Why Are Motorcycles Called 'Hogs' & How Did Harley-Davidson Play A Part In The Slang?

At some point in your life, you've probably heard or seen the term "hog" used to refer to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. (While technically this term can be used to refer to any brand of bike, it's most commonly used for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.)

Shorthand names for pigs being used to describe something like a Harley-Davidson does seem rather strange. Like many pieces of slang, it seems like there's nothing really connecting the two to each other: One is a farm animal and the other is a two-wheeled motor vehicle. However, when you dig into the history of Harley-Davidson, you'll find that the connection between Harleys and the word "hog" can be traced back to Harley-Davidson's entry into the 1914 Dodge City 300 race. The story behind this slang all begins with a little piglet named Johnny that became a sort of symbol of success for the Harley-Davidson racing brand way back in the early 20th century.

This event served as the debut for the Harley-Davidson "Wrecking Crew" racing team, although victory went to the rival Indian Motorcycle team. Nevertheless, in subsequent years, the Wrecking Crew quickly started winning, right up until the United States' involvement in World War I. (After the U.S. got involved, motorcycle production was repurposed for the sake of military aid.)

The Wrecking Crew wasn't able to get back into racing until the 1920s. They came back with a vengeance, though, and started dominating the sport. Around this time, one of the members, Ray Weishaar, adopted a piglet named Johnny and brought him to the track. Johnny joined in on the team's victory laps (riding on top of the gas tank), and of course ended up becoming the mascot for The Wrecking Crew in short order.

The piglet was a hit with fans and journalists, the latter of which started referring to the team as the "Harley Hogs." In addition to the nickname, several connections were made between Johnny being a pig and the Harley-Davidson team "hogging" so many victories. Eventually, this was adopted and shortened. Soon, the team became known as simply, the "hogs." Even Harley-Davidson itself embraced the terminology, taking on the acronym "Harley Owners Group" (HOG) in the early 1980s.