Whee . Li'l rat bikes are FUN

[Ixion]

So, I decided I needed to toughen up by commuting by bike more (that and the cost of fuel nowdays, and the [censored] traffic jams).

But I'm too scared to use the BMW, 'cos if some clown knocks it over or backs into it, at BMW prices it would cost several grand just to fix fall over damage. And anyway it's a bit big and clumsy for traffic work (yeah, I know the Police do it , but they have sirens and flashy lights !)

So I went out to look for a cheap little rat bike just to go to work on.

And found a Yamaha SRX250. Not a popular wheel, but just what I was after. Single cylinder (no-one needs more than one :whistle: ), so easy to maintain; air cooled , no radiators and fans and such complexity. Small, nimble, manoueverable, and fast enough to cope with the motorway

And, man is that little bike FUN. With a capital F.

Had to bring it back down the Scenic Drive, and it blasted through the twistys like a thoroughbred. Eat your heart out Freddie Frith! (Mrs Ixion, following in the cage, was not amused . Once she finally caught up!) :ride:

And in the traffic it just ducks and dives like a politician avoiding contact with the truth. Seems to encourage all sorts of hooliganish behaviour. :Punk: Unlike the BMW where one feels obliged to be on *very* good behaviour always.

Might not want to do a 500km trip on it but that's not what it's for. Can't wait to try it on some back roads. reckon it should be good on gravel too.

And it makes that lovely donka-donka-donka noise too.

Nice traily heritage comes through too. Taking an irresistable shortcut through a field, halfway across discover a drainage ditch down the middle. Turning back would have made me look a right prat. So into first, bang the clutch, pull up and the front comes up like a veteran. Drop the front over the ditch, fistful to the scrabbling rear wheel, and she's over . Ride on whistling, pretending I intended to do that all the time :whistle:

I declare, anyone who wants to instantly knock thirty years off their age just go buy a li'l rat bike .

Even had a boring old fart call me a crazy young idiot (under his breath, but loud enough that i would hear) when I pulled into the servo with a bit of elan. He he :whocares:

I could really learn to like this li'l rat bike I think

Gotta go now, gonna take the rat bike up a mountain and annoy some dreary folk (they *need* to be annoyed for their own good).

[Hitcher]

"Rat bike"??

[ManDownUnder]

"Rat bike"??

Yeah - I think they're like a "ninga"... you know the real little 2 strokes that sit at the lights saying "ninga ninga ninga ninga ..."

These one's take off from the lights saying "rrraaaaaTTTTT, rrrraaaaTTTTT"

Just like an idling Harley says "potato potato potato potato..."

Hope this helps. (and I hope I'm right :killingme )
MDU

[Ixion]

"Rat bike"??


rat bike = bike good for doing rat runs (q.v.). But the ratttta-ratttta-ratttta defintion is pretty good too. I like that.

[Hitcher]

rat bike = bike good for doing rat runs (q.v.). But the ratttta-ratttta-ratttta defintion is pretty good too. I like that.
I thought that "rat runs" were the preserve of Triumph owners. Or did you really mean "monkey bike" and choose the wrong mammal?

[T.I.E]

that could be a great way to commute and have fun yeah nice work beat a vespa or scooter

[Ixion]

I thought that "rat runs" were the preserve of Triumph owners. Or did you really mean "monkey bike" and choose the wrong mammal?

Nope. For examples of usage, see
Here (http://www.transit.govt.nz/content/news/MediaReleaseView.do?MediaReleaseId=nz.govt.transit .transweb.content.news.MediaRelease-4352)
And Here (http://www.transit.govt.nz/road_information/easy_merge/background.jsp) or Here (http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/boardmeetings/western/m20030618.asp)

[Blackbird]

Couldn't agree more with you. :2thumbsup On the pretext of helping our eldest son to get his bike license, I bought an elderly Suzuki X7 (250cc 6-speeder 2 stroke - remember them?). We had it for several years and I spent more time round the twisty back roads thrashing the tripe out of it than our son ever did :killingme.

Just like being reborn!

Geoff

[Ixion]

Couldn't agree more with you. :2thumbsup On the pretext of helping our eldest son to get his bike license, I bought an elderly Suzuki X7 (250cc 6-speeder 2 stroke - remember them?). We had it for several years and I spent more time round the twisty back roads thrashing the tripe out of it than our son ever did :killingme.

Just like being reborn!

Geoff

I was really really really tempted to get a two smoker. [sigh] In the end boring logic won out . Two smoker not so good in traffic, hard to find air cooled ones, old two smokers usually bad news etc etc. Beginning to regret my call on that one. I'm already missing the smell of two smoker exhaust . And the nice whinga-whinga-ringle-ringle exhaust noise.

[ManDownUnder]

I was really really really tempted to get a two smoker. [sigh] In the end boring logic won out . Two smoker not so good in traffic, hard to find air cooled ones, old two smokers usually bad news etc etc. Beginning to regret my call on that one. I'm already missing the smell of two smoker exhaust . And the nice whinga-whinga-ringle-ringle exhaust noise.

ooo good point - I forgot the "ringle ringle..."

[speedpro]

My old MB100 commuter was horrible but just fine in traffic. It did get a bit stressed in free-flowing motorway traffic but how often does that happen in Auckland? I was doing the Henderson to Mt Wellington commute every day. Everybody needs to get back to a little dunger now and then it helps them appreciate new stuff.

[Hitcher]

Nope. For examples of usage, see
Here (http://www.transit.govt.nz/content/news/MediaReleaseView.do?MediaReleaseId=nz.govt.transit .transweb.content.news.MediaRelease-4352)
And Here (http://www.transit.govt.nz/road_information/easy_merge/background.jsp) or Here (http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/boardmeetings/western/m20030618.asp)
All worthy examples of a definition of "rat run". But linking the practice of premature or prohibited usage of roads under repair or construction and the linkage of this to the term "rat bike" is at odds with the outline and sentiment of your initial post. Or am I just rodentially challenged?

[Ixion]

All worthy examples of a definition of "rat run". But linking the practice of premature or prohibited usage of roads under repair or construction and the linkage of this to the term "rat bike" is at odds with the outline and sentiment of your initial post. Or am I just rodentially challenged?

Not restricted to premature or prohibited. Just any road where you can duck and dive to avoid the tarffic jams. Think of rats scurrying down a maze. Scurry here, scurry there , nip round that corner.

[rua]

If an old dunger is what you want then this could be your lucky(?) day,

Suzuki A100, wof, reg, kind of shiny. $400.00 and you could be the smiling freak behind the cloud of blue smoke.

PM me if anyone’s keen

[Waylander]

If an old dunger is what you want then this could be your lucky(?) day,

Suzuki A100, wof, reg, kind of shiny. $400.00 and you could be the smiling freak behind the cloud of blue smoke.

PM me if anyone’s keen
Nothing like a shameless plug heh....

[zooter]

"Rat bike" is bike on which only absolutely necessary maintenance is performed. Broken fairing? take it off or fibreglass over the top. Change the oil of course. Something loose..duct tape will do the job. Paint failing so it's rusting.. black can of spraypaint. The afficianardos of ratbiking usually cheat and get out the black spraycan before it is actually necessary.

[avgas]

"Rat bike" is bike on which only absolutely necessary maintenance is performed. Broken fairing? take it off or fibreglass over the top. Change the oil of course. Something loose..duct tape will do the job. Paint failing so it's rusting.. black can of spraypaint. The afficianardos of ratbiking usually cheat and get out the black spraycan before it is actually necessary.
I agree with this being a bit of a rat-fanatic. But dont forget the paint must be rat-matt-black so you dont get seen on the rat-run.
Bassically think of the easiest way to make a streetfighter without adding usefull 'bling' to the bike - and you have yourself a rat.
My RZ250 was a bit of a rat.....she even lacked a wof (rats dont bark) for a while.
Streetfighters-Rats-Cafe' Racers are all closely related

[Ixion]

"Rat bike" is bike on which only absolutely necessary maintenance is performed. Broken fairing? take it off or fibreglass over the top. Change the oil of course. Something loose..duct tape will do the job. Paint failing so it's rusting.. black can of spraypaint. The afficianardos of ratbiking usually cheat and get out the black spraycan before it is actually necessary.

But the mechanicals I think are kept in good order. Thus, and so, for me, a li'l bike that it does not matter if it is knocked over or damaged. I shall fix it up (perhaps a little better than duct tape) cheaply and carry on. The haughty BMW will sneer at the li'l rat bike, but it cares not a whit. And thus also a suitable bike for the ratruns of our city streets. Interesting, to have so many definitions and all clearly related