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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Rat bike and Survival bike difference
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Message started by Brad_THMP3R on 09/14/08 at 19:17:03

Title: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by Brad_THMP3R on 09/14/08 at 19:17:03

Ok so it seems like there is a common misconception on what a "rat bike" really is. In the 60's, motorcycles were considered almost outlaw-ish. Which is a new word BTW. Of those "outlaws" were the not so wealthy riders who just wanted to keep their rides on the road in the cheapest way possibly i.e. fashioning parts from beer cans or taking them off bikes that aren't the same and making them fit. you get the idea. Survival bikes are the ones that are "distressed" like furniture to give them the appearance they are old and just barely road worthy for the looks alone. Many of todays bobbers are given the survival bike look as it is very nice looking if you're not into chrome everything. There is nothing wrong with making a survival bike as I am in the process of making one myself.
imagine this-
no chrome head cover
flat black VHT header pipe
32" drag bar
primer tank, rear fender, and AF/elec. cover
soon to be olive drab
sportster pipe
OldFeller air filter
It's gettin there ;D

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by strangeling on 09/14/08 at 19:19:43

Brad, sounds cool, got any pics of it so far ?

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by Brad_THMP3R on 09/14/08 at 19:36:23

yeah but no matter how small I make them, the site won't let me upload them. I'll just put them on bikepics tomorrow. I wanna share it with you guys and gals

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by strangeling on 09/14/08 at 20:51:15

Cool, I'll look forward to it.

And if you dig RAT/Survival bikes here's a site you'll like :

http://www.ratbike.org/

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by Robertomoe on 09/15/08 at 01:05:26

maybe you can get a few ideas:

http://www.ratbike.org/pages/849savage.htm

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by EssForty on 09/15/08 at 03:31:29

Seems like a philosophy question is brewing:

"If a man has to write 'ratbike' on his tank and helmet, so that people know what it is, has he really reached Ratbikedom?"

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by Brad_THMP3R on 09/15/08 at 08:30:26

hmmmm not so sure. Maybe? or is it like when people put GIANT Honda symbol on their rear window of their... uh.. honda. Maybe just to remind them what they have? :-/

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by YonuhAdisi on 09/15/08 at 11:42:41

1C2C3F3A0E38372D2A3B2C5E0 wrote:

yeah but no matter how small I make them, the site won't let me upload them. I'll just put them on bikepics tomorrow. I wanna share it with you guys and gals

Here's how to get a picture up.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1218391284

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by serowbot on 09/15/08 at 17:02:25

Neat site....Here's one for Sluggo.

http://ratbike.org/photos2/y798gn400.jpg

http://ratbike.org/photos2/y688-2svg.jpg
and this one is a member here.

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by EssForty on 09/15/08 at 17:45:12

Wow...so it is possible to make a seat that is actually less comfortable than the stock Savage seat? The bottom picture makes me hurt just looking at it. Now that's a rat bike by any definition!

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by Brad_THMP3R on 09/15/08 at 18:21:24

Thanks Yon
Here is a start pic. I'll have to take more as this one is from about a month ago still with the head covers on. I saw I think it was strangelings bike without them. It does look cool and maybe helps cool the engine?
http://w3.bikepics.com/pics/2008%5C09%5C15%5Cbikepics-1418680-320.jpg

Title: Re: Rat bike and Survival bike difference
Post by serowbot on 09/15/08 at 18:56:08

gotta' cool better without them,...air-cooled engine+more air=better cooling! Yep!
nice pic...