What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Anything you like about motorbikes
User avatar
weeksy
Site Admin
Posts: 26931
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
Has thanked: 6125 times
Been thanked: 15488 times

What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by weeksy »

Mine has to be a CCM scrambler thing I tried once from a mate of @G.P and @IanB

It was so so bad it defied words!

I honestly thought it was going to kill me.

That said, that BMW R1200 wasn't much better last week, I am still not convinced there isn't something wrong with it.
User avatar
KungFooBob
Posts: 17501
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
Has thanked: 627 times
Been thanked: 9495 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by KungFooBob »

Pretty much everything I've ridden has had at least one redeeming feature.

So I'll go with the most unreliable bike I've ridden.

A Suzuki GP100 I used to commute when I was 17. it cost £300 and would nip up at least once a week (be fine once you let it cool down).
User avatar
Count Steer
Posts: 15906
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 8035 times
Been thanked: 5693 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Count Steer »

Probably a BSA A7 but for sheer disappointment (having bought it) BMW GS800. It's even boring to write about..zzzzzzzzzz...engine was the most characterless thing ever, ABS was operated by evil spirits. Meh.
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3297
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 979 times
Been thanked: 1858 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by wull »

KTM 950sm, hated the thing.
Beancounter
Posts: 1126
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:20 pm
Has thanked: 3126 times
Been thanked: 684 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Beancounter »

Suzuki Burgman. Sorry @maccecht
Supermofo
Posts: 5966
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 5954 times
Been thanked: 3572 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Supermofo »

A TDM 850 my Dad test rode with a view to buying. He bought it home for me to try as he didn't think it was right. It lasted about 1/2 mile before I came back. It rode like it was bent in the middle. But that's just that one example I hope.

Other than that....Ducati 1000SS. Just rode odd
Beancounter
Posts: 1126
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:20 pm
Has thanked: 3126 times
Been thanked: 684 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Beancounter »

Supermofo wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:36 pm A TDM 850 my Dad test rode with a view to buying. He bought it home for me to try as he didn't think it was right. It lasted about 1/2 mile before I came back. It rode like it was bent in the middle. But that's just that one example I hope.
Actually, one of my favourite bikes was my first TDM850 and one of the worst was the TDM850 that replaced the first one when I killed it.
User avatar
weeksy
Site Admin
Posts: 26931
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
Has thanked: 6125 times
Been thanked: 15488 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by weeksy »

Wasn't Merv our resident expert on these? Wonder if he's still kicking about in the world?
User avatar
dern
Posts: 2538
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:51 am
Has thanked: 1183 times
Been thanked: 2277 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by dern »

wull wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:13 pm KTM 950sm, hated the thing.
Really? What didn’t you like about it?
User avatar
KungFooBob
Posts: 17501
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
Has thanked: 627 times
Been thanked: 9495 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by KungFooBob »

dern wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:59 pm
wull wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:13 pm KTM 950sm, hated the thing.
Really? What didn’t you like about it?
Yeah, I rode one once and it was brilliant. I didn't buy one because I'd have been dead or in prison within 6 months.
User avatar
dern
Posts: 2538
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:51 am
Has thanked: 1183 times
Been thanked: 2277 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by dern »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:01 pm
dern wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:59 pm
wull wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:13 pm KTM 950sm, hated the thing.
Really? What didn’t you like about it?
Yeah, I rode one once and it was brilliant. I didn't buy one because I'd have been dead or in prison within 6 months.
I’ve got one. It’s pretty sketchy but hilarious at the same time.
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3297
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 979 times
Been thanked: 1858 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by wull »

Just not my kind of thing, dead or in prison 😂
User avatar
dern
Posts: 2538
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:51 am
Has thanked: 1183 times
Been thanked: 2277 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by dern »

Honda blackbird. Bought it thinking it would be amazing but was disappointed. Steered slowly and felt bus like. Dropped the front, lifted the back and put stronger springs in and was better but still not great. Sold it soon after.
User avatar
Felix
Posts: 5237
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2021 12:34 am
Has thanked: 714 times
Been thanked: 2038 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Felix »

Heather Wallace. Munter gave crabs.
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3297
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 979 times
Been thanked: 1858 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by wull »

Felix wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:55 pm Heather Wallace. Munter gave crabs.

:lol:
User avatar
dern
Posts: 2538
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:51 am
Has thanked: 1183 times
Been thanked: 2277 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by dern »

Ha ha
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 12161
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: On the road to nowhere
Has thanked: 602 times
Been thanked: 4528 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

1980 Yamaha SR250, slow, shit handling, and just to top it off, rubber mounted handlebars.
User avatar
Rockburner
Posts: 6033
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:06 am
Location: Hiding in your blind spot
Has thanked: 10959 times
Been thanked: 3995 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Rockburner »

CCM Spitfire (if that's what it was), was like trying to ride a road-drill mounted in a bmx frame.

Once had a FZR400 presented for MOT when i was working in a bike shop, i was told to ride it to the MOT center and turned around after 100 yards..... The steering head bearings were so shot it actually wouldn't steer. Fuck knows how the owner actually got it to the shop in the first place.
non quod, sed quomodo
User avatar
Horse
Posts: 14226
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:30 am
Location: Always sunny southern England
Has thanked: 7618 times
Been thanked: 5929 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Horse »

weeksy wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 9:40 pm That said, that BMW R1200 wasn't much better last week, I am still not convinced there isn't something wrong with it.
Wasn't the concensus that the tyre pressures were probably too low and causing the handling problems?


Anyway, back OT, two: a Honda 125 trials bike with a bent frame and my sister's Twiggymobile Honda 50.

The 50 was not only horrible but scary too - going along the A30 at 28mph with artics thundering by.
Last edited by Horse on Sat Dec 25, 2021 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Even bland can be a type of character :wave:
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 12161
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: On the road to nowhere
Has thanked: 602 times
Been thanked: 4528 times

Re: What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I had a Slingshot GSXR750 that did that over winter (the bearings rusted up in a garage) I didn't know until I got the first roundabout, it wasn't that bad to ride once you got to a reasonable speed, I had to ride it to the dealers to get the bearings changed.
Post Reply