Ever bought a bike and immediately realised your mistake?

[kraftwerk]

I did so this year. Always loved the look of the BMW K1, though had never ridden one. Spent quite a bit of time looking for one and came up with a near-perfect example. 1989, owned by a retired gentleman for 17 years, 19k miles, a roomful of history.

Got a flight from London to Dundee, Scotland, which cost a small fortune and there were only six passengers. Arrived to a sodden Dundee, did the deal and set off for the 550-mile trip back to London in the rain. Joy.

I hadn't even reached the end of the seller's driveway before thinking, 'Oh Jesus...'

Kept it for a few weeks, rode it a couple of times and sold on eBay to a man who breeds huskies and has 42 of them.... Huskies, not K1s.

[BlackHammer]

If by " bought a bike " you mean sleep with a chick ......then yes. Why the sudden change of heart ??

[kraftwerk]

Originally Posted by BlackHammer

If by " bought a bike " you mean sleep with a chick ......then yes. Why the sudden change of heart ??

It was so heavy and buzzy, and with only 100bhp it was like riding a clapped-out diesel.

[Anorak]

The K1 is more amusing to look at than ride. I'd buy one though because it's so absurd looking.

[duckman]

my 03 ducati monster,it was a winter day and i was wearing a puffy jacket and a full face lid, i looked like the Michelin man on a moped ,before i was half way home i knew i made a mistake.

[Sniper X]

I'm the operator of my pocket calculator.......

[Barnone]

Originally Posted by kraftwerk

It was so heavy and buzzy, and with only 100bhp it was like riding a clapped-out diesel.

Only 100hp? Gee, how much do you need?i

[sark]

Yamaha MX100. Abandoned it in a patking lot before I even made it home.

[mike]

Originally Posted by sark

Yamaha MX100. Abandoned it in a patking lot before I even made it home.

[pennswoodsed]

Originally Posted by sark

Yamaha MX100. Abandoned it in a patking lot before I even made it home.

The cat's meow in 1972 or before ,after ? in good condition a trail bike ,left for freaking dead by Hodaka's ,hondas,suzukis,Steens and everything else on the planet.
Regards,Ed

[DOGSROOT]

Originally Posted by sark

Yamaha MX100. Abandoned it in a patking lot before I even made it home.

YOU WIN




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[rhys]

I bought an Aprilia Mille RSV1000, Arrow can, mapped, BEAUTIFUL! What I didn't know was that the '03 Mille was a bike too long in the saddle for normal height folk, let alone my 5' 2"ness. I considered options, all of which would butcher a sexy machine, none of which would address the fact that the bike simply needs a tall(er) rider. My torso & arms were waaaay too short to counter-steer the handlebars. My bad.......

So I traded it toward purchase of a brand new '08 Bandit 1250S. Cut the Bandit's seat down, promptly logged over 15,000 miles on it, loaded it up with beautiful Givi hard bags, performed a Holeshot Stage II, then at 19,000 miles put Cogent Dynamics / Holeshot suspension front & rear, TB synch', PR2's, and recently put a really fine ceramic coated header sans CAT' on it. OHMYGOD, what a bike!

Now...... at 24,000 miles, trips to Yosemite, Northern Cali' dream roads, runs over Monitor Pass, Ebbits, Sonora, etc., our local "Mini Dragon", Alice's Resteraunt, The Junction, and on & on (and on....)..... all in only a year's time,

I have to come to grips with the fact that my 55 year old overweight body at 5' 2" is too short for the bike. I can't clear the hard bags when I swing a leg over, and any road surface slanted or irregular is too much of a challenge to get the bike off the side-stand so I can drive off; forget about stopping on goat trails unless there is a boulder near by to mount from.

I'm now the PROUD owner of a bike that is going to result in a pulled hamstring, cramped calf, some kind of strain, a hernia, or...... like that afternoon on a distant goat trail, unable to get out from under a 630 pound bike that (almost) fell on me because of a soft surface and wrong place to have parked.

No..... I didn't "immediately realise (my) mistake". And I still owe lots of money on it, I've poured money into it, it's customized for MY weight and MY short arms, and I'm stuck with a 130 hp / 96 ft.lb. (at the rear wheel) machine that's waaaaay too big and heavy for the likes of the troll I AM.

Again..... my bad.

[Snapper]

30+ years of riding and I finally bought my first Harley, the XR1200. Kept hearing how high quality the modern Harleys are.

Well, after 30 years of being a two and four wheel enthusiast, I might just have me another "first"..... a lemon law vehicle.

Too bad, I really do enjoy riding this thing.

[Crunch]

Originally Posted by rhys

I bought an Aprilia Mille RSV1000, Arrow can, mapped, BEAUTIFUL! What I didn't know was that the '03 Mille was a bike too long in the saddle for normal height folk, let alone my 5' 2"ness. I considered options, all of which would butcher a sexy machine, none of which would address the fact that the bike simply needs a tall(er) rider. My torso & arms were waaaay too short to counter-steer the handlebars. My bad.......

So I traded it toward purchase of a brand new '08 Bandit 1250S. Cut the Bandit's seat down, promptly logged over 15,000 miles on it, loaded it up with beautiful Givi hard bags, performed a Holeshot Stage II, then at 19,000 miles put Cogent Dynamics / Holeshot suspension front & rear, TB synch', PR2's, and recently put a really fine ceramic coated header sans CAT' on it. OHMYGOD, what a bike!

Now...... at 24,000 miles, trips to Yosemite, Northern Cali' dream roads, runs over Monitor Pass, Ebbits, Sonora, etc., our local "Mini Dragon", Alice's Resteraunt, The Junction, and on & on (and on....)..... all in only a year's time,

I have to come to grips with the fact that my 55 year old overweight body at 5' 2" is too short for the bike. I can't clear the hard bags when I swing a leg over, and any road surface slanted or irregular is too much of a challenge to get the bike off the side-stand so I can drive off; forget about stopping on goat trails unless there is a boulder near by to mount from.

I'm now the PROUD owner of a bike that is going to result in a pulled hamstring, cramped calf, some kind of strain, a hernia, or...... like that afternoon on a distant goat trail, unable to get out from under a 630 pound bike that (almost) fell on me because of a soft surface and wrong place to have parked.

No..... I didn't "immediately realise (my) mistake". And I still owe lots of money on it, I've poured money into it, it's customized for MY weight and MY short arms, and I'm stuck with a 130 hp / 96 ft.lb. (at the rear wheel) machine that's waaaaay too big and heavy for the likes of the troll I AM.

Again..... my bad.

Lower it with some dogbones and drop the fork into the triples a little? Get into an exercise program to get yourself in a little better shape? Both??

I don't mean to sound condescending, but a bike that you've put that many miles on in such a short period, sounds like a bike worth going the last few steps to make it totally comfortable. You mentioned it is set up for your weight. Setting it up for your height may also lower the center of gravity, making it not feel so heavy as well.

If none of that works, an SV650 sounds like an obvious choice. Hmmmm...........;)

[kraftwerk]

Originally Posted by Barnone

Only 100hp? Gee, how much do you need?i

I reckon it would need at least another 65 to feel anywhere near 'lively'.