Readers Respond: Has a Used Motorcycle Ruined Your Day?

Have you bought a used motorcycle that turned out to be more trouble than it was worth? Share your story here!

Do not buy a Used motorcycle foryour$ake

Kawasaki 1100 , my 1st Bike , and purchased for a mere $500 bucks. That's where it went down hill. I was 19 and knew nothing about bikes. I had flow planes so I thought I was maverick. I also believed that since my buddy reccomended the guy as a friend who also was a capable mechanic, that I could not loose. Loose I did, repair after repair turned up and eventually the bike with all its custom racing carbs caught fire, leading to more repair$. $o here goes I sell the bike after fails inspection twice, I have over $2800 plus $900 in speeding tickets a $500 shoei helmut and I drove the bike not more than 28miles(@148mpheverywhere). A week later the buyer says kid don't feel bad about selling that bike, the front tire had an inner tube in it. At speed that is a killer. I had replace the bald back but the front looked good. You never know the true history of a used motorcycle. 13 years go by, and I now own a Brand new problem free 2010 Ninja 250r SE. Bikes like Jets safety= #1!

—Spartanturtle

Seat Height

What is the seat height on the K 1600 GTL Normal men and women can't reach the ground with BMW's designs.

—Guest Sandy

Accept no substitutes

In 1976 I had a Honda CB175, and I was starting to find this reliable and economical bike less than ideal for the 500-600 kilometre trips I was making every month or two. I needed something bigger, with a comfortable seat and a big tank. And preferably with some torque. And maybe shaft drive... BMWs were rare in New Zealand then, and never got cheap enough for me to consider, so I bought a Cossack, a Russian bike developed from the BMW R75 of 1940. Built by Germans, it might have worked. All I can say about it, confining myself to words in the Gentleman's Dictionary, is that it never left me stranded far from home. This was because it was not reliable enough to take me out of sight of home. Now, after too many years of cars with too few of bikes since then, I have a BMW R65. It's fast enough, totally reliable, handles well and keeps me young.

—Guest Bert Meinders

Used motorcycle

Actually,my last one ruined several of my days;it took a month of tweaking to make my "fresh rebuild,ready to roll" Harley safe for travel. Smoked starter,trashed clutch,loose bolts,screwed up wiring,intermittent loss of spark,etc.,etc. Now it's mostly done except for a couple of oil leaks too big to write off as "marking its spot",and I love the bike more every day. I still plan to ride over to the seller's place (250 miles) and do a burnout across his lawn when I'm done,just to make sure fixing his pristine yard costs him as much as fixing my "like new" FLH cost me.

—Guest James

Never Happened

I have never owned a new bike, and very seriously doubt that I ever will. I have owned five bikes since the first in 1980. Every one of them was a dream ! The keys are to buy from a trusted siurce, and to check them out religiously beforehand.

—Guest Sparky Spearhead

powerpowerpower...

in college I bought a Honda 175 that sure seemed to perform...found out later that the racing cam tends to blow up the top end!!!

—Guest rich