Bikes you didn't like nearly as much as you thought you would.

davidji · 11-18-2012, 09:26 PM

What are the bikes you thought you'd like a lot more than you did on the first ride?

I was inspired to ask this by a demo ride of that sort the other day. And I had a similar one a year ago. But my tales can wait. I want yours!

DiabloADV · 11-18-2012, 10:01 PM

Speed triple. Big, heavy bike...didn't like it at all.

F800R. The most boring motor in the history of irrigation pump motors.

Hypermotard. If I wanted to sit on the front tire, I'd...sit on the front tire.

Nadgett · 11-18-2012, 10:30 PM

I rented a Royal Enfield 500 Bullet in Scotland, thinking it would be like my old BSA 441 Victor. It wasn't.

Davo-55 · 11-20-2012, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

Speed triple. Big, heavy bike...didn't like it at all.

F800R. The most boring motor in the history of irrigation pump motors.

Hypermotard. If I wanted to sit on the front tire, I'd...sit on the front tire.

There's two of my "wish list" bikes right there. God Bless the op! Now I will not make that/those mistakes

wreckah · 11-24-2012, 01:31 PM

aprilia dorsoduro 750...it was everything i wanted on paper: middleweight 90° V-twin supermotard, good hp, good sound, good brakes,good suspension, beautiful, reliable...
but it lacked punch, the engine felt totally flat, dreadful throttle action, total disappointment.
( I bought a 990 SMT a month later. )

the other way around for me was the 2012 R1200RT. I expected a steamboat, a huge boring barge, but it was relatively fast, flickable and most of all fun on track! I embarassed a lot of sportsbikes on it, even dragged a knee

rufus · 11-24-2012, 02:03 PM

After more than 30 years of riding and racing dirt bikes I was ready to slow down. In 2006 I bought a new KLR 650. I had ridden a few of them and read all I could find about the KLR. I thought I knew all I needed to know and really expected to like the kLR. But the reality is that it felt like a pig compared to the dirt bikes I was used to. The brakes are horrible, suspension horrible, seat sucks, gas tank too wide, wheels and spokes are flimsy, it's slow, heavy and vibrates. I didn't have much desire to ride it. I had it for a couple of years and only put about 3500 miles on it.
I have ridden the newer model KLR and liked it a lot better. My next DS was a 990 KTM ( read above). Right now I have an XR 650L, and a KTM 525 and a Goldwing.

Time has tempered my opinion somewhat. If I ever start camping off a bike the KLR may be my first choice.

Murphy Slaw · 11-25-2012, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rufus

In 2006 I bought a new KLR 650. But the reality is that it felt like a pig compared to the dirt bikes I was used to. The brakes are horrible, suspension horrible, seat sucks, gas tank too wide, wheels and spokes are flimsy, it's slow, heavy and vibrates.

Time has tempered my opinion somewhat. If I ever start camping off a bike the KLR may be my first choice.

This is the stuff legends are made of.

wrecked'em · 11-24-2012, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wreckah

aprilia dorsoduro 750...it was everything i wanted on paper: middleweight 90° V-twin supermotard, good hp, good sound, good brakes,good suspension, beautiful, reliable...
but it lacked punch, the engine felt totally flat, dreadful throttle action, total disappointment.
( I bought a 990 SMT a month later. )

the other way around for me was the 2012 R1200RT. I expected a steamboat, a huge boring barge, but it was relatively fast, flickable and most of all fun on track! I embarassed a lot of sportsbikes on it, even dragged a knee

yes a little more power would have made all the difference. and i was in sport mode. beautiful bike though.

rat110 · 11-18-2012, 10:38 PM

Honda cbr600f4i.

Around town and on the highways it just seemed flat, dull and too damn quiet.
I had just come off a VFR800, so this may have something to do with it....

When it wound up it was ok, but it just didnt sit right. I kept wanting to like it, but couldnt. Plus it hurt my wrists.

Meh.

Tuna Helper · 12-17-2012, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rat110

Honda cbr600f4i.

Around town and on the highways it just seemed flat, dull and too damn quiet.
I had just come off a VFR800, so this may have something to do with it....

When it wound up it was ok, but it just didnt sit right. I kept wanting to like it, but couldnt. Plus it hurt my wrists.

Meh.

"Hurt my wrists" has killed it for many of the bikes I've ridden. CBR f4, ZX-14, cb650, XB12Scg, except it was/is the angle of the bars on the last two that does it.

wayne_l · 11-18-2012, 10:41 PM

honda gold wing ..with so much going on with the thing and so smooth it felt like i was in my truck .it lulled me to sleep.

hugemoth · 11-19-2012, 06:56 AM

+1. GL1000 boring on the highway, clunky in the corners, too little ground clearance to get to my favorite camp spots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne_l

honda gold wing ..with so much going on with the thing and so smooth it felt like i was in my truck .it lulled me to sleep.

mwolff · 12-18-2012, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne_l

honda gold wing ..with so much going on with the thing and so smooth it felt like i was in my truck .it lulled me to sleep.

Likewise, even the 1800, too big, too heavy, too much plastic, crappy suspension, I did not like the stock seat much.

ZZ-R Rider · 11-19-2012, 03:13 AM

Suzuki S50 Boulevard (VS800) ... bought a low-mileage, very slighly used '06 from a co-worker because I thought at the time that I "needed" a Bike larger than the 650 I then owned... hated that friggin' S50 ... Bike had no soul what-so-ever ... and who ever designed the battery compartment deserves a serious beating ... without a centerstand, getting that battery in and out was an ardous ordeal ...

cls · 11-19-2012, 04:47 AM

'08 Yamaha FZ1. I still quote it as "The best bike I ever hated." It was fast enough, handled well enough, looked sharp enough, had adequate shield protection, and was plenty smooth. The lack of low-end power and the fact that it was a little top heavy and wide between the knees just killed it. I never wanted to ride it, always opting for something else. It didn't stay in the garage long. Alas, live and learn. Or maybe not...

11-18-2012, 09:26 PM	#1
davidji ^OP bike curious Joined: Mar 2009 Location: california Oddometer: 694	Bikes you didn't like nearly as much as you thought you would. What are the bikes you thought you'd like a lot more than you did on the first ride? I was inspired to ask this by a demo ride of that sort the other day. And I had a similar one a year ago. But my tales can wait. I want yours!

11-18-2012, 10:01 PM	#2
DiabloADV Semi-Occasional Joined: Oct 2010 Location: Nor Cal, USA Oddometer: 1,534	Speed triple. Big, heavy bike...didn't like it at all. F800R. The most boring motor in the history of irrigation pump motors. Hypermotard. If I wanted to sit on the front tire, I'd...sit on the front tire. __________________ '74/'70 R98/6/GS Traveling Bike (construction under way) '91 Bill Holland Steel w/Dura Ace

11-24-2012, 01:31 PM	#5
wreckah Adventurer Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Mayo Country (Belgium) Oddometer: 41	aprilia dorsoduro 750...it was everything i wanted on paper: middleweight 90° V-twin supermotard, good hp, good sound, good brakes,good suspension, beautiful, reliable... but it lacked punch, the engine felt totally flat, dreadful throttle action, total disappointment. ( I bought a 990 SMT a month later. ) the other way around for me was the 2012 R1200RT. I expected a steamboat, a huge boring barge, but it was relatively fast, flickable and most of all fun on track! I embarassed a lot of sportsbikes on it, even dragged a knee __________________ '09 KTM 990 SM-T

11-19-2012, 03:13 AM	#14
ZZ-R Rider Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2011 Location: Hanger 18 Oddometer: 174	Suzuki S50 Boulevard (VS800) ... bought a low-mileage, very slighly used '06 from a co-worker because I thought at the time that I "needed" a Bike larger than the 650 I then owned... hated that friggin' S50 ... Bike had no soul what-so-ever ... and who ever designed the battery compartment deserves a serious beating ... without a centerstand, getting that battery in and out was an ardous ordeal ... __________________ Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by arseholes ...

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11-18-2012, 10:30 PM	#3
Nadgett Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2011 Location: Slovenia Oddometer: 389	I rented a Royal Enfield 500 Bullet in Scotland, thinking it would be like my old BSA 441 Victor. It wasn't.

11-24-2012, 02:03 PM	#6
rufus We're burning daylight... Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Coweta Oklahoma Oddometer: 3,551	After more than 30 years of riding and racing dirt bikes I was ready to slow down. In 2006 I bought a new KLR 650. I had ridden a few of them and read all I could find about the KLR. I thought I knew all I needed to know and really expected to like the kLR. But the reality is that it felt like a pig compared to the dirt bikes I was used to. The brakes are horrible, suspension horrible, seat sucks, gas tank too wide, wheels and spokes are flimsy, it's slow, heavy and vibrates. I didn't have much desire to ride it. I had it for a couple of years and only put about 3500 miles on it. I have ridden the newer model KLR and liked it a lot better. My next DS was a 990 KTM ( read above). Right now I have an XR 650L, and a KTM 525 and a Goldwing. Time has tempered my opinion somewhat. If I ever start camping off a bike the KLR may be my first choice.

11-18-2012, 10:38 PM	#9
rat110 Has a Zombie House Joined: Jan 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Oddometer: 227	Honda cbr600f4i. Around town and on the highways it just seemed flat, dull and too damn quiet. I had just come off a VFR800, so this may have something to do with it.... When it wound up it was ok, but it just didnt sit right. I kept wanting to like it, but couldnt. Plus it hurt my wrists. Meh.

11-18-2012, 10:41 PM	#11
wayne_l Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2012 Oddometer: 120	honda gold wing ..with so much going on with the thing and so smooth it felt like i was in my truck .it lulled me to sleep.

11-19-2012, 04:47 AM	#15
cls Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Location: N GA Oddometer: 197	'08 Yamaha FZ1. I still quote it as "The best bike I ever hated." It was fast enough, handled well enough, looked sharp enough, had adequate shield protection, and was plenty smooth. The lack of low-end power and the fact that it was a little top heavy and wide between the knees just killed it. I never wanted to ride it, always opting for something else. It didn't stay in the garage long. Alas, live and learn. Or maybe not...