Lots of cool bikes.....but one stands out..

[NewOrleansFlyer]

I'm still trying to figure out what you guys didn't like about The Screaming Rabbit??? The engineering behind the effort was pretty amazing. As I said in the title, lots of cool bikes, I had a tough time voting on my choices, but I'm kinda surprised that TSR is trailing by so much?? Maybe some of the less than positive comments scared a few voters....I understand how that goes, but really this is a frickin' bike powered by an airplane propeller! I have 2 motorized bikes, both BTRs and I really like the work of every bike in the BBO, I'm just surprised.....not even very many views??? Aren't you guys just a little curious???
Again, great work all.....some day, I might have the skills to build something worthy of a BBO, but for now, I'll just drool and thank everyone who created these beauties!

 

[Big Ape]

I think that a lot of us have had builds that we thought should have finished better in the build offs than they did. Just an observation, but most voters are looking for a bike that they would love to ride or own, and they vote on that bike. Getting too far from normal brings a bike into a dangerous area, it turns some voters off. The best advice that I have heard, this is a popularity contest, some members will vote for their friends, some will be drawn to certain brands or build styles, some want nothing to do with custom frames, some think they have seen everything that can be done to a vintage bike. The built bike is the price at the end of the friendly competition. A bike that the builder is proud to put their name on, that is what keeps raising the bar every year, not the quest for #1.

 

[deorman]

More like an "X-craft" than a "rat rod". I thought it was awesome, but I had 3 (count 'em 3) votes. I didn't even vote for my favorite bike, 'cause it was just a nice plain bike. There's some really great bikes that will have few or even no votes... flip of a coin so to speak.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

I don't know if i would say just one bike stands out
I count at least 8 that would stand out if it was in any of the other previous build offs
Bikes like 37 Elfman by waldo Jeffers
that was built to look like a rare vintage prewar bike (he made that bike starting with 2 ladies frames)
what about Verboten by Kingfish or MiXfiT by vin-new
utilizing very desirable frames / parts (how many builders here wouldn't want an x53 frame with tank or an Elgin twin frame with a evansaction fork to play with
then there is RAMCHARGERS by roadwarrior
building a drag themed bike out of a space liner frame
Of course any build by Fordsnake always stands out
Can't forget about WEENIE WAGON by funkme or Fat Trooper by Metal///DIY
(one is a custom built hot dog vender bike and the other is a completely off the wall hand built creation)
I cant even say The Screaming Rabbit stand out among even the motoriezed bicycles
Look at MotoDromo Special II by Jasper87 That bike was originally just a Murray cantilever and he put a ton of work into that
And I am sure there are some that I forgot to mention
I cant help to wonder how the voting would have played out if we did like build off 8 and had separated the field into anything goes and older build off rules
But know that we have had 10 build offs lets have some fun and vote for the best from all of the build offs
we could even make it simpler by limiting it to the top 10 vote getters from each year and separating the field into anything goes and older build off rules

 

[KJV]

The Screaming Rabbit.....ROCKS !
Picking 2 others to vote for,
,took some thought.

 

[Vintage-Iron]

I think that a lot of us have had builds that we thought should have finished better in the build offs than they did. Just an observation, but most voters are looking for a bike that they would love to ride or own, and they vote on that bike. Getting too far from normal brings a bike into a dangerous area, it turns some voters off. The best advice that I have heard, this is a popularity contest, some members will vote for their friends, some will be drawn to certain brands or build styles, some want nothing to do with custom frames, some think they have seen everything that can be done to a vintage bike. The built bike is the price at the end of the friendly competition. A bike that the builder is proud to put their name on, that is what keeps raising the bar every year, not the quest for #1.

I ditto what Big Ape said.... I would have liked my bike to get some votes, but I did not build to win a contest, I built the bike I wanted to build & hope others like it. In the end the only thing that matters is are you happy with what you built? If you are than you won.

 

[Schwinnspastic]

For what its worth, that bike got one of my votes because of that air boat motor setup but without that setup the bike really doesn't stand out to other bikes in this bbo. If you want to look at the bikes from an engineering stand point then Metal DIYs Fat Trooper bike is the tops, it has as it stands right now 9.6% of the votes and that's outstanding, something to be proud of it has some stiff competition" !
Personally I think one of the coolest things you can do to a bicycle is put a motor on it, an air boat motor is over the top !
The top bike in these build offs is the one that most would want in their collection and Kingfish' Verboten is just that being one of the coolest bikes ever made and its build up as a resto mod is outstanding in execution and detail !
The main thing for me in these build offs is to have fun and not to get votes or have the coolest bike...Its all good !
Mark

 

[kingfish254]

But know that we have had 10 build offs lets have some fun and vote for the best from all of the build offs
we could even make it simpler by limiting it to the top 10 vote getters from each year and separating the field into anything goes and older build off rules

THIS IS AN AWESOME IDEA!!!!

 

[karfer67]

Honestly screaming rabbit does not get it for me. Its very cool and out of the box but that does not mean top three to me. Im personally surprised motodromo isnt more up there with its killer fab work, and looks. But then again sunday's best is awesome too and its down there so thats how it goes. Heck screaming rabbit is beating the pants off destino flyer lol. Be proud of going boldly where no ratter has gone before.

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[The Renaissance Man]

Imagine how different the voting would look if all of the bikes that entered had finished. A couple of standouts like Luke and Smoopy's immediately comes to mind along with many others as well. Everyone in the top 10 has them to thank!

 

[kingfish254]

I really wish that Luke would have been able to finish!!! I want to see that fork in action!!!!

 

[gsc]

Honestly screaming rabbit does not get it for me. Its very cool and out of the box but that does not mean top three to me. Im personally surprised motodromo isnt more up there with its killer fab work, and looks. But then again sunday's best is awesome too and its down there so thats how it goes. Heck screaming rabbit is beating the pants off destino flyer lol. Be proud of going boldly where no ratter has gone before.

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Thanks Karfer, really am humbled by your comment, another one I am surprised isn't doing better is 8 ply ?

 

[kingfish254]

I think Miss Funk's Weenie Wagon would have gotten more votes if she didn't have her mad whirlwind of work at the end. People would have had more time to see how cool her final creation was. The fact that she finished at the end and delivered another super build says a lot. Top Ten build in my opinion.

 

[gsc]

Yeah , crazy how much work she has in that bike.

 

[karfer67]

Im surprised by the low vote turn out

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[kingfish254]

Im surprised by the low vote turn out

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I think the voter turnout is about normal. Last year we had a grand total of 272 people that voted.
With three days left we have had 199 people vote so far.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I think Miss Funk's Weenie Wagon would have gotten more votes if she didn't have her mad whirlwind of work at the end. People would have had more time to see how cool her final creation was. The fact that she finished at the end and delivered another super build says a lot. Top Ten build in my opinion.

Yeah, but I'm not sure how many people closely follow the builds as they progress. It's my suspicion that most people that vote just base it off of the one final photo. If you look at The Bonneville Roadster for instance, he started the build thread just one week prior to the deadline and posted all of the progress pictures in rapid succession by the third day, and it's currently in 4th place.

 

[DJ Bill]

I'm still deciding... what a field of contenders!

 

[Georgeediii]

Thanks NOF for the compliments that started this thread, I swear I didn't put him up to it. Lots of people are responding to him and this thread as though it were his bike and he is unhappy with the voting his bike is getting. I can assure you that this was a one man build, in Wisconsin not Montana.

For what its worth, it really doesn't matter to me how the Screaming Rabbit finishes. At the end of the day I am happy with it and that's all that really counts. I would however like to see a higher overall voter turnout. If the admins put a bike up on Facebook as the bike of the day it can easily get 700+ likes and lots of shares. I would still like to see something come via the newsletter email list encouraging people to vote. With only 200 total votes so far, that is only 60 more people than we had enter the build off.

I heard someone say once that the only time judging (or in this case voting) is ever fair, is if you win.

 

[SILVERKINGPC]

Voting on these "RatRodBikes" is useless because of no distinct catagories. Most voters seem emotionally motivated, and the results typically reflect that. Perfect paint, newer parts, dangerous or stinky motors, poor riding positions, and lack of function strays from what I think a "Ratty" "Bike" should look like. I believe the voting for winners should end, and return to a category-style voting if people want to minimize the emotional results a bit. Loved all the cool rides everyone now has, great to watch.
Hmmmmm..... "Rat Rod". IMO, rusty and fast.