Ever bought a bike and immediately realised your mistake?

[YJake]

Originally Posted by Crocodile Tears

My 05 bandit 1200s

Im having a hard time keeping it under 100 and it will send me to jail. Its an animal and way more bike than I need.

that and the fact that it hits one bar on the fuel gauge, meaning I need to get gas in about six miles or else hit the reserve, which might get me 15 more if I'm lucky. Average range of 130 miles. Yuck. Makes me miss my ex500 that could roll 220 a tank.

I wont say that I regret it, its just that knowing what I know now I would have held out for something different.

My two previous bikes were a British thumper and Ninja 250.

Enter the Bandit 1200!

I have a windshield, 45L givi side bags/rack and a givi top box/rack and it will still rack out 130 loaded with 2 people on it before I get death wobble. Best MPG on a tank so far was 41.5mpg and THAT was impressive to me, but overall not bad economy.

I'm keeping it for awhile, I got a decent deal on it and the lady friend really likes traveling on it.

-Jake

[unlucky1]

Originally Posted by coloradomotorrad

I'm pretty sure its the new R1200RT that I just bought in August. It's a great bike, but it doesn't quite fit me and does not stir any emotions in me. None. Its a great bike.

I see why police departments run these. So utilitarian and plain. I feel like pulling over and asking myself for my license and registration... I'm riding vanilla

Less than 1000 miles and I'm looking to trade it off. Its gonna cost me but I need to smile under my helmet.

You described my wife's R1150R. Fortunately it isn't my bike and she loves it.

[motogogo66]

When I bought the Concours I was hoping I had found a long distance bike that me and my wife would enjoy for years to come. Wrong! Even after putting bar risers and an expensive Corbin trunk on it I just do not feel comfortable on the bike.I was hoping it would get better after a few hundred miles but after 2500 miles it still makes me sore after just 100 miles.Wife isn't crazy about it either. Knew I should have just got a full on touring bike. We test rode a new Roadglide Ultra and we both loved it.The Kawasaki just doesn't seem to stir my soul either, wish it would have worked out but will be selling it and take the loss and hopefully there will be a Roadglide in my future.
If anyone is interested in the Councours I am letting it go for $ 13,000.00 with all the extras included.

[NewYorkLuke]

Originally Posted by Ninjak

Not immediately, but within a couple of days. In late summer 2002 I bought a gorgeous 2001 CBR929RR. The bike was flawless. Smooth, fast and arguably the prettiest bike I've ever owned.



But, I couldn't stand to be on it for more than about 30 minutes at a time before I needed to stop and walk the pain out of my butt and try to shake the feeling back into my hands.

Plus, the bike just never felt "right" to me. I found my self passing it by to take the car too often and sold it a few months later to buy a 640 Adventure.

I had tha exact bike asolutly loved it I can still rememering getting my first credit card so I could put another set of tires on it. I bought it on ebay put like 12,000 miles on it in three months and then crashed it at 80mph in the first hour of what was going to be an 11 day trip. If I hadnt wrecked it I would still have it today.

[Mambo Dave]

Originally Posted by motogogo66

When I bought the Concours I was hoping I had found a long distance bike that me and my wife would enjoy for years to come. Wrong! Even after putting bar risers and an expensive Corbin trunk on it I just do not feel comfortable on the bike.I was hoping it would get better after a few hundred miles but after 2500 miles it still makes me sore after just 100 miles.Wife isn't crazy about it either. Knew I should have just got a full on touring bike. We test rode a new Roadglide Ultra and we both loved it.The Kawasaki just doesn't seem to stir my soul either, wish it would have worked out but will be selling it and take the loss and hopefully there will be a Roadglide in my future.
If anyone is interested in the Councours I am letting it go for $ 13,000.00 with all the extras included.

It's that fight that so many make to not be seen as the "old geezer type" on a Gold Wing that seem to inspire so many bad and/or unsuitable bikes to be bought.

In the end I think a lot of riders come to admit that no matter how much they thought they disliked it, the bike they have been looking for, all along, is a Gold Wing. I got to ride a friend's new 2010 model in 2011... and as a 41 y/o guy who still rides a DR650, Vulcan, and a Ninja... yeah, that Gold Wing's comfort (stock) was everything a road-touring bike should be.

(Ironically enough, another co-worker friend bought a used Concours - a bike I always thought would suit the shit out of me for the +20,000 commuting miles a year, plus touring.... I can't believe how shocked I was at how uncomfortable it would have been - and this is coming from a guy who used to tour 1000 to 1500 miles at a time on a ZX-7R Ninja ... I just didn't find the Concours that much better of a touring position than a sport bike, lol)

Add to that that my 2010-Gold-Wing-owning-friend's wife could just easily fall asleep as pillion, and that she has back troubles that start up on most other bikes, and you've got a happy couple. (He, too, debated buying this, buying that, and trying to not be seen as a prude on a Wing, but after really thinking about the choices he was telling me he had, I told him to go for the Wing... and he doesn't even tour anymore. They probably do, max, 100-mile days once in a rare month... and that bike is still worth it.)

[scotty918]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

It's that fight that so many make to not be seen as the "old geezer type" on a Gold Wing that seem to inspire so many bad and/or unsuitable bikes to be bought.

In the end I think a lot of riders come to admit that no matter how much they thought they disliked it, the bike they have been looking for, all along, is a Gold Wing. I got to ride a friend's new 2010 model in 2011... and as a 41 y/o guy who still rides a DR650, Vulcan, and a Ninja... yeah, that Gold Wing's comfort (stock) was everything a road-touring bike should be.

(Ironically enough, another co-worker friend bought a used Concours - a bike I always thought would suit the shit out of me for the +20,000 commuting miles a year, plus touring.... I can't believe how shocked I was at how uncomfortable it would have been - and this is coming from a guy who used to tour 1000 to 1500 miles at a time on a ZX-7R Ninja ... I just didn't find the Concours that much better of a touring position than a sport bike, lol)

Add to that that my 2010-Gold-Wing-owning-friend's wife could just easily fall asleep as pillion, and that she has back troubles that start up on most other bikes, and you've got a happy couple. (He, too, debated buying this, buying that, and trying to not be seen as a prude on a Wing, but after really thinking about the choices he was telling me he had, I told him to go for the Wing... and he doesn't even tour anymore. They probably do, max, 100-mile days once in a rare month... and that bike is still worth it.)

I just sold a Concours 1400 and I test drove a friend's 2010 Goldwing last month. Those two events are definitely connected. +1 to everything you said.

[jsmithy]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

It's that fight that so many make to not be seen as the "old geezer type" on a Gold Wing that seem to inspire so many bad and/or unsuitable bikes to be bought.

In the end I think a lot of riders come to admit that no matter how much they thought they disliked it, the bike they have been looking for, all along, is a Gold Wing. I got to ride a friend's new 2010 model in 2011... and as a 41 y/o guy who still rides a DR650, Vulcan, and a Ninja... yeah, that Gold Wing's comfort (stock) was everything a road-touring bike should be.

(Ironically enough, another co-worker friend bought a used Concours - a bike I always thought would suit the shit out of me for the +20,000 commuting miles a year, plus touring.... I can't believe how shocked I was at how uncomfortable it would have been - and this is coming from a guy who used to tour 1000 to 1500 miles at a time on a ZX-7R Ninja ... I just didn't find the Concours that much better of a touring position than a sport bike, lol)

Add to that that my 2010-Gold-Wing-owning-friend's wife could just easily fall asleep as pillion, and that she has back troubles that start up on most other bikes, and you've got a happy couple. (He, too, debated buying this, buying that, and trying to not be seen as a prude on a Wing, but after really thinking about the choices he was telling me he had, I told him to go for the Wing... and he doesn't even tour anymore. They probably do, max, 100-mile days once in a rare month... and that bike is still worth it.)

I also agree. I tried to make my past bikes Goldwings...it just doesn't work.

[mrbreeze]

I can't say that I immediately disliked my FJR after I bought it. In fact, I liked it quite a bit at first. The wife rode it once a total of 36 miles and declared it "the most uncomfortable bike you have ever owned".

So I want to get something we can both be happy with, and I am going to have to take a butt kicking to do it. I haven't figured that part out yet, but I will. I am offering the FJR for sale at $11500.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=825932

[mepilot]

I recently brought home a BMW K75, as nice as the bike is I was in the mood for a Boxer Beemer and have been regretting the bike since the second day. Every time I ride it I know I should keep it and love because it is what I need, but it is not what I want. Back on the market it goes and then the search will resume

[cb4017]

Back in 2003 I stopped by the local HD dealer. I saw the XL883R and decided I had to have one. Just loved the look of it. On the way home I knew it was a mistake. No power, lots of vibration and highway speeds were not fun. Within a hundred miles or so the engine started making a lot of racket. I took it back to the dealer. After they looked at it I was told it spun a cam bearing and needed a new engine. I got the bike back about 4 months later with a new engine. I put a Screaming Eagle exhaust and air cleaner on it in an attempt for a little more power. Still pretty weak so I did a Buell Thunderstorm 1200 conversion. Better but I decided a HD was not for me and sold it soon afterward.

Been riding for over 40 years and it seems like I'm always trying to find the perfect bike for my style and circumstances at that time. I'm still looking.

[rider33]

I bought a Wee Strom to replace an aging KLR thinking it would be smoother, more powerful, more comfortable.
It was, other than the comfort bit. After nearly a year of playing with seats, pegs, windshields etc I sold it and bought
another KLR. The added leg room and ability to move around (flat seat-'07) made all the difference in my case. A whole lot happier in the rough stuff too. Moral: no matter how good it looks on paper, about an hour of seat time will tell you what you really need to know. That was the first (and last) bike I ever bought without an extensive test ride, 'expensive lesson that.

[vicster]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

It's that fight that so many make to not be seen as the "old geezer type" on a Gold Wing that seem to inspire so many bad and/or unsuitable bikes to be bought.

In the end I think a lot of riders come to admit that no matter how much they thought they disliked it, the bike they have been looking for, all along, is a Gold Wing. I got to ride a friend's new 2010 model in 2011... and as a 41 y/o guy who still rides a DR650, Vulcan, and a Ninja... yeah, that Gold Wing's comfort (stock) was everything a road-touring bike should be.

(Ironically enough, another co-worker friend bought a used Concours - a bike I always thought would suit the shit out of me for the +20,000 commuting miles a year, plus touring.... I can't believe how shocked I was at how uncomfortable it would have been - and this is coming from a guy who used to tour 1000 to 1500 miles at a time on a ZX-7R Ninja ... I just didn't find the Concours that much better of a touring position than a sport bike, lol)

Add to that that my 2010-Gold-Wing-owning-friend's wife could just easily fall asleep as pillion, and that she has back troubles that start up on most other bikes, and you've got a happy couple. (He, too, debated buying this, buying that, and trying to not be seen as a prude on a Wing, but after really thinking about the choices he was telling me he had, I told him to go for the Wing... and he doesn't even tour anymore. They probably do, max, 100-mile days once in a rare month... and that bike is still worth it.)

The "old geezer type" image of the GW is, to me, very overpowering though. I live on a popular motorcycling road and no matter what bikes are in the passing group, the couple on the 'Wing always look like Mom and Dad along for a ride with the kids.
Fortunately (?) for me, with my long inseam the 'Wing will never be an option anyway. Waaay too cramped when I've tried them. In my case it will be the Victory Cross Country Tour when it's time for a full on touring bike.

[Motard_Menace]

I've never really regretted any bike I've purchased. I have purchased a bike and then realized it wasn't want I wanted or needed, if you can argue that you ever really need a MC. I think it really boils down to what you need from the MC as to whether or not it was a mistake. I think most of us are always looking for that perfect bike and rarely find it. I'm of the opinion that to have the perfect bike you need about 6 of them however if you are a regular joe such as myself, that is usually out of the question since it becomes difficult to justify owning 5 bikes unless your cash supply and free time is unlimited. I could have 3 or 4 bikes in the garage if I really wanted but my inner voice of reason would drive me crazy since I barely have time in my current life circumstances to ride the one I have. Some day maybe if the body is still able and the pocket book still allows. In the perfect world my garage would have the following:

1. ST Bike such as FJR,Triumph Trophy or BMW RT etc....
2. Full Touring Bike, which for me would be a Wing
3. Naked/Urban Assault Bike (Triumph Speed Triple/Ducati Monster or the like)
4. Dirt Bike/Endure, Maybe a KTM XC or something like that
5. I wanna have sex on you bike (For me this would be a pristine 1995 Ducati 916)
6. Adventure Bike (I'm Thinking Yamaha Super Tenere or Maybe the 1200GS)

But for now I guess it will be a F800S........but my search for the next perfect ride will continue most likely as long as I am breathing......

[Bucket69]

Not immediately, but about a half hour after I got home.

Had a small Yamaha XT350 that I used as a commuter and decided that I needed something a little bigger...in stepped the KLR. Never really looked at the options for a 90/10 road /dirt bike. Got the KLR home and was surfing for goodies and saw the v-strom and Versys. NUTS! I like the KLR but can't get the more road bikes out of my mind.

[Tuna Helper]

Back in '96 I bought a brand new Ninja 600R, rode the wheels off of it, until I got injured on a gokart and couldn't work, so I couldn't make payments and it got repo'd. Many fond memories, including riding 800 mile days in the mountains inspired me to buy a '99 CBR F4. I rode that for a few months until I couldn't take the strain on my neck and wrists, then sold it at a loss.

Still wanted a sportbike, bought a ZX14. Put risers on and rode down to the Dragon and back, some 600 miles each way. Got to the point where it was hurting my wrists, traded it in on a Road Glide.

This past week I got thinking about that old Ninja again, and found one somewhat local on craigslist. Drove an hour away and found it with the plastics off and the shift lever pivot broken off in the case. I bought it anyway, and on the way home started wondering WTF I just did. I got on ebay and spent about $1000 on parts already to make it a runner, man I hope it's worth it.