The phrase “revving the engine” is a pretty literal description of what happens when you crank a motorcycle’s throttle— the engine’s RPMs climb, or “rev.” It first showed up in the early twentieth‑century press about racing and then spilled into general motorcycle chatter. As the sport grew, the term became shorthand for “getting the bike going fast” or “making a quick escape.” In contemporary slang it’s still a bit of a throwback, but you’ll hear it more in classic‑bike circles than in everyday talk. In recent years it’s been repurposed a few times: some riders use it to mean “to get the bike revving for a show” or even metaphorically “to start a conversation with a bang.” So it’s stuck in its original spot, but it’s also flexible enough that its meaning can shift with context.