Motocross Terminology and Glossary

Educational Resources > Motocross Terminology and Glossary


Every Motocross Term and Phrase You'll Need to Know

Motocross is a high-adrenaline sport that combines speed, skill, and grit on off-road motorcycles on rugged dirt tracks filled with jumps, sharp turns, and unpredictable terrain. Riders compete in a variety of formats, ranging from tightly packed stadium races to wide-open natural courses, but in every event, balance, control, and quick decision-making are just as important as raw power. Understanding the unique language of the motocross world can help you to gain a deeper appreciation for the sport and better follow the action.

Dirt biker in neon yellow gear riding a dirt bike on a dirt course kicking up mud behind his tires.

24-Hour Race: A full-day motocross race, often completed by a team of riders taking turns throughout the 24 hours

50/50: A rough landing where the front wheel hits the top of the landing and the rear hits the front edge, causing the bike to slam down hard

Aftermarket Parts: Non-OEM parts made by third-party manufacturers, used to customize or improve the performance of a bike

Air Spring: A suspension system that relies on compressed air to absorb impacts instead of using metal coils

Airtime: The amount of time a rider stays in the air after taking off from a jump

AMA: American Motorcyclist Association, which regulates and sanctions motocross events across the United States

Amateurs: Riders who are not professionals

Arm Pump: A condition where tight forearm muscles from gripping the handlebars reduce blood flow and limit control

Attack Position: A balanced, forward-leaning riding posture with bent knees and elbows for maximum stability and reaction time

Baby Head Rocks: Small, loose, round rocks that create unstable and difficult terrain for riders

Back-Marker: A rider running at the rear of the race, typically being lapped by faster competitors

Backside: The sloped part of a jump meant for landing; landing cleanly on the backside helps preserve speed

Back Slapper: When the seat kicks up and hits the rider's rear, usually due to a poorly controlled jump

Bailed: Jumped off the bike mid-air or during a crash to avoid serious injury

Bar-Hop: A freestyle trick where the rider kicks their legs over the handlebars while keeping hands on the grips

Barkbusters: Guards mounted on the handlebars to protect a rider's hands from brush and impact

Berm: A curved, banked turn built from packed dirt that helps riders maintain speed through corners

Bladder: A soft water container in a rider's hydration pack, drinkable via a connected tube

Bling: Fancy or shiny bike parts added more for appearance than function

Blitz: To charge aggressively through a whoop section by skimming across the tops without dropping into the gaps

Block Pass: A strategic move in corners where a rider cuts inside another, forcing them to slow down or adjust their line

Blown Out: When a corner or berm has been heavily worn or eroded from repeated use, losing its original shape

Blue Groove: A hard, polished line of clay on a track that has become slick and almost shiny from constant use

BMX: Bicycle motocross, a style of bike racing on dirt tracks with jumps and berms that uses 20-inch-wheeled bikes

Bolt-On Grips: Handlebar grips secured with clamps or bolts instead of glue or friction

Booter: A steep jump designed to launch a rider high or far into the air

Bottom Out: When the suspension fully compresses on impact, often accompanied by a harsh metallic sound

Braaap: A slang term mimicking the sound of a two-stroke engine, often used to express enthusiasm for riding fast

Brain Bucket: Slang for a helmet

Brake Check: When a leading rider taps the brakes to disrupt the momentum of a rider behind them

Brake Dive: The forward dipping motion of a bike's front end when braking hard

Brake Slide: Sliding the rear tire by locking the brake while entering a turn

Braking Bumps: Small ridges or bumps near corners, formed by repeated hard braking in the same spot

Came Up Short: Failed to clear a jump and landed on the front edge of the landing zone

Can Can: A freestyle trick where the rider kicks one leg over the fuel tank and then returns it before landing

Carve: Turning aggressively through a corner while holding grip and speed

Case: To land with the front wheel on the jump's backside and the rear wheel on the front of the landing, bottoming out

CC: Cubic centimeters, the unit of measurement for the engine displacement or size of the motor

Chunder: Loose, rough, broken-up terrain that is hard to ride through smoothly

Clapped Out: A bike that's old, poorly maintained, and generally past its prime

Class: A grouping of racers based on age, experience, or bike size

Clean: Completing a section of the track smoothly and without error

Clicker: A trick where the bike is turned flat in the air, often for style during a jump

Cockpit: The area where the rider sits and controls the bike, between the bars and seat

Coil Spring: A suspension component made of metal that compresses to absorb impact

Compression Damping: Controls how fast the suspension compresses under force, affecting how the bike handles bumps and landings

Concrete Start: A starting pad made of concrete rather than dirt, changing traction at the launch

Corrugations: Washboard-like ridges in dirt roads or trails caused by repeated use or heavy vehicles

Countersteering: Turning slightly opposite of your intended direction to initiate a lean into the turn

Crossrut: When the front and rear wheels follow different ruts, often causing instability

Cruiser: A rider who tends to sit too much and doesn't engage actively with the terrain

Damper: A suspension component that controls how fast oil moves inside the fork or shock, regulating movement

Dialed In: A bike that's perfectly set up for the rider and track conditions

Ditch Humper: A beat-up or budget dirt bike used for casual trail or ditch riding

DNF: Did not finish the event

DNS: Did not start the event

Double Jump: Two jumps placed so the rider launches from the first and clears the gap to the second

Doubletrack: Two parallel trails, often wide enough for vehicles like ATVs

Downshift: Changing to a lower gear to increase power and control

Dragon Back: A jump section with multiple small hills resembling the spine of a dragon

Drift: Sliding the bike sideways through a turn when traction is broken

Dropping In: Entering a steep downhill, jump, or drop with commitment

DSQ: Disqualified

Eat It: Slang for crashing, usually in a dramatic or painful way

Endo: A crash where the rider flips forward over the handlebars

Enduro: A form of off-road racing focused on long-distance endurance and rugged terrain

Face: The front side of a jump that a rider launches from

Face Plant: Landing face-first in a crash

FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the global governing body for motorcycle racing

Finesse: Riding smoothly and with control, allowing the bike to work effectively with the terrain

Flat Landed: Landing a jump on flat ground instead of the sloped landing, resulting in a hard impact

Flow: Maintaining smooth, uninterrupted movement through a course

Freestyle: A judged competition where riders perform tricks in the air for style points

Frontside: The surface of a jump that faces the rider as they approach

Gap: The horizontal distance between two jumps that a rider must clear

Goon Riding: Riding in a deliberately awkward or exaggerated way for fun or humor

Gnar: Short for "gnarly," referring to extremely difficult or rough terrain

Graphics: Stickers and decals on the bike's plastic components for branding or style

Grind: Working hard over time, either in training or during a long ride

G-Out: When the bike's suspension compresses fully due to a quick change in terrain and g-forces

Hardpack: A track surface made of compacted dirt or clay, often slick and fast

High Side: A crash that occurs when the rear wheel regains traction abruptly, throwing the rider over the bike

Hip Jump: A jump where the landing is set at an angle to the takeoff, requiring a turn in midair

Holeshot: Reaching the first corner of the race ahead of all other riders after the start gate drops

Hoon Rider: An irresponsible rider who rides illegally or dangerously in public areas

Huck-a-Buck: When the rear of the bike bounces uncontrollably, often in whoops, making it feel like a rodeo ride

In the Weeds: Going off the track and into rough or grassy terrain

Involuntary Dismount: A humorous way of describing a crash where the rider is thrown from the bike

Kicker: A jump designed to launch the rider sharply into the air, often more vertical than long

Kickout: Swinging the rear of the bike sideways, often for style or control

Knobbly: Refers to the thick-treaded tires used for off-road traction

Lap: One full circuit around the motocross track

Lapper: A slower rider who has been overtaken by the race leaders

LCQ: Last chance qualifier, a final opportunity for unqualified riders to advance to the main event

Le Mans Start: A race start where riders run to their bikes before taking off

Lid: A slang term for helmet

Line: The path a rider chooses to take through a section of the track

Lip: The edge or tip of a jump's takeoff area

Loam: Soft, aerated dirt, ideal for riding due to its grip and cushion

Loopout: An out-of-control wheelie where the bike flips backward and throws the rider off

Loose Over Hardpack: Dust or sand covering a hard surface, creating very slippery riding conditions

Meerkat: A rider who rides standing up too tall and stiffly, like a meerkat on lookout

Monkey Butt: Irritation or rash on a rider's backside after long periods of rough riding

Moto: A single race in a motocross event, or slang for a motocross bike

Mud Diving: Falling face-first into mud, often from sudden stops or slips

MX: Short for motocross

MXGP: The premier motocross championship series run internationally

Nac Nac: A freestyle trick where both legs swing to one side of the bike mid-jump

Nose Heavy: When the front of the bike dips too far during a jump, risking a crash

OEM: Original equipment manufacturer, the company that made a bike and its original parts

On the Pipe: When a two-stroke engine is running at optimal RPM for power output

Off: A fall or crash, often used casually

Off-Camber: A turn or slope that leans away from the direction of the curve, reducing traction

Open Face Helmet: A helmet that doesn't have a chin guard, exposing the rider's face

OTB: Over the bars, when the rider is thrown forward off the bike

Overcook: Entering a turn or jump too fast, usually resulting in an error or crash

Packing: Slang for crashing hard

Panic Rev: Revving the throttle in midair to bring the front wheel up before landing

Peewee: A small dirt bike, typically 50cc, often used for young beginners

Pile Up: A multi-rider crash where bikes and riders end up on top of each other

Pinned: Riding with the throttle fully open

Pit Board: A sign held by pit crew showing lap times or instructions to a rider mid-race

Pits: The area where teams park and prepare bikes and gear during a race

Plastics: The plastic body parts of a bike, including fenders and side panels

Plastic Princess: A rider who refuses to get dirt or scratches on their bike or gear

Power: The engine's ability to accelerate and generate speed

Power Shift: Changing gears without using the clutch, usually to shift faster

Power Slide: Sliding the rear wheel during acceleration, often for cornering control

Practice: Time allocated for riders to familiarize themselves with the track before a race

Pre-Jump: Leaving a jump early, before the top, to reduce height and gain time

Preload: Setting up the suspension with a preset amount of compression before riding

Prerace Routine: A set of physical and mental preparations a rider does before the race begins

Program: The schedule of events or races during a motocross day

PSI: Pounds per square inch, used to measure tire pressure

Quad: A jump made up of four peaks, usually more difficult and longer than a triple

Rag Doll: A crash where the rider gets thrown and tumbled like a lifeless doll

Rail: To ride through a corner smoothly and aggressively, maintaining traction and flow

Rebound: The rate at which suspension returns to its normal position after compressing

Rear Wheel Drift: Letting the back wheel slide sideways while maintaining forward control

Rhythm Section: A sequence of jumps that requires timing and technique to get through efficiently

Riders Meeting: A mandatory pre-race gathering where riders receive important info and updates

Riding Gear: The protective clothing and equipment worn by motocross riders

Rip: To ride fast and with confidence

Ritchie Rich: A rider with all the newest and most expensive gear, often replaced frequently

Rodeo: Riding through rocky or unpredictable terrain where the bike bucks around like a bull

Roller: A rounded mound that can be jumped or rolled over

Roll Offs: A system on goggles where film can be advanced for a fresh view in muddy conditions

Roost: Dirt and debris sprayed up by a spinning rear tire, often hitting nearby riders

RPM: Revolutions per minute, the number of times the engine's crankshaft spins each minute

Sandbagger: A rider who competes in a lower skill class to gain an advantage unfairly

Sand pit: A sandy section of a track that reduces traction and demands different technique

Sag: The amount the suspension compresses under the rider's weight

Schrader Valve: The standard valve stem used on most motocross tires for air inflation

Scramble: A type of off-road motorcycle race across varied terrain, often less structured than MX

Scrub: A technique used to stay low while jumping to reduce airtime and increase speed

Seat Bounce: Jumping technique that involves sitting to compress the suspension and launch off a jump

Send It: To attempt something big or risky without hesitation

Shock: The rear suspension component that absorbs impacts

Short Shift: Changing to a higher gear earlier than usual to smooth out power delivery

Shred: To ride fast and skillfully, often with style

Side Grass: Tall grass off the side of trails, often hiding rocks or hazards

Singletrack: A narrow trail that only fits one bike at a time

Six-Pack: A series of three double jumps in a row

Skim: To ride across the tops of whoops quickly without dropping into them

Slip the Clutch: Feather the clutch to manage power delivery smoothly

Soil Sample: Face-planting into the ground and getting a mouthful of dirt

Spode: An unskilled rider who doesn't realize how bad they are

Square Off: Taking a tight inside turn by braking hard and cutting back under another rider

Squid: A rider with poor form, usually a beginner

Squirrely: When the bike feels loose or unstable under you

Stacking: Crashing, especially when more than one rider is involved

Startgate: The metal barrier that drops to begin a motocross race

Step Down: A jump where the landing is lower than the takeoff

Step Up: A jump where the landing is higher than the takeoff

Stoked: Very excited

Stoppie: Lifting the rear wheel by braking hard with the front brake

Stuff, Stuffed: A forceful block pass that makes contact and disrupts another rider

Supermini: A class for advanced youth riders on high-performance minibikes

Suspension: The system of springs and shocks that smooths out the ride and handles bumps

Swap: When the rear end of the bike fishtails side to side uncontrollably

SX: Short for supercross, an indoor motocross racing discipline

Tabletop: A jump with a flat top that can be jumped across or rolled over

Tacky: Describes dirt with perfect moisture, sticky and full of traction

Tearoffs: Thin sheets on goggles that can be removed for a clear view during muddy rides

Technical Briefing: A rider meeting before racing begins to go over safety and track details

Triple: A jump that includes three mounds, often cleared in one leap

Turn it Over: Starting a dirt bike by kicking or cranking the engine

Two-Wheel Drift: When both wheels slide slightly while still under control, usually in a corner

Upshift: Shifting into a higher gear

Washboard: A row of evenly spaced bumps that shake the bike violently

Wash Out: Losing front-wheel traction and sliding out in a turn

Weekend Warrior: Someone who only rides on weekends but rides hard and regularly

WFO: Wide freaking open, holding the throttle completely open

Wheel Tap: Touching a jump or bump with a wheel to reset suspension and keep momentum

Whip: A stylish jump maneuver where the bike is turned sideways midair

Widowmaker: An obstacle on the trail that's dangerously difficult or unpredictable

Whiskey Throttle: When a rider panics and accidentally holds the throttle open, often leading to a crash

Whoops: A series of small, tightly spaced mounds that riders blitz through quickly

Wrenching: Doing mechanical work or repairs on the bike

Wringer: Putting a bike through tough riding conditions to test its performance

Yama-Thumb: A blister on the inside of the thumb caused by Yamaha's stock grips and bars

Yard Sale: A crash that leaves bike parts and gear scattered everywhere.

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