Meet FrankenBike.
Frankie started out as a bone stock BMW R100RT. He was dragged from a barn and bought back to life.
After doing short duty as a touring bike, Frankie suffered a near fatal separation of his front fairing from its supports.
At about 75 mph, the mounts which hold the fairing to the steering neck decided to let go, resulting in a high speed wobble- and quick shutdown... Needless to say, I was more than a little shook up when I almost lost it over that stupid fairing. I began the surgery and realized just how far the bike was damaged. I decided not to reinstall the fairing, so I sourced parts from 3 different bikes to replace the fixed headlamp with one that turns with the forks.
The motorcycle was converted to cafe racer style, and held its own against many a sportbike. The cafe look fit the bike well, and I enjoyed the way it looked.
Then the ratbike bug bit, and the infection took hold.
Important Announcement
Why the name FrankenBike?
I replaced the stock front fender with a cut down fender from a 1970 Yamaha. The rear subframe was replaced with one from a short wheelbase /5 which lowered it about an inch. The seat is fabricated from an old dirt bike seat of unknown origin. The two-into-one S&S pipe is a vintage piece that was in a friend's garage gathering rust and dust. About three weeks ago it spit the baffle out on a road trip, never to be seen again. Turn signals in the rear are Yamaha DS7 units (and bright as hell, too), which were mounted to the subframe. The subframe was chopped right after the seat, and a cut down rear fender was installed, from yet again another bike. I fabricated a license plate bracket from a piece of channel, and the taillight/license plate light is a trailer unit. Short bars and bar end mirrors were rescued from a scrap bike.
Frankie is louder than most Harleys and still as fast as some of the faster sportbikes. I love the way people stare at the thing when it's parked somewhere. They can't figure it out.
Love your website, keep up the good work.
I replaced the stock front fender with a cut down fender from a 1970 Yamaha. The rear subframe was replaced with one from a short wheelbase /5 which lowered it about an inch. The seat is fabricated from an old dirt bike seat of unknown origin. The two-into-one S&S pipe is a vintage piece that was in a friend's garage gathering rust and dust. About three weeks ago it spit the baffle out on a road trip, never to be seen again. Turn signals in the rear are Yamaha DS7 units (and bright as hell, too), which were mounted to the subframe. The subframe was chopped right after the seat, and a cut down rear fender was installed, from yet again another bike. I fabricated a license plate bracket from a piece of channel, and the taillight/license plate light is a trailer unit. Short bars and bar end mirrors were rescued from a scrap bike.
Frankie is louder than most Harleys and still as fast as some of the faster sportbikes. I love the way people stare at the thing when it's parked somewhere. They can't figure it out.
Love your website, keep up the good work.
-
Long Live Ratbikes, peace, y'all!
Wayne Hightower, Texas, USA
