Bikes you have been disappointed in

[Jim21680_imp]

Well, despite my personal bad experience with BMW, there's no denying that just about all of their boxer twins (GS1200, etc) are thoroughly great bikes. There's just too much evidence to support that to say anything to the contrary. They're simple, durable, easy to work on, and will gladly take their owners 100,000 miles or more with just routine maintenance. It's easy to see why these are clearly BMW's trademark bike.

My F800ST had a vertical/parallel twin, built by an Austrian company called Rotax. BMW supplied everything else.
The best I can guess is that these two units were combined and rushed into production, without suitable time to work out the bugs (instead, they let the consumers do that). Sure, I can understand any new bike needing minor tweaks, but to have the pistons begin slapping the head on every single upstroke? That get's old quick!
A new bike should not have those kind of problems...and if they do, the company should own up to it and make it right. BMW was too proud for that.

[HondaJon_imp]

Never ridden a V rod but would like to. That was actually a very close race. Having had a GS 1100E Im surprised it was that close.

It gests better ferret, the v-rod's clutch takes a crap during the show too.

And don't waste your time riding one, you'll be running back to your CB 1100 as fast as you can

[CA200_imp]

The one I never warmed up to was a early FZ-6. Worked well as a naked display for our store but still did not have the detuned motor. Two close to a R-6. Shifted hard and didn't get it's legs until you were at 90mph +. Felt the same way about a Fazor
that I had years before, it was fast but I just could not turn it into something I could ride all day.

[furious_blue_imp]

Well, despite my personal bad experience with BMW, there's no denying that just about all of their boxer twins (GS1200, etc) are thoroughly great bikes. There's just too much evidence to support that to say anything to the contrary. They're simple, durable, easy to work on, and will gladly take their owners 100,000 miles or more with just routine maintenance. It's easy to see why these are clearly BMW's trademark bike.

My F800ST had a vertical/parallel twin, built by an Austrian company called Rotax. BMW supplied everything else.
The best I can guess is that these two units were combined and rushed into production, without suitable time to work out the bugs (instead, they let the consumers do that). Sure, I can understand any new bike needing minor tweaks, but to have the pistons begin slapping the head on every single upstroke? That get's old quick!
A new bike should not have those kind of problems...and if they do, the company should own up to it and make it right. BMW was too proud for that.

I'm sure that that is true in the overwhelming majority of cases. But in the odd chance that the dry clutch oil seal springs a leak, I remember seeing in horrific photographic detail everything that is required to remove the transmission from the bike just to get to the oil seal (the entire back end of the bike has to come off).. yipes ! the sight of that really put me off.. If a shop were to do that job, it looks like about 6 hours of shop labor total (when they know what they are doing.. and of course, we hope that it happens so infrequently that they won't be practiced at it. say whaaa ?..)

That said, I'm saving funds for the day that the Harley will need a belt/pulley replacement, a job that I will not do myself... The time ($$$ to pull off all the primary drive and clutch assembly just to get to the counter shaft then put it all back together is going to be considerable.. at least that job is *certainly* well practiced at the shop though.. I'm sure that when the worn belt service customer comes in, they see the dollar signs just rolling on in...

crazy bike design hall of famerz....

[rboe]

Just get a master link for that belt....

[bubblerboy64_imp]

Worst bike? 2009 Sportster. However I have a 2012 I like a lot. The difference. They rubber mounted the engine and put a larger wheel tire on the machine which makes the ride much better. it seems to me the engine "pulls" better over a wider range of RPM's.

[yetanotherGerman_imp]

Worst bike I owned was a brand new 2008 Yamaha XT 660 Tenere which showed massive signs of corrosion (spoke wheels) after few weeks.
I traded it in for a CB 1300 then before it was too late.

My biggest disappointment however was a test ride on the touring icon I always thought of buying once I get old, a BMW R1200RT boxer.
I simply could not drive it. It stalled three times on a 20 minutes ride, just when you need the engine most (e.g. accelerating to turn left between cars coming up in a row).
It pretends to drive for a moment, then it stops.

I ended up driving with the dry clutch stinking, getting away from traffic lights at 3000 rpm or more only to prevent this 1200 cc, 115 HP bike from stalling again.

No need to discuss the boxer engine which warps the entire bike when blipping the throttle in order to avoid the massive "klonk" during shifting (no success anyway, it does clonk always).
Brakes are good though.

Man I was happy when I came back to my Honda which simply does what it's supposed to do.

[Capo]

By far, the greatest disappointment I've owned was the Moto Guzzi Griso. I felt like I married a supermodel who turned out to be a crack cuss. Lured in by all the talk about 'character' and the beauty of the matte green livery. Horrified by the agricultural running gear, clouds of acrid smoke from the electrics, and a dealer experience second to every other dealer experience.

I still look at the centerfold pictures of my ex. But I know, man, I know...

[gogoAZ_imp]

2006 Suzuki GSX-R 750. At the time, I really liked the look of this supersport. Rode my buddy's Gixxer 600 and really liked it, but for some reason, I wanted to get the 750. It was a bad mistake. The 750 was hard to ride, uncomfortable, and heavy. I got used to the bike, but in the back of my mind, I kinda wanted to drive the damn thing off the side of a cliff.

[the Ferret]

Supermodel that turned out to be a crack cuss .. Great line!

But in the back of my mind, I wanted to drive the damn thing off the side of a cliff... Another great line lol