this time we ask what was your worst bike and why ? It is a very personnel thing can depend on a number of factors that sometimes say more about the rider than the bike itself
A Harley Sportster 883. I was talked into buying it a few years back; told they must be better nowadays. Nope. I had to fit standard exhausts, it made a GS750 I used to have with an Alpha race pipe seem quiet. It handled slightly better than a shagged out CX500. It 'performed' way worse than a KLE500 I had owned. It had shiny stuff I thought was chrome, but was actually a magic rust producing material. Admittedly it didn't leak oil like my old Triumphs, but at least they didn't rust at the rear end. I could go on much more, but it may trigger my post-Harley PSTD.
@@bikerdood1100 I owned a 350 triple for a very short period of time, but I loved it. It was ridiculously lightweight, and fast, and loved to wheelie - so much fun to ride.
My worst bike was a BSA D175 Bushman - a sort of Bantam trials bike with a high level exhaust. The electrics were awful - Wico-Pacy - it just cut out on 4 pole ignition, only running on 6 pole emergency setting - plug oiled up regularly and the exhaust needed cleaning as it got so coked up so quickly - it looked great, but max speed was about 65 mph, lots of vibes and bolts came unscrewed - bought it for £150, sold it for £100 - traded in for an MZ TS 250/1 - what a motor - torquey, enclosed chain, pillion suspension adjusters built in, superb paint job, but lethal front brake!
I used a Bantam in Pre-65 trials. It had a D5 frame and a D175 front fork. The engine and gearbox were a mixture of every thing from 1948 to 1968! It was quite competitive but I wasn't! I sold it when I was unemployed.
From south africa....Kawa 750 triple.... man, that thing had a frame made of spaghetti noodles. Going into a corner I knew exactly where I was. However, Coming out of a corner was anybodies guess where you where going .... hated that thing 😒
Mine was a new 1968 Harley Davidson Sportster XLCH. It was kick start only and would take 15+ minutes of intermittent kicking to start when cold. The dry clutches were replaced twice under warranty because of a poorly designed oil seal. I finally installed a Barnett wet clutch kit. It was a blessing when it was stolen.
I owned a BMW K75C for a number of years. It was mainly used for commuting in Houston, Texas.. There was nothing actually wrong with it, but it was simply not as much fun as other bikes I have owned. My biggest gripe was that it seemed heavy and I always felt that I was having to manhandle it around corners. I traded it in for a Triumph Sprint, which put a smile on my face when I rode it.
@@dnswhh7382 I’m not hating on the K Bikes. Just make sure that when the main seals are good, that they told you true. My K1200RS disaster was because of seal failure. I’m done with K bikes. Riding 79 Triumph, Kawasaki KZ1000, Moto Guzzi now!
Same here! K75c the dullest bike ever, the only bike to make me choose the shortest route to get the journey over with. And yet it wasn’t objectively a bad bike.
I have enjoyed every motorcycle that I have owned since 1971. Some broke down, some used loads of fuel but all of them, seven in total, were lots of fun.
Suzuki GT380, bloody awful thing, heavy, gutless, handled like a drunken jellyfish, points needed adjusting every 300 miles, did about 22mpg and flat out at 85mph. Also ate chains, plugs and bulbs.
Mine would burn a hole in the middle piston. After replacing the piston for the 3rd time I quickly got rid of it. For sure the worst bike I ever owned.
Same for the majority of Suzuki 2 strokes, I'd say my GT750 Kettle behaved in much the same way i.e slow, drank fuel and seized on the middle piston. It was a toss up between my Honda cb900F and the Suzuki GT750 for my worst bike.
BMW R1200GS, 5 FUEL LEVEL SENSORS FAILED, FUEL PUMP REGULATOR FAILED, REAR DISC MOUNT REPLACED UNDER CALL BACK, REAR BRAKE LINE REPLACED UNDER CALL BACK, IWS IMMOBILIZER REPLACED UNDER CALL BACK, CRACK AROUND FUEL PUMP REGULATOR, BATTERY FAILURE RESULTING IN BIKE SHUT DOWN ( ON THE WAY TO FRANCE), FUEL PUMP FAILURE IN THE DALES ( IN THE BACK OF A BREAKDOWN VAN AGAIN) ...ABS MODULATOR PUMP FAILURE (£1000.00). BMW, NEVER AGAIN...!!!!! OVERPRICED / HYPED CRAP...! REPLACED WITH A HONDA...😁
Honda cb125s kept braking .sold it i bought a rd 200dx that was some machine fast as most 250 of the time.my choice today the excellant triumph speedtriple perfection of a bike
Probably a K100. Tall, narrow bars, top heavy and I never enjoyed riding it. A colleague had owned one years before, and when I complemented him on it he said he didn't like it. He liked his previous and subsequent boxers, but not the K. I shared his doubts, in fact I don't really like BMWs.
I've had two duds, a year old 1978 DT175, first bike after my fizzie Max speed 55mph, bike couldn't sort it out, also had lots of electrical faults. Traded it in for a brand new 1979 Suzuki GT250 X7. In 81 bought a 3 year old Yamaha XT500, loved it but wanted a more ride focused bike, got 2 year old Yamaha SR500, basically it was crap. Then bought best bike, a year old GS750EN 👍 PS, I agree about BMW boxer engines..🤮
Think mine must be the Suzuki gt550 triple, paid £300 for it, get to 50mph then the speedo would jump to the stop, vibrated like like a washing machine full of bricks, did 16 mpg if i was lucky, brakes well you don't need them so Suzuki didn't bother & then the handling it had the gound clearance of an f1 car so sparks galore, the springs in the suspension came from a grandfather clock & the geometry set up of a broken tea trolley but i see them for sale now & think i wish i had just left it in the shed.
I hate the BMW K1200RS and all K bikes in general. They have no soul and it feels like the motor belongs in a car. Mine broke down on me in a Landscape like the Forbidden Zone Planet of the Apes movies. The main seal failed big time and no doubt ruined the splines ,clutch. Supposedly , the bike had the seal replaced once and 50 K miles. I was so mad I pulled the battery and tool kit and left a note on it saying free bike
It has to be my 1979 Triumph Bonneville T140E. From brand new, it smoked like a beagle and always needed masses of spannering of a weekend, to get it through the next week. It siezed, vibrated, snapped the chain, and refused to run on 2 cylinders, necessitating the purchase of a brand-new Anal carburettor. It really was mediocre and I traded the wretched thing in for a Moto Guzzi V50 Monza, which was utterly reliable and needed nothing more than regular servicing.
Honda FT500 only slightly better then walking with blisters. If anyone defends this bike beware they probably have one they wish to sell. Bikes and beards on UA-cam recently found one still boxed, there's a reason it was still unboxed, and it should have stayed boxed.
I loved my FT500 but I didn't try to get in a hurry. Also the electric starter was a Mikey Mouse affair. It would have been better if they had kept the kick start but the frame design just didn't allow it.
Easily the worst for me was a CB250 K4 I owned in the early 80s, when I was a dispatch rider. Should have been ideal, but was dog slow, awful brakes and handled like a plank of wood. Got a Suzuki GT250 instead - much better (although I rode it into the ground eventually).
I have a CB250K4 racer. All welded frame, not only spot welded. Stiffer swing arm mount. Longer swing arm. Slightly adjusted steering angle. Disc brake front. Handles and brakes well. Son has a couple of wins on it. Though a lot of work needed to make a good bike of them.
Oh and a late 1990s 750 Laverda twin caught fire in the Blackfriers underpass in the rush our cause grid lock. It only had a few thousand miles on the clock.
BSA Starefire 250cc It spent more time off the road than on the spares were expensive and in most cases unavailable. The kick back from the ‘automatically’ advanced timing was like a back kick from a drey horse! The electrics were rubbish in the rain and several zener diods burnt out with no replacements being made. It was less than 3 years old Oh listen it was a nightmare e the v5 and workshop manual I managed to nurse it to 12000 miles and scrapped it due to no parts to keep it roadworthy It was rubbish I still have the V5 and handbook
Well. I've owned a total of four, and three are in the garage now, so it has to be my first bike, a 1971 Rapido (125cc two stroke), built by Aermacchi and badged as a Harley here in the US. Supposed dual-purpose bike, had an interesting setup for off-road use, a second rear sprocket that you unbolted from its "road" position, then rotated and slid into place and re-bolted in line with the smaller road sprocket, came with an extra length of chain you'd clip in and off you go. Broke the seat pan jumping it one day, the rear fender cracked through also, and then of course there was the day I stopped for gas and couldn't start it again, finally found out the coil had gone bad. Of course the real capper was the day a friend was riding it (thankfully I already had my Yamaha TX500 or I'd have been really upset), I got to our planned destination and nobody else arrived, so I backtracked and found the others by the side of the road. For some unknown reason, the alternator rotor had fragged, tore out a chunk of the cylinder fins, blew off most of the left side case cover, and punched a hole into the crankcase. Somehow the guy riding it at the time wasn't hit by any of the pieces.
Well hardly we had a Tiger 750 which I’d have to say overall was pretty good One break down in five years was a duff alternator on the first ride out After that nothing else went wrong
@@bikerdood1100 It was a late production 850 with electric start and left foot shift. Pretty low mileage, as I owned it 47 years ago. Hard to start, easy to stop, starter would not turn the engine over with a fresh charge on a new battery. Nothing seemed to work very well, like it was in need of an overhaul right out of the box. Maybe the earlier ones were better?
Amen brother. Had always fancied one and ended up buying a dog with a nicely painted tank and handing it over to a specialist to fettle it. Paid over the odds for it and then spent thousands more trying to get it to run and ride properly and, on the few occasions when it would start and I was able to get it out on the road, it was just like riding a plank. Looked great though.
Honda 250 super dream (wet dream) hot, cold, wet & dry weather it cut out & would not start for at least 10 mins. Hence I only had it for a short while
I owned two 1967 Triumph Bonnie's in the 1970s. One was the one I still have the occasional nightmares about. The other one I would buy back again if it still exists.
Without a doubt a Ducati 450 Desmo, that I owned in the early 80s. It was only 7 years old but I can't remember many rides where it didn't break down or something vibrate loose, and it wasn't even very fast. It was pretty though.
@@basilwatson1 Yup, the electronic ignition was one of the many things that failed on mine, along with clutch falling off because the center nut undid itself, alternator rotor coming loose and chewing up it's taper. No doubt some preventive maintenance was lacking, or someone incompetent had been in there. I did enjoy riding it on the few occasions it didn't let me down. To think I sold my, less than a year old, 350 lc to buy it!
Owned a '78 (I think) Yamaha XS250, it was a good looking bike & was the first bike I'd owned with cast wheels, everything worked as it should but the engine was so gutless, I sold it within a few months.
Yep my worst bike was the XS250. Looked nice, heavy slow and mine was terrible at starting. I changed quickly to an RD250LC. What an incredible difference! That was back in 81
@Free_Ranger_CT110 I can still remember the first ride on the LC. It cleared it's throat, blue smoke, then set off like a scalded cat. A rocket ship compared to the XS.
@@Banditmanuk I too had starting issues with mine. Brand new! Spent most of its time at the dealer, they got to experience the issue first hand but never were able to cure it... it got traded in fairly rapidly also, as you'd expect 🙂
@@bikerdood1100 Hence the Arrow, which had most of the ironmongery stripped away. The Arrow could be pushed up to around 80 but the Leader was limited to about 60
I don't think I ever had a bad bike.. had a bit of a dog of an RD250lc.. great bike, but it had been badly looked after and thrashed by the time I got it..and if i'm honest.. I probably added to that.. it did have a tendancy to suddenly die in the wet.. usually at the worst possible moment.. then cut in hit the power band and takeoff again when you weren't expecting it. I had a jelly mould CBR600F.. I did love it.. yep I agree about handling two up.. the rear shock was pretty crap and mine only had preload.and no damping adjustment..and the damping was just not great. the only thing I could dowas stick preload on max to sttop it wanting to wallow a bit in long fast turns.. But over all, I thought it handled ok, especially when i ditched the OE michy's and put on some dunlop sports max.and disabled the antidive by blanking off where the piston went into the fork leg.. then just ran some thicker oil in the fork and stock some big washers in to increase the front preload.. turned really nicely.. The thing with the CBR was it wasn't the best engine in class or braking or handling, but I thought it all worked well together. Yeah maintainace wasn't the best.. the front caliper bolts siezed and eventually stripped the threads on the bolt head ..so I just put bolts straight through with a nylock nut on the back... I did have many happy memories on that one.
Well like I said in the introduction there can be many reasons a bike can be bad and it’s often not a fault of design Previous owners have a lot to answer for
69 suzuki 250 savage 260 dry weight ran ama 3hr hare scramble got smacked in the back promptly fell over got back up went shift the shifter was sheard right off at the case all that 23 horse power could not help me the seat was good though
A brilliant vid & comments. Some so called cult classics getting right royally pulled apart. Moral of the story? Don’t believe everything you read in a classic bike mag. Lol
@@bikerdood1100 yes previous owner could be a big part. I would guess the large number of jap bikes is down to the age of commenters who have only had jap bikes, myself included apart from the cz175 & current Interceptor 650. But great to read about.👍
Im 80. Worst bike was aMatchless G9. Gutless. Prone to throwing a rod. Best bike was a Yamahe FJR1300. Did 200.000 lms on that over 9 years. Great torque. Great seat and ergonomics. Did 1000 kms one day not using an autobahn. Current bike a Street triple is v.good too.
@@bikerdood1100 I bet...Now i have owned a 1971 HD SR100cc Baja w/ Light Kit , Never a problem peeky power but manage to put down 15 HP, good for a 100cc ..Thanks for a reply , have a super day
As a 65 year old American I've had some Yamahas! A 73 175 Enduro, a73 RD 350, a 82 XJ 750 Maxim! Loved all of them! Never had a bike I hated because I won't buy any Harley! You know the saying Harley Davison All Thunder No Lightning! Lol
EASY!!! 1972 Harley Daavidson Super Glide...complete piece of sh*t, vibrated something awful, parts kept falling off (see vibration), the electrics didn't work when it was humid (much less raining), and a healthy 350 two-stroke would run off and hide from it (even in a straight line). But the paintwork and chrome were quite good...
I've never had a bad bike but my 71 CB350 twin didn't run right from new. I bought it in 2000 and spent 20 years sorting it. Ends up some of those carbs were bad new. After replacing those and everything else I have done to it, it is now a real pleasure to ride and a beast for it's type of bike!
My worst bike? it depends on what you want to call a bad bike as all my bikes did exactly what they were built to do to the standard they were supposed to do it to. If I had to name one it would be my Yamaha DT125LC but only because it was a heap when I bought it (money was tight and it was available!..) It had been a field bike and the electrics were dodgy at best especially when on a dark ride back home to london from Cambridge the headlights failed, and all the others too leaving me dark on unlit roads wondering what just happened. I managed to coax the rear and sidelights back to life and continued home. The carb had also been messed around with and took a bit of work to get properly rideable. I didnt have it long!. My honarable mention might come as a surprise to some, but it was my ST1100 pan european but only because it was so heavy! lovely bike to ride but if I ever dropped it i'd never get back up again without a crane.
My first bike was a similar story Dodgy regulator had me blowing bulbs and pushing it home I often replect on this when someone tries tell how unreliable my very dependable old BSA is Such is like
Yamaha XT500, the only bike I bought new. Was expecting so much more but it felt bland and if it didn't start on the first kick it just wouldn't start until you waited a while. Was keen on buying a black BMW R80 back in the 80's and going all Teutonic and exclusive. Rode down to the shop on my Suzuki RG250 and took it for a test ride. Couldn't believe how bland the R80 was! Hardly a good comparison I guess but I loved that little rice burner two stroke.
@@bikerdood1100 absolutely! That was in 1970, 67 motorcycles later, I’m still riding, just got home from 50 mile ride on my Z900RS, I have 7 other motorcycles, including 3 Kawasaki 2stroke triples and a 1966 T120TT. All riders but the TT, It’s in pieces but I just got the motor halves together. I’m looking forward to riding this one. If I can mentally switch the rear brake and the shifter.
Looks like Dave, (@7:13), is sitting on my current nightmare, a '95 Triumph Sprint 900 that's been sitting untouched for 2 1/2 years with a blown head gasket. That's after the year before spending over AUD$2200 on getting the starter sprag clutch replaced at the local Triumph agents w/shop (N.W. Motorcycles, Ulverstone, Tassie) and then a further AUD$650 at another shop to get the cam timing and carb tuning changed back to what it was before it went to the first shop, (where it had actually been returned a further two times to fix their other phukups). That, plus issues with ignition coils and dodgy wiring into the ignition switch and something weird with the front brakes, has really put me off as far as getting it repaired or ever getting another Triumph. My fave rides of all time were my Mk2 LeMans purchased new in '79. Apart from some dodgy Italian electrics, (thankfully I work in the electrical field), it put a smile on my dial every time I rode it. Other fave was an '85 GSX750SE Katana with the pop-up headlight.
Hi, my wost bike ever by a long thing was a Fracis Barnet 150, it was so bad the crankcase actualy slit in half one dark night in the rain, mind you I am going back to the mid sixties!!
Every Ducati I've owned, were the worse bikes on my list. None of them were 100% reliable, all of them liked vibrating components loose and the fit and finish wasn't great! I probably won't bother with another Ducati...
Observation: Some bikes mentioned here actually have an excellent reputation. But if you have the bad luck to hit on one produced on a Monday nothing helps. So please don’t make me repeat my Honda NT650 horrors. Or does the question also cover individually possessed / cursed bikes as well. ☺
That Beemer is smack out of the time that existing designs where being tuned in crazy ways to make them meet environmental demands. And as far as BMW reliability goes: 🤣🤣🤣The new GS1300 already has 2 major issues. One is that it tends to set itself on fire. The other is that all the factory luggage boxes tend to fall off. Owner Beta-testing is what I call it.
My worst bike was a 1976 Yamaha RD250. Forks were terrible, independent leg flex which gave a tankslapper at 80mph. Honorary mention. Yamaha Neos 100. Suspension so hard felt like a 125 GP bike.
Geordie from Cape Town. Suzuki T500 twin 2 stroke, bad vibration, underpowered, struggled to get near 100mph on a DOWNHILL. My 350cc Suzuki twin 2 stroke was faster, smoother and more nimble.
I have owned 5. 1st, 1978 Suzuki A100. It was reliable, just VERY slow. 2nd: Honda CD200 Benly, the later 12v model. Reliable but really suffered from carb-icing in cold/damp UK winters. 3rd: a Suzuki of unknown model. The front brake caliper did not self adjust, the fuel tap leaked, and it filled the sump with petrol. This would be the worst, but mostly down to age at the time, and my inability to afford to look after it properly. Then a bit gap a couple of decades, mortgage. Bills. 4th, - Suzuki Gw250. Reliable, reasonable performance, but a commuter. Winter Transport. 5th. 1998 GSF600. Now that my mortgage is paid off I can have a nice bike, and can afford to look after it. Finally some decent performance, good looks, and after some remedial care reliability. This would be the best.
2020 KTM 1290 SA. It sounded like a lawn mower with the stock silencer and little better with a fruitier pipe. The build quality was patchy, the electrics brittle with a stator burning out and I just didn’t bond with it. The power delivery was brutal and the handling excellent however. An appalling seat that rivalled my FZ750 from 25 years back for wriggling discomfort after an hour. Miserable buffeting too. Honourable mention? Yamaha RD350YPVS. It was brilliant when it ran properly but that was rare. Not the bikes fault, it was a bad example that I didn’t have the money to fix up properly. I pushed that bike a long, long way.
I had two atrocious bikes - 750 GT Ducati, and a BMW R100GS. Both were chronically unreliable and very poorly finished. Disgraceful, you could say. I've had a better run from my classic 1970 BSA A50, and that has its moments!
06 Harley Dyna Street Bob. Nice looker. That’s it. All of the cliches you hear about Harley’s comically bad reliability? All true. This was an 06, so not an “early” twin cam 88, but an early Cruise Drive 6-speed. Had a recall for a bad primary, and a defective battery cover (?!) that caused arching and fried the terminals. These are things the Japanese manufacturers just don’t get wrong, and Harley has been churning out these turds for over a century, folks snapping em up as fast as they can build em. Call me “one and done”: won’t be buying HD again in this lifetime!
Saw an interesting video from a Harley mechanical who said although it would be unpopular but the sportsters are HDs most reliable bikes Wether that’s saying much is of course another thing
Yamaha XV750 special one of the most uncomfortable bikes I have EVER owned, and the best bike(s) I have ever owned well it's a toss up between Yamaha FJ1200 or a Suzuki GS850.
If not the worst bike, the most inappropriate I ever had was a full power 1200 V Max. Inappropriate because we were living in Hong Kong and my wife and I used it to commute to the offices we worked in. Horrendous traffic and narrow bendy roads. I used to arrive at work a sweaty mess and my wife would be a gibbering wreck. Great at traffic light drag races though😁😁. Didn't keep it long.
Suzuki GSX400 - not the R version. Not necessarily the bikes fault, I think I just bought a complete dud. Kept leaking oil from the sump area - turned out to be a hairline crack. Little by little, the faults kept coming. Sold it for scrap. Now own a Suki GSX-S750, which is probably one of the best bikes i've owned. Superb machine
The previous owners can have a lot to answer at times I do remember them, a friend had one, they had a reputation for the valves sinking into the head on abused examples
The 250cc MZ, 2-stoke! This bike would tick over: pop, bang, pop, at a junction. Then when you were ready to pull out onto the main road, the engine had disided to run itself backwards, # @ ?!? 😵💫. So, you then, stall the engine, and restart it. As if nothing happened, off we go again. Of course, it had to go, what a weirdo bike. 🤪🙃😁
1942 Harley Davidson WLA 45. My lawnmower is more sophisticated. What was I thinking 🤣 I found my Z1 handled like a drunk warthog too. Very powerful in it's day but terrifying flat out. And thatvwas with brand new rear shocks and forks rebuilt with new bushes, stanchions, seals and oil!
After my 1 month old Kawasaki 1989 KMX 200 was stolen, the insurance company paid out & I used the money as a large deposit on a new Kawasaki 1990 KLR 250. It was was so underpowered & heavy. It kept cutting out due to the Carburetter freezing on cold damp Welsh mornings. Complete disaster of a bike.
Easy! A 1980 BMW R100RS. It was useless. Slow, gutless, uncomfortable, no character, lousy brakes, and beyond merely unreliable. on one occasion, that useless heap managed to do only four hundred yards from a repair to a totally unrelated breakdown. When it ran properly (after a year of expensive messing about) I hated it. I would take some persuading to buy another BMW. It was the nearest that I have ever been to giving up bikes.
2004 Triumph Bonneville T100 790cc. Heavy, numb, ran too lean at the bottom end, gearing too low, I was always feeling for a higher gear at speeds over 50mph, the seat was a plank, unbearable after 15 minutes, too much chrome to keep clean, peashooter exhausts too quiet, the riding position gave me back ache and I always worried about having a puncture in tubed tyres. The bike was a nostalgia purchase after swallowing hype about the legendary Bonneville.
In truth the original was a very different beast Certainly more humble for its time Triumph aimed the bike squarely at the HD sportster and it shows in the slow steering and bulk
The worst electrics on a bike is the one I own now(had it for a year). I’ve wanted a XRV750 for years,it’s had new cdi unit,4 new relays and burnt rectifier connector. It’s only done 30,000 miles. I’m hoping there’s no more breakdowns for a while!
Reading through the comments no mention of 1971 Yamaha tx750. You guys have nothing to complain about if you didn’t own one, consistently outperformed the Brit bikes on breakdowns.
Suzuki GS 850, shaft driven pig of a bike, scared the crap out of me leaning into corners because it felt like it wouldn't stand up again, stalled several times in the cold coming up to junctions causing a terrifying locked up back wheel experience. Glad to see the back of it but felt guilty as some 20 year old came to pick it up and was going to ride it 60 miles home.
Hands down my Harleys, great looking, at times great sounding but sh1t motorcycles. Imagine buying a "premium" car and being told "you'll have to change the seat, exhaust, air filter, get a tune and upgrade the suspension to make it an average car" you'd tell them to FRO!
Kawasaki Gpz 750 turbo , I bought it second hand but it tracked in ruts and was unstable changing lanes on the motorway which seemed strange as I’d owned a Gpz 1100 and 900r with no problems.
Worst bike? 2006 Triumph Daytona 675. The paperwork that came with the bike showed a replacement engine within the first 3000 miles. I had the alarm go mad and wouldn't stop hollering (at night at a B&B in Wales), the exhaust flapper valve seized (replaced by Triumph even though out of warranty) and the final straw was the rec/reg burnt out. Best bike? 1986 BMW K100RS Special or my current T reg Daytona 955i. Love your content, keep it up! Alan Roberts
A CB125 leant while my Yam was being repaired was a pig. No doubt thrashed by numerous users, compression was notional, the frame so out of line it might have stood up on its own, leaked from every orifice and some places without one, and the clutch almost needed mole grips to deploy. Somehow this beast kept going, at 35mph admittedly, earning a grudging admiration. The clutch caused carpel tunnel pain so bad it kept me awake at night. Reading this thread bikers are clearly masochists.
Hi again. On this subject of the ‘ worst bike’ I would recommend you try two different methods of determining the answer. Firstly and without the aid of any written list pull a victim out of your past.The comparative method is then to write each bike you have owned or ridden enough to make a judgement, each on a single slip of paper and then place each down on a tabletop and with each additional bike placed in position relative to the bikes already positioned. I saw this latter method on the U tube show by Zac Courts called ‘Daily rider’. I found that you tend to come up with a different answer. What you are doing is removing the inherent ‘hate’ bias in your decision making process that draw you to an immediate answer. I have always said that the quality of a person should be judged by the compromises that they make in life but maybe now having given it a little thought maybe we should be judged by the motorcycles we buy. I can’t help but think this is right every time I see eight guys in clean riding gear on tippy toes on a camber outside a cafe trying to manoeuvre their R1250s or seeing a guy with ape hanger bars trying to counter steer half a ton quickly when trying to avoid a car pulling out or a kangaroo bouncing onto the road. Probably just as good a yardstick as any and probably with more laughs along the way. When I tried it the question kept coming up, ‘What was I thinking?!?!?
Seems rather lengthy when I can easily remember the misery of the Honda No analysis required All bikes required some compromise, some required too dam much Simple really The dangers over over analysing
My GS 550 Suzuki. Nice bike to ride but 45 MPG and the exhausts rotted through just after the guarantee ran out. The first gear was far too low, so you had to be careful pulling away on wet roads or a loose surface
A free Harley Davidson Electraglide Ultraclassic. I was appreciative of the donation but it was a complete basket case and with my limited skills and experience I just had to part with it. Now have a Honda.
1980 single front disc CX 500. I don't think the engine had a truly circular bearing in it. I spent 3 years replacing everything and ended up selling it for parts. Real shame as it was so good on the road on the few occasions it ran.
owned and still own a lot of the bikes mentioned here, they all have faults of course but the only one i hated riding was a suzuki gsx250 i bought as a commuter back in the early 80's, most gutless thing i ever owned. oh i forgot about my xs750 , yeah, less said about that the better.
worst bike for me was a 1973 Kaw Z1 900. It weighted too much for me and the frame couldn't handle the power, plus it was too fast for the way it handled
I have had over 60 motorcycles in my life. I bought at Honda CB1000 Big One as a wreck and fixed it up. I wanted to love that bike. It looked great and it was impressive but it was top heave as hell. I hated to ride it and it was a pig at low speeds.
What a bunch of whiners. The worst bike I ever had was a Triumph Cub. The Primary cover and chain case was continually coming loose, it caught on fire more than once. And that was just riding it around the place.. 60 years ago, things were different.
What a whiny comment Our favourite bike is my 54 BSA incidentally Cubs are Well 🤷🏼 Our oldest bike is much older than a mere 60 🙄 Modern Kids bike they are 😂😂
I really enjoy your videos. But a guy with a Ducati jacket complaining about a BMW, one has to be spoiled if that's the worst bike ones ever owned. I was expecting some truly horrible bikes.
Nope His Ducati was old and Cheap and incidentally cost less to insure than his 125 He works as an NHS nurse so I would be more respectful to be honest Spoilt no Hard working and dedicated Yea He just spends what little he has on bikes And wisely too Apart from the BMW which he blames me for It was absolutely crap Pissed out oil Cut out in traffic Rusted quickly Lousy comfort On the positive side it didn’t catch fire 🔥 Because the wiring was the worst I’ve seen
I can believe the BMW was a poor fit for his needs and disappointing in terms of the cost, a poor choice (thanks to you. :) ) But I was really expecting stories about poorly made motorcycles with serious reliability and/or safety issues. A case could be made for the Kawasaki H-1. Like I said, I truly enjoy your videos. I'm 76 years old and my riding days have been over for a number of years. Your videos take me back to my youth, my riding buddy buying and selling a short stroke Manx for $1000, Ducati Diana's, the Tribsa I had, the B-50 MX my roommate had that blew off the Gold Stars on a TT track (dirt)
Kawasaki zephyr750, worst biker i ever owned, petrol kept leaking true air breather box into the engine oil. No fun one day riding beautiful, next day get a friend in van to rescue me.
Well sounds like a stuck carb float If there’s a valve open it gets into the engine Can happen on any bike to be honest. Had a similar problem recently and we got some a carb refurb kit and it was fine again. Happens a lot if a bike has been standing
1974 Rickman Bonneville. I bought it brand new and the aluminium gas tank split, the gear linkage snapped, the gearbox imploded and finally the engine seized all in the space of one year. I was glad to get rid and bought a Honda 400F.
Lol! There will always be one bike among thousands of similar bikes that fails! Your neighbor might never have an issue with his! Compare a list of brands and then get votes from owners. Then we will see what is the worst MC out there!
That’s very true That’s why we said that it’s not straight forward in the intro These are personal experiences after all Someone else will have had a very different one On numbers so far For what it’s worth Yamaha XS isn’t doing well Nor are BMW a little surprisingly. For BMW they may suffer the weight of expectation be because most people will have very high expectations that the actual bike doesn’t reach
A Harley Sportster 883. I was talked into buying it a few years back; told they must be better nowadays. Nope. I had to fit standard exhausts, it made a GS750 I used to have with an Alpha race pipe seem quiet. It handled slightly better than a shagged out CX500. It 'performed' way worse than a KLE500 I had owned. It had shiny stuff I thought was chrome, but was actually a magic rust producing material. Admittedly it didn't leak oil like my old Triumphs, but at least they didn't rust at the rear end. I could go on much more, but it may trigger my post-Harley PSTD.
It’s a lot of metal for a lower powered engine to move
Mardy Git... Great name!
Same!
Should try an iron engined sportster if you think an 883 evo is bad
Kawasaki KH250 triple.
22mpg, smoked like a factory, and ate spark plugs like there was no tomorrow.
Sad to say the later triples were outpaced by the twin cylinders from Yamaha and Suzuki at 250 & 350ccs at least
That's depressing! My ex's 350 triple was WAY better than that! 😳
My mate had a 250, looked great but what a horrible thing that was to ride, all or nothing becomes tiring very quickly.
@@bikerdood1100 I owned a 350 triple for a very short period of time, but I loved it. It was ridiculously lightweight, and fast, and loved to wheelie - so much fun to ride.
@@peterwilson8039 good hillclimbers
My worst bike was a BSA D175 Bushman - a sort of Bantam trials bike with a high level exhaust. The electrics were awful - Wico-Pacy - it just cut out on 4 pole ignition, only running on 6 pole emergency setting - plug oiled up regularly and the exhaust needed cleaning as it got so coked up so quickly - it looked great, but max speed was about 65 mph, lots of vibes and bolts came unscrewed - bought it for £150, sold it for £100 - traded in for an MZ TS 250/1 - what a motor - torquey, enclosed chain, pillion suspension adjusters built in, superb paint job, but lethal front brake!
Some later Busman used the D14/4 engine
The worst fitted to a Bantam in terms of reliability
MZs every practical designs indeed
I used a Bantam in Pre-65 trials. It had a D5 frame and a D175 front fork. The engine and gearbox were a mixture of every thing from 1948 to 1968! It was quite competitive but I wasn't! I sold it when I was unemployed.
i wonder why they wernt popular
From south africa....Kawa 750 triple.... man, that thing had a frame made of spaghetti noodles. Going into a corner I knew exactly where I was. However, Coming out of a corner was anybodies guess where you where going .... hated that thing 😒
Their reputation does procedure them
A dragster engine in a 10 speed bicycle frame.
Mine was a new 1968 Harley Davidson Sportster XLCH. It was kick start only and would take 15+ minutes of intermittent kicking to start when cold. The dry clutches were replaced twice under warranty because of a poorly designed oil seal. I finally installed a Barnett wet clutch kit. It was a blessing when it was stolen.
😂
I owned a BMW K75C for a number of years. It was mainly used for commuting in Houston, Texas.. There was nothing actually wrong with it, but it was simply not as much fun as other bikes I have owned. My biggest gripe was that it seemed heavy and I always felt that I was having to manhandle it around corners. I traded it in for a Triumph Sprint, which put a smile on my face when I rode it.
Some bikes just don’t fit
All of the K bikes turn me off. The motor just doesn’t feel right, like the motor should be in a car or something
@@tomtaylor6163 Riding a K100 RS on the german Autobahn for a day or two makes you understand the idea of the K‘s. It just floats, at any speed.
@@dnswhh7382 I’m not hating on the K Bikes. Just make sure that when the main seals are good, that they told you true. My K1200RS disaster was because of seal failure. I’m done with K bikes. Riding 79 Triumph, Kawasaki KZ1000, Moto Guzzi now!
Same here! K75c the dullest bike ever, the only bike to make me choose the shortest route to get the journey over with. And yet it wasn’t objectively a bad bike.
I have enjoyed every motorcycle that I have owned since 1971. Some broke down, some used loads of fuel but all of them, seven in total, were lots of fun.
Oh they are always fun
Almost always
Yamaha vmax 1200 the engine management unit went pop, and it handled like a shopping trolley, very frightening but it did look very nice
Certainly a mean looking thing
Suzuki GT380, bloody awful thing, heavy, gutless, handled like a drunken jellyfish, points needed adjusting every 300 miles, did about 22mpg and flat out at 85mph. Also ate chains, plugs and bulbs.
Oh
Not great
Mine would burn a hole in the middle piston. After replacing the piston for the 3rd time I quickly got rid of it. For sure the worst bike I ever owned.
Same for the majority of Suzuki 2 strokes, I'd say my GT750 Kettle behaved in much the same way i.e slow, drank fuel and seized on the middle piston. It was a toss up between my Honda cb900F and the Suzuki GT750 for my worst bike.
Dodgy middle cylinder is a common theme on All 70s triples it seams no matter which company
Gt750 one of worst handling bike I ever went on back of.
If they are great bikes they’d still be around now
A lot of ‘lucky’ barn finds are bikes that were dumped in the barn for a reason
Possibly true
Or people just lost interest
Kids and all that
BMW R1200GS, 5 FUEL LEVEL SENSORS FAILED, FUEL PUMP REGULATOR FAILED, REAR DISC MOUNT REPLACED UNDER CALL BACK, REAR BRAKE LINE REPLACED UNDER CALL BACK, IWS IMMOBILIZER REPLACED UNDER CALL BACK, CRACK AROUND FUEL PUMP REGULATOR, BATTERY FAILURE RESULTING IN BIKE SHUT DOWN ( ON THE WAY TO FRANCE), FUEL PUMP FAILURE IN THE DALES ( IN THE BACK OF A BREAKDOWN VAN AGAIN) ...ABS MODULATOR PUMP FAILURE (£1000.00).
BMW, NEVER AGAIN...!!!!!
OVERPRICED / HYPED CRAP...!
REPLACED WITH A HONDA...😁
Oh there’s a reason I included the GS in my most overrated video
We have owned one BMW, there won’t be a second
1981 Honda CB750 F2 Slow , heavy and dull.
Oh dear
Such nice styling too
Honda cb125s kept braking .sold it i bought a rd 200dx that was some machine fast as most 250 of the time.my choice today the excellant triumph speedtriple perfection of a bike
I managed to seize a cg126
Somehow
I’d forgotten about they one 😂
Probably a K100. Tall, narrow bars, top heavy and I never enjoyed riding it. A colleague had owned one years before, and when I complemented him on it he said he didn't like it. He liked his previous and subsequent boxers, but not the K. I shared his doubts, in fact I don't really like BMWs.
The K was supposed to replace the boxers
They didn’t
Rock hard seat , vibrated and slow .....hated mine
a 1977 cossak minsk 125 absolute shite
Remember those well
Not the best thing out of the eastern bloc
@@bikerdood1100 A friend had one, the chrome plating on the forks came off in one big sheet and I don't think it actually ever ran!
I've had two duds, a year old 1978 DT175, first bike after my fizzie Max speed 55mph, bike couldn't sort it out, also had lots of electrical faults. Traded it in for a brand new 1979 Suzuki GT250 X7. In 81 bought a 3 year old Yamaha XT500, loved it but wanted a more ride focused bike, got 2 year old Yamaha SR500, basically it was crap. Then bought best bike, a year old GS750EN 👍
PS, I agree about BMW boxer engines..🤮
Well that’s opinions I suppose
I liked them til we had one
Boxers that is
The Fizzy was a great first bike/ moped. I would love to have one now.
Bad luck my friend, I had a 1979 DT 175F and it was bulletproof. Loved it.
Think mine must be the Suzuki gt550 triple, paid £300 for it, get to 50mph then the speedo would jump to the stop, vibrated like like a washing machine full of bricks, did 16 mpg if i was lucky, brakes well you don't need them so Suzuki didn't bother & then the handling it had the gound clearance of an f1 car so sparks galore, the springs in the suspension came from a grandfather clock & the geometry set up of a broken tea trolley but i see them for sale now & think i wish i had just left it in the shed.
A lot of exhaust metal to grind on those bikes
First triple I ever rode incidentally
@@bikerdood1100 I absolutely adored my triples...............
Yamaha XS250 Dull Dull Dull. Slow, Ugly and a pig to start.
Second XS fan mail 😂
Easy 1973 hawasaki 500 two stroke
The original wild child
I hate the BMW K1200RS and all K bikes in general. They have no soul and it feels like the motor belongs in a car. Mine broke down on me in a Landscape like the Forbidden Zone Planet of the Apes movies. The main seal failed big time and no doubt ruined the splines ,clutch. Supposedly , the bike had the seal replaced once and 50 K miles. I was so mad I pulled the battery and tool kit and left a note on it saying free bike
Forbidden zone
Appropriate place for a breakdown
It has to be my 1979 Triumph Bonneville T140E. From brand new, it smoked like a beagle and always needed masses of spannering of a weekend, to get it through the next week. It siezed, vibrated, snapped the chain, and refused to run on 2 cylinders, necessitating the purchase of a brand-new Anal carburettor. It really was mediocre and I traded the wretched thing in for a Moto Guzzi V50 Monza, which was utterly reliable and needed nothing more than regular servicing.
And so began a beautiful biking relationship
Or something like that
@@bikerdood1100 - and that’s how it has been ever since!
Honda FT500 only slightly better then walking with blisters.
If anyone defends this bike beware they probably have one they wish to sell.
Bikes and beards on UA-cam recently found one still boxed, there's a reason it was still unboxed, and it should have stayed boxed.
Saw that episode too
I remember them on sale in the uk
Not a good reputation unfortunately
I loved my FT500 but I didn't try to get in a hurry. Also the electric starter was a Mikey Mouse affair. It would have been better if they had kept the kick start but the frame design just didn't allow it.
Easily the worst for me was a CB250 K4 I owned in the early 80s, when I was a dispatch rider. Should have been ideal, but was dog slow, awful brakes and handled like a plank of wood. Got a Suzuki GT250 instead - much better (although I rode it into the ground eventually).
Some early Japanese bikes really did not handle at all
I have a CB250K4 racer. All welded frame, not only spot welded. Stiffer swing arm mount. Longer swing arm. Slightly adjusted steering angle. Disc brake front. Handles and brakes well. Son has a couple of wins on it. Though a lot of work needed to make a good bike of them.
Sounds like a Hell of a lot of work
Oh and a late 1990s 750 Laverda twin caught fire in the Blackfriers underpass in the rush our cause grid lock. It only had a few thousand miles on the clock.
Crap
@@bikerdood1100 I bought another one a FormulaS still got it best handling bike I've ever had.
BSA Starefire 250cc
It spent more time off the road than on the spares were expensive and in most cases unavailable.
The kick back from the ‘automatically’ advanced timing was like a back kick from a drey horse!
The electrics were rubbish in the rain and several zener diods burnt out with no replacements being made. It was less than 3 years old
Oh listen it was a nightmare e the v5 and workshop manual
I managed to nurse it to 12000 miles and scrapped it due to no parts to keep it roadworthy
It was rubbish
I still have the V5 and handbook
Had one for a decade and have to say it proved surprisingly reliable
They don’t like being thrashed however
And they ain’t very fast
Well. I've owned a total of four, and three are in the garage now, so it has to be my first bike, a 1971 Rapido (125cc two stroke), built by Aermacchi and badged as a Harley here in the US. Supposed dual-purpose bike, had an interesting setup for off-road use, a second rear sprocket that you unbolted from its "road" position, then rotated and slid into place and re-bolted in line with the smaller road sprocket, came with an extra length of chain you'd clip in and off you go. Broke the seat pan jumping it one day, the rear fender cracked through also, and then of course there was the day I stopped for gas and couldn't start it again, finally found out the coil had gone bad. Of course the real capper was the day a friend was riding it (thankfully I already had my Yamaha TX500 or I'd have been really upset), I got to our planned destination and nobody else arrived, so I backtracked and found the others by the side of the road. For some unknown reason, the alternator rotor had fragged, tore out a chunk of the cylinder fins, blew off most of the left side case cover, and punched a hole into the crankcase. Somehow the guy riding it at the time wasn't hit by any of the pieces.
Not exactly off road in a practical sense then
Not complicated at all it was a Triumph T140 the thing was bloody horrible. Broke down all the time things fell off dripping oil.
Oh dear
That sounds like a good one.
Well hardly we had a Tiger 750 which I’d have to say overall was pretty good
One break down in five years was a duff alternator on the first ride out
After that nothing else went wrong
Norton Commando, hands down.
Interesting
@@bikerdood1100 It was a late production 850 with electric start and left foot shift. Pretty low mileage, as I owned it 47 years ago. Hard to start, easy to stop, starter would not turn the engine over with a fresh charge on a new battery. Nothing seemed to work very well, like it was in need of an overhaul right out of the box. Maybe the earlier ones were better?
Agreed, mine felt like it was falling over in every corner. It never did but confidence was affected.
Did you have to replace the main bearings ? I did on mine.
Amen brother. Had always fancied one and ended up buying a dog with a nicely painted tank and handing it over to a specialist to fettle it. Paid over the odds for it and then spent thousands more trying to get it to run and ride properly and, on the few occasions when it would start and I was able to get it out on the road, it was just like riding a plank. Looked great though.
Honda 250 super dream (wet dream) hot, cold, wet & dry weather it cut out & would not start for at least 10 mins. Hence I only had it for a short while
They had a rep for a dodgy ignition systems
I owned two 1967 Triumph Bonnie's in the 1970s. One was the one I still have the occasional nightmares about. The other one I would buy back again if it still exists.
It all depends on those dreaded previous owners
Dam them 😂
Kawasaki EL 400, electrics, carbs, cooling, macanic wouldn't touch it. Got rid very quickly. Great video thanks
Common story
So many mechanics do like getting into a problem bike
Without a doubt a Ducati 450 Desmo, that I owned in the early 80s. It was only 7 years old but I can't remember many rides where it didn't break down or something vibrate loose, and it wasn't even very fast. It was pretty though.
Taken in by a beautiful face
I had one motorway fast lane ignition unit exploded very slow steering ,, the 250 was better !
@@basilwatson1 Yup, the electronic ignition was one of the many things that failed on mine, along with clutch falling off because the center nut undid itself, alternator rotor coming loose and chewing up it's taper. No doubt some preventive maintenance was lacking, or someone incompetent had been in there. I did enjoy riding it on the few occasions it didn't let me down. To think I sold my, less than a year old, 350 lc to buy it!
Owned a '78 (I think) Yamaha XS250, it was a good looking bike & was the first bike I'd owned with cast wheels, everything worked as it should but the engine was so gutless, I sold it within a few months.
Ike a lot of 250s of the era it shared it# running gear with a 400
Ditto Honda and Suzuki
Yep my worst bike was the XS250. Looked nice, heavy slow and mine was terrible at starting. I changed quickly to an RD250LC. What an incredible difference! That was back in 81
@@Banditmanuk absolutely, the LC would feel like a rocketship compared to the sluggish XS.
@Free_Ranger_CT110 I can still remember the first ride on the LC. It cleared it's throat, blue smoke, then set off like a scalded cat. A rocket ship compared to the XS.
@@Banditmanuk I too had starting issues with mine. Brand new! Spent most of its time at the dealer, they got to experience the issue first hand but never were able to cure it... it got traded in fairly rapidly also, as you'd expect 🙂
Likewise, a Tiger Cub with plain bush main bearings that wore out before I could run them in
Always skimpy bottom ends
Ariel Leader. It was heavy, underpowered and ate small-end bearings
Not too underpowered
80mph by early 60s standards wasn’t bad
@@bikerdood1100 Hence the Arrow, which had most of the ironmongery stripped away. The Arrow could be pushed up to around 80 but the Leader was limited to about 60
I don't think I ever had a bad bike.. had a bit of a dog of an RD250lc.. great bike, but it had been badly looked after and thrashed by the time I got it..and if i'm honest.. I probably added to that.. it did have a tendancy to suddenly die in the wet.. usually at the worst possible moment.. then cut in hit the power band and takeoff again when you weren't expecting it.
I had a jelly mould CBR600F.. I did love it.. yep I agree about handling two up.. the rear shock was pretty crap and mine only had preload.and no damping adjustment..and the damping was just not great. the only thing I could dowas stick preload on max to sttop it wanting to wallow a bit in long fast turns.. But over all, I thought it handled ok, especially when i ditched the OE michy's and put on some dunlop sports max.and disabled the antidive by blanking off where the piston went into the fork leg.. then just ran some thicker oil in the fork and stock some big washers in to increase the front preload.. turned really nicely..
The thing with the CBR was it wasn't the best engine in class or braking or handling, but I thought it all worked well together. Yeah maintainace wasn't the best.. the front caliper bolts siezed and eventually stripped the threads on the bolt head ..so I just put bolts straight through with a nylock nut on the back... I did have many happy memories on that one.
Well like I said in the introduction there can be many reasons a bike can be bad and it’s often not a fault of design
Previous owners have a lot to answer for
69 suzuki 250 savage 260 dry weight ran ama 3hr hare scramble got smacked in the back promptly fell over got back up went shift the shifter was sheard right off at the case all that 23 horse power could not help me the seat was good though
😂
@@bikerdood1100 i used to keep the bike outside hoping someone would steal it
That’s t crims for you
Can’t even trust em to steal the right things
@@bikerdood1100 they were smart though
Without a doubt the Yamaha XS250
That’s 3 now for the XS
If we were keeping score it would be winning
Sort of
Yeah the xs250 was a bastard to start even when new.
Sure there've been more than 3 K-Bmws on here @bikerdood1100
@@AuxesisHyperbole666 the Ks are a marmite bike I’ve had 4 of them and they’re a bit quirky but very rugged bit like a massive MZ
A brilliant vid & comments. Some so called cult classics getting right royally pulled apart. Moral of the story? Don’t believe everything you read in a classic bike mag. Lol
Well to be completely honest for older bikes, the previous owner effect can’t be ignored
Lot of Japanese bikes you notice 🤔
@@bikerdood1100 yes previous owner could be a big part. I would guess the large number of jap bikes is down to the age of commenters who have only had jap bikes, myself included apart from the cz175 & current Interceptor 650. But great to read about.👍
Norton Jubilee 250, lol!!😝
Not Nortons best
That would be safe to say. I then had my eyes opened by a RD 200......oh wow!
Im 80. Worst bike was aMatchless G9. Gutless. Prone to throwing a rod.
Best bike was a Yamahe FJR1300. Did 200.000 lms on that over 9 years. Great torque. Great seat and ergonomics. Did 1000 kms one day not using an autobahn. Current bike a Street triple is v.good too.
Quite a different between those 2
1972 HD 125cc Rapidio NO POWER ! Always went trew points ect.... supension to laugh at....bike was junk !!
That’s two of those now
Not looking good
@@bikerdood1100 I bet...Now i have owned a 1971 HD SR100cc Baja w/ Light Kit , Never a problem peeky power but manage to put down 15 HP, good for a 100cc ..Thanks for a reply , have a super day
As a 65 year old American I've had some Yamahas! A 73 175 Enduro, a73 RD 350, a 82 XJ 750 Maxim! Loved all of them! Never had a bike I hated because I won't buy any Harley! You know the saying Harley Davison All Thunder No Lightning! Lol
Don’t have to hate it
Not really the point here
But there’s always the problem child you love the least
EASY!!! 1972 Harley Daavidson Super Glide...complete piece of sh*t, vibrated something awful, parts kept falling off (see vibration), the electrics didn't work when it was humid (much less raining), and a healthy 350 two-stroke would run off and hide from it (even in a straight line). But the paintwork and chrome were quite good...
Every bike has its good points
Usually
I've never had a bad bike but my 71 CB350 twin didn't run right from new. I bought it in 2000 and spent 20 years sorting it. Ends up some of those carbs were bad new. After replacing those and everything else I have done to it, it is now a real pleasure to ride and a beast for it's type of bike!
Sounds a little like you did really
@@bikerdood1100
It's OK in the end if you can sort it out and enjoy it.
also own a honda ruckus at 67 its all i can now ride well i went over the handlebars and broke my ribs i still ride it cant blame the bike right?
never new a step threw 50 cc bike can hurt you
Oh for sure it can 😂
i was laid up for 8 weeks 2 inch travel forks in sand my job was to show the riders the trail it was embarsing
Ouch !
My worst was a 1982 Yamaha Virago 920. But it wasn't terrible by any means.
Oh dear
My worst bike? it depends on what you want to call a bad bike as all my bikes did exactly what they were built to do to the standard they were supposed to do it to. If I had to name one it would be my Yamaha DT125LC but only because it was a heap when I bought it (money was tight and it was available!..) It had been a field bike and the electrics were dodgy at best especially when on a dark ride back home to london from Cambridge the headlights failed, and all the others too leaving me dark on unlit roads wondering what just happened. I managed to coax the rear and sidelights back to life and continued home. The carb had also been messed around with and took a bit of work to get properly rideable. I didnt have it long!.
My honarable mention might come as a surprise to some, but it was my ST1100 pan european but only because it was so heavy! lovely bike to ride but if I ever dropped it i'd never get back up again without a crane.
My first bike was a similar story
Dodgy regulator had me blowing bulbs and pushing it home
I often replect on this when someone tries tell how unreliable my very dependable old BSA is
Such is like
Yamaha XT500, the only bike I bought new. Was expecting so much more but it felt bland and if it didn't start on the first kick it just wouldn't start until you waited a while. Was keen on buying a black BMW R80 back in the 80's and going all Teutonic and exclusive. Rode down to the shop on my Suzuki RG250 and took it for a test ride. Couldn't believe how bland the R80 was! Hardly a good comparison I guess but I loved that little rice burner two stroke.
Tested an r80 years ago
I’d have to agree
Bland
1966 Yamaha YA6 Santa Barbara, broke way more than it ran. But it also got me hooked on riding, the feeling of flying on the ground.
Fell it achieved something positive then
@@bikerdood1100 absolutely! That was in 1970, 67 motorcycles later, I’m still riding, just got home from 50 mile ride on my Z900RS, I have 7 other motorcycles, including 3 Kawasaki 2stroke triples and a 1966 T120TT. All riders but the TT, It’s in pieces but I just got the motor halves together. I’m looking forward to riding this one. If I can mentally switch the rear brake and the shifter.
Worst bike was a 1981 Yamaha virago
Certainly loves by some
Apparently
My 97 Virago 1100 was okay apart from the seat which was as hard as a plank.
Looks like Dave, (@7:13), is sitting on my current nightmare, a '95 Triumph Sprint 900 that's been sitting untouched for 2 1/2 years with a blown head gasket. That's after the year before spending over AUD$2200 on getting the starter sprag clutch replaced at the local Triumph agents w/shop (N.W. Motorcycles, Ulverstone, Tassie) and then a further AUD$650 at another shop to get the cam timing and carb tuning changed back to what it was before it went to the first shop, (where it had actually been returned a further two times to fix their other phukups). That, plus issues with ignition coils and dodgy wiring into the ignition switch and something weird with the front brakes, has really put me off as far as getting it repaired or ever getting another Triumph. My fave rides of all time were my Mk2 LeMans purchased new in '79. Apart from some dodgy Italian electrics, (thankfully I work in the electrical field), it put a smile on my dial every time I rode it. Other fave was an '85 GSX750SE Katana with the pop-up headlight.
Oh dear
We didn’t get the pop up headlamp in Europe unfortunately
Hi, my wost bike ever by a long thing was a Fracis Barnet 150, it was so bad the crankcase actualy slit in half one dark night in the rain, mind you I am going back to the mid sixties!!
Oh those Piatti engines
Every Ducati I've owned, were the worse bikes on my list.
None of them were 100% reliable, all of them liked vibrating components loose and the fit and finish wasn't great!
I probably won't bother with another Ducati...
And yet you keep buying them 🤔
Which says something about the nature of humans
Or something
Observation: Some bikes mentioned here actually have an excellent reputation. But if you have the bad luck to hit on one produced on a Monday nothing helps. So please don’t make me repeat my Honda NT650 horrors. Or does the question also cover individually possessed / cursed bikes as well. ☺
Not every experience is going to be good
That Beemer is smack out of the time that existing designs where being tuned in crazy ways to make them meet environmental demands. And as far as BMW reliability goes: 🤣🤣🤣The new GS1300 already has 2 major issues. One is that it tends to set itself on fire. The other is that all the factory luggage boxes tend to fall off. Owner Beta-testing is what I call it.
😂😂
My worst bike was a 1976 Yamaha RD250. Forks were terrible, independent leg flex which gave a tankslapper at 80mph. Honorary mention. Yamaha Neos 100. Suspension so hard felt like a 125 GP bike.
Nasty
1978 Triumph Bonnieville followed by a 1992 Kawasaki ZZR750
ZXR ?
Geordie from Cape Town. Suzuki T500 twin 2 stroke, bad vibration, underpowered, struggled to get near 100mph on a DOWNHILL. My 350cc Suzuki twin 2 stroke was faster, smoother and more nimble.
Oddly enough the GT750 was based on it, later Ts benefitted from improvements carried over from the kettle
I have owned 5.
1st, 1978 Suzuki A100. It was reliable, just VERY slow.
2nd: Honda CD200 Benly, the later 12v model. Reliable but really suffered from carb-icing in cold/damp UK winters.
3rd: a Suzuki of unknown model. The front brake caliper did not self adjust, the fuel tap leaked, and it filled the sump with petrol. This would be the worst, but mostly down to age at the time, and my inability to afford to look after it properly.
Then a bit gap a couple of decades, mortgage. Bills.
4th, - Suzuki Gw250. Reliable, reasonable performance, but a commuter. Winter Transport.
5th. 1998 GSF600. Now that my mortgage is paid off I can have a nice bike, and can afford to look after it. Finally some decent performance, good looks, and after some remedial care reliability. This would be the best.
I see
2020 KTM 1290 SA. It sounded like a lawn mower with the stock silencer and little better with a fruitier pipe. The build quality was patchy, the electrics brittle with a stator burning out and I just didn’t bond with it. The power delivery was brutal and the handling excellent however. An appalling seat that rivalled my FZ750 from 25 years back for wriggling discomfort after an hour. Miserable buffeting too.
Honourable mention? Yamaha RD350YPVS. It was brilliant when it ran properly but that was rare. Not the bikes fault, it was a bad example that I didn’t have the money to fix up properly. I pushed that bike a long, long way.
As ever really the video is about your own experiences rather than the bike itself quite often
Some you just get a bad one 🤷🏻
Honda CB500T and Yamaha Xj600 Diversion and a Fantic 125 chopper,,
That’s 3 😂
I had two atrocious bikes - 750 GT Ducati, and a BMW R100GS. Both were chronically unreliable and very poorly finished. Disgraceful, you could say. I've had a better run from my classic 1970 BSA A50, and that has its moments!
We found BMW build quality to be lower than expected
Cudos on the A50
06 Harley Dyna Street Bob. Nice looker. That’s it. All of the cliches you hear about Harley’s comically bad reliability? All true. This was an 06, so not an “early” twin cam 88, but an early Cruise Drive 6-speed. Had a recall for a bad primary, and a defective battery cover (?!) that caused arching and fried the terminals. These are things the Japanese manufacturers just don’t get wrong, and Harley has been churning out these turds for over a century, folks snapping em up as fast as they can build em. Call me “one and done”: won’t be buying HD again in this lifetime!
Saw an interesting video from a Harley mechanical who said although it would be unpopular but the sportsters are HDs most reliable bikes
Wether that’s saying much is of course another thing
Yamaha XV750 special one of the most uncomfortable bikes I have EVER owned, and the best bike(s) I have ever owned well it's a toss up between Yamaha FJ1200 or a Suzuki GS850.
That’s not great
If not the worst bike, the most inappropriate I ever had was a full power 1200 V Max. Inappropriate because we were living in Hong Kong and my wife and I used it to commute to the offices we worked in.
Horrendous traffic and narrow bendy roads. I used to arrive at work a sweaty mess and my wife would be a gibbering wreck.
Great at traffic light drag races though😁😁.
Didn't keep it long.
Don’t think commuting is in the VMax wheel house 😂
Suzuki GSX400 - not the R version. Not necessarily the bikes fault, I think I just bought a complete dud. Kept leaking oil from the sump area - turned out to be a hairline crack. Little by little, the faults kept coming. Sold it for scrap. Now own a Suki GSX-S750, which is probably one of the best bikes i've owned. Superb machine
The previous owners can have a lot to answer at times
I do remember them, a friend had one, they had a reputation for the valves sinking into the head on abused examples
The 250cc MZ, 2-stoke! This bike would tick over: pop, bang, pop, at a junction. Then when you were ready to pull out onto the main road, the engine had disided to run itself backwards, # @ ?!? 😵💫. So, you then, stall the engine, and restart it. As if nothing happened, off we go again. Of course, it had to go, what a weirdo bike. 🤪🙃😁
Hmmm
Just plain bad set up there
Timing must have been Way out
1942 Harley Davidson WLA 45. My lawnmower is more sophisticated. What was I thinking 🤣
I found my Z1 handled like a drunk warthog too. Very powerful in it's day but terrifying flat out. And thatvwas with brand new rear shocks and forks rebuilt with new bushes, stanchions, seals and oil!
To be far to the WL 1942!
The Kwaker left the factory with inadequate suspension really
The Crude WL would at east have had a bit of soul
After my 1 month old Kawasaki 1989 KMX 200 was stolen, the insurance company paid out & I used the money as a large deposit on a new Kawasaki 1990 KLR 250. It was was so underpowered & heavy. It kept cutting out due to the Carburetter freezing on cold damp Welsh mornings. Complete disaster of a bike.
Dam
Easy! A 1980 BMW R100RS. It was useless. Slow, gutless, uncomfortable, no character, lousy brakes, and beyond merely unreliable. on one occasion, that useless heap managed to do only four hundred yards from a repair to a totally unrelated breakdown. When it ran properly (after a year of expensive messing about) I hated it. I would take some persuading to buy another BMW. It was the nearest that I have ever been to giving up bikes.
😂
2004 Triumph Bonneville T100 790cc. Heavy, numb, ran too lean at the bottom end, gearing too low, I was always feeling for a higher gear at speeds over 50mph, the seat was a plank, unbearable after 15 minutes, too much chrome to keep clean, peashooter exhausts too quiet, the riding position gave me back ache and I always worried about having a puncture in tubed tyres. The bike was a nostalgia purchase after swallowing hype about the legendary Bonneville.
In truth the original was a very different beast
Certainly more humble for its time
Triumph aimed the bike squarely at the HD sportster and it shows in the slow steering and bulk
Yamaha DT175 c. Great bike in the dry, but as soon as it rained it would cut out. Never found out why.
I hate that
Happened to me too many times
The worst electrics on a bike is the one I own now(had it for a year). I’ve wanted a XRV750 for years,it’s had new cdi unit,4 new relays and burnt rectifier connector. It’s only done 30,000 miles. I’m hoping there’s no more breakdowns for a while!
Fingers crossed
Reading through the comments no mention of 1971 Yamaha tx750. You guys have nothing to complain about if you didn’t own one, consistently outperformed the Brit bikes on breakdowns.
It has come up in a previous video has the TX
Sales in the UK were very poor so this may go some way of explaining its absence
Suzuki GS 850, shaft driven pig of a bike, scared the crap out of me leaning into corners because it felt like it wouldn't stand up again, stalled several times in the cold coming up to junctions causing a terrifying locked up back wheel experience. Glad to see the back of it but felt guilty as some 20 year old came to pick it up and was going to ride it 60 miles home.
Probably ran perfectly for him
That’s bikes got you
Hands down my Harleys, great looking, at times great sounding but sh1t motorcycles.
Imagine buying a "premium" car and being told "you'll have to change the seat, exhaust, air filter, get a tune and upgrade the suspension to make it an average car" you'd tell them to FRO!
Customisation
Kawasaki Gpz 750 turbo , I bought it second hand but it tracked in ruts and was unstable changing lanes on the motorway which seemed strange as I’d owned a Gpz 1100 and 900r with no problems.
900 was such a great bike you have to wonder
Why build a Turbo
Worst bike? 2006 Triumph Daytona 675.
The paperwork that came with the bike showed a replacement engine within the first 3000 miles.
I had the alarm go mad and wouldn't stop hollering (at night at a B&B in Wales), the exhaust flapper valve seized (replaced by Triumph even though out of warranty) and the final straw was the rec/reg burnt out.
Best bike? 1986 BMW K100RS Special or my current T reg Daytona 955i.
Love your content, keep it up!
Alan Roberts
Had a TT 600 with an alarm
Bloody nightmare
3000mikes seems very low
You have to wonder about the last owner
A CB125 leant while my Yam was being repaired was a pig. No doubt thrashed by numerous users, compression was notional, the frame so out of line it might have stood up on its own, leaked from every orifice and some places without one, and the clutch almost needed mole grips to deploy. Somehow this beast kept going, at 35mph admittedly, earning a grudging admiration. The clutch caused carpel tunnel pain so bad it kept me awake at night. Reading this thread bikers are clearly masochists.
Difficult to know what a good one is like
Loaners are always dogs
Probably not that wonderful at its best
Hi again. On this subject of the ‘ worst bike’ I would recommend you try two different methods of determining the answer. Firstly and without the aid of any written list pull a victim out of your past.The comparative method is then to write each bike you have owned or ridden enough to make a judgement, each on a single slip of paper and then place each down on a tabletop and with each additional bike placed in position relative to the bikes already positioned. I saw this latter method on the U tube show by Zac Courts called ‘Daily rider’. I found that you tend to come up with a different answer. What you are doing is removing the inherent ‘hate’ bias in your decision making process that draw you to an immediate answer. I have always said that the quality of a person should be judged by the compromises that they make in life but maybe now having given it a little thought maybe we should be judged by the motorcycles we buy. I can’t help but think this is right every time I see eight guys in clean riding gear on tippy toes on a camber outside a cafe trying to manoeuvre their R1250s or seeing a guy with ape hanger bars trying to counter steer half a ton quickly when trying to avoid a car pulling out or a kangaroo bouncing onto the road. Probably just as good a yardstick as any and probably with more laughs along the way. When I tried it the question kept coming up, ‘What was I thinking?!?!?
Seems rather lengthy when I can easily remember the misery of the Honda
No analysis required
All bikes required some compromise, some required too dam much
Simple really
The dangers over over analysing
My GS 550 Suzuki. Nice bike to ride but 45 MPG and the exhausts rotted through just after the guarantee ran out. The first gear was far too low, so you had to be careful pulling away on wet roads or a loose surface
Sounds like Suzuki
And Japanese 70s stuff generally
Cars or bikes didn’t like the British climate
Can’t blame em really 😂
A free Harley Davidson Electraglide Ultraclassic. I was appreciative of the donation but it was a complete basket case and with my limited skills and experience I just had to part with it. Now have a Honda.
A basket case is always a dangerous thing no mater what the bike
Worst bike of all time BMW R100RS. JAPANESE RULE.
Obviously never pushed a Suzuki home
You quickly learn that they don’t always
Sometimes they definitely suck
1980 single front disc CX 500. I don't think the engine had a truly circular bearing in it. I spent 3 years replacing everything and ended up selling it for parts. Real shame as it was so good on the road on the few occasions it ran.
Oh dear
owned and still own a lot of the bikes mentioned here, they all have faults of course but the only one i hated riding was a suzuki gsx250 i bought as a commuter back in the early 80's, most gutless thing i ever owned. oh i forgot about my xs750 , yeah, less said about that the better.
Early 80s 250 twins were often , like the Suzuki sleeves down 400s so were not surprisingly rather chunky
worst bike for me was a 1973 Kaw Z1 900. It weighted too much for me and the frame couldn't handle the power, plus it was too fast for the way it handled
Having the full package that works together is important
I have had over 60 motorcycles in my life. I bought at Honda CB1000 Big One as a wreck and fixed it up. I wanted to love that bike. It looked great and it was impressive but it was top heave as hell. I hated to ride it and it was a pig at low speeds.
Not always good to meet your heroes they say
KH250 - constantly fowled the centre plug. That was many years ago, not many bad bikes around now
Triples and their centre plugs
What a bunch of whiners. The worst bike I ever had was a Triumph Cub. The Primary cover and chain case was continually coming loose, it caught on fire more than once. And that was just riding it around the place.. 60 years ago, things were different.
What a whiny comment
Our favourite bike is my 54 BSA incidentally
Cubs are
Well 🤷🏼
Our oldest bike is much older than a mere 60 🙄
Modern Kids bike they are 😂😂
I really enjoy your videos. But a guy with a Ducati jacket complaining about a BMW, one has to be spoiled if that's the worst bike ones ever owned. I was expecting some truly horrible bikes.
Nope
His Ducati was old and Cheap and incidentally cost less to insure than his 125
He works as an NHS nurse so I would be more respectful to be honest
Spoilt no
Hard working and dedicated
Yea
He just spends what little he has on bikes
And wisely too
Apart from the BMW which he blames me for
It was absolutely crap
Pissed out oil
Cut out in traffic
Rusted quickly
Lousy comfort
On the positive side it didn’t catch fire 🔥
Because the wiring was the worst I’ve seen
I can believe the BMW was a poor fit for his needs and disappointing in terms of the cost, a poor choice (thanks to you. :) ) But I was really expecting stories about poorly made motorcycles with serious reliability and/or safety issues. A case could be made for the Kawasaki H-1.
Like I said, I truly enjoy your videos. I'm 76 years old and my riding days have been over for a number of years. Your videos take me back to my youth, my riding buddy buying and selling a short stroke Manx for $1000, Ducati Diana's, the Tribsa I had, the B-50 MX my roommate had that blew off the Gold Stars on a TT track (dirt)
I will watch the video again. I did not see mention about rust, poor wiring, the engine quitting etc for the BMW. I must have missed them somehow.
Kawasaki zephyr750, worst biker i ever owned, petrol kept leaking true air breather box into the engine oil. No fun one day riding beautiful, next day get a friend in van to rescue me.
Well sounds like a stuck carb float
If there’s a valve open it gets into the engine
Can happen on any bike to be honest. Had a similar problem recently and we got some a carb refurb kit and it was fine again. Happens a lot if a bike has been standing
Gs1000…..what a crock of s..t…never meet your heros applies to this..!!!!
😂
BMW 750. so off balance that 1° off vertical meant jump for your life to avoid crushing a leg.
That’s seems a little unlikely if I’m being honest
Pulse Adrenaline 125,rotted in 3 years.Chinese rubbish
Oh
On British roads 3 years of commuting will do it
I purchased a Ducati 400ss underpowered slug, looked nice however.
Well the looks compensated a bit then
1974 Rickman Bonneville. I bought it brand new and the aluminium gas tank split, the gear linkage snapped, the gearbox imploded and finally the engine seized all in the space of one year. I was glad to get rid and bought a Honda 400F.
Oh dear
My worst was not a bad bike. It was a KZ 400. It would not do the Ton. My buddy had a Honda CB 350 that would smoke it.
Well of course worse does necessarily mean bad at all
Lol! There will always be one bike among thousands of similar bikes that fails! Your neighbor might never have an issue with his! Compare a list of brands and then get votes from owners. Then we will see what is the worst MC out there!
That’s very true
That’s why we said that it’s not straight forward in the intro
These are personal experiences after all
Someone else will have had a very different one
On numbers so far
For what it’s worth
Yamaha XS isn’t doing well
Nor are BMW a little surprisingly. For BMW they may suffer the weight of expectation be because most people will have very high expectations that the actual bike doesn’t reach
Interesting concept worst bikes mine was a BMW 450 if you want to talk about slow and heavy a Bmw 450 It had never passed a buffet table in its life..
😂😂
Ah but pop on 650 barrels and pistons and away you go 🙂
I had an Ariel Huntmaster 650 when I was 14 in Australia. It was a dog, heavy and unreliable.
Heavy ?
Definitely a relative term it seems