What's the worst bike you've ever ridden?

[Hairybiker84]

My Father's XS500 8 valve (whoop de doo), He'd been very precious about me riding it as I had a bit of a habit of falling off. Eventually I got a go, what a disappointment - heavy, gutless pile of shite, hated it.

[Dodgy69]

Worst bike's can often be the ones full of character and can be ( when running ) much fun. Take the Buell for example.

[Rockburner]

Worst bike's can often be the ones full of character and can be ( when running ) much fun. Take the Buell for example.

... No, please, Take it!

[Horse]

A BMW F650 Funduro.

When they were launched in the UK, sales staff were invited to Bracknell. At one of these sessions, they were invited to write a sales 'positive' on the whiteboard.

One wag wrote 'legendary Italian build quality'.

Time eventually showed fewer warranty claims than the Munich bikes!


They were still horrible to ride, though.

[The Spin Doctor]

When they were launched in the UK, sales staff were invited to Bracknell. At one of these sessions, they were invited to write a sales 'positive' on the whiteboard.

One wag wrote 'legendary Italian build quality'.

Time eventually showed fewer warranty claims than the Munich bikes!


They were still horrible to ride, though.

Probably because they were dumped in the nearest pit.

[flicker]

Enfield Interceptor, woeful.

I bought a CB350SG for £250 as a pile of scrap and rode it from John o'Groats to Lands End, that was a better bike. In my late teens my Dad had an XS750, that was a much better bike.

[Felix]

This GS550 Katana



The 550E was my first big bike after the test. I was looking for something cheap to take the wife and me to Holland for a rally and seen this. Probably bought for nostalgic reasons but on paper its taller than the E and a larger tank to ideal for longer trips. Took it to College and a head wind was killing me. Struggling to hold 65/70mph so decided that night to get rid. Strappy was selling a GPz750 non runner for little money so buying that and getting it running with an MOT worked out cheaper than buying the GS. Took us to Holland and beyond a few times with no issue. Trusted it that much i never bought Euro breakdown cover.

[Davie lad]

Yamaha XS250 US Custom, gutless pile of shit… Thankfully i only had to do a ten mile journey on it….

[Bigjawa]

The XS400 thread reminded me. The CB450DX was pretty shite. Can't think of a single good point about what was basically a tarted up Superdream.

[Felix]

The XS400 thread reminded me. The CB450DX was pretty shite. Can't think of a single good point about what was basically a tarted up Superdream.

There was a time i was looking for a CB450S. Thank god i could not find a nice one

[Bike Breaker]

With my collection, impossible to choose.

[Whysub]

One of these.

20210226_173305.jpg (27.1 KiB) Viewed 708 times

Not really the worst bike I have ever ridden, just bizarre and difficult to take in because of it's innovations (oddness?).

And a Quasar. Seemed a bit of a lash up and hated the riding position.

[Felix]

Honda XL125 i hated as it was to much of an anti-climax after i killed my DT125LC.

Ex girlfriends 250 Superdream. Should have been renamed 250 Nightmare. Heap o shite

[Horse]

One of these.

20210226_173305.jpg

Not really the worst bike I have ever ridden, just bizarre and difficult to take in because of it's innovations (oddness?).

And a Quasar. Seemed a bit of a lash up and hated the riding position.

How did you manage to get a go on both of those?

I've had a passenger ride on an Ecomobile.

[The Spin Doctor]

Anyone mentioned the CD175? Astonishingly saw one today up in St Albans - looked like the rider was doing some touring on it, from the luggage attached.

Another vote goes to the GN400. I like singles, but that one managed to encapsulate just about everything that can be horrible about the motor in an evil-handling bike.

My buddy Nick owned both!

[mangocrazy]

I passed my bike test on a CD175 (the early model 'sloper' with the more pointy tank). I didn't have any other frame of reference than my C200, so it was a decent step up from that. Did an indicated 85mph flat on the tank, following wind, downhill and pedalling furiously. But it did have very bouncy suspenders...

Honda_CD175.JPG (220.3 KiB) Viewed 637 times

[Whysub]

Wow What was it like trying to steer with those weird handles ?

It was odd, especially trying to work out how best to grip the handlebars and twist the throttle. Have no idea what the handling was like as concentrating so hard on not cocking anything up.

How did you manage to get a go on both of those?

I've had a passenger ride on an Ecomobile.

My brother ran a dealers and they had the Tony Foale bike there for a long while as a display piece, and it needed the occasional run. Don't know what happened to it,whether it was sold or moved between shops.

The Quasar belonged to a mate of a mate. It was quite gutless, and I can only compare the riding position with leaning right back on a maxi scooter. It did smell funny, kind of a mix between fibreglass resin and burning oil. Wondering if there are any left and still on the road.

Love a go on/in an Ecomobile, only ever saw one in the flesh once and that was in France.

[David]

I am upset now....i thought quasars were really cool...and tgey erre reputed to motor...maybe your mae's bike was a little past it's best? But it was reliant running gear.....

[Skub]

I am upset now....i thought quasars were really cool...and tgey erre reputed to motor...maybe your mae's bike was a little past it's best? But it was reliant running gear.....

That head wand needs fixing.

[Whysub]

I am upset now....i thought quasars were really cool...and tgey erre reputed to motor...maybe your mae's bike was a little past it's best? But it was reliant running gear.....

The one I rode was powered by a rattly Reliant 850cc engine. There werexa couple with a VFR750 engine in them, but having ridden one, I never wanted to ride another.

I can see why owners defend them, as shelling out all that money for one, you have to defend your purchase.