Rat Rod bikes? I know, I'ma paint my bike flat black with red wheels.
#11
11-25-2011, 07:13 PM
Few Rats around here still ridden.
#12
11-26-2011, 05:27 AM
Had the privilege one day, to ride with some Vietnam Veteran MC members on a PGR mission. One of the guys had a rat bike. The thing that sticks in my mind about that bike was the vice grip he used for a highway peg. Wish I had a picture of it.
#14
11-26-2011, 10:09 AM
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Isn't there a difference between a rod rod bike and a rat bike. Rat bikes are typically a thing of beauty due to being slapped together with unwieldy mismatched parts that somehow come together.
Rad rot bobbed or whatever are the flat black bikes with either a peanut or a high frisco'd tank prolly aren't shiny chrome jobbies and are done hopefully by the owner with some friends and pabst blue ribbon.
Garage bikes to me are the best bikes out there I love the creativity of people and I like seeing what they come up with vice pointing at some billet stuff on a wall and telling the dealer they want that mounted on the bike.
I really enjoy some of the items that come out though the really cool ideas tend to get ubiquitous pretty quick like porthole oil bags and brass fixtures are almost over done now.
Rad rot bobbed or whatever are the flat black bikes with either a peanut or a high frisco'd tank prolly aren't shiny chrome jobbies and are done hopefully by the owner with some friends and pabst blue ribbon.
Garage bikes to me are the best bikes out there I love the creativity of people and I like seeing what they come up with vice pointing at some billet stuff on a wall and telling the dealer they want that mounted on the bike.
I really enjoy some of the items that come out though the really cool ideas tend to get ubiquitous pretty quick like porthole oil bags and brass fixtures are almost over done now.
#15
11-26-2011, 11:05 AM
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Thanks dude, dig yours as well definitely not a dealership wall hero.
#16
11-26-2011, 11:07 AM
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More fun that way right?
#17
11-26-2011, 12:15 PM
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yep.
even back in '89, I tore apart my brand new Heritage and rebuilt it with '73 FLH headlight nacelle and hinged fender off of my bro's bike along with hard bags and BatWing off my '83FLH Po-Po
it was the only softail framed, birch white bagger around back then ...
btw, here's a good example of "cobbled from parts" rat bike
even back in '89, I tore apart my brand new Heritage and rebuilt it with '73 FLH headlight nacelle and hinged fender off of my bro's bike along with hard bags and BatWing off my '83FLH Po-Po
it was the only softail framed, birch white bagger around back then ...
btw, here's a good example of "cobbled from parts" rat bike
#18
11-26-2011, 01:11 PM
A rat bike usually dripping or leaking oil gives plenty for road grime and dirt to help it stick to the bike.Chrome if any is old school original hasn't shined since bike was new,also covered in burnt oil and grime.Tin work should have some paint ,faded not polished,do not want to hide any of the nicks dings and scratches.Some rat bikes are rolling trinket shops others are basically the way they came off the showroom floor aside from neglect and all the things used to hold them together including duct tape over the badly weathered seat.Actually speaking about one of my friends bikes.This bike also has over 140k on the clock never been apart,smokes a little and uses a little oil.
#19
11-26-2011, 07:02 PM
Extreme HDF Member
yep.
even back in '89, I tore apart my brand new Heritage and rebuilt it with '73 FLH headlight nacelle and hinged fender off of my bro's bike along with hard bags and BatWing off my '83FLH Po-Po
it was the only softail framed, birch white bagger around back then ...
btw, here's a good example of "cobbled from parts" rat bike
even back in '89, I tore apart my brand new Heritage and rebuilt it with '73 FLH headlight nacelle and hinged fender off of my bro's bike along with hard bags and BatWing off my '83FLH Po-Po
it was the only softail framed, birch white bagger around back then ...
btw, here's a good example of "cobbled from parts" rat bike
Shovels are great like that you can do what you want to it and they'll live but get a bit of corrosion on a connection and you'll chase electrical problems all weekend.
I had a 72 FL, I swear to God that bike didn't like me putting other women on it. She'd start and run really well until we got somewhere and bing! refused to start. I don't think I ever had a woman ride on that bike twice.
I also had a 76 FX that damn thing ate headlight bulbs. I used to carry spare bulbs forgot to one night had to steal two mag lights from the earthquake kit at work and taped em on there.
Got from work in Mountain View to Pacifica CA. As soon as I started going down that crazy *** fog soaked hill down in to Pacific both mag lights just fell off. I just drove the last 3 miles home on "feel" lol
Makes it more interesting.
#20
11-27-2011, 01:04 AM
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Love those welds on those pipes I bet that thing sounded like the earth had cracked open wen it went down the road!
Shovels are great like that you can do what you want to it and they'll live but get a bit of corrosion on a connection and you'll chase electrical problems all weekend.
I had a 72 FL, I swear to God that bike didn't like me putting other women on it. She'd start and run really well until we got somewhere and bing! refused to start. I don't think I ever had a woman ride on that bike twice.
I also had a 76 FX that damn thing ate headlight bulbs. I used to carry spare bulbs forgot to one night had to steal two mag lights from the earthquake kit at work and taped em on there.
Got from work in Mountain View to Pacifica CA. As soon as I started going down that crazy *** fog soaked hill down in to Pacific both mag lights just fell off. I just drove the last 3 miles home on "feel" lol
Makes it more interesting.
Shovels are great like that you can do what you want to it and they'll live but get a bit of corrosion on a connection and you'll chase electrical problems all weekend.
I had a 72 FL, I swear to God that bike didn't like me putting other women on it. She'd start and run really well until we got somewhere and bing! refused to start. I don't think I ever had a woman ride on that bike twice.
I also had a 76 FX that damn thing ate headlight bulbs. I used to carry spare bulbs forgot to one night had to steal two mag lights from the earthquake kit at work and taped em on there.
Got from work in Mountain View to Pacifica CA. As soon as I started going down that crazy *** fog soaked hill down in to Pacific both mag lights just fell off. I just drove the last 3 miles home on "feel" lol
Makes it more interesting.
good thing too, cause I'm getting to that 10 kick limit before I need a beer and a nap.
Most of my electrical issues were on Brit bikes, so I learned early on to rip out old wiring harnes and wire it up fresh and new ....
Last edited by alkay191; 11-27-2011 at 01:09 AM.