Whats the crappest bike you've ever owned and why?

[bobv7]

The last two CJs I saw were on their way back to Honda with relocated exhaust valves heads. Stuck in the piston crowns if I remember right. They were both yellow too.

Nobody has mentioned the Yamaha XS500 or Honda 500T yet? Both examples of how even the smartest bike companies can turn out shit products.

[Bryanj]

500T was as OK as the 450 twin just fugly. The XS was again OK after Yamaha sorted the head gasket

[bobv7]

There you go, one man's "OK" is another man's boat anchor!

[MrDavo]

Two posts on here nominating the 250 Matchless single, I had the AJS version, a 14CSR.

I once went down to Mallory Park to watch the Race of the Year, with Barry Sheene riding, plus the works MVs, A roads all the way down from Lancaster, but L plates off and used the M6 on the way home, after getting lost. That was when the pin vibrated out of the clutch mechanism and left me in ‘run, bump, crunch’ mode only. It was ok once I got into top gear, but I abandoned the bike at Preston and got a lift. I got towed home a few times, everything from not starting to no lights, the Wipac electrics were hopeless. It went missing after a Free gig at the University, plod gave me a lift home in a van, the next day I went looking for it on my Honda 150, and found it on its side, abandoned, about half a mile from where I’d left it, clearly the would be theives didn’t know the knack to starting it.

I passed my test on it, despite the base gasket leak that made the examiner ask if I was cooking chips down there, he later helped me adjust the front brake before sending me off around the block again to have another go at the emergency stop. Although I mostly enjoyed riding it, three days later I bought a BSA 500 Shooting Star and flogged the AJS.

[bobv7]

I had a AJS 14CSR too. Bought one new from Pride & Clark, Brixton, and was in my ignorance of things mechanical much used and abused by me. A bit heavy for a 250 with a SLS front brake and clutch action that would go very stiff for no apparent reason. As a result proved quite useful when tackling brazil nuts without the appropriate tool. Eventually traded in for Thruxton Bonneville at Commerfords, Thames Ditton. Not a great bike even back then but I've ridden worse since.

[Spitfire]

Yes I had one of those, a very heavy and slow bike swopped it for a Yamaha 80 which was great, passed my test and bought an A65.


Cheers

Dennis

[bobv7]

OK, lets get the embarrassing stuff over with!

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[MrDavo]

Gosh it’s like the 14CSR owner’s club on here, no wonder we all ended up with the super reliable Hondas!

Although mine started out bog stock, it ended up like Spitfire’s with Ace bars and a homemade fibreglass racing seat. At one time it even had a fairing, although the headlamp only lit up the treetops.

One icy morning on the way to school, I tapped the front brake and found myself sliding up the road, I went in one direction, the bike and seat both went their own ways. It’s scariest moment was when the Amal Monobloc carb fell apart as the threads on the top ring were shot, and the slide and choke came out of the carb body. Effectively flat out and fast approaching a T junction, I was frantically scrabbling around for the ignition switch, somewhere behind my left knee!!   

[Bryanj]

Ah the old hacksaw and jubilee clip cure

[cooleronthecoast]

Gosh it’s like the 14CSR owner’s club on here, no wonder we all ended up with the super reliable Hondas!

As we all know, the reliability of the vast majority of the Japanese motorcycles didn't help the British motorcycle industry one bit back in the late 60's and early 70's.  My elder brother had a Norton Commando 750 which he had no end of bother with, he eventually sold it and got a Honda 500/4.  My first motorcycle was a BSA Bantam which was crap, but I mentioned the 350K4 Honda as my worst bike because I expected it to be much better than it was, whereas I had no such hopes for the venerable Beezer.  It took me a further forty odd years to pull the trigger on a second British bike (my current Triumph Thruxton), which ironically was built in Thailand as far as I'm aware.  The thing is (like a Honda) it doesn't leak oil, it's reliable and the quality of finish is pretty good too.   What if?    What if?

[OZZYSBIKES]

My worst bike has to be the third or fourth Triumph tiger cub that I had the misfortune to own ! As with most of the early Cubs it was incredibly unreliable, one thing after another until eventually it knocked the big end out (not uncommon) which necessitated a replacement with an Alpha con rod conversion,  all this on a under stressed trials bike that broke the heart of an aspiring Sammy Miller on more than one wasted weekend 

Re the T140V being a worst bike nominee ! I loved my T140 Bonnie, I had sold a Suzuki GT750J and bought the Bonnie,  in real life not much slower than the kettle and loads better handling and brakes, I never tested it but I reckon that I could have got round Cadwell quicker on the Bonnie, it also never leaked oil and never broke down, I had a good one ?

[Bryanj]

You had a unique one!

[MrDavo]

I loved my T140V, it was fast, had loads of torque and good handling.

I did, however seem to spend an hour fixing it for every hour I rode i. I bought it new and traveled nearly 20,000 miles, but by the time I sold it, it was a proper Trigger’s broom having had a few trivial repairs such as another frame (cracked) and another crank (twisted). The wife just pointed out it did help pull her, so not all bad.   

[matthewmosse]

Cb250 nighthawk a contender, whilst boringly reliable, the forks wore through the chrome inside of 30k kilometres, finish wasnt up to much, and exhaust studs snapped off in the head despite 6 monthly removal and copper slipping of the nuts after the first event. Rival to that bmwr80rt. Love hate thing with that bike, handled great, good engine, gearbox a bit crap, and switchgear awful, ditto electrical system generally. Dim dip switch prone to fall  to bits leaving you with no headlight. I had 2 of these, both same issues, compared to my 500/4  they were expensive to run in mechanical terms, drank fuel, and less reliable- particularly the electrics. The 500/4 went round the clock twice, saw more winter use, and needed 1 new fuse and the tail light wire bypassing in 220k miles or thereabouts.  Yes it also needed engine work ( RIP it out, throw in another) but the bmws complex wiring was their Achilles heel. I ended up with a big box of headlight relays that sometimes worked etc. Really hammered home the fact, simplicity is king, the same manufacturer for switchgear (tec) on both 500/4 and BMW r80,  same headlight bulb and basic electricall functions. I seemed to be testing or swapping relays or switchgear on the bmws but never on the Honda which had one relay, for the indicators, that was it, and it worked reliably.

[mike the bike]

The K75 relay used to stick on permanently if the battery voltage went low. 
It wasn't the first time it had been looked at because the relay had insulting  tape around the join.