CF Moto V5 Sport Cruiser
We're going to be blunt here — the CF Moto V5 Sport Cruiser was an absolutely dreadful motorcycle. It did pretty much everything wrong! The 250cc engine was shockingly underpowered, the suspension system sucked, the seat was uncomfortable, and the bike leaked oil like a sieve. Makes for painful reading, right?
Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster
Post-1991, the Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster wasn't a particularly bad motorcycle. But pre-'91? Oh boy. It was a very different story! Rocking a clunky four-speed transmission, the bike made for a nightmarish ride. The vibrations alone were absolutely horrendous. Folks couldn't wait to jump off it. Is it one of the worst motorcycles ever made? It's in the conversation. And we've got plenty more candidates coming up...
1997 Bimota V-Due
The 1997 Bimota V-Due certainly passed the eye-test. It was a gorgeous bike. Everything else about it, though? Yikes! This motorcycle was equipped with a fuel-injected two-stroke V-twin engine. But the darn thing rarely worked. The fuel injection system was ridiculously erratic, making the V-Due very unpredictable. To call it a disaster feels like an understatement.
Honda DN-01
It's probably fair to say that the Honda DN-01 had something of an identity crisis. Was it a cruiser? A sport bike? A large scooter? Whatever the answer, it didn't do anything well. That's quite an achievement! As a result, the motorcycle was lumbered with a brutal nickname. DN-01 became "Do Not Own One." Ouch.
Morbidelli V8
Ah, the Morbidelli V8. What a huge disappointment this proved to be! Although its 850cc V8 engine ran smoothly, the bike was notoriously underpowered and offered iffy performances on the road. If that wasn't enough, the small chassis contributed to some very uncomfortable rides, too. No wonder it didn't make it into mass-production.
Honda Hondamatic 400
Do we have any fans of the Honda Hondamatic 400 in the house today? Anyone? No? Well, we can't say we're surprised. This bike had a very unconventional gearbox that left folks scratching their heads. And the engine? Oh man. It really struggled to perform on the road. Is our next entry much better?
Buell Battle Twins
Good looks aside, were the Buell Battle Twins fun bikes to own? We're not so sure about that! Both the R1000 and R1200 made for extremely claustrophobic rides, offering little space. And their air cooled engines? They'd often dump all of their heat over the rider's legs. Sheesh.
Suzuki RE5
Did the Suzuki RE5 lack power? No way — its Wankel rotary engine was a beast. Maintaining it, though? Yikes! The bike required constant attention if you wanted to keep using it. But the bad news didn't end there. The RE5 was also a major gas guzzler. It burned through fuel in the blink of an eye.
1997 Suzuki TL1000S
An excellent engine? Check. An awesome body? Check. Well put-together? You bet! Yep, the 1997 Suzuki TL1000S ticked a bunch of boxes. But all that good work was undone by a disastrous rear suspension system. It had trouble supporting the bike and overheated like crazy. What a bummer.
1993 BMW F650 Funduro
We can't stress this enough, folks — the 1993 BMW F650 Funduro was anything but fun! It had a laundry list of issues that would quickly give you a headache. Let's see. The fuel injection system was very unreliable, the rear suspension was terrible, and the engine didn't know whether to stall or seize. Oof.
1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV
Hands up if you'd like to ride the 1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV. Well, you're certainly braver than us! Nicknamed "The Widowmaker," this might be the most dangerous bike ever built. It was too powerful for its own good — the frame, brakes, and suspension just couldn't handle it.
2007 Suzuki B-King
You're all familiar with the phrase "overpromised but underdelivered," right? Well, that perfectly sums up the 2007 Suzuki B-King. While the concept version promised an output of 240 horsepower, the real deal could only produce 164 horsepower. And the tires? They were significantly smaller, too. All hail the king? Go away, more like!
1986 Ducati Paso 750
If we were judging motorcycles on good looks, then the 1986 Ducati Paso 750 would be right at the top of the list. But don't be fooled, folks — this is still an infamously bad vehicle! Its L-Twin engine had a nasty habit of overheating, causing the bike to stall. And don't get us started on the fuel pump. It was horrendous.
1975 Honda CB500T
The 1975 Honda CB500T was an insanely unforgiving motorcycle. Riding it proved to be more of an endurance test than anything! It vibrated to an almost comical degree as soon as you surpassed 50 mph. To make matters worse, the rubber on the handlebars and seat was useless as well. It didn't absorb a thing.
Kawasaki H1 500
Cranking out 60 horsepower in full-flight, the Kawasaki H1 500 had superb acceleration. There was just one problem, though — neither the suspension nor the chassis could handle it. As a result, riders were left with a bike that was horribly dangerous, especially on corners. Each journey felt like a risk.
Victory V92C
Owning one of the earlier models of the Victory V92C didn't feel like much of a win. It was more of a big fat L! The transmission was a massive problem — it often experienced failure as soon as it reached third gear. Oh, and the clutch had issues, too.
Kawasaki Vulcan 2000
Bigger doesn't always mean better, folks. And that's certainly the case with the Kawasaki Vulcan 2000. It was absolutely enormous! Weighing over 800 pounds, the bike was incredibly tricky to handle at low speeds, while the clutch wasn't easy to operate, either. To top it off, the seat couldn't have been more uncomfortable.
2015 Yamaha YZF-R1
A fabulous engine. A dynamic chassis. A stunning look! How could anyone turn their noses up at the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1? Well, all the good vibes would vanish once you decided to ride it. This motorcycle offered zero comfort. The seat was awful, the foot pegs were far too high, and you had to really stretch to reach the handlebars.
Harley-Davidson Street 750
A basic design isn't necessarily a bad thing — especially when it comes to motorcycles. Having said that, Harley-Davidson made a right mess of building the Street 750. In trying to attract younger riders, the brand went with the most simplistic look possible. It didn't work. And the dull V-twin engine wasn't much help, either. What a snoozer.
1975 Yamaha TZ750
The 1975 Yamaha TZ750 was a monster. This racer could churn out 125 horsepower and hit speeds of 180 mph. Holy smokes! But finding people who were brave enough to use it wasn't easy. Take Kenny Roberts as an example. After he took the TZ750 out for a spin, he bluntly said, "They don't pay me enough to ride that thing." Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Honda CX 500
If questionable maneuverability at low speeds was the Honda CX 500's only problem, it wouldn't be on this list. But that's just scratching the surface. The bike also had significant trouble with its alternator, water pump, cam chain tensioner, front brakes, and carburetors. Oh dear.
Honda CBR900RR
It can't be denied that the Honda CBR900RR is a great bike to look at. But was it fun to own? No chance. Engine misfires were worryingly consistent, while the gearbox and electronics had their fair share of problems as well. How does that compare to our next entry, though?
Yamaha V-Max
Another unforgiving beast, the Yamaha V-Max made for a very stressful ride. The bike oozed power from every pore, which wasn't great news for its handling. Curvy roads were an absolute nightmare on this thing! Braking at speed could get quite sketchy as well.
Harley-Davidson V-Rod
The Harley-Davidson V-Rod was a real mean machine. A V-twin engine that could pump out 122 horsepower? Impressive! But there was a big issue here. Due to the motorcycle's unrelenting power, it was quite unstable on the road. You were asking for trouble if you ever attempted a sharp turn.
Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo
Oh boy. Where do we start here! The Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo promised so much — but it had a ton of problems. In addition to making the bike extremely heavy, the engine was also prone to overheating. As for the brakes and suspension, neither were up to task.
Honda CX 500 Turbo
If your motorcycle has a turbocharged engine, then you'd hope that the frame and suspension were built to handle it, right? Well, that wasn't the case with the Honda CX 500 Turbo! The bike's stability was a major concern.
2005 Hyosung GT650R
What's not to like about the 2005 Hyosung GT650R? Quite a bit, actually! It ticks several unwanted boxes. A bad transmission? Unresponsive brakes? A spongy clutch? Yikes. The bike doesn't even have good looks on its side, folks.
2014 Honda CTX1300
We won't beat around the bush here — the 2014 Honda CTX1300 was a huge disappointment. Its V4 engine was iffy to say the least, the seat was horribly uncomfortable, and the bike itself weighed a ton. You could feel every bit of those 732 pounds on the road.
Ariel Arrow
It'd be grossly unfair to say that the Ariel Arrow was a complete disaster. The bike looked cool, had a nice two-stroke engine, and handled reasonably well. So why's it here? Simple — the low-mounted mufflers were dreadful! They greatly reduced the leaning space you needed on the road.
Suzuki GT Series
The Suzuki GT Series was probably more trouble than its worth. How come? Well, those motorcycles had poor handling, bad front disc brakes, and woeful ground clearance. That's quite the trifecta! Our next entry isn't much better, either.
Husqvarna 250 MX
The Husqvarna 250 MX was a real headache of a motorcycle. Not only did it have questionable handling, but it was very painful to ride, too. The crotch pad was absolutely terrible when called upon!
Greeves Bikes
Riding a Greeves motorcycle wasn't a cakewalk, folks. After all, whenever you applied the brakes, the front suspension would forget its job! Things could get pretty dicey from there. We'd rather walk than take the risk.
Amazonas 1600
The Amazonas 1600 didn't have much in its favor. It was ugly, heavy, and pretty dang sluggish on the road. At nearly 850 pounds dry, the bike could barely crank out 45 horsepower when pushed to the limit.
Harley-Davidson Topper
Here's a question for you — did you know that Harley-Davidson made a scooter back in the 1960s? It was called the Topper. And honestly? It sucked! The 165cc single-cylinder engine constantly overheated, while the transmission was awful.
Victory Vision
Have you ever seen a weirder-looking bike than the Victory Vision? It was a strange mix of bulbous dimensions and eye-catching lines. The proportions were insane! On top of that, the motorcycle itself was extremely heavy, hurting its throttle.
