What Is a Rat Bike?
What is a Rat Bike?
A Rat Bike is a motorcycle that's showing its age and is being maintained in the most economical way possible.
Rat Bikes have had a recent surge in popularity but the concept is as old a motorcycles themselves.
Image Rat Bike by Ville.fi, on Flickr.
The life of a car is pretty set by the time it leaves the factory:
The life of a motorcycle is less determinate:
Some owners truly come to love their bike and wouldn't trade it for any other. When their bike breaks down, they fix it. When the cost of repairs gets too high, they get creative:
Of course, there's always room for an 8-ball or some brass knuckles.
Sounds like the start of a great Rat Bike!
A Rat Bike is a motorcycle that's showing its age and is being maintained in the most economical way possible.
Rat Bikes have had a recent surge in popularity but the concept is as old a motorcycles themselves.
Image Rat Bike by Ville.fi, on Flickr.
The life of a car is pretty set by the time it leaves the factory:
- The original purchaser drives the car more-or-less every day until they no longer want to own it.
- He then sells the car and it goes through a series of owners until it's finally deteriorated enough to be scrapped.
The life of a motorcycle is less determinate:
- The original purchaser may not ride the motorcycle every day; in fact, the motorcycle may be ridden only a couple of times a year. During this time of little use, the motorcycle may be polished and maintained to an excessive degree and may still look brand new for many years. The motorcycle may even be upgraded to better than new condition. Some may enjoy having a nice, shiny, scratch free motorcycle sitting in their garage but to a "rider," this is just unthinkable.
- Or, the original owner may actually ride his motorcycle. With riding comes faded paint, pitted chrome, scratched fairings, dirt, grime etcetera. As the motorcycle begins to show its age, some will trade it for a bike that's bigger, better, faster, newer - reasoning that maintenance isn't fun; riding is.
Some owners truly come to love their bike and wouldn't trade it for any other. When their bike breaks down, they fix it. When the cost of repairs gets too high, they get creative:
- Need to reupholster your seat? Use an old Indian blanket or maybe a piece of leather cut from an old jacket.
- Need a new exhaust pipe? Wrap the old one in Exhaust Wrap.
- Need a new headlight? Find one at the junk yard; any make will due - Harley, Honda, Ford, maybe even John Deere.
- Need wires, tubing, fittings? They're cheaper at the hardware store than at the Harley Davidson dealership.
- Need a new paint job? Rattle-can black never needs polishing.
Of course, there's always room for an 8-ball or some brass knuckles.
Sounds like the start of a great Rat Bike!
Contents at a Glance
This is NOT a Rat Bike!
Don't let the flat black paint fool you - this is a $50,000 Exile Cycles custom made by Russell Mitchell. Way cool... but definitely not a Rat.
Look carefully - that's paint, not rust. Sick... but not a Rat.
Now These are Some Rat Bike Motorcycles
Rat Bike Parts
to get your project started.
What Do You Think About RatBikes?
-
-
Pixelhound
Mar 20, 2012 @ 8:10 pm | delete
- Cool lens!
-
-
-
naheedahsan
Feb 20, 2012 @ 2:44 pm | delete
- simply great, Thanks for sharing!
-
-
-
Loveyourshoes
Feb 18, 2012 @ 6:11 pm | delete
- Had a few rat bikes and a few streetfighters too, recently fron ended my Honda CB600 Hornet too so that will be getting put back together into something different, thanks for the read
-
-
-
RenaissanceWoman2010
Jan 25, 2012 @ 9:12 am | delete
- I would love a Rat Bike. It shows that life is being lived and that creativity has no limits. Nothing like a little ingenuity. I think we tend to get rid of things way before they show their true nature and worth.
-
-
-
jeremykim2011
Jan 25, 2012 @ 8:05 am | delete
- Now I know what a rat bike is. Thank you so much for sharing!
-
- Load More
These Aren't Rat Bikes... They're Just Ratty
Rat Bikes for Sale
Rat Bike Tweets
-
- BruinsPunkPabst
- @xvivahatex I want to buy a cheap one and rat rod it out. My landlord makes his living selling motorcycle parts and fixing up bikes.
-
- Fudgy1
- Dear douche bag rat tail motorcycle driver, you may not value your life but I value my car, open your eyes! Thanks
-
- _KICBEACHES_HCO
- Marlo put the RAT in Ratchet lol coming to a wedding on a motorcycle
-
- PrincessRiss8
- There is a guy in my motorcycle class with a rat tail #stylin #so90's
-
- mepbx3
- rat on a motorcycle. #lololol @kate12396 http://t.co/L0X9QEA2
automatically generated by Twitter
Rat Bike T-Shirts
ToTheBrimm
Helmet Stickers
ultimate Rat Bike accessory
by ToTheBrimm
It take miles and love to make a true Rat Bike.
- 122 featured lenses
- Winner of 26 trophies!
- Top lens » Biker Slang | Motorcycle Lingo
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Exhaust Wrap Exhaust Wrap
- Rat Rod Art Rat Rod Art
- Russell Mitchell's Choppers and Motorcycles Russell Mitchell's Choppers and Motorcycles
- Indian Larry Choppers Motorcycles and Choppers Indian Larry Choppers Motorcycles and Choppers
- Billy Lane Choppers and Motorcycles Billy Lane Choppers and Motorcycles
- Biker Slang | Motorcycle Lingo Biker Slang | Motorcycle Lingo
Rat Rod/Bike Pinstripe
Pinstriping Masters Techniques,Tricks,and Special F/X for Laying Down the Line
Amazon Price: $19.61 (as of 05/27/2012)
Harley Davidson Zippo Lighter
Panhead, Knuckle, Flathead, Shovelhead
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Knucklehead Custom Zippo Lighter
Amazon Price: $27.95 (as of 05/27/2012)
Rat Fink
