Bikes with flaws you hate

[corndog67]

I had a GS500E, I was on a lowbuck budget at the time, in really good shape, for a good price. Absolutely the worst carburetion of any bike I've owned or worked on, before or since. I bet I had them off 9 times over 3 days trying to get them to work, acceptably, not even perfectly, but they never did work worth a shit. And I've worked on plenty of carburetors. And then there is the forks. They'd bottom out going into a driveway, you know, the 1 1/2 bump at the edge of most driveways. They'd bottom out on the brakes. Just a crappy little bike.

Also, someone gave me a Ninja 250, another turd. I gave it back after a month or so. Just a completely non-enjoyable bike to ride.

[TorontoDude]

wind buffeting on the vstrom (either 1000 or 650)
access to the airbox (removing half the front fairing)
better range/mileage on the 1000

[d.burbach]

Love the bike, hate the new lights! What was wrong with the old round ones?

[southwade]

Originally Posted by d.burbach

Love the bike, hate the new lights! What was wrong with the old round ones?

I actually prefer the new ones, lol.

[d.burbach]

To each his own I guess....

Originally Posted by southwade

I actually prefer the new ones, lol.

[iyaoyas98]

Originally Posted by southwade

It's flaw?

It wasn't imported into the US for 2012.

Stock pic?

The Rizoma catalogue being thrown at it helps a bit....

[nwdub]

my V65 magna has a 3.5g tank. well, it's just over 4 with reserve but come on dudes!!

1100CC and a 3.5g tank. I'm not gonna live at the drag strip!

[eatpasta]

SV1000 -

When you were out having "fun" it would only go about 70 miles before the gas light came out which is usually just enough miles to get you too far away from a close enough gas station.

One morning, I REALLY needed to get out an ride and let my mind wander. One hour into some seriously incredible early morning twisties totally devoid of cars the gas light came on and completely ruined my high.

I pretty much sold it because of that morning. Loved the bike.....but that's just unacceptable.

Still miss it though.



although the KTM 525 that I bought to replace it is an astonishing machine

Originally Posted by LWRider

I agree about the sound of a CB350, but it's not the exhaust note; it's that extra sewing machine motor sitting above the gas one that has driven me crazy for tens of thousands of miles.Mike

the wife and I have two 1975 CB400F's and we both like that....

[southwade]

Originally Posted by iyaoyas98

Stock pic?

The Rizoma catalogue being thrown at it helps a bit....

[iyaoyas98]

Needs moar motor....

[southwade]

Originally Posted by iyaoyas98

Needs moar motor....

It's a 650.

[Rinty]

The too tall 6th gear on the BMW R1150RS. Why they would put an autobahn top gear on a North American model beats me.

I dealt with it by moving to an R1200ST, which has perfect gear spacings IMO, and got rid of the surge problem at the same time.

[DJGypsy]

i'll chime in. some of these may seem a little extreme to you, it's intended as entertainment.

personally owned:

2009 ninja 250, 17k miles, 2.5 years

1. whoever designed the seat needs to be sentenced to sitting on it for the rest of their life. i hope his nuts rot off. but turn green first. and then swell to the size of basketballs for public humiliation..THEN they can rot off.
2. stupid oil filter arrangement- why can't you use a can-style filter like everyone else? this is a beginner bike, don't make maintenance difficult just because.
3. stock carb jetting is a joke. it will not start without the choke full on, even with the engine warm.
4. stock mirrors are shit- they yield only a beautiful -but useless- view of your elbows.
5. i can't say gutless engine, it was a 250. engine was bombproof reliable though.
6. 7,500 mile valve adjustment interval. fuck you. zx-10s can go for 16k miles before they need valve work.



2010 triumph bonneville black, 24,000 miles, 1.5 years so far...first let me be clear: there are sooooo many things i love about this bike. i don't see myself ever selling it. that said, no relationship is perfect....

1. SEAT! oh my fucking god, can anyone make a decent seat? i went through the stock seat, the factory gel seat, and even the corbin that i have now i'm still kinda at odds with.
2. faux carbs- i want triumph to send me $100 for every time i have had to explain, "yes, it really is EFI". what a waste, this is "tradition" taken too far. i wouldn't care, but the next dick that asks me about the carbs is going to drink gasoline.
3. rear wheel as narrow as a hypodermic needle- fuck you triumph for pigeon holing me into 2, maybe 3 tire choices...and fuck you too, tire companies. some of us with skinny wheels want choices and are willing to pay for them.
4. stock metzeler tires- they last a long time(13k miles out of the rear), but you'll die from a loss of traction accident before they wear out. shitty ass tires. won't hold a line in a gentle interstate curve, and have the wet traction equivalent of a hockey puck on an ice rink.
5. mirrors are shit- elbow vision AGAIN. switched to bar end mirrors.
6. stock turn signals and brake light- what blind dumbass designed this christmas tree looking shit!?!?!? switched to lucas style brake light. switched to turn signals that are only visible when they are on.
7. stock grips are the diameter of drinking straws. really?!?! did they even bother to check the 95th percentile size of gloved human hands? bought granturismo style grips.
8. have to remove stock mufflers to use a rear paddock stand. before some dick chimes in with "get a centerstand", i don't want a centerstand. the centerstand for the bonneville kills cornering clearance.
9. stock mufflers hinder easy chain maintenance.
10. shim & bucket valves. really? the damn thing redlines at 8k rpm. i've had cars that rev that high with hydraulic valves. what the shit. nice cash grab there, triumph. 12k mile adjustment interval is easier to deal with than 7,500 miles though.
11. no little stash box of any kind for a small tool kit. even the stupid ninja 250 had that, come on.


not personally owned, but experienced from 4+ years of going to countless demo ride events. general irritations:
1. digital tachometers should be issued to people as punishment. so hard to read. you can't glance, you have to take your eyes off the road and study the stupid thing. yeah, that's safe. only exception: 2012 zx-10 style.
2. this stock rear fender shit i see on every sportbike. it looks like a turd that got half stuck coming out of a dog's ass. there's gotta be a better way.
3. seats. i have encountered ONE good seat. embarrassingly, it was on a Harley Crossbones. yes, i would install that seat on my bonneville. i don't care how funny it would look. i'm being serious.
4. shit mirrors that only give you elbow vision, regardless of adjustment. only bar end mirrors work. how long will it take manufacturers to learn this?
5. oil pressure gauge or oil pressure idiot light should not be an optional extra. it should be mandated standard, by god himself. all who fail will be cast into the lake of fire.
6. absolutely gutless stock exhaust (speaking of sound only). come on people, i know it can be done. go ride a Yamaha Roadliner or 2011 and later Kawasaki Z1000. it can in fact be made nice from the factory. i know the z1000 uses intake resonance for it's wail, so if you can't make nice with the exhaust, come on. give us SOME kind of flair.

if i think of more, i'll be back. enjoy!

[Rhino-1]

^^@ DjGypsy....



But try a KaTooM SuperDuke 990R chair for the absolute worst ever...

[DJGypsy]

Originally Posted by Erwin8r

^^@ DjGypsy....



But try a KaTooM SuperDuke 990R chair for the absolute worst ever...

i'll test ride anything, so challenge accepted! let the pain begin!

...should i alligator clip my nipples for reference? shotgun blast to the buttocks? fill my bladder to the bursting point with air via catheter?

come on. there's gotta be a MC seat out there that's more comfortable than being set on fire or taking an active plasma cutter to the eye...