"Rat" bikes.

[Cassius086]

Is this a ratbike then as its matt black

Most definately NOT a rat bike! That is pretty sweet!

[bhm]

unearthing

Sorry for the unearthing, but this one comes from the grave anyhow...
Oh man this single GS1000 is nailing it!

[Gorminrider]

The theory is, you can't MAKE a ratbike, you have to wear it until it's like old boots you wear feeding pigs.
... It's always a little odd to me when the poor folks well-worn stuff becomes a fashion statement.
I suppose burying or soaking a bike for a year could be a new industry like stonewashed, pre-faded jeans are but you really can't fake a ratbike... same as how some antique dealers can beat furniture with chains to age it-but an expert can tell.
Whatever, it sounds like bad news for me if more people are out there putting the price up on the rusty old junkers I want.

[sedelen]

but what mkes it a rat is it's low cost and "beat up" appearance. A rat bike usually looks like someone took a bunch of parts from a junkyard, slapped them together and put two wheels on it and called it a rat bike.

This is a pretty good example of a rat bike, low budget (usually less than $1000 in total) and junkyard dog appearance.

I always thought of my bikes as rat bikes because they're so old, and I do believe my 1000 qualified as it was a real ratty bike when I got it.