This will be the official build thread for my project I have dubbed, "The Dirty Rat."
The bike in it's current state is already built - infact it's been operation for over a month, and commuted me to work everyday since it's succesful completion.
It's platform is an old 1980's era Raleigh Mountain Bike. The reason I had chosen this frame is merely because it was the only bike I had available. I was "ballsy" enough to take my only form of transportation and full-heartedly put forth all my effort into building a reliable commuter.
I'm very proud of this build for several reasons, firstly is that I bought each part separately, which I pieced together based on crude schematics off of the grubee website. Secondly, I had no instructions or guidance whatsoever in it's construction. Just a manly determination to proof he understood how mechanical things worked, and a good back-doors redneck friend who's built many mechanical monstrosities. Finally, that it worked despite the few days of wanting to pull my hair out.
As you can tell from the picture above, it was a ragtag piece by piece operation. I went through two coils, two carburetors, two staters, a magneto and several other misc. pieces to get the rat to kick. I was eventually rewarded with a spark-plug in my left calf when the motor gained enough torque to lift off the frame - tears of joy I tell you.
It was well worth it, a proud papa I am indeed, so here I share with you a few pictures of my build, and I'm sure that I will continue to improve on this platform as time goes:
The bike in it's current state is already built - infact it's been operation for over a month, and commuted me to work everyday since it's succesful completion.
It's platform is an old 1980's era Raleigh Mountain Bike. The reason I had chosen this frame is merely because it was the only bike I had available. I was "ballsy" enough to take my only form of transportation and full-heartedly put forth all my effort into building a reliable commuter.
I'm very proud of this build for several reasons, firstly is that I bought each part separately, which I pieced together based on crude schematics off of the grubee website. Secondly, I had no instructions or guidance whatsoever in it's construction. Just a manly determination to proof he understood how mechanical things worked, and a good back-doors redneck friend who's built many mechanical monstrosities. Finally, that it worked despite the few days of wanting to pull my hair out.
As you can tell from the picture above, it was a ragtag piece by piece operation. I went through two coils, two carburetors, two staters, a magneto and several other misc. pieces to get the rat to kick. I was eventually rewarded with a spark-plug in my left calf when the motor gained enough torque to lift off the frame - tears of joy I tell you.
It was well worth it, a proud papa I am indeed, so here I share with you a few pictures of my build, and I'm sure that I will continue to improve on this platform as time goes:
