The world knows motorcycles to be powerful and fast machines, with ludicrous power-to-speed ratios which could make even the best of sports cars taste dirt. However, anyone who doesn't know their motorcycles would have nothing to go on except looks, which is where problems often come in. While there are plenty of great-looking bikes in the market that performs phenomenally well, there are also those that look good, but that's all they do. Often, many motorcycles look good and fast, but ride slow, with numerous other problems making them unappealing to actually ride.

Truth is, a good bike doesn't just need to be fast, but safe and reliable as well. Speed has to be perfectly mated to the braking system and a thousand other complexities that go into crafting the motorcycle. Hence, not a lot of motorcycles are able to get everything right. However, looks really are everything in today's world, and they also make the first impression. Thus, some motorcycles do manage to get it right in the aesthetics department. That being said, here are 10 motorcycles that looked the part full well, but never managed to live up to expectations.

10 Harley-Davidson LiveWire

Harley-Davidson LiveWire
via motorcyclenews.com

A prototype revealed in 2014, the LiveWire was the first electric motorcycle from the house of Harley-Davidson. In the aesthetics department, the LiveWire was stunning, and definitely fit the bill of what a good-looking motorcycle from Harley was. The more modern looks with the classic Harley-Davidson design language appealed to a younger target audience as the brand intended to.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire
via: NewAtlas

With the first units of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire hitting the markets in September 2019, the bike surprised customers, especially first-time Harley buyers who had heard nothing but praises for the brand. The LiveWire lacked desperately in the speed arena, so much so that it topped out at just 110 mph. Now, there's a new generation of the LiveWire coming up, and we are excited to see how the brand redeems itself.

9 Kawasaki 750 Triple H2

Kawasaki 750 Triple H2
Via pinterest

Between the years 1968 and 1980, Kawasaki had found the perfect formula for success with their Kawasaki Triples. These motorcycles housed three-cylinder, two-stroke engines. These air-cooled engines ranged between displacements of 250cc to 750cc. In their heyday, the Triples were coveted as the fastest bikes on the street.

Kawasaki 750 Triple H2
via higgspeed.com

The 750, in particular, churned out a hefty 74 horsepower and 57 lb-ft of torque and was capable of reaching the 60 mph mark in just 4.3 seconds. It even had a 120 mph top speed almost half a century ago. Sadly, however, the bike failed to match up its speed in the braking and handling department, which were deemed one of the worst in the market, as well as motorcycle history. That's how it earned the title of the 'Widow Maker', and Kawasaki had to eventually pull it off their lineup.

RELATED: These Are The 10 Coolest Kawasaki Street Bikes Ever

8 Greeves

Greeves Challenger
via suprememotos

British engineer Bert Greeves founded the Greeves motorcycle company in his namesake. The designer was fairly popular at the time, thanks to his invention of a three-wheeler designed for riders with disabilities, which was called the Invacar. His motorcycle, the Greeves, had a decent and successful run in motocross, but the vehicle was truly a testing ride even for veteran bikers.

Greeves Motorcycle
via pinterest

For starters, the leading link forks models from the brand had problems from the very first day they hit the market. A puny suspension on the Greeves motorcycle turned absolutely useless during any kind of braking. Consequently, this transferred the brunt of every bump to the ride through the bars and the tank as well.

7 Moto Guzzi 750S

Moto Guzzi 750S
via motorcyclespecs.co.za

The Moto Guzzi 750 S comes from the oldest European motorcycle manufacturer. In fact, Moto Guzzi has actually been in the market with a nonstop production run since its inception all the way back in 1921. Coming to the bike, the Italian brand developed the 750 S with ambitions of minimizing vibrations that bikers felt at high speeds through the handlebars, fuel tank, and foot pegs.

Moto Guzzi 750S
via Youtube (Moto Officina)

In their attempts to achieve the dampening of said vibrations, the company extensively used rubber on the engine as well as the handlebars. Sadly, the idea didn't work out, and only served to add to the woes of riders. The handlebar couldn't be stable at high speeds and instead became harder to control.

RELATED: These Are 8 Of The Most Important Motorcycles In Moto Guzzi’s Rich History

6 Lito Sora

Lito Sora Generation 2 parked outside
Via motorcyclespecs.co.za

We could never deny that the Lito Sora is one of the best electric motorcycles in the world today. The bike's unconventional design and world-class features set it apart in a class of its own. While many electric manufacturers end up retrofitting older, traditional motorcycles with electric motors and batteries to create new electric vehicles, the Lito Sora looks radical and fresh.

Lito Sora
Via SoraElectricMotorcycle

The USP for the bike was, of course, its looks, which gave it the appearance of a monstrous beast ready to tear down the road. It even came with an industry-first electronically-adjustable motorcycle seat. Sadly, though, a 120-mph top speed meant that while you'd be happy knowing your bike is having a positive environmental effect, you wouldn't ever be able to match up to the speed machines that rule the motorcycle world.

5 Johammer J1

Johammer J1
Via-Visordown

Austrian electric motorcycle manufacturer Johammer e-Mobility unveiled the Johammer J1 in 2014. A futuristic electric cruiser, the Johammer J1 wowed international audiences. The motorcycle was driven by a DC-powered synchronous electric motor, which was paired with a single-stage transmission.

Johammer J1
via gas2.org

The peak power output that the Johammer J1's motor offered was 16 kW. While the J1 has won plenty of laurels since launch and definitely looks the most outlandishly different from anything else that is called a motorcycle, a top speed of just 75 mph simply does not go with its stunning and gorgeous aesthetics. Those expecting the J1 to go zooming down the road will be in for a sore surprise.

RELATED: This Strange Looking Concept Bike Is Now The Fastest Electric Motorcycle In The World

4 Husqvarna 250 MX

Husqvarna 250 MX, 1970
Via Pinterest

Swedish motorcycle brand Husqvarna has been a specialist in the field of motocross, supermoto, endure, and street bikes. The brand launched the 250 MX in the '70s, and the vehicle looked extremely tempting for the time. Even today, its looks have an endearing retro charm to them.

Husqvarna 250 MX at a parking garage
Via bikeexif.com

For its time, the Husqvarna 250 MX came with very advanced features that took it ahead of the competition. Sadly, the bike's swing arm and shock absorbers made the entire rear end riffle from side to side at the very slightest of provocations. In disappointing contrast to its tough and rugged appearance, the swing arm and the shocks of the 250 MX were simply feeble. Even the exhaust system was routed imperfectly, burning the left legs of riders who rode the 250 MX.

3 MotoCzysz E1pc

The 2010 TT Zero Winner: MotoCzysz E1pc
via PopularScience

If you're wondering about the weird name of this bike and company, the latter comes from the brand's creator, Michael Czysz. An architect by profession, Michael Czysz's ambition was to build a race bike that could go head-to-head with the titans of the racing segment. His goal was to have his bike compete in MotoGP, and his team even won with the E1pc bike in 2010 at the TT Zero. The TT Zero is an electric motorsport event that was held at the Isle of Man TT, the world's most dangerous motorsport event.

MotoCzysz E1pc
via wikipedia.org

The E1pc looked phenomenal, built for a purpose, which was winning, and it fulfilled that purpose very well. Being all-electric, the bike produced 100 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, though, the bike was let down by its range of just 40 miles when it came to real-world capabilities. Furthermore, in comparison with the supersport bikes that are gas-powered, a top speed of 141 mph was nearly not enough to match their power.

RELATED: Ex-MotoGP Rider James Ellison Helps Carve The Radical Arc Vector Electric Motorcycle To Perfection

2 Ducati 900SS

Ducati 900SS
Via Pinterest

A Ducati being on a list of disappointing vehicles is quite surprising since the Italian motorcycle maker so rarely misses the mark. Alas, when it comes to the early models of the Ducati 900SS, there was a lot of disappointment that left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

Ducati 900SS
via Pinterest

For starters, these bikes were extremely noisy and far too slow for the hoopla their exhaust notes made. If being much slower than a Ducati had any right to be wasn't enough, the 900SS also had a lot of maintenance problems, as it kept running into engine failures during the years of the early models. This was simply not a bike one could trust for touring, and it kept putting dents in your bank account with how frequent the trips to the service station were with the early 900SS models.

1 Bimota V-Due

1998 Bimota V-Due
via scribd

Back in the '90s and the very early 2000s, MotoGP racing revolved around exotic lightweight motorcycles that housed half-liter engines. In fact, street-going versions of the coveted Suzuki and Yamaha 500cc race bikes hadn't been made easily available by then, which is why the V-Due from Italian maker Bimota was all that more special. In 1996, when Bimota launched the V-Due, early reports from Europe made the bike sound like the second coming of the superbike.

1997 Bimota V-Due 500.
Via Motorcycle specs

However, it was only after riding the V-Due that one realized just how faulty the craftsmanship was. The bike jerked, stalled, and sputtered between the spurts of acceleration which were few and far between. It sure looked every bit a superbike, but simply failed to perform even as a regular faultless machine. Even though Bimota promised upgrades and improvements, the company had to buy back so many of these bikes from unhappy customers that it eventually went bankrupt.