their house that is privately owned by them. Kids often enjoy playing in the backyard, while adults will sit outside at a table in the backyard and watch the children play.
For the biker slang term of backyard, this can refer to a place that you ride often and feel at home. If you have a certain route that you love to ride, a certain city or town that you love to bike in, or even a country that you enjoy, then this can be referred to in biker slang as your backyard.
Coupon
In regular life, a coupon is something that gives you a good deal for a product or service, and gives you a discount in the form of an online or mobile offer. For example, you can get a coupon for cereal and head to your local grocery store, getting the 2 for 1 special. In biker slang, coupon means a speeding ticket that has been unfortunately handed to the biker by a cop. For many bikers, this goes hand and hand with motorcycles – as you know, motorcycles go fast, and bikers enjoy pushing the limits – the speed limits, that is.
Dresser
Usually known as something to hold your clothes in a house, dressier is biker slang for “touring bike,” not where you're going to keep a shirt in your bedroom. Back when all motorcycles looked really similar, some riders added on other appliances, like saddlebags for additional comfort and carrying capacity. Bike makers realized this trend and started making factory options to add more money, allowing buyers to “dress” up their bike.
Enduro
This term can either mean endurance running, endurance biking, or anything that goes long distances. In biker slang, this can be somewhat similar – enduro is an older term that has been largely replaced by “dual sport” but is used to refer to street legal dirt bikes for enduro racing.
Fairing
On a motorcycle and biker slang, fairing is the windscreen or plastic parts near the front of the bike. In real life, a fairing actually means basically the same thing – an external plastic structure added to increase streamlining on high performance cars and boats.
Heat
The summertime weather condition – there is frequently ample heat in tropical locations, Florida, Texas and Africa. You might even get some warm conditions and a heat wave in more northern locations like Canada and England, but these heat-filled days are far and few between in these colder and rainier climates.
In biker slang, the heat refers to the police. These guys will frequently be on your tail and monitoring your speed as you cruise down the open road on your flashy bike.
PMS
Women everywhere will know this one – and unsuspecting boyfriends. Acronym for premenstrual syndrome, which is a condition that directly relates to the women’s time of the month that can refer to irritability, fatigue, emotional rollercoasters, and occasional depression, that needs to be treated seriously and respected by the people around the woman in her life.
However, for biker slang, PMS is another acronym that refers to “Parked Motorcycle Syndrome.” This PMS can also cause a bad mood to the user, with the biker having a bad mood caused by having a motorcycle parked in the garage for too long of a time.
Rippin It Up
The standard definition for this phrase can mean many things depending on where you are. It can mean that you are physically tearing a piece of paper apart, another object, or something that can be easily ripped. In addition, rippin it up can also refer to potentially insulting or digging into another person by words or verbal manners.
In biker slang, rippin it up means that the biker is twisting the throttle and riding aggressively. You might see bikers rippin it up’ by pushing the speed limits, cutting hard corners, swerving in and out of lanes, and pushing the performance of the bike.
Sled
The standard definition of a led can refer to a kid’s toy or an adult’s toboggan that can smoothly glide over snow and ice in the winter conditions. A sled can also refer to a carriage or a vehicle that can be used by horses, dogs, or a motor vehicle that can carry gear or passengers.
In biker slang, a sled is a motorcycle. This is your pride and joy that you cruise down the road with, and that you spend most of your time riding, thinking about, or focusing on. Synonyms of this biker slang could be bike, scoot, or scooter.
Squid
A squid is a sea animal that has a slender body, a pair of rounded or triangular fins, and is an underwater sea creature that can be somewhat terrifying. This can also be something that is served in restaurants, especially in Asian culture, like something that one orders at a Japanese restaurant. The biker slang of squid means stupidly quick, underdressed, and imminently dead. This label is solely reserved for inexperienced bikers who do not ride safely and dress like it is their first time on a bike. For riders who ride too fast, dress inappropriately for the open road, and have not read the safety tips that each motorcyclist should read, these people can be called a “Squid” in biker slang.
Stay Vertical
Someone might say this to you when they want you to straighten up or fix your posture, especially if you have for some reason enrolled yourself in a dance class, a ballet class, or another sporting event. By staying vertical, you can enhance your muscles and the posture.
However, in biker slang, staying vertical means keeping the rubber firmly pressed during the period during biking and the shiny side up. Basically, do not crash your motorcycle and keep in mind the importance of the biker slang “stay vertical.”
Wrench
Men and women use wrenches to fix some of their appliances, use it to tighten nuts and bolts, and are required for most household fixes and repairs that are necessary to keep your appliances in working order. Wrenches come in many different shapes and sizes for what you need, and can help to twist the head of a bolt, a nut, or a pipe.
In biker slang, the wrench is the guy who keeps your bike running. In other words, the wrench is the mechanic who keeps your bike in tip top shape. The top common motorcycle repairs that you might need a wrench for includes a dead battery. Motorcycle batteries die quickly if the bike is not used for at least 5 hours a week. Make sure you keep plenty of batteries with your accessories and ride often.
In addition, there can be clutch issues that the biker slang “wrench” has to fix. The rider’s clutch is prone to various issues, like breaks or bends if you damage your motorcycle on accident. The lever can become useless over time if the clutch gets worn or broken over time, with the possibility of it also burning out if it is frequently used.
Furthermore, the wrench can fix the worn tires. Worn and flat tires can be caused by various reasons, like punctures or small debris in the road, and can lead to bike breakdowns, so make sure the wrench inspects the treads and adds any necessary air.
Other common problems that the biker slang “wrench” can fix for you are electrical problems, like computerized elements that fail over time and can cause potential injuries, or contaminated fuel. Fuel that has been left in your tank for too long can become contaminated and clog the system, so the wrench will have to introduce a fuel stabilizer to resolve this issue.