The proper way to rat a motorcycle-----
Ratbike: do a search and you'll find
a lot of descriptions--most refer to olive drab or flat black hogs with
a lot of duct tape, bailing wire and animal skins--the stigma is usually
negative and they have their world and are having fun with it--great.
Most bikes wind up getting personalized a little and that's great too
but it isn't always ratwork-----a different seat or set of bars or paint
scheme is not ratwork.
ratbike: (my definition) a ratbike
is one that has been modified to the point where a manual is of little
value and further, could probably never be brought back to original
condition. it's usually as a result of someone thinking a bike might
perform a task better if something were added or taken off as with a
flat track, MX, road racer, hill climber and so on. could be the whole
frame has been changed (champion, spondon, C&J etc)---the ratting
has been done for a reason--the quality of work is good and the result
is a bike with enhanced performance of some sort-----
the ethics here: (again, my definition)
I seem to find about 3 barn bikes a year and SOME are good restoration
candidates and I feel they should be kept original. I usually just pass
these on to someone anxious to do one up properly and keep the dogs for
rat projects. I've lost interest in doing restorations--they are boring
and never seem to get 100% done----good vintage bikes should be kept in
circulation "as built" for posterity, the dogs deserve a
rebirth of sorts..
I don't seek out American bikes, two strokes or mopeds or multicylinder
imported bikes. My area of interest is thumpers and I love to find an
old one.
Hot rods are fun, MX specials are fun, but cafe bikes make my nipples
hard so the focus of this site will be tips, pics and text following the
conversion of someone else's junk into my idea of a sleek canyon
streaker.
I welcome and would appreciate any serious contributions or links. I'm
bob and my email is
oldrice@webtv.net
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