Old Motorcycling Expressions . Time For A Revival?

Howard's use of the term "live wire" reminded me of all the cool old expressions Harley liked to use in their adverts and the Brits had a penchant for this as well. A bike was called a "bus" , the throttle was a "tap" , sidecar a "hack" or a "chair": etc. etc.

[LouieMCman]

Our old HD dealer in town used to call the bikes "Motors", I think alot of the riders back in the day did also.

[micmac]

Daddy called em "Graveyard Ponies" .

[Rubone]

Louie,
Motors was a term used by many police departments to identify the unit. Lots of old time dealers that i spoke to long ago called them that as well. I have some old road maps touting "Motor Patrolled " roads. And the original New Mexico State Police were the NMMP or New Mexico Motor Patrol. Check out the tank decal.
Robbie

[Robert Luland]

Daddy called em "Graveyard Ponies" .

Pete, That’s down right cruel!

[Chris Haynes]

I remember old time H-D riders talking about Big Motors and Small Motors when discussing the 74" and 45" engines.

[Blupacer]

Our old HD dealer in town used to call the bikes "Motors", I think alot of the riders back in the day did also.

We called them Motors in Fort Worth, started hanging out at Shop in 1960 and bought my first new Harley in 1962. Was that " back in the day " and am I getting OLD .

Steve

[HarleyCreation]

Let's mote!

Speaking of motor, one early use of that word was as a verb back about 1901-1906. That was "to mote." IOW, to drive or ride somewhere. Otherwise you gotta say "let's motor there." But "let's mote there" sounds more cool.

Another term used around Milwaukee in the teens was "chug-bike" for motorcycle. That was when twins were coming on strong. I imagine it was due to the sound they made.

[Barry Brown]

Indian beat Harley to the punch with their 1907-8 twin cylinder which was called a "double" not a "twin"

[bobbyt]

C. K. Shepherd, in his journal of this trip across America in 1919 on
a Henderson has several references to bikes as "birds". I had heard
this term ever used. Anyone know anything about it?

------------------ Bob Turek
#769

[bmh]

Some of my favorite phrases come from Uncle Frank. He used the term Birds to describe motorcycle pilots. In the introduction for the 36 OHV's he made mention of the way some of us birds spank the saddle on these modern super wide freeways, the new OHV with recirculating oil system was just the thing we needed. I looked briefly but I can't find the exact quote right now, but that' real close. Of course he also advised we cut our youngsters teeth on piston rings and have them do their exercises on the handlebars.

[HarleyCreation]

Some of my favorite phrases come from Uncle Frank. He used the term Birds to describe motorcycle pilots. In the introduction for the 36 OHV's he made mention of the way some of us birds spank the saddle on these modern super wide freeways, the new OHV with recirculating oil system was just the thing we needed. I looked briefly but I can't find the exact quote right now, but that' real close. Of course he also advised we cut our youngsters teeth on piston rings and have them do their exercises on the handlebars.

Uncle Frank (Hap Jameson) had lots of quaint sayings and those are some of his best. He also called motorcycles "boats" and 5x16 tires "comfort producers" or "donuts." Hap went way back to 1909 so he grew up with the motorcycle.

Another early term used frequently in the early days but now vanished was: "the Honorable J. Pluvius" (Jupiter Pluvius) meaning the bringer of rain, the nemesis of every motorcyclist then and now.

[Coolbreeze]

Uncle Frank (Hap Jameson) had lots of quaint sayings and those are some of his best. He also called motorcycles "boats" ....

I still catch myself referring to a sidecar as a "boat." When you look at the '40s Indian sidecar, you can see why. All it needs is a propeller and rudder to make the car part of the sidehack seaworthy.

[Barry Brown]

English sidecars styled on a nautical theme were in vogue in the early thirties so "boat" is even more meaningfull to some.
Rollie Free said he used to "agitate" on his potent Scout which meant to show off presumably by gunning the throttle etc. in front of the Harley riff- raff to entice them into a race.

[HarleyCreation]

One of my favorites that I still use is "freak."

It is a very early term from when the diamond-frame pedal bicycle platform was the norm (think early Indian). Anything that deviated too far from the bicycle ideal was labeled a "freak." The name stuck at least into the teens altho the meaning had by then changed.

I say "freak"every time I open a motorcycle magazine and look at the new modern-style bikes. Many of them look like something out of a Godzilla movie. The old bikes had class. They looked nice. Simple clean lines.