The worst bike ever made

Have to add the MZ ETZ 250 and the Ural (Cossack) matters not which one, for the ugliest bike on the planet. Designed by blind for the blind.

[Sid Squid]

MZs aren't bad. Low tech and dated certainly, but not bad, very rugged.

Anyway, didn't this thread ask about bad bikes? Not just a list of bikes a given individual may or may not like.

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Honda CB500 - No, not the one you're thinking of. This one made in the seventies. Knackered in no time engine fitted with 18 yards of piddly thin and stretchy camchain, ponderous handling, pathetic spindly forks, the worst brakes imaginable and slooooooowwww. Truly dire, and that's when it's spanking new.

I'd forgotten about the original CB500, reputed to have the longest camchain in history. I don't know how they managed to screw up what was a good bike (CB450 Back Bomber) and make the 500 so dire.

How about the Kawasaki Z750 Twin, and for sheer ugliness the Kawasaki EN454

Originally Posted by GastonJ

Have to add the MZ ETZ 250 and the Ural (Cossack) matters not which one, for the ugliest bike on the planet. Designed by blind for the blind.

Both are actually bloody good rugged bikes that will take a pounding and be easily repaired with basic tools and a complete lack of spare parts. Sure they're slow, basic and ponderous, but they're what I'd class as great bikes, not bad ones.

[dizzyblonde]

how about a Russian made Jupiter

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

how about a Russian made Jupiter

Dunno much about them. Mates have owned Urals (Urinals) and Dneprs for a laugh and loved them. One of my mates is taking his Dnepr to the Elefantentreffen Rally in a week or so, along with a motley collection of sh!teoldbikes (SOBs) including a CD200 Benly ridden by a 5' 0" tall girl.

[dizzyblonde]

they is fuggly! or how about a velocette scooter?

[timwilky]

Somebody has already beat me to the Cossack Ural. A bloke I worked with at Leyland was the president of their owners club and made me go to one of their meets.

So I nominate what I went to that on. Honda CX500

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

MZs aren't bad. Low tech and dated certainly, but not bad, very rugged.

Anyway, didn't this thread ask about bad bikes? Not just a list of bikes a given individual may or may not like.

Spot on! Things like MZs, CZs, Urals, Nevals etc were just very low spec - promised very little and so, in that sense, didn't disappoint. And could be fixed up with a Rizla, some chewing gum foil and a small button if they went wrong.

The BAD bikes to me were things that promised loads - and went wrong. Early Honda CB250s with rivetted wheels: heavy, slow, rusty, dreadful handling. First of the Kawa Z250 twins had a few crankshaft problems, and the early Honda V-4s had iffy engines too. Z200 cylinder heads...in fact, I can't remember many of that era that didn't have some sort of problem! Warranty claim day was always a long one.

But the make I just would NOT touch when I was in the trade was Moto Morini! I couldn't see anything redeeming about them at all.