What is a Brat Style Motorcycle? Our Definition

With all of the motorcycle classifications out there and all of the slang terms applied to bikes these days, we hear a lot of people asking ”what the heck does brat style mean, what’s a bratstyle motorcycle?”

Like a lot of custom styles, there is no hard and fast bratstyle definition. Often, you just sort of know one when you see one. Here at BikeBound, we realized that we needed some definition of various custom styles/genres in order to proper classify the bikes we feature. Plus, looking toward a definition of various styles can be a fun lesson in the history of bike-building.

History of Brat Style

As you may or may not know, the term brat or brat style has its origins in one specific shop in Tokyo, Japan, run by Go Takamine:  Brat Style.  Basically, Takamine’s shop developed a distinct design language with their builds, and as their customs were imitated across the world, the proper name “Brat Style” became the generic, oft-hashtagged term #bratstyle, sort of like Kleenex or Q-Tip or Xerox. This is probably one of the highest achievements you could hope for as a builder/designer–to have a style so well-known, it’s named after you. (This is known as an eponym, if you care.)

Many of Brat Style Japan’s builds are based on the Yamaha XS650, SR400, and other small displacement Japanese bikes (metrics) with mildly modified frames, as well as older Harley Sportsters. During the pre-recession chopper craze, when chunky-tired, chromium monstrosities were being poured out of US-based shops like Orange County Choppers, Brat Style Japan’s bikes stood out in stark aesthetic contrast:  they were dark, low, mean, and cheap. They had rear suspension, so you could ride them without breaking your back, and you could actually build one without breaking the bank. They had an old-school purity that harked back to the matte-painted hot rods of the post-WWII era.

The Nitty-Gritty:  a Brat Style Definition

We are going to attempt a working definition of brat style here. What brat style means to us. This is not the only definition, but it’s the BikeBound definition, the one we will use to classify featured customs on the blog:

A brat style bike is a non-rigid custom with either a flat, slab seat long enough to ride two-up, or a solo seat lowered via mild frame modification.  It has a lowered stance with most unnecessary equipment removed–fairings, chrome, etc. Handlebars can be mini-apes, superbike bars, or motocross bars–but no clip-ons.  Moto-styled bars often skew the bike toward the category of “brat tracker,” especially if slightly knobby tires are fitted.

To summarize, a brat typically has:

• Sprung rear (no hardtail)
• Flat, slab seat or lowered solo seat
• Mini-apes or dirt-style bars (no clip-ons)
• Fenders bobbed, fairings and chrome removed

Bratstyle Today

Today, there is a large movement toward bratstyle bikes around the world. The major push is coming in the Asian and Australian markets, but a lot of customs are coming out of the United States as well. Monster Craftsman and Visual Impact both offer brat kits for the Yamaha XS650, one of the most popular platforms for brat builds. These require only minor cutting and welding.

Unlike the streetfighter genre, the brat trend has not been adopted by any factory manufacturers. This is probably the best, in that part of the mystique of this style is the low-down, almost garage-built look.

Where to Look for Bratstyle Inspiration

• Brat Style Japan
• Brat Style USA (US satellite of Brat Style Japan, located in Long Beach, CA)
• BikeBound Brats
• Pipeburn Brats
• The Bike Shed Brats
• XS650 Chopper Brats

We wish we could give a hard and fast definition of what a bratstyle motorcycle is, but like many other types of bikes, it is an individual concept of the bike that truly defines bratstyle and makes is stand out from a bobber or cafe racer.

Tell us:  what’s your definition of brat style?