Bikes you didn't like nearly as much as you thought you would.

What are the bikes you thought you'd like a lot more than you did on the first ride?

I was inspired to ask this by a demo ride of that sort the other day. And I had a similar one a year ago. But my tales can wait. I want yours!

Speed triple. Big, heavy bike...didn't like it at all.

F800R. The most boring motor in the history of irrigation pump motors.

Hypermotard. If I wanted to sit on the front tire, I'd...sit on the front tire.

I rented a Royal Enfield 500 Bullet in Scotland, thinking it would be like my old BSA 441 Victor. It wasn't.

Honda cbr600f4i.

Around town and on the highways it just seemed flat, dull and too damn quiet.
I had just come off a VFR800, so this may have something to do with it....

When it wound up it was ok, but it just didnt sit right. I kept wanting to like it, but couldnt. Plus it hurt my wrists.

Meh.

honda gold wing ..with so much going on with the thing and so smooth it felt like i was in my truck .it lulled me to sleep.

Suzuki S50 Boulevard (VS800) ... bought a low-mileage, very slighly used '06 from a co-worker because I thought at the time that I "needed" a Bike larger than the 650 I then owned... hated that friggin' S50 ... Bike had no soul what-so-ever ... and who ever designed the battery compartment deserves a serious beating ... without a centerstand, getting that battery in and out was an ardous ordeal ...

'08 Yamaha FZ1. I still quote it as "The best bike I ever hated." It was fast enough, handled well enough, looked sharp enough, had adequate shield protection, and was plenty smooth. The lack of low-end power and the fact that it was a little top heavy and wide between the knees just killed it. I never wanted to ride it, always opting for something else. It didn't stay in the garage long. Alas, live and learn. Or maybe not...

BMW RT
The vaunted sofa. The old man's barca-lounger.
I wanted to like it. I did. But it was too boring for me, and the way the motor honked at full throttle was just irritating.


A lot of people like the RT, obviously. It's just not my bag, baby.

Nighthawk 750. I always liked the looks of them. Got one for a nice price and I tried to like it. It just didn't fit my body and it was boring until you cracked on it, and it was awkward to turn.

Ducati Hypermotard-- ditto what was expressed about the feeling of sitting on the front tire. Or as I expressed it- feeling like a hood ornament great bike otherwise.

Triumph Scrambler-- I was very interested in buying one, but imo what a characterless engine.

sr500. I had many bikes before that one, and really gave some thought to what I wanted in a bike and the sr500 was it. After a long search, a mint one came up near me and i picked it up. Never really bonded with it. Very disappointed, I sold it not long after I bought it.

This is a really helpful thread, and one of the reasons why ADV is such a great place

ZX-14R. Wish I would have kept my CBR1100xx. The ninja did everything well but I didn't love it.

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00 Thunderbird Sport: My only purchase mistake in 25 years of riding - sold it at a loss after 4 months
06 Speed Triple: Test ride revealed dodgy ergos, handling and throttle
Bonneville: Borrowed one proved to be tiny and gutless

The current-gen Hayabusa. I was at a demo day and figured what the hell, while in the back of my mind thinking that I don't want to go home feeling like my VFR was old and slow. Boy, was that not a problem. I couldn't wait to get off the thing. It felt like I was straddling a bathtub shaped rocket. A very uncomfortable one. Never been so happy to get back on my 13 year old bike.

Not really a road bike but a BMW f650.

Our temperaments just didn't match.

Harley Davidson Iron 883. Didn't like the ergos (even after modification), didn't like the vibrations, and I especially didn't like the old-school handling.

BMW F800R, which I demoed at a BMW rally on a Saturday morning. Group ride, but at a pretty good pace. I just didn't get it. Sporting naked bike with motor that doesn't rev.

Kawasaki Concours 1400. Handled far better than I anticipated, but the motor was electric smooth and total overkill. I think I used the first three gears. The BMW RT is as comfortable and a lot more fun to throw around and bang through gears. And 'bang' is pretty close description.

+1. GL1000 boring on the highway, clunky in the corners, too little ground clearance to get to my favorite camp spots.

Agreed on both. I rode one on a demo day with a full akrapovic exhaust, and while the noise was cool at idle, it didn't do anything for me at speed. Ergo's were wrong with my legs cramped, and I have short legs. Tank scoops and little fly screen felt cheap as hell and vibrated at all speeds.

Crossed it off my interest list after the ride. Shame because I really wanted to like it.