Many motorcyclists treat their bikes like prized possessions, meticulously cleaning and customizing them to reflect their personal style. There’s pride in ownership, and for many, a spotless, gleaming motorcycle is part of the riding experience. It’s understandable to want your bike to look its best.
However, this dedication to pristine condition can sometimes be… limiting.
This is precisely why every serious motorcycle enthusiast should consider owning a Rat Bike. Especially if your primary motorcycle is the bike of your dreams – the one you cherish, painstakingly maintain, and invested a significant amount of money into.
So, what exactly is a “rat bike”? Imagine a motorcycle that prioritizes function over form. It’s a machine that’s mechanically sound and dependable, but aesthetically, it’s unpretentious. Forget about impressing anyone at bike night or polishing every speck of dust. A rat bike is about riding, pure and simple, without the fuss of constant upkeep and the fear of a scratch.
The beauty of a rat bike lies in its liberating nature. It encourages you to ride more and worry less. Consider a scenario: you’re contemplating riding to work, but the forecast predicts a 60% chance of rain. With your showpiece bike, the thought of a 20-minute commute turning into a 30-minute cleaning session afterwards – battling road grime and water spots – might deter you. You might choose to play it safe and leave the bike at home. Or, if you live in a region with harsh winters like I do, where roads are treated with salt for months, you might be tempted to keep your prized motorcycle garaged from the first snowfall until well into spring. For dedicated riders, that’s an agonizingly long time to be off two wheels. Even in the depths of winter, there are often sunny days with reasonable temperatures, perfect for a quick ride and a much-needed motorcycle fix. But the fear of salt corrosion on an expensive, meticulously cared-for machine can easily kill that impulse.
Owning a rat bike changes this equation entirely. It unlocks those in-between days and prevents your riding skills from gathering dust. While some might opt for an older standard motorcycle or even a streetfighter – perhaps a cosmetically challenged sportbike stripped of its fairings with higher handlebars – as a rat bike, I believe the ideal rat bike is a small dual-sport. Let me share the story of my ultimate rat bike experience.
Honda NX250 Rat Bike
My Honda NX250: The Epitome of a Rat Bike
Over two decades ago, my wife and I relocated from Puerto Rico to Ohio when I accepted a position at the American Motorcyclist Association. At the time, my only motorcycle was my 1997 Triumph Speed Triple, still relatively new. As winter approached, I was determined to be one of those hardy individuals who continued to commute by motorcycle on clear, snow and ice-free days. I needed a rat bike, and budget constraints dictated it had to be cheap.
I found a Honda NX250 for a mere $1,100. It already bore the marks of use – a few cracks and scratches on the bodywork – but the mileage was low, and the mechanicals were sound. The NX250 was somewhat of an anomaly in Honda’s lineup. Its siblings, the NX650 and NX125, were air-cooled and featured typical off-road tire sizes. In contrast, the NX250 boasted a liquid-cooled, four-valve, single-cylinder engine and unusual wheel dimensions: a 19-inch front and a 16-inch rear. It leaned more towards street riding than its counterparts and possessed a styling that, in retrospect, hinted at rally bikes.
The uncommon rear tire size limited tire choices to just a couple of options. However, these were perfect for my intended purpose – essentially 50/50 dual-sport tires – so it wasn’t a drawback. I regularly commuted on the NX250, even after a move extended my journey to include eight miles of Interstate 70. It consistently delivered over 70 miles per gallon, even when ridden aggressively. Over several years, I accumulated 20,000 miles on the “Hondita,” as my wife affectionately called it, before selling it to a new rider for $600. The only significant repair was a seized brake caliper – likely a victim of road salt – but a used replacement from eBay cost less than $40, a minor expense.
Interestingly, two of my highly experienced motorcycle journalist colleagues at RevZilla, Ari Henning and Zack Courts, who routinely test ride the most cutting-edge and powerful motorcycles available, both insist on having a scooter in their garages. For quick errands to the local store, a scooter is simply the easiest and most convenient option, not to mention one of the most economical forms of transportation besides walking. For me, the NX250 served a similar purpose, reminding me of the simple joys of small displacement motorcycles. But the NX250 offered an added dimension: the capability for light off-road exploration.
In terms of value – what I invested versus what I gained – it was one of the best motorcycle deals I’ve ever made. I only parted with it because I stumbled upon another great deal on an even more versatile dual-sport machine. But that’s a story for another time.
If your dream motorcycle is spending too much time in the garage, perhaps this quieter time of year, as winter approaches, is the perfect opportunity to search for a bargain on something small, something inexpensive, something… rattish. Something that will encourage you to ride more often, free from the worry of diminishing the pristine condition of your prized possession. Because owning a rat bike brings a unique and liberating kind of motorcycling pleasure.
