Bikes you didn't like

[MCMXCIVRS]

I recall discussions about bikes that we wished we'd kept, or wished we could have owned, but what about the ones that you couldn't get rid of fast enough.

With the arrival of my newest bike, my 09 F800GS, I got thinking about all the bikes I've owned and how much I've enjoyed, even cherished each of them depite some "personality" traits. I've kept some of those bike for many years because I liked them so well. Some were kept for less time but not because they were bad, they just served their need for the period I had them and then I moved on. There are lots of bikes that I would never put in my garage, but I've never owned one that I wanted out. I've never had a bike that I didn't like, which brings me to the question.

Have you ever owned a bike that you really hated, despised, detested or regreted buying?

[Sue]

My brand new, R850R ... Olympics Color Scheme. (I forget what year it was, but I bought it from Mischlers the same year as Fredericksburg.

Beautiful bike - never bonded with it. :dunno

Everyone told me I'd learn to love it. I was happy to sell it after 15,000 miles that year.

As far as I know, I am the only person who did not like the 850 Oilhead.

[Peter_Krynicki]

My 1985 K100RS. I tried to get used to it but I never liked riding it. If I touched the rear brakes with any kind of lean I'd get wheel hop. I couldn't ride to the sound of the motor (know what I mean?) cause the motor didn't make any sound. It really needed that gear indicator. One time I tried to downshift quickly from 4th to 3rd just before entering a curve and hit a false neutral instead. It was the worse feeling I ever had but managed to get around the curve with the engine out of gear and at idle. If ever you talk about something mechanical as having a heart and a soul, this had neither. I hope the guy I sold it to likes it better.

[lkchris]

The first K-bikes.

I had just purchased a 1984 R100RS and was really excited about the possibilities of the K-bike coming out just a year later.

Things vibrated/buzzed so much I couldn't stand it.

Later, drove a K75 and the engine was so smooth you couldn't tell it was running. I didn't like that, either, as I apparently was in love with the R100 "massage" and their easy going nature.

All this dislike occurred before I even learned of the failing components, heated gas tank, vapor lock, and the other seemingly endless problems.

Haven't considered K-bikes for a nanosecond since.

[John Brase]

I bought this one new in '78 to replace my 500cc Triumph Daytona. I got a mile from the dealer when I noticed the gas tank leaking - a bad weld at the petcock boss. Returned to the dealer and only after throwing a small fit got them to take the tank off the other one and put it on mine instead of making me wait while HD made a new tank.

The starter failed twice under warranty. No kick start. Clutch cable broke at about 6000 miles. Handled like a pig compared to the Triumph.

http://jbrase.smugmug.com/photos/500454102_v3Njy-L.jpg

After a year I traded in in on a BMW R100RS, my first BMW. I kept that one for 25 years then bought an Oilhead RS.

While I couldn't wait to get rid of the XLCR, I probably should have kept it. They go for as much as $25,000 today.:doh

John

[rinty]

The only "bike" I ever hated was my first, a Cushman Highlander. But I had to start somewhere, eh?

To segue slightly, in the last 10 years I've ridden about 25 different machines, and the only ones I didn't like were a K1 and a 1978 GoldWing.

Good topic Ed.

It's a constant source of fascination to me, how different people respond to different machines.

[rebake]

1971 Harley sprint sx.They left the u out from between the s and the x.What a pos.Ed

[rinty]

I probably should have kept it...John Brase

Ouch!:cry

One of my colleagues traded in one of those orange XR 750 track Harleys on an ATV. He's really kicking himself, too.

[rspennachio]

In 1992 I sold it, it was my first motorcycle. A 1975 Kawasaki H2. It didn't run great and I didn't have the patients. It was 100% stock with about 4500 miles. I should have just put it away for a while. I didn't know what value it had or how it would apprciate. Now every time I go to vintage days and I see a green one go by I say "oh.. that used to be mine!" :cry

[dbrick]

Yamaha FJ1200.

After a fifteen years of /2 machines and an R65, I bought a lightly-used FJ1200 in 1988. It was fast, smooth, pretty comfortable, and I just hated it. It didn't feel right, like the BMWs I was used to. The relatively buzzy motor and control feel were awful.

Sold it 13 days later (made $200!) and bought a K75S. I rode it for eight years, and then moved on to an Oilhead.

[Brettendress]

Never would want to or have owned a Harley. I've ridden a few different kinds, fat boy etc and they are so boring to me. Friends keep telling me I'll come around but the current stable of an 04 r1150gs 1970 r60/5 1996 vfr750 1971 honda cl350 scrambler and my wife's Vulcan 800 classic and a bunch of bikes I wish I would have never sold a Harley will never make my wish list. Kind of liked my honda Magna but there again cruiser style just does not do it for me would not own another one.

Brett Endress
Altoona PA

[dancogan]

I never could really love my Buell Ulysses. It had the best suspension of any bike I've owned, but it positively cooked my right thigh. Couldn't ride it if the temps were above the 50's. I also didn't like the steering that resulted from a very short wheelbase.

[kgadley01]

I bought this one new in '78 to replace my 500cc Triumph Daytona. I got a mile from the dealer when I noticed the gas tank leaking - a bad weld at the petcock boss. Returned to the dealer and only after throwing a small fit got them to take the tank off the other one and put it on mine instead of making me wait while HD made a new tank.

The starter failed twice under warranty. No kick start. Clutch cable broke at about 6000 miles. Handled like a pig compared to the Triumph.

http://jbrase.smugmug.com/photos/500454102_v3Njy-L.jpg

After a year I traded in in on a BMW R100RS, my first BMW. I kept that one for 25 years then bought an Oilhead RS.

While I couldn't wait to get rid of the XLCR, I probably should have kept it. They go for as much as $25,000 today.:doh

John

My roommate had one years ago. what a piece of junk. He paid me $ 100.00 to find a buyer for it. which I did...

[yellowrosefarm]

The only bike I owned that I didn't care for was the R80. It was too small in most every way, frame size, engine output, fairing. I was just uncomfortable riding it. The only bike I ever rode that I detested was a HD sportster 883. A guy I worked with bought it new and bragged on it constantly. He knew I'd had about every brand but an HD and wanted so bad to convince me to get one. So, one afternoon we swapped and he rode my Yamaha 500 twin. I lasted about 10 miles and I'd had enough. Between the heat on my foot, the vibration, noise and extreme poor handling, I wanted off. The poor little Yamaha never felt so good after that.

[tourunigo]

I hated the K1100LT when I went on a test ride... I think that it was in '94 or '95. Rode in on my /5. The K was tall, top heavy but agile and generally I really didn't like it. Slow riding was awkward for me. Came back from the test ride, reclaimed my /5 and gleefully took off for a three hour run. ahhh. So now I have a '92 K1100LT and think it's a great bike.

Mary and I tried the 2006 LT a while back and she really didn't like it. I was ok with it. She found it a lot more turbulent on the back than either our K or the /5. She also rode with me on a RoadKing and she honestly hated it (she has a need for speed). I really didn't mind it. At least I would not likely get a speeding ticket. Bottom line: what mama don't like...... (I know, get her own... but at 4'11" BMW remains a challenge for her to ride.)

Final note: honestly, the bike I really hated was the Honda 90 that I was on, as pillion, with a girlfriend years ago who managed to take us on a tour of some front yards while maintaining modest control before we came to rest on someone's front lawn. That's when I decided to learn how to ride. - Bob

[MotorradMike]

I've never owned a bike I didn't like but a friend once bought a Honda CB500T.
What a piece of crap it was. I was riding it(slowly) when the handlebars broke in the middle!

Later I read a review which placed it 11th out of the 10 bikes compared.
They even took a picture of it in a pig pen with pigs!

[BigSkyRider]

This is easy the: Kawasaki Concourse.
I bought one in 2002 because people said what a great deal they were for the money and I liked the red color. It felt very heavy and the front end would "float" when you had it above 65 mph. I had it for six months and was glad to get it out of my garage!

[osbornk]

I've never owned a bike I didn't like but a friend once bought a Honda CB500T.
What a piece of crap it was. I was riding it(slowly) when the handlebars broke in the middle!

Later I read a review which placed it 11th out of the 10 bikes compared.
They even took a picture of it in a pig pen with pigs!

My most hated bike was also a CB500T. I bought it as a total (pedestrial stepped out in front of it and was killed). I thought it would be like my CB350, only larger. It was a CB450 with a longer stroke. It didn't work and you could count and feel the pistons going up and down. Also, very top heavy and tall. My second most disliked was a 1981 Goldwing. Rode it 2 years and hated it even though it was trouble free. It handled like a big boat on choppy water.

[MCMXCIVRS]

My first true street bike was a 75 CB500T, bought it well used. Its funny that it got two most hated hits. I didn't keep it very long as I quickly became stricken by a shiny new V45 Sabre. I guess perhaps I didn't have it long enough nor know enough about street bikes to realize its weaknesses. I doubt that today it would make much of an impression on me, but it was pretty good to me at the time.

[PGlaves]

My brand new, R850R ... Olympics Color Scheme. (I forget what year it was, but I bought it from Mischlers the same year as Fredericksburg.

Beautiful bike - never bonded with it. :dunno

Everyone told me I'd learn to love it. I was happy to sell it after 15,000 miles that year.

As far as I know, I am the only person who did not like the 850 Oilhead.

You just couldn't get past the fact that everybody told you it was a nice "girl's beginner bike." :)

[PGlaves]

In the 18 years that I rode my K75T, "Old Smokey" as my main bike I bought a few bikes to be eventual "replacements" that never happened.

One was an R100GS. I liked it, but kept taking it places beyond my off-road skill level so traded it on an F650 which was easier to get out after I did that.

But I did buy a K1100LT too. And I never, ever, liked that bike. Too tall, too heavy, and too hot. I made the mistake of riding it from Kansas City to a barbeque in Dallas, arriving in Dallas on the 45th consecutive day that it reached over 100 degrees. The huge dead air pocket behind that big fairing was stifling. I tried two-sets of Baker air wings on it and even they didn't help much. I traded it on my R1150R.

I also had an 85 K100 standard - didn't dislike the bike but liked Old Smokey's smoothness and roadside manners better so sold the K100.

[TomBarnhart]

The worst piece of Amirikun Nginrrinn was an AMF Harley Davidson in the "Creamsicle Puke" color. I rode rough, leaked fluids, hard to start and needed constant attention for the 6 months I owned it. Sold it and bought a BSA, let's not even go there.

Second worst was an Army Surplus 1939 Indian Four. Bought for $50. Nothing about it was fun. Impossible to ride, constantly broke down, and the only way to start it was to coast down a hill and catch it in gear.

[108625]

Mine: '78 Yamaha DT 400, from their early monoshock years (where the shock was logically hidden inaccessably in the frame backbone, and added virtually nothing but weight to the rear suspension travel). It had to be the heaviest two stroke enduro ever built; every ride was a gruelling test of strength and stamina. Truly a black smudge on the company's otherwise great legacy of wonderful two stroke bikes. It may have been alright for GS type roads, but really had no place on a trail.

Her's: R65LS, the most underwhelming bike we've ever had. Bikini model looks with Depends model go. It's sort of like that movie where Gwyneth Paltrow looks great to Jack Black but her true "lack of condition" cannot be denied. It may not have been such a disappointment if people hadn't exaggerated it's abilities so much. Perhaps the fact the previous owner had virtually forsaken motorcycle riding by that point and taken up bicycling should have told us something about the level of inspiration it could sustain.

[Sue]

You just couldn't get past the fact that everybody told you it was a nice "girl's beginner bike." :)

:rofl

[BubbaZanetti]

63' vespa 90 - never worked right (my first engine rebuild)
78' puch moped - constant carb trouble
80' honda cb750f - i should have known for 420 dollars i was getting a holed piston.:laugh

both my beemers have been just fine. i hope the third one is just as wonderful!

[BeemoKat]

The 2002 R-1150 RT-P that I bought last year. I just don't know what possessed me. Some of that dislike comes from the fact that the clutch failed in the middle of a 90 mph pass on I-81, an uncomfortable situation to say the least. That led to a 3 hour wait for a tow truck, an expensive repair at Max BMW in Troy NY, and doing a large part of my trip in a rental car. After picking the bike up a week later, the final drive failed in Ohio, just 800 miles later. Another expensive repair and a another unplanned night in a hotel, I got home to find fluid once AGAIN leaking from the final drive housing! The bike handled wonderfully on the road (when everything worked, lol) but it was HEAVY, hard to pack, and a real handful in parking lots and in my garage. I got some great stories out of that bike, but I'm glad it's gone!

[AKBeemer]

Fast as a bat out of hell, unmanagable (at least by me) power curve, frame made out coat hangers, handled like a bowl of warm oatmeal. I had expansion chambers on it and it sounded like a F1 bike. Scared the snot right out of me. I think this bike or it's 750cc brother won Daytona one year with an essentially stock motor. Even at the tender age of 21 I knew that the bike was going to hurt me so I traded it for a Triumph Bonneville.

[yerguy]

Oh boy!!! Where do I start??

After a long hiatus of not riding for numerous years and feeling left out listening to so many pals talk about their long weekend rides, I finally returned to motorcycling when I discovered the 955 Triumph Sprint ST.

The most fun (and fear!) I've ever had on two wheels were my 3 cylinder Kawi triples from the early 70's. I loved the phenomenal rush of acceleration and the sound from the Wirges chambers. Convinced me that 3 is the magic number for a M/C powerplant. Combine that with the fact I'd always wanted a Triumph (love those old Bonnevilles) and that I am of ancient Celtic blood it seemed the 3 cylinder Triumph was made just for me!!!

Having owned and ridden virtually every type of motorcyle years before, I knew that I was not going to be the next Valentino Rossi, nor does the cruiser mentality and "lifestyle" have any appeal. I wanted and needed a competent chassis and suspension, a hard working broad powerband motor and reasonable ergonomics conducive to long days in the saddle.

The Sprinter seemed to have potential for all of the above with a few modifications to enhance the comfort factors. Bar risers, a Rocky Mayer seat, Piaa lamps, a Touratech mount for my GPS and Staintune exhaust seems the perfect setup to discover the back roads of America.

It started early on. Front brakes turn to mush. Bleeding them works for about two weeks, then mush again. OK, no biggie...I can live with that, only takes 10 miutes to correct that.

Then there were 3 NO Start situations, thankfully near home due to faulty wiring connections. Well it is British after all, you know.

Then there was the heat. Anytime above 5K RPM, the heat from the exhaust and radiator would absolutely cook the left fore leg and right thigh and crotch that I'd often be on the superslab standing like I was a Dakar rider. During the 12K mile maintenance/valve adjust I mentioned that to the service tech. Told that "they all do that, it's a high performance machine".....yada, yada, yada. I then pointed out that the lower engine underside cowling is deformed and melting due to the exhaust heat which resulted in "Gee, I've never seen that"

Like the newer Beemers, part of the service includes clearing any ECM faults and uploading the newest engine control maps. Ah, but there's trouble in River City folks. Seems the factory diagnostic tool would'nt even initialize or energiize when connected. A bit of head scratching with a "you'll have to come back later" was the response to this. I did so two weeks later with the same result.

FYI, I am an old factory trained Porsche and BMW mechanic from years past and have been involved as a mech, fabricator and crew chief in everything from club level SCCA racers, drag racing, circle track to Trans Am and Can Am cars. I know for a fact that if you want to see the exhaust gas temperatures go through the roof, all you got to do is lean out the fuel curve and/or retard the timing at higher RPM's. I know this is exactly what was happening but no one would listen.

A local Ducati shop is renown for it's skill working with the Sagen ECM as fitted to some Ducati's, Apprilias and the Triumphs. Had them work with it to no avail, again the diagnostic computer could not talk to the ECM.

Spent $350.00 for a third party diagnostic program (Tune Boy) but again same result. More than 300 attempts using 1 notebook PC, 2 laptop PC's and another 2 PC's and still can not initialize a 2 way communication. At this point I give up...it starts right up, runs well but hot so as one of the Triumph mechs said, "Don't worry about it".

By now the ABS lower cowling is so melted and deformed, you can see it has actually melted through.

At 20K miles I started hearing an unusual clattering on the left side at idle. Decided to go in early for a valve adjust/service in prep for an upcoming Iron Butt event and maybe an explanation to the new noise.

Again, they are baffled why the diagnostic unit won't engergize, told me that the valves have mushroomed and sunk so deep into the valve seats that it is not possible to adjust the valves correctly and that noise?? They kind of sheepishly suggested I might look behind the alternator for the cause. The evasive looks and body language told me there's more to this than they want to admit???? Maybe they know something I don't???

Once home, I find the alternator drive side bearing inner race is completely beat out with 4 roller bearings left behind the drive cup. Turns out the needle bearing on the right side behind the clutch is just as bad. Somewhere there are 14 unaccounted for needle and ball bearings wandering in the motor/gearbox. Doing a search online within 20 minutes of looking resulted in five web sites devoted to the horror stories of self destruction of these same bearings. Not at all uncommon or unheard of.

The two Triumph dealers that have worked with this machine don't want to deal with this at all. One said that I were to "Bring in the motor with a blank check, he won't touch it". The other says "We'll work on it, but we need $5,000 to start otherwise we don't want it". As far as the faulty ECM goes, I suggested a temporary swap with other ST's in the shop and they said unequvilically..NO!! If I want to try another ECM, I'd have to order and pay for it at a $1600.00 charge plus the flat rate for the R&R!!!!

The official stand from Triumph North America??? After two registered letters to the warranty department I have heard absolutely NOTHING!!!!

So I've a beautiful British Racing Green with factory hardbags and all the bling you'd want sitting covered under my car port. I guess it's worth more as scrap metal now than as a motorcycle.

I've learned my lesson, no more Triumphs for me...ever. Finally saw the light, have a really nice RS now that is easy to work on and the numerous sources for tech help are a God send. Can't see me ever riding anything else other than a Roundel badged bike.

[osbornk]

My first true street bike was a 75 CB500T, bought it well used. Its funny that it got two most hated hits. I didn't keep it very long as I quickly became stricken by a shiny new V45 Sabre. I guess perhaps I didn't have it long enough nor know enough about street bikes to realize its weaknesses. I doubt that today it would make much of an impression on me, but it was pretty good to me at the time.

Many years after I got rid of my hated CB500T, I bought a V45 Magna. I liked it so much I owned it twice and tried to buy it back again last summer. It was my favorite bike until I got in the BMW business. The only things I didn't like about the Magna (older shaft drive one) was the poor fuel mileage (42 max) and the little fuel tank. The low fuel light would come on between 110 and 125 miles.

[MCMXCIVRS]

My V45 Sabre was a bit hard on fuel too, but it had a bit larger tank than the Magna. Still it was only good for about 200Kms between fillups.

[ridewv]

My least favorite motorcycle was a Suzuki Bandit 1200 which I bought pretty low, from the owner that had to leave the country. It gave me no real problems but it was just...blah. It didn't do anything well, had a flat spot in the mid-range, less overall power than I expected, and was buzzy.

The least impressive BMW I test rode (I didn't buy it) was a K75RT.

[Beemer01]

My friend's bike actually. We did a cross country ride summer of 1981 - this contraption;

Broke down. every. single. day. Major stuff.
Had such frightful vibration that the rear view mirrors were just decorations
Was slow
Got bad gas milage
Did I say it was loud?

I was on my 1979 Honda 750SS - a far better machine by every measure.

[ridewv]

1980 Sportster

That would have to be a pretty sad motorcycle. I couldn't *imagine* riding that thing on an extended trip!

[Rod Sheridan]

Well, I never owned a bike I didn't like, after all, why would I have bought one I didn't like?

Couldn't live with, now that's another story.

That would be my 1973 Triumph T120 Bonneville, nice bike, looked good, just couldn't live with a bike that required regular unscheduled maintenance.

Of course to prove that I'm daft, I replaced the Bonneville with a nice shiny new Commando that I still own. Did I mention daft?

Regards, Rod.

[RJM2096]

My Son-in-law had a Buelle Blast. While it was small and easy to learn on, it was a rough running cycle. The seat was like sitting on a log. We added a new seat which was great, but sold it shortly after so he could buy a BMW Phoenix.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/RJM2096/BuellBlast.jpg

[535is]

First bike I ever owned. I liked it well enough at first because I didn't have much to compare it to. But as time went along, I found its biggest problem. It's too cramped even for me, at 5'6"! My knees were bent at more than 90º all the time, meaning my tailbone took most of the pressure of sitting on it and my legs were cramped. Other than that, a fine bike. Had the 'smooth' Honda V-twin, a nice 6-speed gearbox, shaft drive (cruiser guys figured that was a 'bad' thing), reliable as dirt, great fuel economy (60-65 mpg) and not even too bad lookin'. I just couldn't stand being on it for over an hour. :banghead

[boxermaf]

Never owned a bike that I didn't like, though I've ridden some (And not bought because I didn't like them). One was an 85 K100RS - the bike would have probably been a much better bike for me if the seller wasn't such a short person - he had lowered the seat, lowered the fork tubes, and put in a shorter rear shock. It still had the power of a flying brick etc. but the geometry was all wrong for someone over 6 feet, and the reduced suspension travel made it seem like one was riding a hardtail. Didn't buy that one.

[69709]

:dance

Just like Will Rogers, I never met (owned) a bike I didn't like all the way from a '75 Yamaha 100 street bike to a pair of 96 oilheads: RT and GS (I loved the RT most of all!), a couple of airheads (even the one that gave out on me during a trip from New Mexico to Montana), Yamaha Radian, Honda CB 750 (great sound) and a Magna V65 (loved that engine!), to a feisty little Suzuki DR200. I probably wouldn't like a Harley, but who knows, that vibration and "potato-potato" might even win me over in spite of being overpriced!

:p

[nhbmw]

I developed a hate-hate relationship with an early 60s Rumi 125cc 2 stroke twin that I borrowed from a college classmate. Rode it from Waterville, ME down the east side of the river to Augusta, then crossed the bridge to the west. The bike had sorry, worn-out knobbies, and the bridge deck was an open steel grate. Combine the two, with the bike weaving back and forth. Then think about falling and having small pieces of your body sheared off and falling like rain into the Kennebec River.

I got thru the next 40 years with (almost) everything still attached, but not quite sure why. God loves fools, I guess.