Rat bikes, motorcycles that aren’t as pretty or pristine as most, are a popular sub-genre of motorcycling. Once relegated as the butt of motorcycle jokes, rat bikes are a badge of honor to their riders. One description of a rat bike is a motorcycle that is kept just barely road-worthy and just this side of legal – only the basic maintenance goes into them. A rat bike is never clean, nor cleaned. A rat bike doesn’t see a mechanic’s shop – if repairs need to be made, they are made using whatever materials can be found. If any expense is involved in a rat bike repair, its parts are procured from a convenience store’s meager offerings. The true rat bike evolves (or devolves) into a rat – intentionally hastening and/or accelerating the mistreatment does not a true rat bike make.

Below are some rat bikes currently available on eBay, nationwide. Click any ad to go to the auction page.