Best & worst Moter Cycle - Most fun

[crash325]

Worst 1967 BSA 441 Victor. Solid cast iron foot pegs. Handle bars shook so bad that in less than a mile your hands went numb. Followed soon after by your feet. Could not get over 15 miles without something falling off. But it was a real Stump puller, even though not fast.
Next worst was a 400 Suki dirt bike. First race after 1 lap pulled into the pits. Traded off very soon.

Sort of a mixed blessing, Husky 400 5 speed. Very early model. Came with problems, Bolt holding rear of engine in to small. 1/4 inch, replaced it with a 3/8"
Ports nowhere close to matching, lot of work getting those lined up & polished. Had been riding bull tacos & if you got in trouble it would usually straighten out.
Husky just the opposite. , just looking for a chance to through you off.

Best & most fun dirt bikes 325 & 250 bull taco's.
Fun a little 125 Suzuki dirt & street bike.

305 Honda, it would run 95 MPH, got me a ticket.:laughing:
Harley 1973 Hermitage, spent around $3000 on heads, cams, exhaust systems & seats. It would run with the big boys, as in hot custom Harley's.
Very good 1992 Harley convertible. It was stolen.
Another mixed blessing 1995 Harley dresser. Front end geometry wrong. Liked to fall over when you stopped. Hated unleaded gas & hot weather.
Lots of power & ran great with some leaded gas in it.

Think I got them all. Well sort of.

 

[prs]

Current ride, a Honda GL1800; but I have yet to throw my leg over a bike that didna bring a grin.

prs

 

[KennyG]

Been away from bikes for a while but best and worst is hard to sort out. I started out with 250 and 350 Ducatis. Great handling and not that many around but you had to watch for loose electrical connections (even vibrate the insulation off the wires.) Went through a number of Yamahas and Suzukis. Ended up with a Suzuki GS1100. Nothing at all to criticize on that bike.

 

[oosik]

Most fun was with a "Snortin' Norton. Twin cylinder - 750cc - dirt track racing. I never won though - I was 24/25, married and knew what pain was. Most of the other racers were under 20 and were "indestructible". Now at 74 - my fun is on a BMW R1200R.

The worst was a poor little 100cc, twin cylinder Yamaha. I rode it so hard a piston would overheat and seize. Got very good at tear down & repair though.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I had a few touring bikes:

1965 Honda SilverWing GL650
1988 Honda GL1500
2005 Honda GL1800
1994 Harley FLHT 80cid
1999 Harley FLHTCUi 88cid, modified to 106cid

Always wanted a bike, but sane thinking kept me away from them until after the kids were on their own; started riding at age 57. Loved touring. Put about 200,000 miles on the '99 Harley with a Bushtec trailer with my SO with her own '99 FLHTCUi.

Can't say that any of them were 100% reliable One can count on a breakdown of some sort, at any time. Honda's were faulty with electrical problems. Harley's... well, you have a good variety, but no shortage. Bikers learn to love their iron horses same as old-time cowboys learned to love their ride. When you're 100 miles out away from anything like civilization, out in the mountains you think about how your well being relies on your iron horse, no matter what brand it is.

BUT - there's nothing like being out IN the environment, wind in the face, smells of nature, feeling of the sunshine, thrill of the lean on corners. That's just the way touring was meant to be, not coped up inside a luxury mobile with artificially conditioned air, plush seat and glass surrounding.

Riding a motorcycle is only a few notches of pleasure above driving a tractor; they're only a little faster. The downfall, of course, are the idiots texting on their cell phones that never see you as they run right over you. One big difference is though - bikes don't pull a plow very well.

 

[sea2summit]

Had an old Katana not sure what year, it was okay but previously wrecked so was a great beater/learner bike.

2008 Honda CBR600rr, lots of fun but not all that practical for commuting and kept it even after I got the BMW but found myself not riding it so finally let it go.

2013 R1200GSA...will probably run this until the engine falls out. I'm pushing 25k now, second set of tires almost gone, original seat wont survive this summer, third battery, and I love it.

 

[DarrellSimpson]

The best for me in the trails was a old KDX 200 , for a trail bike the seat was really comfortable , I never developed the skill to ride real fast on trails , I also had a TT 500 that was real enjoyable but it was a real stinker to start at times . I now have a 2014 street glide , I thought I would really like it but the suspension front and rear is really awful .

 

[KyleH]

2011 Yamaha R1

Was never a fan of the graphics on the side, sold it last fall since it wasn't being ridden much anymore.

 

[tcreeley]

I had an '87 LS650 Suzuki I used to drive the 6 miles to work. One day I came out at 8pm and found fresh snow - about 2 inches. It handled it fine rolling over it, but I was going slowly. On a corner I figured I would pull over and let a car pass. As soon as I rolled the front tire off the pavement and onto the shoulder that had softened up from the wet, down I went. Always good to feel dumb, reminds me that I am human. Got it back up and rode the rest of the way home without a problem. Stayed off the dirt shoulder.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Gem99ultra: I agree with your post. Some great thoughts there.

Most of my bikes were reliable. Only exceptions were the Honda 360 Scrambler and the Buell. The Buell had an intermittent problem with refusing to turn over - just "click". After tearing my hair out diagnosing the problem, it turned out to be a $10.00 starter relay. Fixed. The 360 Scrambler, on the other hand, I think I pushed it as far as I rode it.

My Goldwing (2005 GL1800) was 100% reliable, and was the most comfortable bike I ever owned by a long shot.

Next most comfortable would have been the R1150GS, which was a great long distance touring bike. Biggest problem with it was my ABS system went out when I was on top of a mountain in Colorado. Hmmmm. The time to have a brake problem is at the BOTTOM of the mountain, not the TOP.