The worst bike you've ever owned

cloud41
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cloud41 11/3/2022 4:09am
11/3/2022 4:09am
reded301 wrote:
2014 KTM 250SX. Fuck that thing.
AgentOrange wrote:
I'll vote third on this bike. Had same bike as well, sold it to a friend and rode it again a few weeks ago. What a...
I'll vote third on this bike. Had same bike as well, sold it to a friend and rode it again a few weeks ago. What a pile! Vibrates, harsh feeling, didn't want to turn. Love my 20 350 XCF.
This one needed rubber bar mounts and overhauled suspenders. I had a 13 and 14 with those changes, and they were great.
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evomx244
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evomx244 11/3/2022 4:21am
11/3/2022 4:21am
2003 TM250 what pile
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evomx244
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evomx244 11/3/2022 4:27am
11/3/2022 4:27am
Zoom wrote:
1981 Honda CR250R by a landslide! First year watercooled and single shocked for Honda. Broke a lot and was heavy. Honda did their homework and follow...
1981 Honda CR250R by a landslide! First year watercooled and single shocked for Honda. Broke a lot and was heavy. Honda did their homework and follow up with a much improved 82 and 83 models.
I raced one of those about 10 years ago, it was pretty bad. My 1982 CR250 was one of my favorite vintage bikes I raced.
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quadzrulebro 11/3/2022 4:36am
11/3/2022 4:36am
2017 CRF450R. Plenty fast, but twitchy handling. Worse yet, it had a known problem where a tiny drop of water would get into the kill button/map switch and short circuit the bike and kill the engine. The first time it happened, I had just ridden to the starting line and pushed my bike to the gate and it wouldn’t start. About $100 to replace the switch. Second time it happened (also in a race), I was wide open on an uphill straight followed by a drop away jump. Thank God it died far enough before the drop away that I was able to just slowly coast over the jump and roll to a stop at the bottom. Another $100 to replace the switch. That was always in the back of my head right up until the day I sold that POS.
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The Shop

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Titan1
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Titan1 11/3/2022 4:47am
11/3/2022 4:47am
Titan1 wrote:
2006 CRF250R for me…
Johnny Ringo wrote:
Was it the bog?
Not really…And it wasn’t a bad bike, just the worst I’ve owned…I could just never really get comfortable on it for some reason. We just didn’t click like I’d expect.
PNWMXer
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PNWMXer 11/3/2022 4:49am
11/3/2022 4:49am
CPR wrote:
How has no one mentioned the first KXF/ RMZ250s?! Bike would boil on the line, get roosted by everyone down the start straight, then the forks...
How has no one mentioned the first KXF/ RMZ250s?!
Bike would boil on the line, get roosted by everyone down the start straight, then the forks would bottom out just from grabbing the front brakes, where the lever would pull into the throttle. Then the rear would squat under ‘power’ until the acceleration bumps, where it’d decide to rebound into your ass.
Luckily the pain didn’t last long because you’d be out of coolant by the second lap and have to pull over.

Some of these delightful characteristics could be fixed, but by the time you sorted them out, it’d be starting to fall to bits. Had to be one of the biggest lemons ever straight out of the box.
Don’t forget the part where you had to drain the coolant to change the oil filter, unless you bought PC’s cover…brilliant engineering…
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wrc777
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wrc777 11/3/2022 4:55am
11/3/2022 4:55am
2022 CRF250R. Stiff as hell. Lost the cams and head at 15 hrs and no support whatsoever from Honda. On the plus side the engine powerband was pretty good for off-road, and it had super steering. The clutch being an on/off switch wasn't great.
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ktmfun219
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ktmfun219 11/3/2022 5:11am
11/3/2022 5:11am
Hah hah-first bike-1969 Ossa 175 Enduro- POS-right hand shifter.
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neysbo
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neysbo 11/3/2022 5:28am
11/3/2022 5:28am
1984 KTM 125
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yz763
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yz763 11/3/2022 5:33am
11/3/2022 5:33am Edited Date/Time 11/3/2022 6:57am
2011 YZ450f. It wasn’t a bad bike but it was definitely flakey. The thing was super fast but it handled really weird. It didn’t turn very well and the bike was very unpredictable. A few good get offs on that thing that left me asking…..”what the hell just happened?”

Second was my 2021 KTM350SX. That bike was awesome too but for some reason I could never gel with it. The stock air stuff was terrible and setting up the shock wasn’t easy. I swapped in KYB internals for the front fork and it was better but that bike was just a nervous bike. It was like a nervous dog. You're pretty sure it won’t bite you but there’s nothing going on in the dogs eyes. It always had this feeling like it was about to start head shaking down any straight. But it never did head shake. Rutted jump faces were that bikes kryptonite. The handling was just really nervous like it was always on the edge. Even riding though the pits, it felt like it was on the edge. The new 2023 350……a million times better. Probably the best bike I’ve owned after installing the KYB kit and Twisted Vortex.
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Madmax31
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Madmax31 11/3/2022 6:17am
11/3/2022 6:17am
burn1986 wrote:
83 YZ125
That's odd. I'd put the 83 125 in my top 5 all time and I've had a ton of bikes.
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MXBREWSKI
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MXBREWSKI 11/3/2022 6:40am
11/3/2022 6:40am

This POS, 81 CR450R!! Thought I couldn't even ride fast anymore and almost quit................till I rode my buddies floater 125!! Had a RM 250 a couple weeks later and went to Expert class within 6 months!! Glad I didnt quit, lol.
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bultokid
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bultokid 11/3/2022 6:45am
11/3/2022 6:45am Edited Date/Time 11/3/2022 6:47am
1979 Bultaco 250 Pursang...also first brand new bike I bought....LOVE Buls, still ride /race them in vintage, but the '79 was a complete turd....soon as rode buds YZ125 I knew i was cooked...and the YZ was a turd compared to the '81 RM
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samifan
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samifan 11/3/2022 6:45am
11/3/2022 6:45am
2006 RM 250. Heard so many great things about them, but being a high school kid and broke at the time, bought someone else's well used, powder coated everything, project. Looked pretty cool from 10ft away... The thing had a light switch attached to a jet engine, and something was definitely goofy with the suspension. Was young and dumb at the time so thought it was just the way they were. Rode and raced it a ton like that. Saved up and bought a 2006 KTM 250sxf and first ride realized just how bad that RM was. Felt like I had waisted two years of my life and sold the RM as fast as I could. Wish I had the bike now with what I know, just so I could figure out what all was going on with it...
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spacecat
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spacecat 11/3/2022 6:52am
11/3/2022 6:52am
2011 yz450f. Coming off a 2004 yz450f I was sure it would be an upgrade. It was not.
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zippytech
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zippytech 11/3/2022 7:10am
11/3/2022 7:10am
1988 KTM 250, Everything about the bike was junk!
2
rockyuno
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AR
rockyuno 11/3/2022 7:11am
11/3/2022 7:11am
2017 Honda CRF450

never had so many problems with a new bike. sold it with 50hrs.
handling was horrible too.
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jnickell
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jnickell 11/3/2022 7:17am
11/3/2022 7:17am
Thisusernameisavailable wrote:
2003 YZ450F or maybe 2001 RM250.
My worst bike is definitely the 2003 YZ450. My brother had an 01 426 that I enjoyed so I figured the slimmer, sleeker 450 was going to be awesome. NOPE The front always felt like I was riding on ice and the tiny flywheel made power delivery very abrupt. It wore me out. A 5-speed gearbox and heavier flywheel would have helped immensely. A little bit of surplus income would have helped the suspension and handling but I'm not so sure and wasn't willing to pony up (I felt like the base was just too far off). I sold it after about 6 months and bought my friend's 2002 YZ250 (2-stroke). Loved that bike immediatley. I then had Pro Action work on the suspenders which was an awesome investment.
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spimx
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Port Isabel, TX US
spimx 11/3/2022 7:20am
11/3/2022 7:20am
2012 Daytona 675r, bike does not stay running longer than a few months. Has almost caught on fire 2x from bad wiring and the recall for the wiring would mean a 6 hrs commute for me to take it. I will never own another Triumph
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ElliotB16
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ElliotB16 11/3/2022 7:36am
11/3/2022 7:36am
2016 CRF450.

There seems to be a lot of Hondas mentioned
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bonseff
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Frisco, TX US
bonseff 11/3/2022 7:41am
11/3/2022 7:41am
ElliotB16 wrote:
2016 CRF450.

There seems to be a lot of Hondas mentioned
"There seems to be a lot of Hondas mentioned"

They tricked us with that shiny 1st gen road racing frame!
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zookrider62!
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zookrider62! 11/3/2022 7:43am
11/3/2022 7:43am
Another vote for the 99 CR125. I had a 97 that I absolutely loved, so I was excited to get a newer bike, but it was a huge disappointment for me. I could never get comfortable on the bike, it felt extremely long compared to any other bike ive owned.
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bonseff
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bonseff 11/3/2022 7:52am
11/3/2022 7:52am
zookrider62! wrote:
Another vote for the 99 CR125. I had a 97 that I absolutely loved, so I was excited to get a newer bike, but it was...
Another vote for the 99 CR125. I had a 97 that I absolutely loved, so I was excited to get a newer bike, but it was a huge disappointment for me. I could never get comfortable on the bike, it felt extremely long compared to any other bike ive owned.
The only way I could really use the bike was to go down I think 3 teeth in the rear so I could stretch out the transmission. The 95' cylinders were all sold out everywhere, porting and pipes didn't help much. The FMF Honda team at the time made it work though. Their bikes were rockets.
2
fourfourone
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fourfourone 11/3/2022 8:07am
11/3/2022 8:07am
R VanKamp77 wrote:
2022 GasGas MC350. Best on paper/theory, moneypit IRL.
toddw12 wrote:
Really? I've been a die hard Yamaha guy but rode a mc350 this past weekend and I'll be selling the 450 asap.
soggy wrote:
I’d take everything he says with a grain of salt if you read his suspension thread you’ll see why.
Never trust someone on a forum who needs to constantly create new usernames lol.
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1stSSPZ
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1stSSPZ 11/3/2022 8:07am
11/3/2022 8:07am
Thisusernameisavailable wrote:
2003 YZ450F or maybe 2001 RM250.
jnickell wrote:
My worst bike is definitely the 2003 YZ450. My brother had an 01 426 that I enjoyed so I figured the slimmer, sleeker 450 was going...
My worst bike is definitely the 2003 YZ450. My brother had an 01 426 that I enjoyed so I figured the slimmer, sleeker 450 was going to be awesome. NOPE The front always felt like I was riding on ice and the tiny flywheel made power delivery very abrupt. It wore me out. A 5-speed gearbox and heavier flywheel would have helped immensely. A little bit of surplus income would have helped the suspension and handling but I'm not so sure and wasn't willing to pony up (I felt like the base was just too far off). I sold it after about 6 months and bought my friend's 2002 YZ250 (2-stroke). Loved that bike immediatley. I then had Pro Action work on the suspenders which was an awesome investment.
My exact experience with the 03.
1
DJS721
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Slip Window, OH US
DJS721 11/3/2022 8:12am
11/3/2022 8:12am
1986 KX250, gronk engine with stinkbug handling

Owned it weeks, and moved on to a 1986 CR250R, and it was good
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sandman768
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Saratoga Springs, NY US
sandman768 11/3/2022 9:23am
11/3/2022 9:23am
DJS721 wrote:
1986 KX250, gronk engine with stinkbug handling

Owned it weeks, and moved on to a 1986 CR250R, and it was good
Wtf is a Gronk engine? 😂
RudyRayMo
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RudyRayMo 11/3/2022 9:25am
11/3/2022 9:25am
jnickell wrote:
My worst bike is definitely the 2003 YZ450. My brother had an 01 426 that I enjoyed so I figured the slimmer, sleeker 450 was going...
My worst bike is definitely the 2003 YZ450. My brother had an 01 426 that I enjoyed so I figured the slimmer, sleeker 450 was going to be awesome. NOPE The front always felt like I was riding on ice and the tiny flywheel made power delivery very abrupt. It wore me out. A 5-speed gearbox and heavier flywheel would have helped immensely. A little bit of surplus income would have helped the suspension and handling but I'm not so sure and wasn't willing to pony up (I felt like the base was just too far off). I sold it after about 6 months and bought my friend's 2002 YZ250 (2-stroke). Loved that bike immediatley. I then had Pro Action work on the suspenders which was an awesome investment.
That 2003 yz450 was a beast, still the fastest 450 I’ve ever ridden. The 2003 Ktm250 was the worst bike ive ever owned.
sandman768
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sandman768 11/3/2022 9:28am
11/3/2022 9:28am
My 87 Suzuki RM250 would be 2nd worse to my 06 YZ450F. I was huge Suzuki fan & this was my first brand new bike. Just very average, brakes, engine… fit & finish was poor.. cheap hardware… I rode a friends 87 CR 250… I was shocked at how much better it was…

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