A motorcycle is many things. It is an adventure, a lifestyle, a mode of transportation; but most importantly, a motorcycle is supposed to be reliable, cool, or at the very least, ergonomic to ride. In fact, if presented with the opportunity to purchase any of these bikes, turn tail, and run! These motorcycles are anything but reliable, cool, or ergonomic.
Whether these bikes are unreliable, have awkward positions for pegs or handlebars, or even have some questionable design choices, these Motorcycles will have you regretting your purchase in no time! Some of these bikes are from well-known manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson. Others are more obscure, like Bimota. No motorcycle manufacturer is safe from having a bike that you'll regret buying!
10 Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster
Harley-Davison rightfully occupies the top of the motorcycle market. Many Harley-Davidson bikes have the distinction of being well built, reliable, and comfortable to ride. That distinction does not extend to the Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster. Avoiding this Harley will save you some headaches.
According to Motorcycle News, the Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster has an underpowered engine and weighs more than other bikes its size. It becomes apparent when trying to accelerate; the Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster feels the only 50HP. The desire to go is there, but the bike won't let it.
9 Bimota V-Due
Bimota originally released the V-Due 500 to hot anticipation. The anticipation, however, quickly faded away as users began to complain of oil leaks, seized pistons, and intermittent power delivery. Many owners went back to Bimota for refunds.
The Bimota V-Due 500 may have only seen a few production units that were street legal, but many were unreliable. Bimota attempted to solve several significant issues, but the fixes wouldn't save the company, as production halted in 2001 when the company went bankrupt.
8 Victory V92C
Victory is also known for well-crafted bikes; the V92C, however, isn't one of them. The Victory V92C suffered from engine reliability issues in a classic cruiser body, especially for early models. Users also complained of the Victory V92C being noisy and shakey at high speeds.
These reliability issues, combined with an underpowered engine and poor value against its rivals, namely Harley, the V92C should have you turning tail and running.
7 Hyosung GT650R
The Hyosung GT650R is a relatively cheap bike. However, you do pay for what you get. In the Hyosung GT650R, you're going to get a motorcycle riddled with issues.
The Hyosung GT650R could suffer from electrical issues, rear brake issues, oil in suspension, overheating, and even simple quality parts like mirrors fail regularly. In fact, the Hyosung GT650R has so many problems; this website is dedicated to helping you diagnose and fix any one of the many, many issues that could plague this bike!
6 Yamaha YZF-R1
Yamaha frequently kills it with their sports bikes. For the most part, that extends to the YZF-R1 as well. Although considered a great bike overall, the YZF-R1 forgets about the rider. Frequent complaints have been of discomfort in the rider position, making long rides difficult, if not impossible.
Yamaha YZF-R1 does a great job of looking good. Yet, as a rider, one may find the peg position, handlebar orientation, and general body location enough to regret buying one. Redditors often complain about comfort, so stay away!
5 Can-Am Spyder
The Can-Am Spyder has a unique design being an inverted trike. The design, though, cannot save the Spyder from being an incredibly unreliable bike.
Consumer Reports have often placed the Can-Am Spyder at the bottom of the reliability scale compared with other motorcycles. Even Engine Patrol gave the Spyder poor marks, citing electrical issues, quality control issues, and poor warranty service.
4 BMW S1000R
BMW is known for making quality machines. However, when things break, parts are expensive. On the BMW S1000R, everything breaks, so replacing parts is infinitely costly. The BMW S1000R sounds like a proper BMW.
What's worse is the BMW S1000R looks so cool, making it hard to pass by. According to Motorcycle News, despite some positive reviews, the most significant complaints are excessive engine noise, cam chain adjusters, and even broken valves.
3 Benelli TNT899
The Benelli TNT899 carries an Italian name but is far from Italian manufacturing. The Benelli 899TNT has complaints of having parts that are hard to find, temperamental post dealer service, and warranty support. They may look good, but they're hard to fix, and they do need fixed a lot.
Bernelli has some popularity in India, and hopefully, with new ownership, Bernelli will improve, but happening across a Benelli TNT899 will have you wishing you avoided the purchase!
2 Aprilia RS660
Aprilia is known as the "other" Italian bike when compared to the superior Ducati. The Aprilia RS660 has had customers complaining of an uncomfortable ride and some worrying issues.
According to Motorcycle News, the Aprilia RS660 has electrical and start-up issues, making the bike unreliable when you need it. The Aprilia RS660 looks cool, but unfortunately, doesn't live up to expectations, and the buyer's regret will be strong.
1 Royal Enfield Continental GT650
The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is a naked motorcycle with a cafe racer feel, making it incredibly uncomfortable. The fact that it is naked also leads to riders melting to the exhaust, not a good look for a brand that struggles with reliability, according to Motorcycle News.
The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 now comes with a 1006 point inspection and a 3-year, unlimited mile warranty to sway customers into buying. Still, these inclusions only further add reason to avoid buying one, as you'll regret it sooner or later.