Worst production bikes ever?

The 2004 was a heap, but all of the problems were fixed for 2005 and that was actually one of the best bikes I've ever owned.

Anyone order Chinese takeout?

1997-1999 CR250… hands down the worst ever!

It’s interesting because I see so many people talk both the 04 and 05’s and the bad experiences they all had with both year RMZ/KXF’s but besides a transmission issue I never had any issues with my 05 KXF. Still running to this day. Finally rebuilt the bike after putting 200+ hours with 1 piston replacement and 1 clutch. Valves were checked once because we let someone borrow the bike and it wasn’t running right(I found the issue to be a worn out slide). Other than that, that bike has been one of the best and most reliable bikes I’ve ever owned. 

I agree. I had a 2006 and absolutely loved it.

I had a 98 I used mainly for grass track , hammering farm fields and trails and in that setting I loved that bike . Wish I still had it . The few times I took it on a more modern track I didn't think it was that bad . 

1997 CR250R. Hands down.

2004 CR 125 with the double boost port.

85 YZ125

They made it White and Red that year...that's about it !

Bogged on rough steep up hills

Right out of the box.

Yamaha wrench report said to drill holes in the carbs baffle to fix this.

There wasn't any internet , and if you didn't live on the West coast

You would have Zero knowledge 

Until early summer when the 125 Shootout edition of MXA hit the stands lol 

Profeshenal125 just took his shirt off

I saw the headline and instantly thought of my POS 2004 Suzuki RMZ250. What a heap. No matter what I did, it ran like ass and had no power. 

84 was awful, most 80s were faster. Shocking that Beier finished 3rd in the Nats on one(obviously modified, but man..)

2003 ktm 250 sx harsh suspension stinkbug stance headshake.

2002 ktm 250 exc weighed the same as a 520 exc had the power of an xr 80.

Add me to the 04 KXF list. What a turd. I owned it less than 2 years and it spent more time getting fixed than I did riding it. 

2014 CRF250R. Slowest bike ever. Terrible fork. Burned copious amounts of oil because it was constantly on the limiter to get anywhere. Would NEVER start hot. 

Honestly, never owned a bike I didn't love. 

I'll second the 2003 250 SX . Everything you said plus hand numbing vibration.  Terrible bike .

The 2001 CR125, if not THE worst production bike ever, has got to be at the very very top of any list.  I came from a stock 99 YZ125, and a slightly modded 99 CR80, and both were lightning bolts in comparison.  

Mark this as the single most wholesome thing Magoofan has ever posted And I'll second it!

I really liked the engine though. And it looked awesome, back in the day. But yes, you could hit the same line every lap and the bike would do something different every time. Very rigid, overbuilt chassis.

Enjoying the responses and creative descriptions of awfulness.

Thanks for this thread.

For me? The ABSOLUTE worst production bike I owned was a 1991 KTM 125 MXC. The rear linkage had the wrong bushings in it. Push the back of the bike down? It stayed down!

The transmission was famously terrible: it DID NOT shift while you were on the gas…period. It usually didn’t want to shift past 2nd without some slow ritual of using the clutch and a long throw of the shifter…

All the while, it was SO FAST! You’d get the jump out of the gate & then NOT be able to up-shift!
The DelOrto carb was AWESOME…magnesium as I recall,..? 

Oh, about the use of Magnesium…the water pump cover on my bike was magnesium. It was also “dissolved” or dissolving right from the factory. 

Yup. That thing was TERRIBLE. 

1986 Suzuki RM125 with the engine wart aka resonance chamber for the power valve.  Pretty sick looking color scheme with the blue engine and frame, except that the plastic was 2 years old and already very dated. Duck bill front fender. Anemic engine and pretty awful suspension.

Engine closer up

Come on man....I'm just misunderstood...     

Are you a bigger dude? They flexed more with heavier riders, which made them less sketchy. 

The blue engine/frame was stunning back then.     HEP or Suzuki should do a "heritage" edition like that. 

this is probably as close as we'll ever come. 

and more recently, sans blue engine:

Had a 04 RMZ, we had a rocky start but Tokyo Mods fixed the valvetrain and it was actually a decent bike. Did nothing great, but everything well enough.

For me it was a 2001 CR125, may as well put a KTM 65 in a big bike chassis, and the my 2021 crf250r. I bought a 4 stroke thinking I'd enjoy shifting less but I shifted that thing more than any 125 I've ever owned. Forks in stock form sucked... sketchy feeling chassis. Just wasn't a fan

I was around 200 lbs. With gear on back then .

1973 Suzuki TM250.  TM’s were so bad Suzuki fired all the development  Eng’s on project.