Ever bought a bike and immediately realised your mistake?

I did so this year. Always loved the look of the BMW K1, though had never ridden one. Spent quite a bit of time looking for one and came up with a near-perfect example. 1989, owned by a retired gentleman for 17 years, 19k miles, a roomful of history.

Got a flight from London to Dundee, Scotland, which cost a small fortune and there were only six passengers. Arrived to a sodden Dundee, did the deal and set off for the 550-mile trip back to London in the rain. Joy.

I hadn't even reached the end of the seller's driveway before thinking, 'Oh Jesus...'

Kept it for a few weeks, rode it a couple of times and sold on eBay to a man who breeds huskies and has 42 of them.... Huskies, not K1s.

If by " bought a bike " you mean sleep with a chick ......then yes. Why the sudden change of heart ??

It was so heavy and buzzy, and with only 100bhp it was like riding a clapped-out diesel.

The K1 is more amusing to look at than ride. I'd buy one though because it's so absurd looking.

my 03 ducati monster,it was a winter day and i was wearing a puffy jacket and a full face lid, i looked like the Michelin man on a moped ,before i was half way home i knew i made a mistake.

I'm the operator of my pocket calculator.......

I love the strange looks of the K1, always have. So, they are THAT bad huh?

When I bought my '97 TL1000S, I thought I had made a serious mistake when I rode it home. Turned out to be one of the best motorcycles I've ever owned. Kept it 9 years. I wish I had not sold it.

I have actually.....I bought an Italian bike. First ride on it revealed the rear brake didn't work. Aprilia thought it would be a wise idea to mount the reservoir on the engine block just ahead of your right foot. Cooks it and instant no brake. For an encore they have a tip over switch, that works back to front as well...so if you like to wheelie at say (100mph) the bike cuts off , LIKE SHUTS OFF, and you come smashing down on yer wedding tackle, in the dark, with no lights....it all shuts down. The there is the Frame, which you can literally COOK your legs on. Too hot to touch in the summer, makes a great winter bike though. Othe than the stalling issues and rough idle....it was stunning to look at.

I bought a brand new Honda Rubicon ATV in 2001. I had never even sat on one, but I plunked down $8k and had it delivered. I didn't ride it 1/4 mile before I knew I made a mistake. I rode it 600 miles over the next three years and tried to pretend that I was enjoying it.
Then one day I was over my brothers and I swung my leg over his Harley and said "You know, I'm thinking of getting rid of the ATV and getting one of these." The wifes eyes lit up and she said "You are! Can we get a red one with a back rest?"
So after taking a 25 year break, I'm back into motorcycles.

Are my eyes having "a moment" and that K1 has a BT45 bias ply front and a Pilot Road rear? :huh

The only POS I've owned was an RD400, but I knew it was a POS going in and couldn't afford anything else. Then again I'm looking hard at Buells, and I have a feeling I'd have a good bout of self-loathing for a good while if I came home with one

I sold my beloved 83 Honda CB1100F so i could buy a new 91 Harley Softail. I knew it as soon as I rode that POS out of the parking lot.

Yoinks! Maybe it is a fantastic bike, after all. If only I'd noticed the tyre thing...

uhhh...yeah...my K1200RS. Never rode or even sat on one before driving 5+ hours to pick it up. I could learn to deal with the heavy weight, even its appetite for premium fuel, i hated that it idled low, the FD input was leaking, i could tell it was going to eat tires, and every time i rode it i wondered what would break next. Oh, and the headlight sucked balls. That sublime power, awesome brakes, and good suspension just weren't worth it to me.
Sold it after 6 months with just over 3k miles put on it. I'd have sold it sooner, but Chicago BMW wouldn't send me the title (that a whole other can of worms...)

That's apples and oranges.....2 different riding styles altogether.

So, what did you expect from the H-D as opposed to the Honda?

Sounds like my story. Bought a Sporty from the dealer & had it delivered to an aftermarket firm to work on. I had never rode a Sporty. Being old as dirt I figured I could buy a slower bike and be happy.

Rode it 350 miles to SF and knew I made a mistake. Two years later I sold it with 1100 miles. I tried to ride it but it gave me a headache.

Took a beating but it's best not to look back

Last month traded my 91 K75S for a 08 KLR650 with 3000 miles. The jury is still out but so far I am unimpressed and have been giving it the name "Green Turd". It did have the three recalls taken care of (sign one?) So, its cheap, yeah, but it doesn't have to feel so cheap. Rev it past 4k and it sounds like a bailing machine going amok, the emissions system causes throttle hunting, it farts aplenty on off throttle, it sometimes isn't in neutral when the lights on, is difficult to downshift at slow speeds, the brakes feel wooden and require high effort (maybe that's good on dirt through) the temp fluctuates too much due to an indequate thermostat system, the legendary doo-hickey has been "fixed" but the spring isn't rectified, and of course later I find out there seems to be a problem with some '08's burning oil. Haven't found whether that applies to mine yet, but that'll really make you regret something. It also likes to corrode with abandon. All in all its a bike that rides fine, its the engine revving, the shifting and braking that's less than stellar, (or even good) and itsn't riding about that too? When you examine it closely it doesn't exude much quality or confidence. After several Honda's and Yamaha's I expect something better from Japan, Inc., but everyone loves them so I'll give it a go. It just doesn't inspire me to take good care of it - but we'll see if the adage of first impressions hold true. Maybe in a year of being in the Skinner box of operant training I'll love it too.

Mine was an '03 Honda 1100 Shadow Spirit. Loved the way it looked in pictures, never ridden one or even sat on one.
My local dealer didn't have one so they had one brought in from another dealer. As soon as I saw it in person I knew it was a mistake. What the crack pipe was I thinking!
I never got used to the feet forward riding position or the lack of cornering clearance. Installed a jet kit and aftermarket pipes and although it livened up the motor a bit, it sounded terrible! Just a blatty, crappy sound!
Ended up selling it to a friend. Lost a few hundred on it but it could have been worse.

I bought a sweet RT that immediately was a complete lemon. Nearly made me swear never to buy another BMW. But now the k1300s is calling me, so I must be a forgiving sort.

Not a bike, but.....

A couple of years ago, we were looking for a different car. Bonnie was getting sick of it and so was I. I really wanted a conversion van. While we were driving through a lot, Bonnie points at a Jeep Cherokee Classic and says, "have you considered one of those??"

Which I took to mean as, "You should get one of those, it would be awesome."

Even on the test drive, I had my doubts, but I bought it anyways.

Sold it a year later and bought a van.

Tom B