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Remembering Rat Bikes!?
Anybody remember these? a borrowed quote (Ratbikes are the ultimate distilled evolution of motorcycling: No Bullsh*t involved. Just do the minimum to keep them healthy and Ride. Let your bike wear it's visual history with pride. No time consuming cleaning, washing, polishing, adding shiny parts that do nothing. None of that, forget about it! The bikes were built and repaired with what one had on hand. "rat bike" guys were hauling *** on these unfinished affronts held together by only duct tape and balls!) ! In late 70s and early 80s many of us had these, you would use home made parts, or parts from any other bike that would fit if something broke, people with the attitude of the (you cant afford a real bike) would have been killed and eaten by rat bikers or there true Harley gang members cousins who did the same things with thier bikes, just kept them going, no matter what, parts from another bike that would fit. There was ALWAYS respect between the 2 groups and often rode together
Ratbikes were mostly painted flat black, normally no chrome at all, just a couple examples
www.ratbike.org
Point I am trying to make, if you were around in the 70s, people didn’t have the money they do nowadays, especially young people, you did want you had to to RIDE, you try to make as comfortable as you can, but a mix and match of bikes were common, it was about riding,and only riding, not fashion. ................ a couple of the pictures did justice, but not allot really,I guess you had to been there, but mostly painted flat black, stipped down, if foot pegs broke, you made your own or took them off a junker, throwing another brand seat was common, somehow get to work, busted out a light, front or back, switch them out with any other from some other bike that works, did not look as bad as some of those pics of rat bikes todays, but it was all about being able to ride, I think the Harley riders of then would freak at todays fashion statements of SOME today....................................................
I imagine the seats were stolen from the wanna bees prisses (only kidding)
sn00p: my god, I totally agree with you for once, I was talking to a sportster 1200 owner, while I was on my vtx 1300, we were talking about it being a perfect day to ride, he told me he bought his bike to ride, not to clean (bike was a little rusty) (he had no Harley gear on, just jeans and a leather, real decent older guy who liked to ride! A good rider!
I now drive a 07 VTX 1300R, yes it is very shiny, but I bought it to ride, I am just trying to say, when I grew up, you got your bike to ride so I dont understand the I am a real biker attitude of someone with a bike they bought for show. People who bought there bike to ride show brotherhood with anyone else who rides. I know to some of you that will never make sense and you will never get it
9 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
I think the point he is trying to make, is the ones saying "hey I have a new shiny bike or you cant afford a Harley" and telling the other people they are not real bikers or don't have real bikes because they don't have a new shiny bike or Harley just don't understand what riding is. and yes, where I grew up, if someone bragged like you cant afford a bike like mine, he would get beat up allot and his bike probably stolen and parted out for rat bikes
- LisaLv 45 years ago
Maybe there is something significant about the difference between riding a bike and remembering a piece of information. Learning to ride a bike is about understanding the laws of physics and understanding our bodies. If you didn't ride a bike for 50 years and then gave it a go, you would probably be a bit wobbly to begin with but you would know in PRINCIPLE what you were supposed to do. It seems like riding a bike is not something we remember but something we learn from having access to other bits of information. Recalling a fact is very different to this.
- 1 decade ago
Just looking at that diamond plate seat makes my butt sore. I've never gone as far as those two, but if the engines on a few of mine would have lasted long enough they probably would have looked similar. It almost becomes a pride thing to see how long you can keep the bike going with a minimal amount of money spent. When the nearest bike shop is 50miles away, you learn to make a lot of parts from the local hardware store or salvage yard "fit".
- Anonymous1 decade ago
My 1985 Yamaha Virago 700 is a ratbike. It's rusted and oily, it's been knocked around, and parts have been stolen off it. Electrical tape holds the turn signals on (the cops stopped me when I just left them dangling from their wires). The seat is unupholstered. It runs though.
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- Anonymous1 decade ago
it's funny, i get comments about my sporty alot because i don't clean it.... i ride it in the sun, rain, snow, or mud.... bikes are for riding, not polishing.... i clean it about twice a year
though my new bike i think i'll be fussy with.... i won't keep it long anyways so i may as well keep it sparkling.... and a springer front end might get squeaky if i leave it dirty
- Firecracker .Lv 71 decade ago
Mine doesn't look like that...................................
yet.
And I took the Honda parts off.
Edit: Not disagreeing with you. This is the first I've had since new, it will wind up looking a lot like my others did. Heck, people were asking "what year is that?" in '06. It's an '06.
Source(s): Live Free Or Die. Ride yours, I got mine. - Anonymous1 decade ago
Hey man, if someone wants to ride a sh1tty looking bike...more power to them. My issue is when people riding crappy old bikes think they are somehow superior to those that can actually afford a new shinny bike. To each his own I guess.
- azgreybeardLv 41 decade ago
well MAGZ you got the useful right whats your clam to fame?? chrome don't get ya home
- Anonymous1 decade ago
i've seen a few rat bikes, they were unique, but just because you are unique, it doesn't make you usefull...
