Had a discussion with a group of friends yesterday regarding the idea of a rat bike. We got to debating what makes a rat bike. Especially when we have a "chopper" culture where removing bits and pieces, and modifying for the sake of speed (sometimes style), is a "rat" bike just a rusty bike?

The pictures that got the discussion started are below. Would love to hear from the masses.

http://www.motoroso.com/collectionIt...=5408702365e54

http://www.motoroso.com/collectionIt...=53b390b8b1d70

 

A rat "becomes" thru benign neglect of anything that doesn't make it go, and quite often shade-tree repairs of the stuff needed to make it go. Anything past that is a wannabe rat, LOL!

 

If there is no visible welding slag somewhere, it's probably not a "Rat".

 

Rat Bike =
High mileage, rode hard bike that has been kept running, but never kept up.
A bike that has not had cosmetic repairs over many, many years.

anything else is a wannabe...

 

..... sorta like 'decency standards', ... ....hard to define, but you'll know one when u see it
... mine is not one

 

A wannabe...is that something like a poser?

 

Did I strike nerve?

 

Kinda like kissing cousins , poser is person who changes clothes and becomes his alter ego and switches back forth at the drop of a hat, a wannabe just tries so hard to be something they aren't and never will be all the the time and you see these type in all walks of lifes like the crud that plays the stolen valor game.



A rat bike just becomes one over time, you can't make one deliberately without it looking like you did.

 

LOL!...not at all. Just thought I would stir the pot as almost every thread seems to have a poser debate.

 

To me, they look like a bike that's been buried for years, dug up, fixed with baling wire and ridden. No chrome. No polish. Just rust.