Bikes you have been disappointed in

[Rollie Bruner_imp]

2012 Harley Road King! After riding Honda's and Kawasaki's for over 40years and listening to friends and co workers say get a Harley, get a Harley ! I bought a pristine 2012 Road King a couple years ago with 4050 miles on it. The voltage regulator craped out at 6500 miles. Research found that 2012 had voltage regulator issues that some dealers would stand behind and replace. Called my local dealer and was told sorry to late! I have adjusted the clutch and the clutch cable multiple times. Tried several different suggested fluids in the primary to no avail. The clunky transmission and not being able to find neutral at a stop light is a Harley thing I'm told. Ridind down the road it sounds like someone is shaking a can of marbles in the top half of engine! Rattling rockers, another Harley thing I'm told! I Have a 2014 Honda CTX 1300 a 2014 Honda CB 1100 Deluxe and the 2012 Harley Road King in my garage. The Harley is for sale and I will never own another Harley!

 

[Stichill]

I thought I wanted a Triumph Bonneville (previous generation to current). So cool-looking. But just sitting on one in the dealer...horrible. The seat was a plank and the whole thing just felt wrong for my whole body.

I rented a Moto Guzzi V7 in Germany and rode it through Austria and Slovenia. The engine was great but the rear brake locked too easily and it tried to turn in too much in corners...felt like I was fighting the bars to keep it on the line.

I test-rode the modern FJR last year and loved everything about it except the too-wide seat that made it a seat too far for my short legs.

I test-rode the R3 this year and was dazzled by the engine, yet underwhelmed by the suspension and the overall low-quality feel of the bike compared to my CBR250R.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

A lady friend of mine, who absolutely would not be caught dead on anything but a Harley, agreed to swap bikes with me on a ride about 20 years ago. She jumped on my Concours 1000; I hopped on her Sportster 883. OMG, what a piece of crap that thing was. She was not the most proficient rider but how she could tolerate that bike was completely beyond me. After about twenty miles of highway riding, we pulled over. She climbed off the Concours with a huge grin, astounded at how smooth, powerful and agile it was (it really wasn't). Since that day, I know for a fact she's never ridden anything but a Harley again.

 

[Townie_imp]

Honda recently had a "Come Ride with Us" sales event. I tried 3 bikes:

2017 Africa Twin: felt comfortable right from the get-go. Seat height was a bit tall, but ok. Plenty of power for highway speeds. Wind management was surprising good. Gear box was a bit clunky, and kind of felt like I was riding a big dirt bike, a bit shocked with the amount of nose dive under hard braking, but it was a good 30-min test ride. I liked it.

2017 Gold Wing: my god I couldn't get used to the weight. Was tense anytime we weren't on the highway. Didn't like the transmission downshifting into 2nd or 1st, reminded me of a transmission on a public bus. Tons of torque, and just a dream on the highway. Not for me though. Sport tourer may suit me better.

2017 CBR500R: Tried one of these to remind myself that I don't want a sport bike. This one in particular just felt cheap. Buzzy, had to wind it up on the highway, shifter and rear brake pedal were too close to the chassis. Looked pretty cool, but definitely not for me.

Walked away reminded of what a nice ride the CB1100 is. Need that reminder sometimes.

 

[Redbird_imp]

BMW Crusier - the one with the fairing and bags. I thought it might be a nice trip machine but it just came accross as an underpowered ride. When I got it back to the dealer he asked how I liked it - I told him "Sorry, it just does not say buy me". Then I got back on my 97 Valkyrie and smiled all the way home.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

The only bike I regret buying was a 500cc Triumph Tiger.

While riding it, I kept comparing it to the 650cc BSA Lightning I had sold a few years earlier. At first it was just little things: a less comfortable seat and riding position, less power, noisy tappets, and a less appealing exhaust note. I kept squeezing my knees against the fuel tank so I didn't have to listen to the tappets rattling.

On a trip with friends it pooped out 20 miles from Laconia, leaving me stranded on the side of the road 350 miles from home. A state highway worker and his family took me in for a few days while we took the bike apart. It turned out that a cheap alloy bracket holding an ignition coil under the fuel tank had broken. Somehow this managed to effect the timing and the pistons seized.

We reassembled the bike, mooched a crate from a local Harley dealer, and I had it shipped home. I spent a log, long day on buses getting home.

Over the winter I purchased the parts and re-built the motor. In the spring I took it out to try it. The motor ran fine, but the transmission which had not ben touched would not engage first gear. That day I put an ad in the newspaper to sell it.

A young lad showed up the next day to buy it. It was going to be his first bike. I wouldn't sell it to him. He brought his British dad the next day. I sold the bike to him. About a month later he called to say he had repaired it.

As it was the only bike I ever owned that left me stranded at the side of the road, I never like Turnips from that day on.

 

[Cormanus]

I never liked turnips, period.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Nortoon, great story!

Cormanus, what? Oh. lol

 

[use2b_imp]

hated my GL1500 because of the weight and heat here in Florida
HD Sprint 350 had to kick start on the wrong side and never wanted to start
worst one of all was a new VTX 1800S , wow what a pig and scary as he** in any turn , foot pegs dragged so early
BMW R1200R only because there was no fixing the crushing of my private parts every time i put on brakes with my wife behind me . great linked ABS just like my CB1100AD.
kawasaki h2 750 had terrible handling , brakes and the engine had a power band that would all of a sudden lift the front wheel.
Hayabusa was great but very uncomfortable even with Heli bar's and Suzuki jell seat.
love my CB1100 but it is more top heavy that i would like especially with a full tank = could be my age
I see the Bandit made the list but I loved my 1200s but the 600 was the same bike with so much less power.
yamaguchi 50 was a pain to get to the points but a fun 2 stroke.
Honda S65 , most had the 2nd gear failure and mine did early
favorite bike of all time is my CB750K's , rode mine most of the day today

 

[ride4now_imp]

My 2003 883 HD Sportster. I was away from bikes for a few years and one of my last bikes had been a 500cc Kawasaki Triple. Pretty fast bike!!! So I'm at the HD dealer and thought 883cc is a lot bigger than a 500. I liked the way it looked and I wanted a Harley so I bought it and rode it home. Talk about disappointing!!! It was slow, small, and vibrated like nothing I ever felt. That year was the last year the Sportster engines were not rubber mounted. I kept it for a year and traded up to my 2004 Superglide which is much better!!!

 

[Cormanus]

The Superglide is pretty too.

 

[Hondahawkrider_imp]

My XR650L has been a big disappointment with all sorts of failing (engine burning or eating oil, ecu cheaply made and fails early, runs too hot). Big money drain.

Rings are bad.. btdt got he tshirt

After the slight overbore, ran like a champ... I kinda miss it

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

I had a friend who made a motard out of an XL a few years ago. He let me ride it. Strong, wheelie beast. He won the Sounds of Singles class with it at Daytona. Great bike. Wish I had it. Long gone now though

My XR650L has been a big disappointment with all sorts of failing (engine burning or eating oil, ecu cheaply made and fails early, runs too hot). Big money drain.

Rings are bad.. btdt got he tshirt

After the slight overbore, ran like a champ... I kinda miss it

Rings are bad.. btdt got he tshirt

After the slight overbore, ran like a champ... I kinda miss it

 

[Hondahawkrider_imp]

I had a friend who made a motard out of an XL a few years ago. He let me ride it. Strong, wheelie beast. He won the Sounds of Singles class with it at Daytona. Great bike. Wish I had it. Long gone now though

My XR650L has been a big disappointment with all sorts of failing (engine burning or eating oil, ecu cheaply made and fails early, runs too hot). Big money drain.

Rings are bad.. btdt got he tshirt

After the slight overbore, ran like a champ... I kinda miss it

Rings are bad.. btdt got he tshirt

After the slight overbore, ran like a champ... I kinda miss it

Rings are bad.. btdt got he tshirt

After the slight overbore, ran like a champ... I kinda miss it
Yea I should have done that to mine but needed to thin the heard..

I loved mine but it was gonna take me stripping it down to the frame to get all the dirt out

It gets everywhere

I loved my xrl I got it cheap and knew I might have to rebuild it.. didn't smoke or have any issues when I got it, but after 2-3 off-road weekends, I saw the signs.. Aftert the rebuild I had none, but with 2nd kid on the way at the time, I wasn't getting away for dirt weekends, well till now (kid is 4 today)..

That said it's air cooled, if you ran em hard with low oil and or ran it too hot you'd get issues..

 

[Peperapido_imp]

Harley Sportster. Worst bike I ever had. And I've had a lot...

 

[ride4now_imp]

The Superglide is pretty too.

Well thank you... I happen to agree with you!
Here's a shot of that vibrating Sportster I mentioned... I took one long trip from N of Atlanta to Augusta and back on it once. That trip turned me off on the bike. Wow!!! I couldn't sit for a week after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[R748_imp]

Guzzi V7.. the bike I soooooo wanted to love.

Apart from the oil leaks (transmission and drive) and indicators falling off, it is too small (5'11'') and too low/uncomfortable. Heavy clutch too. Did I mention the oil weeps?

Engine is sweeeeeet as is the chassis, it handles well and has plenty of grin factor.. when it works.


I might throw in the Z750 as well (just sh!t handling really).

 

[Cormanus]

The Superglide is pretty too.

Well thank you... I happen to agree with you!
Here's a shot of that vibrating Sportster I mentioned... I took one long trip from N of Atlanta to Augusta and back on it once. That trip turned me off on the bike. Wow!!! I couldn't sit for a week after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well thank you... I happen to agree with you!
Here's a shot of that vibrating Sportster I mentioned... I took one long trip from N of Atlanta to Augusta and back on it once. That trip turned me off on the bike. Wow!!! I couldn't sit for a week after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is not such a pretty bike.

 

[ride4now_imp]

The Superglide is pretty too.

Well thank you... I happen to agree with you!
Here's a shot of that vibrating Sportster I mentioned... I took one long trip from N of Atlanta to Augusta and back on it once. That trip turned me off on the bike. Wow!!! I couldn't sit for a week after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well thank you... I happen to agree with you!
Here's a shot of that vibrating Sportster I mentioned... I took one long trip from N of Atlanta to Augusta and back on it once. That trip turned me off on the bike. Wow!!! I couldn't sit for a week after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is not such a pretty bike.

Well thank you... I happen to agree with you!
Here's a shot of that vibrating Sportster I mentioned... I took one long trip from N of Atlanta to Augusta and back on it once. That trip turned me off on the bike. Wow!!! I couldn't sit for a week after that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is not such a pretty bike.

Here's the pretty one...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[c-breezy_imp]

Just discovered this thread today now that it's been resurrected, but wow, it really makes me appreciate the CB1100 even more!