RRBBO16

[furyus]

Metal water air
Rat Rod Bikes Build Off Sixteen
creative decay

furyus

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Bound by strict constraint,
Shackled to syllabic flow.
A Build Off haiku!

 

[furyus]

Very good, Matti! Gonna ante up this year?

furyus

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I have parts and plans... We'll see what they add up to.

 

[kingfish254]

I plan to join the fun. Right now I have two different ideas. One is old with some new. The other is new with some old. We'll see how it shakes out come May.

 

[furyus]

My participation this year may behind the curtain instead. I’ve offered to help pitch in with the voting polls/posts at the end of the show. I see others pitching in (hat tip Crash) and figure I should contribute something as well. Hopefully RRBBO16 won’t be remembered as “oh yeah, the train wreck one.”

I’ve managed to gather a nice stash of parts but it’s going to be tough to wait another 5 weeks - the weather is getting nicer! - I need to ride.

Obviously Steve gets to set up his build off however he likes, and it might take a mighty wind to alter course from the two-class format (traditional builds and anything goes). That said, anyone have any ideas or changes you’d like to see in the BO? Myself, I’ve always wanted to see a one-vote-per-class competition. One vote per class, and you can vote for your own build if you choose. But that’s it. Obviously, not everyone goes home with a trophy, but that’s how we played back in the day. Might add some intrigue and you might be surprised at the results when a vote is worth so much more.

How would you tweak a build-off?

furyus

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Can't believe it's almost that time again!

That means I've only got about a month to finish @kingfish254 's first place trophey for the RRBBO15 win.

 

[Duchess]

I'm in with an E-bike I've been waiting to build.

 

[furyus]

I'm in with an E-bike I've been waiting to build.

Maybe I’ve been lurking too long and missed something. Are e-bikes considered pedal powered while internal combustion assist isn’t? Nothing against e-bikes; just bought one for my wife. I can see where one might fit in “anything goes” but certainly not traditional. Maybe a third class for power assist, whether E or IC? Regardless, you always build some cool stuff, Duchess, just want to figure this out now not later.

furyus

 

[OddJob]

I will be building a bike I intended to build for BO15, before that shiny chrome frame and fork and rows of Metalcast paint caught my eye around this time last year in Arizona = RaTs GaSs.

Based on a Shelby Airflow frame and springer fork I picked up in August of 2019. It will be a 'little bit country, and a little bit rock n' roll.'

 

[Duchess]

Maybe I’ve been lurking too long and missed something. Are e-bikes considered pedal powered while internal combustion assist isn’t? Nothing against e-bikes; just bought one for my wife. I can see where one might fit in “anything goes” but certainly not traditional. Maybe a third class for power assist, whether E or IC? Regardless, you always build some cool stuff, Duchess, just want to figure this out now not later.

furyus

Good question! I don't really know. Some e-bikes only operate as pedal assist, others can run assist or throttle. Mine will be one of the others. I'd be fine even with it being "exhibition only" and disqualified from voting if it violates the rules. I mainly want to build it for the build off as an extra motivator and because I think people might find some of the electrical stuff I'll be doing to be useful and maybe a few of the non-electrical, like the truss rods using cantilever brake mounts and some fairings. A solo build doesn't get anywhere as many eyes. But if it's not going to fly at all, I can start building it now!

 

[furyus]

I think a third category for e-bikes with ic bikes tagging along would be a great idea. E-bikes are huge, and here to stay. You may be the only one in the category this year (bet not) but I’m certain it would grow over time. Gotta be approved by Corporate, but I’d vote yes for a third e/ic category.

furyus

 

[furyus]

To add, since there’s nothing traditional about e-bikes, the category would be “anything goes” except the bike has to have pedals/crank/chain and they have to be functional.

furyus

 

[Duchess]

To add, since there’s nothing traditional about e-bikes, the category would be “anything goes” except the bike has to have pedals/crank/chain and they have to be functional.

furyus

I definitely agree with that. Without functional pedals, it's effectively a low-powered motorcycle.

 

[RustySprockets]

I remembered that TRM & FunkMe went head-to-head during the 2015 WBO (the lady actually took 1st place!), so there is already some precedent for powered bikes competing directly in the mix. I'm not sure it's ever happened in the big show, however. Provided they have working pedals, I'd vote to let 'em in, with or without their own class. I'm just easy that way.

 

[furyus]

Get your motor runnin’
Dun un nun-nun nunt
Head out to the garage
Dun un nun-nun nunt

(with apologies To Steppenwolf)

Now this isn’t an official-official announcement, but a knowledgeable source has revealed to me that there will likely be three classes in this year’s build-off: Traditional, Anything Goes and Motorized. The rules for the Traditional class and the Anything Goes class will pretty much remain the same as they have been. The preliminary layout for Motorized goes like this:
- bicycles, tricycles and unicycles, no quads
- must have operable pedals, cranks, sprockets and chain, and must be able to locomote under human power with the motor/engine turned off. These are motorized bicycles, not motorcycles.
- auxiliary power can be supplied by electric motors, internal combustion engines or pellet-fired steam turbines
- the class is wide open, anything goes, meaning one can enter a mildly modified factory e-bike while another enters a completely hand built custom with a 2-stroke motor. If the class catches on perhaps sub-categories will be created in the future, but for this year it’s a free-for-all.

As always, Rat Rod hisself will have the final say in all this. With the talent typically on display around here, we’re likely to see some really neat bikes in this new class. Above all, have fun.

Fire all of your guns at once and
explode into space.

furyus

 

[RustySprockets]

I guess that nixes my plan for a pellet-fired steam turbine unicycle, then.

 

[furyus]

I guess that nixes my plan for a pellet-fired steam turbine unicycle, then.

Rules proposal amended. I guess your in!

furyus

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I remembered that TRM & FunkMe went head-to-head during the 2015 WBO (the lady actually took 1st place!), so there is already some precedent for powered bikes competing directly in the mix. I'm not sure it's ever happened in the big show, however. Provided they have working pedals, I'd vote to let 'em in, with or without their own class. I'm just easy that way.

Yes, it has happened in the big show on more than one occasion (both gas and electric).

Here's a great example from RRBBO12 2017:
https://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/project-ed.104064/

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Myself, I’ve always wanted to see a one-vote-per-class competition. One vote per class, and you can vote for your own build if you choose. But that’s it. Obviously, not everyone goes home with a trophy, but that’s how we played back in the day. Might add some intrigue and you might be surprised at the results when a vote is worth so much more.



furyus

I like this idea. Old school
That's what I did in the voting last week.