What was the worst bike you have ever owned

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I test rode a ZXR400 before I bought a GSXR400, I was disappointed with the ZXR, from what I'd read in the press I was expecting a bike with a 140mph top speed and an amazing front end where I could feel exactly what the front tyre was doing, what I rode was a bike with a flat engine that maybe if you revved it hard enough and long enough it might have scraped 140, but 135 was more realistic, and the handling was a bit meh, nothing special, the GSXR was just as fast, handled better and was more comfortable (that should probably be less uncomfortable)

[Scotsrich]

I haven’t owned a lot of bikes, usually keeping them for years so my choice is limited.

Oddly enough it would be my GSXR 750Y.

Not because it was a bad bike but it didn’t live up to my expectations.

Years ago I had a 750 SRAD which I absolutely loved. Looked great, went well and handled beautifully.

However the gearbox went and foolishly instead of fixing it I sold it cheaply.

15 years later I did what I shouldn’t have done and tried to rewind the clock so went out and bought the 750Y.

Theoretically it should have been almost identical but I suppose age must have had a lot to do with it (my age not the bikes) and I couldn’t gel with it.

I kept it a couple of years but did very few miles on it and eventually realised it was just sitting there so I got rid of it.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

GSXR750s I'd have a carbed SRAD engine in a K1-K3 chassis but with old Slingshot Nissin brake calipers

[Cousin Jack]

My worst was my first bike, a BSA C12.

Virtually every bike built since 1960 has been better than that PoS.

Apart from the lack of power, the poor handling and the shit brakes it had a few hidden mysteries - like a rear sprocket built as part of the rear wheel. Need a new chain and sprockets, that will be a new rear wheel sir. BSA "engineering" at it's best!

[The Spin Doctor]

There is a bloke with an assorted bike collection that come into my work every now and again. Last couple of time he was on a Srz. He liked the way it rode but his one was a bit of a bastard to start. He reckoned it either caught first kick or he collapsed with exhaustion if it didnt as no matter what he tried it wouldnt catch if it failed on first go

You might be thinking SRX, the SZR has a leccy boot.

Probably because I don't think Spin know which is which either as he called the SZR, SRZ

Z here, Z there... I still hated it

I never rode the SRX though I fancied one. I bought an XBR instead.

[The Spin Doctor]

There is a bloke with an assorted bike collection that come into my work every now and again. Last couple of time he was on a Srz. He liked the way it rode but his one was a bit of a bastard to start. He reckoned it either caught first kick or he collapsed with exhaustion if it didnt as no matter what he tried it wouldnt catch if it failed on first go

I borrowed a GN400 once and did what the owner said don't do. He told me not to turn it off and try to restart it a minute later, because it won't start. Of course, I did just that. I spent about 45 mins jumping up and down on that bloody kickstart.

[JackyJoll]

The 1966 Norton Jubilee 250 was a bit lacklustre.

Didn’t like the Guzzi 750 Targa either. Damned uncomfortable seat.

[Bigyin]

I borrowed a GN400 once and did what the owner said don't do. He told me not to turn it off and try to restart it a minute later, because it won't start. Of course, I did just that. I spent about 45 mins jumping up and down on that bloody kickstart.

It seems we all do things like that

I once borrowed a GPz1100 and was told to be careful with closing the throttle quickly at speed as the unitrack bearings needed changing and it gets a bit weavy. Yeah sure no problem.

Half an hour later outside lane of M8 just past Glasgow Airport towards the city at about 110 mph in outside lane and a car at about 60 mph decides for no reason, as no traffic in front of it , to move from lane 2 to 3 .....Fuuuuck. Close throttle and slam on brakes and the bars go lock to lock with me as a passenger trying to hold on. Mate behind me said there were puffs of smoke from the front tyre as it bounced off the deck from each lock slapper. and he was braking hard as he expected me to be ejected and didnt want to hit me or the bike. It eventually slowed and straightened but no idea if my rear brake input helped it or not but headed straight up the next exit and stopped in the hard shoulder to consume half a pack of cigarettes and bring my heart rate down from about 200.

would have gone viral if we had GoPro back in the day

[Trogladyte]

One of the worst bikes to ride, and one that left a very bitter taste in my mouth was a Morini 3 1/2. But it wasn't the bike's fault at all. I bought it in a box, to build for my g/f at the time. It performed dismally, but I persevered for months. It wouldn't idle and power surged alarmingly and unpredictably. And with too much throttle it would die. In retrospect it was surprising it ran at all, given that I hadn't fitted a main jet....

Eventually she did the sensible thing, and dumped me. I tried to buy the (now fixed ) Morini off her, but out of spite she refused, despite the fact shed bought a GPz305 as she struggled to start the Morini. Instead she gave it to her spawn of Satan new boyfriend. Oh joy.

[A_morti]

'98 Triumph Daytona 955i.

I bought it because it was pretty, but it never ran right in terms of fuelling (probably something wrong with the Gen1 EFi), the riding position for rider and passenger were horrible, and (if I'm excluding Honda charging systems and a chain which "only had to make it to payday" snapping) I think it is the only bike I've had break down, which was due to a broken wire crimp in the handlebar switches.

Sold it a year later for cheap because it had the big service due. Good thing I did, the bloke has a nightmare with the rear linkage bearings and not much later the starter clutch failed on him.

[G.P]

The 1966 Norton Jubilee 250 was a bit lacklustre.

Didn’t like the Guzzi 750 Targa either. Damned uncomfortable seat.

I had a Jubilee, it was an awful pile of shit!

[Rockburner]

'98 Triumph Daytona 955i.

I bought it because it was pretty, but it never ran right in terms of fuelling (probably something wrong with the Gen1 EFi), the riding position for rider and passenger were horrible, and (if I'm excluding Honda charging systems and a chain which "only had to make it to payday" snapping) I think it is the only bike I've had break down, which was due to a broken wire crimp in the handlebar switches.

Sold it a year later for cheap because it had the big service due. Good thing I did, the bloke has a nightmare with the rear linkage bearings and not much later the starter clutch failed on him.

I had Mad Liz's 955i for a short while, and I didn't get on with the riding position either.

[Mr. Dazzle]

'98 Triumph Daytona 955i.

I bought it because it was pretty, but it never ran right in terms of fuelling (probably something wrong with the Gen1 EFi), the riding position for rider and passenger were horrible, and (if I'm excluding Honda charging systems and a chain which "only had to make it to payday" snapping) I think it is the only bike I've had break down, which was due to a broken wire crimp in the handlebar switches.

Sold it a year later for cheap because it had the big service due. Good thing I did, the bloke has a nightmare with the rear linkage bearings and not much later the starter clutch failed on him.

As you know, I've had the same era Speed Triple for donkeys...I've never had a major issue with it! Well, except for the time it shat its gearbox, but that was under warranty and doesn't count

I think more than anything that demonstrates the variability between both people and bikes.

[A_morti]

As you know, I've had the same era Speed Triple for donkeys...I've never had a major issue with it!

I think more than anything that demonstrates the variability between both people and bikes.

ofc your Speed Triple doesn't have low clip-ons.
If the Daytona riding position had been like my same-era Fireblade, I might have stuck with it just because of how pretty it was.
I once changed the plugs hoping it might help, it didn't, but I had the thought that one of the coils looked a bit duff. Changing one or more of those might have sorted the running issues, or it might have been something else. I never did it though, partly because of what a shit job it is dismantling the bike to get to that point, compared to e.g. the Fireblade I'd had before. Want to change the plugs? First remove the rear seat
Suspension linkage issue is well-documented. If you did it on the small service rather than the big service, it'd probably be fine.

Nothing insurmountable, I just hated mine, especially compared to the Fireblade I'd had before it.
It actually made me miss the XJ600S I traded in to buy it.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah plugs ill grant you, it's the coil on plug design that makes it a problem. I would guess most modern bikes have em now though?

Rear linkage I've so far gotten away with, but only cause the swingarm bearings were starting to get notchy and were an MOT advisory. I had to take it all apart to do that...

[The Spin Doctor]

'98 Triumph Daytona 955i.

I bought it because it was pretty, but it never ran right in terms of fuelling (probably something wrong with the Gen1 EFi), the riding position for rider and passenger were horrible, and (if I'm excluding Honda charging systems and a chain which "only had to make it to payday" snapping) I think it is the only bike I've had break down, which was due to a broken wire crimp in the handlebar switches.

Sold it a year later for cheap because it had the big service due. Good thing I did, the bloke has a nightmare with the rear linkage bearings and not much later the starter clutch failed on him.

I had Mad Liz's 955i for a short while, and I didn't get on with the riding position either.

I swapped bikes one day, my 92 GSX-R for a nearly new 955i... loved the motor, hated the riding position. He got off my Gixxer and said "isn't it tiny? And you have to rev the nuts off it". Tiny wasn't a word I would have used about the WN but the riding position was fairly compact compared with the long stretch over the tank to the Triumph's bars. Revvy? Definitely. A previous owner had thought a Dynojet kit and tune was a good idea... it wouldn't pull below 3k, did nothing under 5k, woke up a bit around 7, and went beserk at 9. Not ideal on twisty wet hairpins!

I heard about problems with the head bearings fretting in the frame and also wheel bearings going on that generation of Triumphs.

[Funners]

The worst bike I've ever owned was a CCM 350 Enduro model....it was insanely tall, the front forks leaked for england, drum brakes that worked when they felt like it and not at all after a water crossing, the 2T rotax motor it was blessed with was fine but the gearbox, dear god, the first three gears were trials gearing, about 5mph flat in 1st, 10mph in 2nd and about 15mph in 3rd...then a HUGE jump to 4th where if you werent flat in 3rd before changing it would bog horribly and refuse to pull and if you got it going it would do nearly 80mph in top....and was proably one of the nastiest handling off road bikes I've ever ridden, proper CCM electrics with the shittest switch gear on the planet fitted, you never knew if you were going to ride it back or van it back.....
combined gear lever/kick start shaft, chain run on the wrong side, LH kick...and that lovely faded plastic red colour all over, I managed about 9 months with it before moving it on....didnt miss it even a little bit

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I swapped bikes one day, my 92 GSX-R for a nearly new 955i... loved the motor, hated the riding position. He got off my Gixxer and said "isn't it tiny? And you have to rev the nuts off it". Tiny wasn't a word I would have used about the WN but the riding position was fairly compact compared with the long stretch over the tank to the Triumph's bars.

I thought the WN felt like a big barge when I rode one, I had a 1985 GSXR750 at the time, I later had a 1989 Slingshot and that felt cramped and small compared with the Slabby.

[The Spin Doctor]

I swapped bikes one day, my 92 GSX-R for a nearly new 955i... loved the motor, hated the riding position. He got off my Gixxer and said "isn't it tiny? And you have to rev the nuts off it". Tiny wasn't a word I would have used about the WN but the riding position was fairly compact compared with the long stretch over the tank to the Triumph's bars.

I thought the WN felt like a big barge when I rode one, I had a 1985 GSXR750 at the time, I later had a 1989 Slingshot and that felt cramped and small compared with the Slabby.

It certainly liked "follow the road ahead" as an option as opposed to "take the next turning on right / left".

I remember chasing a pair of very good lady riders up a wet mountain in Austria, one on a Transalp, the other on an NVT600. Although I had about 60hp more than either of them I was totally cream-cracked by the top.

[EDIT] It could also explain why Witham threw that year's model into the scenery so often. I remember him having a HUGE crash at the Gooseneck right in front of me when I was spectating at Cadwell. [/EDIT]

[A_morti]

Yeah plugs ill grant you, it's the coil on plug design that makes it a problem. I would guess most modern bikes have em now though?

If I recall... the procedure for changing plugs was to remove the rear seat, front seat, rear cowl, tank front cowl, tank (including those pissy connectors that love to snap or leak), thermostat and unceremoniously shove it to the side, airbox off (not 100% that was necessary actually?), coils off, plugs out, reverse procedure. That took literally dozens of screws to do, not to mention wangling the tank, which is probably stretched due to ethanol in fuel, back on.

By comparison, the procedure for changing plugs on the XJ600S procedure was: plugs out, reverse procedure.

Similarly, rear linkage maintenance on the 955i started with removing the exhaust because the bolt was put in from the other side than it should've been and usually needed some kind of slide hammer to remove the bearing sleeve which sits direct in the road spray, whereas the XJ600S didn't even have a linkage to go wrong.