The biggest piece of sheit bike you were sucked in to buying?

**Conquiztador** · 6th March 2008, 20:33

We have all been there. The bells and the flashing lights are on full blast, our gut is screaming: "For fuck's sake, walk away, this is a dud!!!". But we only see what we want to see and so we pass over the $$'s and take her home. And when the daylight comes, we sober up, someone who knows something turns up, we have time to take a ride, or whatever happens we see her for what she is. A piece of crap.

So we cry a little, get drunk, get laughed at (or even worse, the partner sees her and tells us what a loser we are...).

So what is your worst story? What bike did you buy that you will always regret (and you don't really want anyone to remember that you ever had...)

To get this started I go first:

Many years ago I was given a pic of a poorly customised 650 Bonny. Supposedly it was "all there" and "motor runs". The owner was in a hurry to sell as he was going overseas not to return (that should have been a giveaway...) I had no time to go and see him before he was to take off. But "my mate" who introduced me to this "once in a lifetime opportunity" was going there. So after a phone call I bought her. Paid the money to "my mate" and he took it over. A week later I was all sorted and went to pick up my "bargain". She was a pig. There is no way the motor had been running in the last 5 years. All spokes were loose and rusty. Rims were shot and tyres too. Frame was broken. And any leather that the seat had been covered with had cracked and fallen off. And that was just the start.

Got her home and took motor out. Hole in one piston, both barrels scratched. Fins missing. Clutch gone. Just name it. Well, apart from the oil tank. Was an alloy spun thingy. Nice (after some polishing).

The short of it: She was rubbish. Not worth to try and fix. So wrecked. but even then not much could be salvaged.

Learnt my lesson: If it sounds too good to be true it is.

And "my mate"?? He came too close only once after that.

**Meanie** · 6th March 2008, 20:39

Traded my first motorbike a Suzuki GT 125, which was like brand new for a Honda 350 4
When it finaly stopped going which was only about a month later, it was stripped down. The sump was full of shit right up to the oil pick up, so wasnt getting much oil
Had it reconditioned with the help of the company i brought it from and it showed its grattitude by dumping me on my arse on a corner in Opiki
Sold it not long after that
Lesson learnt

**James Deuce** · 6th March 2008, 20:47

The CBR600 I bought in '02. A mate needed some help and I wanted a bike. I bought it and a jacket for $1700. $2000 later I'd replaced every bearing, welded the frame, bought new tyres, chain and sprockets and a new muffler.

Sigh.

**Deviant Esq** · 6th March 2008, 21:01

Originally Posted by Jim2

The CBR600 I bought in '02. A mate needed some help and I wanted a bike. I bought it and a jacket for $1700. $2000 later I'd replaced every bearing, welded the frame, bought new tyres, chain and sprockets and a new muffler.

Sigh.

....Ah. That'd be why, in your recommendations to me, you said something along the lines of "get a shop to check it out anyway - I've been wrong in the past." No wonder you were so thorough in your inspection, you've been bitten before.

I haven't done it with a bike, but I have with a car. Bought an '85 CRX at auction for the princely sum of $850. Didn't even make it halfway home before the needle made it to the top of the temperature guage - it had no water in the radiator. Filled it up, got home. Anyway, a number of things done to it but it always overheated. Found out after I sold it (the cranky new owner filled me in) that it had a cracked head gasket. My current car is actually worse in terms of "I wish I didn't buy it", truth be told. Much more careful now.

**Forest** · 6th March 2008, 21:07

Kawasaki GPZ305.

I bought it as a student and regretted it immediately.

I still find it hard to believe that I actually managed to sell it.

**98tls** · 6th March 2008, 21:07

This one,i love it but have come to the realization that it will not overnight skyrocket me to Carl Fogarty status

**Motu** · 6th March 2008, 21:17

For someone who ''should know better'',I still regret most purchases.The worst bike I ever had was the 1953 Matchless G9 - got it off a mate of a mate who had just ridden it around the South Island...No Problems! Seemed a good original bike,the typical rat that had been ridden into the ground in those days,they were everywhere for the taking.I forget how much I paid for it,but it was a good price at the time.So I rode the bike home...to my mates place actually - and as I pull up and switched it off,I watch the ammeter catch on fire,melt,and fall into the headlamp,and then the rest of the wiring burn up while I'm still sitting on the bike trying to find the side stand.It was all down hill from there,the bike was just a piece of shit I never got running right.

**McJim** · 6th March 2008, 21:31

I had a number of problems with my beloved 600ss at first. Paid $6750 for it which was a wee bit over the odds but it looked such a minter.

I knew I had to get the valve shims checked, I knew I had to get the belts changed but the frame and forks were straight the fairing was in georgeous condition so I budgeted to give it a big 40,000km service.

So far so good.

Then the speedo cable snapped.

Then the rev counter cable snapped and it sprung an oil leak.

Then the electrics crapped out (in the middle of the night on a country road!)

Then I discovered the oil leak was a hole punched in the engine casing when a chain had snapped and been repaired with bog

So. I have paid good coin to:

Replace the speedo cable, replace the rev counter cable, fix the electrics, fix the hole in the engine (that one hurt!).

All in all I could have afforded a 2001 900ss which was my first choice anyway.

However I was recently given the option to part exchange my bike for a 1000ds and I found that I could not part with her.

I'll get some more miles and fun from my wee bike first.

**vfxdog** · 7th March 2008, 01:13

Ducati 851 Strada, new. Simply the worst bike I have ever owned, by far. Ducati seemed to agree with me- they gave me a full refund.

**Waylander** · 7th March 2008, 05:23

**offrd** · 7th March 2008, 05:39

Yamaha XS250, My first bike...

Dealer said it had new rings and bearings and had plenty of life left in it!

Had no licence back in the day so it sat at home until i got the class 6 licence.

A few thousand km later the blue haze gave away which way i was riding...

Went back to the dealer who couldnt give a rats arse and would not come to the party in anyway....

**McDuck** · 7th March 2008, 06:08

For me? Mitsi lancer. i dont want to go there.

**slimjim** · 7th March 2008, 06:38

[QUOTE=Mcduck5n;1462533]For me? Mitsi lancer. i dont want to go there.

strange name for a bike ????

mine was an xs650 special, think it wanted to be a lemon really

**Str8 Jacket** · 7th March 2008, 06:45

I have 2. The GN250, my first bike which I was lucky enough to write off and replace with a KR150, though I wasnt actually sucked into buying the GN - I really thought I wanted it, lol! Then there was my last bike the '86 FZR400.... Im gonna stick to buying newish bikes from now on! Whoever said bikes were cheap should be shot!