Is there a bike out there which you feel is so bad that you would rather walk than try it?

Question

I have ridden some technically pretty awful bikes, indeed I own a couple but in my mind any bike has its merits and is fun.

Motorcycling is a special thing and to my mind a true biker is one who appreciates all of them irresepctive of brand, country or origin, size, style etc.

You often hear people comment on a certain make or bike from a certain country as being better or worse than any other and they would not consider anything other than what they have. Well in my mind they are not bikers at all but basically phoney brand whor*es.
The morons who set fire to Japanese bikes for example are just bigots not bikers, so if you fall into the blinkered camp still answer if you want but don't expect to have much creedance put your opinion.

My question though is there any motorcycle out there that you simply would never sling your leg over or be seen dead on by your friends? If so why?

Kato - you are bang on sir in what you say. I was not as such singling out Harley owners when I mentioned the setting on fire of Japanese bikes. As far as I am concerned the people who discriminate against any brand be it against Harley, Honda, Husqvarna or what ever are morons. We have some answers already that fall into those categories and that is an individuals right. I just happen to think that they are missing out on the essence of biking at is base level by dismissing something because it came from a particular firm or country. Their loss not mine or indeed it would seem - yours. I certainly do not think that Harley owners in the main are Jap bike burning cretins and I am pretty sure there have been a fair share of Brit bike owners, for example, at these stupid events. I got my Triumph Bonneville in the very early 80's at the time when many called anything from the east "Jap Crap" - and what a completely stupid attitude it was then and still is now. Thanks for your answer.

Lexrich - thanks for the effort in answering but as every time a question gets posted with the word 'bike' in it someone comes up with the same thing, it would be good if the attempts at smart answers actually were funny or original. I am all for them don't get me wrong and I am not taking a swipe at you, just hoping for something new.

Answer 1

The only bad bikes out there are the ones you end up pushing. I'll ride anything from mopeds to crotch rockets. They are all fun even if the brakes don't work.

Answer 2

I tend to agree that all motorcycles have their merits; having owned and ridden all types for the past 32 years I can honestly say that the only thing that would cause me to prefer using Shanks' pony is the attachment of a sidecar!

Tried it a few times, didn't enjoy it; I once heard riding an outfit described as "the art of doing the impossible with the unrideable" and that sums it up for me.

I hasten to add though that I prefer sidecar RACING to solos, especially when a Morgan or two gets in on the action.

As to the blinkered camp; I've owned and ridden Harleys for 18 years now, from a 1931 VL to a modern XL1200R.My own experience of those who are anti-Harley is that it's the perceived lifestyle and "bling" of some Harley riders which hacks some people off; most riders who knock Harleys have never even ridden one, how can you comment if you ain't tried it?.

Usually they're the same people who bump my insurance premium up and keep the Welsh Ambulance Service in weekend overtime by using Powys as a racetrack ; however I don't feel the need to burn either them, or their bikes, in effigy.


Thinking about the original question again, later Gold Wings don't do much for me, and "crotch rockets" give me back-ache just looking at them, but I'd ride any TWO-wheeler rather than walk home.

Answer 3

Sure, I've ridden for 41 years now. In that time, I have owned 26 bikes, the last 5 have all been harleys. I started with a mini bike I built at age ten, then worked up thru dirt bikes to street to big cruisers. Way back when, in the early 70's I obtained a "hodaka" dirt bike. I could not understand why the guy sold it so cheap. I learned quickly. That darn bike broke down at the drop of a hat. Parts were impossible to find, and it would just quit running for no reason, then restart and run fine till it decided to quit again. In addition, it was the hardest roughets riding bike I ever rode, and that metal gas tank with the nut cruncher top was a killer. I literally did, run it off a cliff one day. I was so fed up that I rode it up to a bluff overlooking the area we camped at, put it in gear, started it rolling and stepped off. I still have very fond memories of watching that piece of junk falling in a long ark out to it's final fiery resting place. If it was re incarnated today, I'd douse it in gas and torch it off just to watch it burn!!

Answer 4

This is a hard question because i love bikes of all types, even the scooters of today are cracking fun if you accept the for what they are.

I used to have a yam RD350ypvs (remember them?) which was a brilliant bike in a frame made of elastic bands, so much that a ride in the wet was like playing russian roulette.
It was that character that made the bike so nightmare it was at times, i still loved it.

My mate had a gpz900 that smoked like hell everywhere it went, years of bloody knuckles never got to the bottom of the problem so he just excepted the 'james bond' smoke screen behind.
Unfortunately the rozzers were never so accepting.

Even the little monkey bikes are brilliant when your just buzzng around, especially on holiday.

Probably the foldaway bikes are worst of the current crop, mainly because the designs are shockingly bad and your expected to accept a half hearted effort at a bike while paying well over the top for it.

Answer 5

I currently own a Victory Kingpin and the missus owns a trike.

I have owned bikes from Triumph, Harley-Davidson, MZ, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, Yamaha, BSA and Suzuki.

I've also ridden step-thrus, Laverdas, chops, lowriders, ratbikes, race reps, scooters, Russian oddities, Goldwings and dirt bikes.

I'd give anything a shot - I've always fancied a blast on a Boss Hoss or a Y2K, just to see if either are as mad as I think they are...

Answer 6

You know, I can see where Amstardas son is coming from. I used to jog 30 miles a week until I started riding again. Now 25 lbs later, I got motorbike parts all over the place.
The moral of the story is riding is alot more fun than walking, no matter what your ride.
Amstardas story is original and a heck of alot funnier than some.
I give you a gold star for asking such good questions. Yours are a cut above most.

Answer 7

I agree with what you are getting at man, but I noticed that you mentioned people burning Jap bikes when most of the bigotry on this forum seems to come from Jap bike riders and is aimed at Harley's. If you'll notice there is already a response to that affect. I'm not a die hard Harley guy by any means. I spend most of my time at the track on my CRF, but it still bothers me that there is so much hate and ignorance on this forum towards any type of bike. Truly sad, and you are correct in saying these people are not motorcycle enthusiast, just a bunch of narrow-minded posers. But to answer the question, no I would rather ride the worst bike in the world than not ride at all.

Answer 8

I'll take a test ride on any bike just to see how it rides. It doesn't mean I'd consider buying anything but a Harley. If I get the opportunity to buy one, I would like pick up an old Triumph Bonneville. Beides that I'm pretty picky about what I ride.

Answer 9

I guess I wouldn't go as far to say walk instead of ride but in the 80s I had a Kawasaki 450 that I really hated and wiped it out once ,So in turn I have just not cared much for Kawasaki ,I'm not knocking them and I'm sure many a people like there Kawasaki , The bike just left a bad taste in my mouth that I ve never been able to spit out

Answer 10

No.
Heck, I used to ride Mom's moped just to be on two wheels.
It was the first two-wheeler I ever rode in the snow.
I have been on some I wouldn't recommend, but I rode them.
The only reason for me not to try anything would be if it scared me just looking at it, for whatever reason. Now, if you had seen some of the things I've ridden and driven, you would know that's no small task. If the wheels are round and it's got at least one braked wheel, you'll probably find me on it.

Answer 11

There are alot of bikes that I would just turn around a sell if you gave me one. But I would be more than happy to give anything with two wheels a ride. The less likely I would be to buy the thing, the more fun it would be to test drive it. Heck I would even test drive a trike.