What was your least favorite motorcycle?

[wild-bill]

I'm just curious. Mine was a '96 Honda Rebel I bought new in 1997. I had a Suzuki Bandit 600 and bought it for a second bike. I wanted to try out a cruiser without spending much money. The bike never gave me a problem in the 2 years and 4,000 miles of ownership. But it was underpowered. Most of my riding is highway or freeway-don't enjoy Houston city traffic that much. Would it keep up with freeway traffic? That depended on which way the wind was blowing. In a good tailwind I could hit 80 indicated. But pushing a strong wind, maybe about 60-65 indicated. The speedo was off about 8%, so you could imagine how cars were flying past me when the wind was head on. And the bike was uncomfortable. The forward footpegs were awkward and out of place. Maybe it's 'cause I have short legs. The most fun I had with it is when I was riding with this guy who had the same bike. We were running WOT on a state highway with sweeping curves. I thought "This is great. We can race each other and not have to worry about geting a speeding ticket!"
I've noticed even taking it easy for break in, the Ninjette is a much quicker bike. If I could do it over again, I would have got a Ninja 250R instead. Well, I got it now and that's all that matters.

[backinthesaddleagain]

77 Yam DT100D. Should have got the YZ80. Wrecked all the lights and dented the steel tanl.
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[highpsiguy]

2001 Kawasaki Concours 1000. I tried everything to get comfortable on that bike. It looked great, handled pretty good, good power. But it was so miserably uncomfortable. Wrists ached, lousy wind protection, butt- well lets not even go there. I spent money on all types of products and gadgets.. finally gave up and sold it.

Really surprised at how comfortable the lil Ninja is to me.

[wild-bill]

Originally Posted by highpsiguy

2001 Kawasaki Concours 1000. I tried everything to get comfortable on that bike. It looked great, handled pretty good, good power. But it was so miserably uncomfortable. Wrists ached, lousy wind protection, butt- well lets not even go there. I spent money on all types of products and gadgets.. finally gave up and sold it.

Really surprised at how comfortable the lil Ninja is to me.

Interesting. I thought the Connie would be a comfortable bike.

[highpsiguy]

Doesnt make sense to me either...

[Bill N]

Was glad to read about your experience with the older Connie. I came real close to buying one but got a V11 EV Moto Guzzi instead. Very comfortable and have about 115,000 miles on her now. It remains my favorite bike. My least favorite was a 1962 Triumph Mountain cub. I couldn't kick start it and had to push start to get lightoff. Motor blew up after a few months of ownership.
Cheers, bill

[Sailariel]

The worst bike I ever owned was a 1972 750ccDunstall Norton Cafe Racer. It was really fun to ride and turned a lot of heads---but it had the "Electrical System From Hell". The bike burned out two wire harnesses, would quit in the middle of an interstate and not start again. I finally got rid of it. The most fun and reliable machine I have owned so far has to be the Ninja 250R. I really hated to part with her. A back injury kept me from riding over an hour because my whole right side would go numb--prior to that, I could go 500mi in one day without a problem.

[KJohnson21]

Kevin (highpsiguy) - Sorry to hear about your Concours discomfort. I bought my '99 Connie seven years ago and I've put 70k on her. I've got the stock seat and I'd still say it's reasonably comfortable.

The least favorite motorcycle I've owned would be a Suzuki GS1100 that I got used. The plain basic package, nothing exciting.

[Cab305]

This thing.....

Is it supposed to be a jet ski with wheels? or is it a scooter on steroids? It is automatic after all.

And of course any year Busa any color any mod, thing looks like it melted.

[zilaniz]

I actually test rode that at a demo day at the local dealership just out of pure curiosity. I was pretty impressed, it is actually extremely nimble probably due to the low center of gravity and very comfy. Had some nice torque and a lot of storage. Got some weird looks on it though. Gotta give Honda credit for coming up with new ideas, you can switch gears on your own on it too like the new VFR

Originally Posted by Cab305

This thing.....

Is it supposed to be a jet ski with wheels? or is it a scooter on steroids? It is automatic after all.

And of course any year Busa any color any mod, thing looks like it melted.

[Sailariel]

Test drove one as well. It is an impressive piece of machinery. The quality is superb, handling is above average, and it is comfortable. It shares the engine with the NT700V and the Honda TransAlp Dual Sport. The engine is a V Twin and is known for its reliability and performance. That bike is no slouch. It is, however a bit pricey. I opted for the NT700V and am very happy with my purchase.

[kkim]

1987 KTM 250 Enduro. Bike was just too tall and heavy for me in the trails and I soon learned that bikes need to be sized according to your body size to work well. Spent a ton of money to get it lighter and make it work for me, but in the end it just kicked my ass. Bigger is not always better.

this bike except w/ a 250 engine...

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by Bill N

Was glad to read about your experience with the older Connie. I came real close to buying one but got a V11 EV Moto Guzzi instead. Very comfortable and have about 115,000 miles on her now. It remains my favorite bike. My least favorite was a 1962 Triumph Mountain cub. I couldn't kick start it and had to push start to get lightoff. Motor blew up after a few months of ownership.
Cheers, bill

Rode a friend's V11 Sport recently. Fun bike. weird blipping the throttle at a stop light and feeling the bike move to the right. He said on a smooth back road its a great sport bike. As off the beaten path as Guzzi is I know 5 guys with V11 sports and 1 guy looking for one.

[patw]

I've only owned 2 bikes but I've managed to test ride 20+ now....

2010 GSXR-600. I want to say it was a pile of crap, but that would be unfair, Suzuki does make some really decent bikes other than this one, and it could have been broken in badly or was abused.

The engine note sounded like constant farting, the plastics felt cheap and rattled, and it was wickedly uncomfortable.... (but it was still better than a Can-am Spyder!)

I'm not an overly critical guy (I don't think). I rode a few bikes that I considered nearly perfect (FZ1, 2010 ZX6R, Gladius), but the Gixxer 6 was just uggh.

[Sailariel]

Kelly, You are absolutely spot on. We have known this with bicycles for years. If the bike does not fit, it will be no fun to ride, and will probably be relegated to rusting in some garage. I see this with bicycles all the time--restoring bikes which were a poor fit for the original owner. The same thing applies to motorcycles--There is no such thing as "One size fits all". Seat height, distance between the front of the seat and the stem (the centre of the triple fork), the placement of the foot pegs, height of the handlebar, are all important and fall into the category of ergonomics. People need to get bikes that fit them. They will enjoy the ride so much more.

[Daeldren]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

Kelly, You are absolutely spot on. We have known this with bicycles for years. If the bike does not fit, it will be no fun to ride, and will probably be relegated to rusting in some garage. I see this with bicycles all the time--restoring bikes which were a poor fit for the original owner. The same thing applies to motorcycles--There is no such thing as "One size fits all". Seat height, distance between the front of the seat and the stem (the centre of the triple fork), the placement of the foot pegs, height of the handlebar, are all important and fall into the category of ergonomics. People need to get bikes that fit them. They will enjoy the ride so much more.

Sure, but will the bike that fits me do 180mph?

[c-dog]

Least favorite bike(s) I've owned - Kawasaki ER-6N or the Yamaha FZ6... Hard to decide. They both had the same riding position, sitting straight up, and it beat up my back really bad.

I'd say the ER-6N was the worst (body fit for me since I'm tall) and the suspension beat me up on country roads. And it didn't turn very well in comparison to the 250. Felt slower to me even with the extra power. Got rid of it really fast. It would be a great bike for someone shorter, but if you're about 6 foot or taller avoid it.

Hated the handlebars on both bikes too, I like clip-ons and leaning.

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by Daeldren

Sure, but will the bike that fits me do 180mph?

Yes. It would not surprise me if there is not one out there--or one that can be adjusted to "That perfecy fit" It can be done without a lot of effort.

[slolane]

I have had 40 or so bikes in the last 20 years... my least favorite bikes were the three Harley Davidson's I have had. I'm not a HD hater, I have plenty of riding buddies that still ride them and I really like my buddies XR1200 and other friends V-Rod NightRod but didn't like the ones I have owned much...

2002 Sportster 1200 - Rode like a dump truck, only had a 5 speed:


2009 Iron - Was only available as an 883, still only had a 5 speed, rode better after some touring shocks were installed but I loved the look after some modding:



2010 Street Glide - Rode like a modern dump truck:


Funny thing is I started out riding on an EX500 that I loved years ago and am now selling my ZX14 to ride the EX250 full time.

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

Kelly, You are absolutely spot on. We have known this with bicycles for years. If the bike does not fit, it will be no fun to ride, and will probably be relegated to rusting in some garage. I see this with bicycles all the time--restoring bikes which were a poor fit for the original owner. The same thing applies to motorcycles--There is no such thing as "One size fits all". Seat height, distance between the front of the seat and the stem (the centre of the triple fork), the placement of the foot pegs, height of the handlebar, are all important and fall into the category of ergonomics. People need to get bikes that fit them. They will enjoy the ride so much more.

There's a big difference here... you can get your bicycle frame in different sizes to fit you (I ride a 21" when takin it easy and a 19" when I'm gettin busy). I have yet to ride a sport bike that fit me in stock form. The motorcycle has to be altered/modded to fit. Places like this can be a huge plus because you can get help finding out ways to make that new motorcycle fit you.

[Racer x]

Fit is critical . I come from bicycles and know this first hand. I also have a bad knee. (from bicycle racing) Every bike I have had except the 2006 vfr Honda had to have a new seat, bars and pegs so I could ride for more than a hour with out distracting pain. The fit can make you love or hate a bike.


My least favorite bike is the new Aprilia 125 .It just pisses me off that they would waist energy on a fourstroke 125 sport bike. 60 mph pos

[Apex]

Each bike I have owned has brought something to the table. It isn't so much that I didn't like the bike, it is more of it just wasn't quite for me. I still compare every bike to my first, the GS500. I still think that was the best bike I have ever owned. Comfortable, decent gas mileage, versatile, low maintenance, etc. I just liked it so much. Still hate myself for selling it. Oh well, maybe I can find another dirt cheap someday and restore it to like-new condition. Oh to dream! hahaha

[Sailariel]

Mark, I hear you for sure. In the comfort range, I compare everything to the BMW R-50 that I owned back in the 60's. In the fun factor, the JAWA 350 was hard to beat--until the Ninja came along and trounced it. In the "Oh wowie" department, the Dunstall Norton 750 was a winner. Its electrical issues insured that it would never accumulate significant milage. In comfort and reliability (This was a slow bike) the 1956 NSU Special Max had no peer. They stopped making bikes in 1958. Of course, nowadays, if one were to believe the MC Press, anything under 1000cc is a beginner bike.After that, the damned thing has to turn at least a 10sec. 1/4 mile to be considered worthy. My new NT-700VA is considered a Sport Touring Bike by Honda. The MC Press sees it as an underpowered boring bike. I am glad that I don't take them seriously.

[CC Cowboy]

BSA 441, kick start was a bummer, I was 15 and didn't have the weight to get a good kick.

1974 Sportster, kick start was a bummer, the racket slipped and destroyed me knee.

I did like each bike once they were started.

[Sailariel]

Oscar, That is a great visual--brings up a lot of memories. I wonder how many of our Ninjette family remember kick starters (off road bikers don't count)

[eddiekay]

Kickstarters and compression release buttons.....not to mention being able to rig a blown fuse to work by wrapping the silver foil from a pack of Luckies around it. Man...am I thankful for modern bikes.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

The MC Press sees it as an underpowered boring bike. I am glad that I don't take them seriously.

Well of course it is boring. When all you do is test the latest and greatest SS machines around the track, knee down, puck scraping the ground at 120mph, popping the front wheel up as you exit the turn WOT, everything seems boring. Not forgetting that most of the editors themselves ride bikes daily that are at least 600cc, most likely over 1000cc's. So it makes sense that the 700 would be boring to them.

I would love an NT700 as a long distance hauler.

[Sailariel]

Mark, It is definetly a long distance touring bike. Honda no longer makes the ST1100. It has been "upgraded" to 1300cc with four cylinders. It is a heavy bike--like the older Wings. I like 700cc--not too small and not too big.

[Anteraan]

Alex, I test-rode the NT700 last spring. It's a perfect complement to the 250 for me (NT700 for distance, 250R for local). I really, REALLY wanted to like it, but I didn't.

I'm glad you enjoy yours. That's all that matters. Did you get the silver or the burgundy?

[karlosdajackal]

I've only ridden 2, the 250 and a BMW f650 gs, of those 2 the BMW was a terrible bike. Seat is too soft, clutch always seems like its slipping, front brake is very weak. Its very stable turning and will hold a line really well but you run out of ground clearance far too quickly to enjoy it. Big single vibrates a lot also. Doesn't feel faster for the extra power.

[KURT]

Anything over 500 pounds... Guess I'm not a Harley guy.

[Racer x]

Ya I am not a big fan of giant motorcycles. I don't understand 1000 cc off road bikes like Aprilia Capanorad. I just cant imagine going off road with a top heavy 1000 cc bike . Besides the fact that they are prone to catching on fire. What if it fell over in the woods?

[KURT]

Originally Posted by Racer x

My least favorite bike is the new Aprilia 125 .It just pisses me off that they would waist energy on a fourstroke 125 sport bike. 60 mph pos

You gotta look at the Aprilia as being cheap marketing. Sixteen-year-olds will drag the parents in to look at the thing, and thier dad will end up co-signing for something larger.

As for $20K dualsports, why would you drag a heavy Ducati Multistrada off-road, just to drop it on a rock?
I think this whole supermotard thing started, 'cause no one wanted to scratch thier new off-road toys.

[karlosdajackal]

250 riders being power/cc snobs classic

Don't know if anyone watched Moto2 at all this year, all bikes have same engine 600cc Honda, yet the fimmco speedup bike, which shares a chassis with a few others, seemed to beat everything in a straight line.......

Why you ask? Well because Aprilla made the fairing for it and they have a clue. RSV4 also seems to hit mad straight line speeds for the power it has, again Aprilla seem to be the manufacturer that understands aerodynamics more than most.

No doubt the 2 stroke rs 125 in its normal restricted form had 15bhp, but a dry weight of only 280 lbs, with a 150 tire on the rear, it was not to be laughed at, it could be "de-restricted" to 33bhp and would probably be very similar to a ninja 250 in performance. Same story with the caviga 125 for last year, sold as 14.5 bhp but could be made produce 33 bhp with just a screwdriver.

The new 4 stroke rs4 125 if it can equal the 15bhp and weight will do well. I think this engine might produce that much as standard without needing the revs the 2 stroke version requires. Looks to be a serious piece of machinery.

Timing system: Double overhead camshaft - DOHC
Compression ratio: 12.5 ± 0.5:1
ECU: Magneti Marelli MIU G3 32 MM DIAM.

Remember 125's are targeted at 16 year olds in countries with tier'd licenses systems.

"The ‘A1’ Learner Permit is available from 16 years of age, but will restrict the holder to motorcycles of 50cc to 125cc and a 11Kw/14.5bhp "

So I'm gonna say this, it will be as practical as any other 125cc bike, which seems to work for lots of people, it is targeted at 16 year olds, it won't have more than 14.5bhp out the door to meet the requirements of the market its targeted at, it will be a light as possible to negate that and have some very slippery fairing (aerodynamically speaking).

Hre is the kicker, it will probably be very very easy to tune it up to double the horsepower. Maybe not as easy as messing with the exhaust, maybe you'd have to flick a switch on the Marelli injection system

[bob138]

Originally Posted by karlosdajackal

250 riders being power/cc snobs classic

Don't know if anyone watched Moto2 at all this year, all bikes have same engine 600cc Honda, yet the fimmco speedup bike, which shares a chassis with a few others, seemed to beat everything in a straight line.......

Why you ask? Well because Aprilla made the fairing for it and they have a clue. RSV4 also seems to hit mad straight line speeds for the power it has, again Aprilla seem to be the manufacturer that understands aerodynamics more than most.

No doubt the 2 stroke rs 125 in its normal restricted form had 15bhp, but a dry weight of only 280 lbs, with a 150 tire on the rear, it was not to be laughed at, it could be "de-restricted" to 33bhp and would probably be very similar to a ninja 250 in performance. Same story with the caviga 125 for last year, sold as 14.5 bhp but could be made produce 33 bhp with just a screwdriver.

The new 4 stroke rs4 125 if it can equal the 15bhp and weight will do well. I think this engine might produce that much as standard without needing the revs the 2 stroke version requires. Looks to be a serious piece of machinery.

Timing system: Double overhead camshaft - DOHC
Compression ratio: 12.5 ± 0.5:1
ECU: Magneti Marelli MIU G3 32 MM DIAM.

Remember 125's are targeted at 16 year olds in countries with tier'd licenses systems.

"The ‘A1’ Learner Permit is available from 16 years of age, but will restrict the holder to motorcycles of 50cc to 125cc and a 11Kw/14.5bhp "

So I'm gonna say this, it will be as practical as any other 125cc bike, which seems to work for lots of people, it is targeted at 16 year olds, it won't have more than 14.5bhp out the door to meet the requirements of the market its targeted at, it will be a light as possible to negate that and have some very slippery fairing (aerodynamically speaking).

Hre is the kicker, it will probably be very very easy to tune it up to double the horsepower. Maybe not as easy as messing with the exhaust, maybe you'd have to flick a switch on the Marelli injection system

Dunno about a 4 stroke 125 putting out 30HP with a few easy mods. Maybe 20HP, but that is still a 33% gain over stock.

Bob

[karlosdajackal]

Originally Posted by bob138

Dunno about a 4 stroke 125 putting out 30HP with a few easy mods. Maybe 20HP, but that is still a 33% gain over stock.

Bob

Don't take my word for it re the 2 stroke
http://www.125ccsportsbikes.com/foru...howtopic=31334

For the 4 stroke that engine is well over specified for the power its gonna produce, which even if they could get 100 bhp out of, it would ship with 14.5bhp to meet regulations. How much gain is anybodies guess but aprilla made a lot of money in the past from having a legal 125cc bike that could be tuned quite easily into something a lot more fun. They knew full well that these restriction laws are near impossible to enforce. As far as a cop is concered if it looks like a wolf in sheep's clothing, they have to treat it as a sheep.

This is a full power rs125, you can see it indicates 160km/h which is 100mph, assume the same inaccuracy as our ninja speedo's, another vid on youtube shows one doing 174km/h which is 108mph!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5zP0...eature=related

I was thinking of picking up a 2nd hand one of these

[bob138]

Originally Posted by karlosdajackal

Don't take my word for it re the 2 stroke
http://www.125ccsportsbikes.com/foru...howtopic=31334

For the 4 stroke that engine is well over specified for the power its gonna produce, which even if they could get 100 bhp out of, it would ship with 14.5bhp to meet regulations. How much gain is anybodies guess but aprilla made a lot of money in the past from having a legal 125cc bike that could be tuned quite easily into something a lot more fun. They knew full well that these restriction laws are near impossible to enforce. As far as a cop is concered if it looks like a wolf in sheep's clothing, they have to treat it as a sheep.

This is a full power rs125, you can see it indicates 160km/h which is 100mph, assume the same inaccuracy as our ninja speedo's, another vid on youtube shows one doing 174km/h which is 108mph!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5zP0...eature=related

I was thinking of picking up a 2nd hand one of these

I totally believe the 2 stroke can do it. That's well within their range at that 125CC.

In regard to the over engineered 125 with restrictions. That would be a great idea though it seems a little too forward thinking for the American market. Why sell me one bike that will last me 5 years when it's more profitable to try to sell me 5 bikes over 5 years.

I agree that detuning a 500CC single down to 14.5 HP would make more sense ,lower prod cost due to only needing to mod the motor and re-brand the body work. I wish more manufacturers would do that. Instead of the foolish resleeve they did to the ninja 650 to make the ninja 400.

I guess what bothers me the most is that very few companies stick with known good parts. Why redesign a wheel to look slightly different, have slightly different dimensions yet perform and weight roughly the same? The ex500 and the ex250 should have had many common components. Kawasaki could have saved a good % by doing so. Even at large scale production, there is a difference between carrying 2 different versions of the same thing. Shipping, lower order volume so higher pricing, extra inventory space, and the burden of other parts that are also different due to the first different part ( different fork leg makes for different rotor, caliper, fender, ect.

Best part is a redesign of one could more readily allow the redesign of the other.

Anyway, I think the better thing to keep an eye out for is what the engine dimensions are on the new Aprilla 125. If you can swap in a 250 or 500 then you have yourself a perfect bike. Street capable supersport that is fuel efficient.

Bob