Green’s Dictionary of Slang

fast riding of a motorcycle (or car), esp. used by outlaw bike riders, Rockers etc.

1959		Dly Herald (London) 15 July 3/3: A man in another car suggested they should have a ‘burn-up.’ Shortly afterwards the three people were knocked down.
1963		N. Dunn Up the Junction 92: ‘Fancy a burn-up, Dave?’ They warmed the bikes up in the drive-in.
1965		W. Dick Bunch of Ratbags 136: We came up by car for a burn.
1971		J. Mandelkau Buttons 30: We used to do a round of all the cafes in town every night, with burn-ups to the North Circular.
1983		K. Hudson Dict. of Teenage Revolution 32: Burn up. A stretch of very fast driving or riding.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 23/2: burn drive a vehicle fast, phr. go for a burn, originally a bikie’s burnup; a burn off to drive so fast you leave the competition behind.
1998		R.G. Barrett Mud Crab Boogie (2013) [ebook] The Mustang roared into life and fishtailed away from the garage in a scream of smoking rubber. ‘Wow! What a burn off,’ said Rinh.
1999		Guardian G2 19 Oct. 3: A 140mph burn in a Mercedes.
2000		Observer Screen 9 Jan. 11: Racing: Classic comedy burn-ups.
2001		Source Aug. 154: Whether you’re an old-school biker or a new-jack rider, we’ve got bikes that’ll get the most burn this summer.
2015		N. Cummins Tales of the Honey Badger [ebook] [photo caption] I took these kids for a burn and we all came back covered in mud.