Worst bike you ever bought and why

[LongRanger_imp]

2001 BMW R1100S. Sexy bike. I bought it for the looks and panache. It handled great and the color matched my K1200RS but the engine was a paint shaker at 70+ mph, the wind noise would deafen you within ten minutes, and the seat was a cruel joke. It never stranded me but servicing was expensive, accessories were expensive, and it really didn't do anything better than a common 750 sport bike. Each time I see one today I have to force myself to resist the urge to buy another.

[teamvisegrip_imp]

I own 9 bikes at this time and have bought and sold 34 bikes. Most were small displacement bikes. It is a hobby to buy, fix, ride for a while and sell bikes. Yes I am a Flipper of bikes. I just love the variety of the bikes I get to ride. So much fun. If you want a list it would take a while to do that. LOL!

But let's talk the worst. I would have to say my 1971 Triumph 250 Trail Blazer. Now it was a good handling bike. Did the job of trail riding pretty well. Power was not bad and it was basically a fun bike to ride. But no amount of engineering skills could keep it oil tight or running reliably. I had to have an oil pan under it when it was parked. The aluminum was so porous the the oil would just weep out through the Rocker Cover. Working on it was a chore!

Then one day I had it out... sitting next to my 1970 Honda CL100... I was lounging in a chair having a cocktail and thinking... WTFO! Here is a 1971 bike oozing oil out of every location. A Push Rod engine with a design that was outdated sitting next to my 1970 Honda that is an engineering marvel. Oil tight engine with Overhead Cams and one of the sweetest power plants I have had the pleasure to still own. There is not doubt in my mind why Triumph did not make it against Honda.

So the worst... The Triumph.

Now, what bike do I regret selling the most... I had a very nice Suzuki AS50 that was a blast to ride!

[Labrador12_imp]

When I went to college I bought my first motorcycle. It was 1969 and I had been riding my buddies Triumph Tiger 650 and was in love with bikes. My buddy had owned a AJS twin and thought it was a good bike. I ran into a 1956 AJS 500 single and blew all my money on it. It never ran. I had to tow it to start it. It had Lucas electric s and an Amal carb with a oil fill knob that caught my knee every time I kicked it. My next bike was my 350 four Honda. Night and day.

[Bheezy27403_imp]

1987 V-Max. V-Boost never wanted to work, heavy, cumbersome. It did not corner, I mean, AT ALL. I've never been more scared on a motorcycle.

However, the face melting acceleration was just addicting.

[Jim21680_imp]

Of the 3 bikes I've owned, the middle one - a 2007 BMW F800ST - was easily the worst. The other two were or are amazing (a 2003 SV-650, and my beloved CB)

With less than 12,000 miles on the odometer, I experienced problems such as piston slap, rear wheel bearing failure, wandering belt drive, and random stalling issues.
When it worked, it worked great, but the thing was such a nightmare to own, and totally unaligned with the BMW name.

I'm glad to hear that those problems with 800 series bikes have now been worked out.

[LongRanger_imp]

Yep, the '06's and '07's were notorious for piston slap. I owned two '07's and had no such issues but it sounds like yours was a dud. BMW issued a worldwide recall to inspect and replace the rear wheel bearings, so no big deal there. Many ST owners do complain of stalling, which is easily rectified with new fuel and vent lines, but not under recall or warranty. Sometimes the IAV is an issue too.

[Jim21680_imp]

Yep, the '06's and '07's were notorious for piston slap. I owned two '07's and had no such issues but it sounds like yours was a dud. BMW issued a worldwide recall to inspect and replace the rear wheel bearings, so no big deal there. Many ST owners do complain of stalling, which is easily rectified with new fuel and vent lines, but not under recall or warranty. Sometimes the IAV is an issue too.

I don't want to hijack the thread too much, but I totally agree that it was a great bike without the maintenance issues. Looking through the BMW website, I'm glad to see the F800GT is still relatively affordable, at $12,300. If I were looking a new bike, it would absolutely be on my list. It's a great-looking bike, easy to work on, and it was such a joy on a twisty road.

[Nortoon_imp]

1983 Honda Goldwing Aspencade . I will say this, it really isn't this bike's fault it was terrible. I'm sure in 1983 this thing was Glorious to behold and a marvel of modern awesomeness. A status symbol even. in 2015, this bike was a disagreeable old man with irritable bowel syndrome. The brakes, quite often, decided they were going to simply lock up, despite being worked over twice. the battery died several times due to the brakes locking up and causing the always-on brake lights to drain the battery (coupled with some other issue that was never identified). the carbs were impossible to balance and the exercise was futile anyway, because any measure of balance you achieved was out the window after the next 20 miles. because of this the bike would stall while travelling down the highway, any time you let off the accelerator for a moment (which made the battery issue even worse because of how many times it had to be restarted). The bike itself weighed over 1000 lbs, which is just ludicrous for an 1100 cc bike (my CB11 has a bigger, more powerful engine and weighs literally half as much). I hated that thing, and he was named Henry, because it just sounds like the name of an old man you hate. i bought it for 1500 bucks, spent another 2200 at the shop, and sold it a few months later for 200 bucks to a guy who wanted to chop it into a bobber. i hope it burst into flames in his driveway. That's the absolute last time i buy an antique motor vehicle.

I bought a new Aspencade in 1982, the first year they were available. It was a beautiful motorcycle, comfortable, smoothly riding, and very reliable. I road it for 7 years and never had a mechanical problem with it.

Towed a tent trailer through the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire with ease. Climbed Mount Washington without a hiccup. The only problem I had there was the American corn oil gas.

In 1983 Honda changed the gear ratio of 6th gear to get better gas mileage. My friend wanted to buy mine because he could not pull a tent trailer up the hills without down gearing.

The 4 cylinder Goldwings weighed about 750 pounds, and had a low center of gravity because the fuel tank was under the seat and the 4 cylinder flat four motor was mounted low.

If you buy an antique bike you are always going to run into unseen problems. That's why people sell them instead of keeping them. I sold my Aspencade after 7 years of riding because the chrome on the bottom of the exhaust system was beginning to pit. A new one cost as much as the value of the bike. A new Aspencade back then cost CDN$8500 out the door. I sold mine for CDN$3500.

About antique bikes. I was at a antique bike rally 6 years ago, just before I returned to motorcycling. I was admiring a restored Norton Commando when the owner sitting in the shade of tree offered to sell it to me. I replied that old bikes are like old girlfriends. You always wonder why you let them go, until you meet them again. Then you say to yourself, oh yes now I remember. Everyone within earshot laughed including the owner.

[CTsCB_imp]

For me, a VFR1200. Beautiful to look at and a turbine smooth motor, but just could never get the ergonomics right on it - always had a sore neck and wrists! Sold it within six months.

[Houtman_imp]

For me it was a 2004 RC 51 Nicky Haydn edition , beautiful bike , fast , great sound but ergonomics no good for me.
Bought it new in 2004 and sold it in 2007. Riding in NY was nit too bad but in WNC it gave me too much hurting in neck , back and wrist.