Dirt Bike Terminology

Barrels:  Most forms of off-road racing involving more than one lap have scoring barrels you pass through upon completion of each lap.

Berm:  A banked corner that helps riders turn faster. (Snuts May 9, 2001)

Biff: An equipment damaging contact with minimal results, and little or no physical injury. Comments: Can be accomplished without a machine. (George Walker 10/01)

Big Air:  Putting lots of air between yourself and the ground while jumping.  (abercrombiedog16@aol.com 4-16-00)

Bottoming Out:  When you jump or get air and you land on your front wheel and this usually makes your shocks go all the way down.  If it happens you will know.  (Joe 2/29/00)

Checkpoint:  One or more points in a race course where it is verified that the rider has passed through that point.  Reduces cheating (in theory).

Class:  Grouping of similar riders.  Can be based on age, bike size, gender, skill, or some combination thereof.

DNF:  Did not finish.

Double:  Two jumps close enough together that an experienced rider can clear both in one jump.

Eat (ate) it: When you fall down and get dirt(ect) in your face. "Woah. i almost ate it on that jump" (Cass McKay 10/03)

Endo or End-o:  It's a funny way to get off the bike, unless performed by someone you know and like.  The bike goes "end over end" and the rider takes a trip over the handlebars.    It's a funny way to get off the bike, unless performed by someone you know and like.  The bike goes "end over end" and the rider takes a trip over the handlebars.  (Motomage 12/15/99)

Fat Air: Fat air means when u hit a jump at high speed and get alot of hight (did u see that fat air she just got) (Bryan bman 10/01)

Flying W: Hands on the handlebars, feet in the air, knees bent so that the body resembles a "W". Some do it on purpose, others, well, you're not always in control out there. (WBrace6523@aol.com).

Four-Stroke:  See "How Stuff Works" for the difference between a two-stroke and four-stroke engine.

Getting air:  Both wheels off the ground.

Greasing:  Slang term used to tease freinds when they crash while landing or turning in a hair pin. ex- "dude u totaly greased that landiing, dude that grease in the hair pin was painful." (Gather Step 01-22-00)

High-side:  Falling off the painful side of the bike.  Also defined as being in front of the bike and possibly having it land on you. (Motomage 12/15/99)

Low down:  While in the air laying flat against the bike and then releasing your hands from the handlebars.  (MaD BiLl) 5/24/00)

Monkey Butt:  That rear-end feeling you get after you have ridden miles of trails.  (Jan 2/29/00)

Nac-Nac:  A trick performed while airborne in which the legs are positioned and extended out on the same side of the bike. (submitted by Dez, answer from NacNac.com)

Obstacle:  Large or difficult hill, off-camber turn, extremely sharp turn, jump, rocks, whoops, rolling terrain/rises, brush, creek crossings, etc.

On the step, good clip:  Going really fast.  i.e. "that guy hit that tree at a good clip" or "got beat by 110 he was on the step!"  (XR 01-03-00)

ORV/OHV:  Off-Road or Off-Highway vehicle.

OTB:  Over the bars. (Dave W. 12/14/99)

Panic Rev:  Usually associated with revved up two-strokes. Throttle twisted WFO and tackling or charging whatever obstacle is in your way, be it from mother nature or a fellow racer.  Also used to intimidate slower racers.  (Guy Cooper 5/9/00)

Pit stop:  An optional break during a race when a rider stops for gas, goggles, repairs, water, rest, sympathy, etc.

Power Band: When you pull the clutch and it gives the bike alot of power! (Matt 7/02)

Power Shift: the act of shifting without using the clutch. You can shift faster by doing this, but really mess up your clutch (captain69pimp 7/03)

Puking:  What Dave does in front of Bonnie and Cindy during every race.  (Submitted by Dave Adams with minor editing by me).

Putting someone in the weeds:  a non-contact action; Generally used either while passing another rider or preventing someone from passing you; A rider is forced to take such a lousy line that they exit the track. To do that cleanly, the put-er just has to get to the good line before the put-ee, and make sure that the put-ee can't get it back.  (Will Pattison)

Quick-fill:  A specialized gas container used to quickly fill a gas tank during a pit stop.

Ragdoll: When someone crashes really bad (usually at a fast rate of speed) and the way thier bodies and limbs just flip-flop,and bounce through the air over and over just as if they were a rag doll. (Misha 8/03)

Regrip:  Instead of turning the throttle and ending up with your wrist bent, reach down first and then pull the throttle back so that your hand and wrist are in their original position yet the power is increased.

Roost:  1: That really cool wave of dirt, mud, rocks, sand, or any combination that you spit out behind you, often intentionally aimed at whoever's behind you.  2: That really crappy, painful, annoying, dangerous, frustrating wave of dirt, rocks, sand and mud that someone in front of you nails you with, often intentionally.
"Roost unto others as ye would have them roost unto you!" (Rogue22)

Sandbagging:  Racing below your ability to avoid being advanced to a more competitive class.

Soil Sample: getting a face full of dirt

Spode:  A carefree person who exhibits one or more of the following traits:

• clumsy/accident-prone

• lazy about even the most basic maintenance

• inexperienced/slow

Spooge:  The black, gross gunk that dribbles out of the end of your silencer because the bike is running too rich, the silencer needs to be repacked, or it's just a trait of your particular bike that never completely goes away. (L.J. Boyer 6/13/00)

Squid:  A rider, usually a novice, who has trouble controlling their bike.  Their erratic and unpredictable lines make them difficult and dangerous to pass.  (Team Cully 3/24/00)

Squirrelly:  When you lose control of the bike for a second and the bike is sliding around on you.  (Guy 6/2/00)

Stoppie: also know as indo, when a rider uses his front brake to raise the rear wheel off the ground.(usually requires you to lean foward). Comments: When you bottom out you don't have to land on the front wheel at all. A good exaple of this would be to take an XR100 on a MX track. When you go off any good sized jump even if you do hit the landing correctly you will still hear both shock go all the way down make a thwack sound. The same happens when you case a triple with any bike. Happy riding! (Steve 12/03)

Straightaway:  A section of track where you can shift into high gears with less severe changes of direction and varieties of obstacles (easy and difficult).

Styling:  Adding your own riding style - any show-off maneuver done on a motorbike. Did you see gal lay the bike over sideways on that jump? She was really styling! (Ross L. 3/16/00)

Technical:  A section of track with difficult obstacles that have to be taken at low speed.

Tight: Something that is done with style and is realyy cool. Like that new track is tight. (Brandon 4/02)

Tight Track:  A need for low gears, lots of close-together 90-degree-plus turns through tree sections.

Top End:
1) Top part of the motor - the piston and ring housed by the cylinder.
2) Replacing the piston and ring.  Done frequently on racing bikes.

Two Stroke:  There's no way I could explain this as good as "How Stuff Works" does.

Whoop-de-dos:  A series of bumps of varying height and spacing.

WFO:  Wide F... Open (Dave W.).

The Rest of My Dirt Bike Pages

Cindy's History and Race Results
Photo Gallery 
Interview with the Girls
Women and Dirt Bikes
Links
Dirt Bike Terminology
Excuses Not to Ride
Help for Beginners
Riding Tips