What is the worst bike you ever owned?

The one that let you down even though you took great care of it, or the one that was an absolute terror to ride: flexible flyer frame, "excuses" instead of brakes etc. ?

I got lucky..... all the bikes I have owned and I don't regret any of them.

I never owned a bike I didn't like!

I had a Harley once, for about 2000 miles. The one brand I would probably never buy again

I owned a 1977 Yamaha xs-750 that was probably my worst bike. Although, it did have a unique sound.

The number one worst bike I owned was a Kawasaki Mach III. Rubber frame, a trigger for a throttle, poor mileage, and a tendency to seize if run for long periods.
The worst modern day bike was a Ducati Multistrada. Mirrors you couldn't see out of, a kickstand that wouldn't hold up the bike, a seat that was a vinyl covered brick, instruments that fell off, and worst of all a braking shudder that would spit you off the seat.




.

I bought a VFR1000 Honda in 1984 - my only non Euro bike. I had sworn to buy the first bike that would go over 150 mph in stock trim and that was it.

Although I loved that engine, the bike was a pig in the mountains. I worked at the Nuc power plant in the desert west of Phoenix. It was about 55 miles to work and I could make it in something like 22 mi. including a pretty long walk form the parking lot.

But in the mountains, it was a pig.

Generally though bikes are like sex. There's good and then there better.

The worst? That's tough, but I'm gonna say '72 Yamaha RD350. Handled well for it's day, lightning fast, great fun, but I couldn't keep the darned thing running on both pots all day to save me.

What did you dislike about it?

I had an FLHTCUI that would have been better if it hadn't been lowered with a custom swingarm. It was a bit too loud. It had a wallow in high speed sweepers possibly from the frame (since redesigned) or the handlebar fairing.

The build quality was outstanding. It never left me stranded. I probably would have enjoyed it more without the previous owner's "improvements."

I had an air cooled Suzuki RM125 with drum "brakes" (and I use that term loosely) which was more excitement than decent people need.

06' Buell XB12X.

Junk. Unbelievably poor dealer service. Equally poor manufacturer support. Junk. That POS never missed an opportunity to leave me stranded. Junk.

I looked and looked and looked until I found a very low-miles, clean 2002 BMW 1150RTP Police bike. Damnable thing's name became Rubellah. You couldn't work on ANYTHING on this bike. Every fastener was specialized, every system computerized. I couldn't even bleed the brakes on this thing without plugging it into a computer.
When I put it up for consignment at less than 30k, the final drive was already leaking....

POS. Bells and whistles ain't crap if you really can't count on it...and I'll probably never own another BMW because of this over-engineered tractor.

Even the leaky Harley was more of a motorcycle than this thing.

That would be a BSA 175 Bantam. I pushed it much further than I ever rode that pile of scrap.

A 2005 BMW R1200GS..... hands effing down worst POS bike ever. It was an early-release model before they worked out the bugs (I assume). Never again.

It was not quick, it was not agile and the brakes sucked

I had a Yamaha DT250. Put a compression release on it to slow down faster.

Drum brakes ar the in thing in Saigon. Center lines in roads are just general recommendations though.

Honda CB700sc nighthawk
We just didn't get along. No problem from the bike I just hated the way it handled.

02 Ducati 750sport
Bought on a whim I'd always wanted a ducati
It was a left over and "cheap" I had to sell it at a loss.
Massive unbelievable piece of poorly running bad seating position junk
It's fitting that the designer left Ducati to go make housewares or something.
That's what happens when you have a South African designing bikes for an Italian motorcycle maker owned by an American venture capitol company
A "few" things get lost in translation.

04 DL650 as it comes from the factory.
To make this bike functional
It needed
Windscreen
Seat
Bars
At least I knew it going into the purchase I just wish I made the changes I did when I bought the bike not after a year of owning it.

2000 F650GS Dakar.
Quite reliable though, until I blew the overhead gasket, then water got mixed in oil, and I finally crashed it after 6 months in the middle of the Namib desert in a very nasty tank-slap (not a head-shake).

What I didn't like about it?
For what I paid for it, I found the specs to be very poor. So the value for money is terrible, you basically pay for the BMW badge.
Handling was shit. A very boring bike to live with, there's absolutely nothing exciting about that bike.

A 1974 CR250. It was hard to start and the kick back would just about break your leg. I once threw it in a ditch and my dad made me go back and push it home.

1973 Yamaha TX750 SOHC twin, (NOT anything like the XS650 series engines, chaps) it made the Cycle Guide "Top 10 FIZZLES List" as it was manufactured for one and a half years before being discontinued. Made 63 hp though, and handled OK. Poor reliability, points were Brit-like, charging system was poor, OHC design was flawed. Disposable metal box air filter was $45 in 1970's dollars!!!!!

Wait, my H-D Italian 125 sucked ass for reliability as well...

Haha,.. eastern german manufacturer...

to say: only the -- worst

ergonomy, fuel mileage, frame, engine (two-stroke) - you name it.

a pile of c.r.a.p

sorry, it was even an o.l.d. pile of c.r.a.p :eek1

'77 R100S. I couldn't get it to stop wobbling. I replaced the tires, steering, swingarm and wheel bearings, shocks, rebuilt the forks, checked the wheel alignment, played with tire pressure and ride height and borrowed a pair of shorter shocks as a test. It ran well and looked good but after riding it to the AZ Guzzi rally and being embarrassed by loop frame riders on Yarnell Hill, I decided it had to go. Never missed it.