A big group ride, often organized around a location with camping/hotels and loops to local scenic rides. Rallies can be you and ten buddies on an annual ride, or an event like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with thousands of riders. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but try attending at least one — or plan your own with friends. It’s a great way to be among others who love to ride as much as you hopefully do.

A ride with a set route and certain stops where each rider picks up an additional playing card. The best hand at the end wins money/swag/beer or some combination thereof.

Riding as a passenger (not the rider) on a motorcycle. Usually reserved to mock a rider who needed to be a passenger on another rider’s Bike for some reason (breakdown, lazy, etc.).

This is another name for the passenger seat on a motorcycle. Also, it’s another name for a passenger. Sometimes referred to as a “bitch pad”, especially if the seat is scant on comfort.

On older motorcycles with carburetors, there’s a little toggle or valve that turns the flow of gas on and off. That’s the Petcock. Remember to turn it on when you start your Bike or it will stall at the most inopportune time and in front of as many other riders as possible.

Short for footpegs.

A traditional leather or soft-sided bags hanging across or on either side of the seat. Not to be confused with panniers, which are hard-sided.

A fancy French term for saddlebags or luggage that is located on either side of the passenger seat. With the rise of ADV riding, panniers now refer more to hard-sided cases while traditional leather or soft-sided bags are still called saddlebags.

Millions of people ride motorcycles and most are ordinary folks you deal with every day. Then there are the outlaw bikers most people like to steer clear of. Naturally, the Hollywood movie industry loves making movies and TV shows about them ad nauseam (Born Loser, The Wild One, Sons of Anarchy, etc.). Riders refer to them as “one-percenters” because they actually make up only a tiny fraction of the actual riding population. In general, riders/bikers who many people would consider one-percenters often refer to themselves as such, so to them, it’s not an insult.

There term requires two definitions:

1. A British term for someone who rides a scooter, usually as part of a club. A sharp sense of style and a sweet customized Vespa or Lambretta scooter are required. mods often fought with their motorcycle-riding enemies, the Rockers.
2. A customization or Modification to your Bike.