Surviving The Plague
Survival bikes may appear to be rat bikes, but they definitely are not. For many, both rat and survival bikes present an ideological alternative to the mainstream. Imagine a post-apocalyptic wasteland, nothing but sand and a Geiger counter happily crackling away. Survival is the name of the game--you use whatever parts you manage to lay your hands on.
The concept common to all survival bikes has been around long before it was popularized by the movie The Road Warrior--recycling. Whether it be road kill, tin cans or cut-to-length water pipes that function as instrument holders, they're all trophies that were picked up along the way to serve
Kanalratte
Owner: Ratman Herne
Bike: 1979 Honda CB900
Engine: K&N air filters, car exhaust
Chassis: MZ fender, handlebars mounted on dog bones, MZ mirrors, Alfa Romeo ignition
Quote: "My daughter's cell-phone holder works as a lean-angle indicator. Once the little plastic bear starts scraping the asphalt, I know that hard parts will make contact soon, which usually ends in a crash. Of course, to lay down a rat bike isn't really that big a deal compared to, say, low-siding the latest sportbike or custom chopper--if something falls off I pick it up and put it back on.
There used to be more dead rabbits, but the dogs have taken care of them."
Pig's Head
Owner: Thomas "Balu" Modi
Bike: 1982 XJ750
Engine: Yamaha XJ 900 (bought on eBay for $100)
Chassis: Exhaust system with cooking ability
Helmet: Modified with homemade wooden teeth and nose from an egg carton
Mistuck (mega-bastard)
Owner:Chrome
Bike: 1989 Kawasaki KZ750
Chassis: GPZ750, GPX600R, Fischer swingarm
Gold Wing
Owner: Peter "Spider"
Bike: 1984 Honda Gold Wing
Engine: Stock
Chassis: Chevy headrest for back support
Quote: "The reason I have a huge bike is because I'm a small man. I'm all hat and no cattle.
After a few months the black color was getting boring, so I decided to cover it with rust and oxidation. Now it looks like a famous sculpture."
Bitch
Owner: Mike
Bike: 1982 Kawasaki KZ750
Engine: 156,000 miles, homemade exhaust
Chassis: Bimota swingarm, tractor seat, everything found or donated