what's the worst dirtbike you ever owned

On Feb 22, 8:52 am, "john" <n....TakeThisOut@this.add> wrote:
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)


I've never had a bike I didn't like, but of course some were better
than others.

There was nothing wrong with it, but my KX420 has to be the one, just
because it was the least versatile.

'82 XR200, '84 XR200, '84 XL200R, '82 Dr125, '83 SP125, '01 XR650L.

Started it all with a CT-70, but I don't count that one as a 'dirt'
bike, though it chugged pretty well.

There was a '64 SL90 in there somewhere, but it never ran good enough
to ride. Cast iron cylinder and head, pushrods as well!

DDave
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On Feb 22, 8:52 am, "john" <n....TakeThisOut@this.add> wrote:
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)

I thought this would be an easy question until I started thinking
about it.

My Yamaha YZ465 was a total POS and not really good for anything but
going fast in a straight line. Still, every time I rode it I came back
grinning.

My '89 KTM250 was expensive to maintain and after the CDI failed it
never ran in my posession again. Not only was a new CDI very
expensive, it was also unavailable. I like to complain about that, but
it really was a great bike to ride. In an attempt to minimize my
losses, I bought an '87 KTM125 w/no front end and swapped the 250
front end over. Of course, like every used 125, it needed a crank (&
lots more) so I shoved both of them in the corner for a couple of
years before trading them off for a commuter beater Yamaha Seca.

There were plenty of others that were far from good, but like Dave, I
still liked 'em. I guess the KTM125 is the only one that I can't find
any reedeming qualities for, but that was just a bad example due to a
bad purchase. I'm sure I'd have enjoyed a good one.

Craig
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"john" ...
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)

1987 KDX 200 UniRat - free to me as a truly thrashed basket case.
I was culling old files yesterday and couldn't believe the number of parts I
bought for that thing in a short period of time. But it was always
something. The bike would break something new each time I rode it. Sean will
probably never forget the time he came into view of me jumping up and down
on the side of the again broken UniRat. I needed to ride that day. My head
needed it. And that POS broke again. I snapped like a twig.

Perhaps it just needed a more patient owner.

I came across the Forward Air papers from when I shipped it down to Jim.
That was when I got pinned between the crate and the van and cracked a rib.
That bike had it in for me from day one and didn't let up until it was gone.

Do you still know where it is Jim?
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On Feb 22, 6:15 am, "Dean H." <m... DeleteThis @groove.calm> wrote:
> "john" ...
>
> > for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)
>
> 1987 KDX 200 UniRat - free to me as a truly thrashed basket case.
> I was culling old files yesterday and couldn't believe the number of parts I
> bought for that thing in a short period of time. But it was always
> something. The bike would break something new each time I rode it. Sean will
> probably never forget the time he came into view of me jumping up and down
> on the side of the again broken UniRat. I needed to ride that day. My head
> needed it. And that POS broke again. I snapped like a twig.
>
> Perhaps it just needed a more patient owner.
>
> I came across the Forward Air papers from when I shipped it down to Jim.
> That was when I got pinned between the crate and the van and cracked a rib..
> That bike had it in for me from day one and didn't let up until it was gone.
>
> Do you still know where it is Jim?

Whatever chance you had with that bike died when you covered it with
polka dots. After that, how can you blame it for having it in for you?

Tim H
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On Feb 22, 9:15 am, "Dean H." <m....TakeThisOut@groove.calm> wrote:
> "john" ...
>
> > for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)
>
> 1987 KDX 200 UniRat - Sean will
> probably never forget the time he came into view of me jumping up and down
> on the side of the again broken UniRat. I needed to ride that day. My head
> needed it. And that POS broke again. I snapped like a twig.

I'll never forget that Deano!! I thought you totally lost it.

But it was 110% justified and was a motivating factor in getting the
Gas Gas!!
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john says:
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)

'77 YZ250C. Dual chamber air forks that didn't work no matter
how you adjusted them, besides being made of overcooked noodles.
Motor with no bottom end, big hit, then no top end to make up
for the lack of bottom. Scary brakes. Weighed 25 lbs more than
anything else that year.

The monoshock worked OK I guess, if you were ever brave enough
to chance the forks being needed to find out.

My left shoulder is arthritic thanks to this POS.


Go fast Take chances.
Mike S.
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'97 CR 250
hands down the worst.

"john" <not.TakeThisOut@this.add> wrote in message
news:13rtktq7oqa4pa4@corp.supernews.com...
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)
>
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1976 Montesa Cappra 125 MX. Basically a very under-powered motor in a
relatively heavy-duty frame. Almost impossible to get the thing to
wheelie with those massive (for the time) front forks. To compensate
for the weak motor, Montesa used a large rear sprocket, effectively
lowering the final drive ratio. As a result, and due in no small part
to my own stupidity, the engine blew after only about 4 rides. And
that's when I got a lesson on Montesa parts availability in the early
'80s (nearly non-existent). The bike rusted away in milk crates beside
the shed.

Bikes I've owned (or have ridden enough to've owned):

5hp minibike
'74 Honda 50
'74 Honda SL 70
'75 Yamaha GT 80
'78 Yamaha YZ 80
'73 Yamaha MX 360
'75 Kawasaki KX 250
'73 Husqvarna 360
'76 Montesa Cappra 125 MX
'74 Honda SL 125
'77 Yamaha YZ 400
'82 Yamaha YZ 490
'85 Suzuki RM 250


Fred Bradford - CrashTestDummy
fjbradfordREMOVE.RemoveThis@tx.rr.com
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"sturd" <mikesturdevant127 RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6f6364fa-7ace-4e86-852c-1148854ca208@d5g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> john says:
>> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)
>
> '77 YZ250C. Dual chamber air forks that didn't work no matter
> how you adjusted them, besides being made of overcooked noodles.
> Motor with no bottom end, big hit, then no top end to make up
> for the lack of bottom. Scary brakes. Weighed 25 lbs more than
> anything else that year.
>
> The monoshock worked OK I guess, if you were ever brave enough
> to chance the forks being needed to find out.
>
> My left shoulder is arthritic thanks to this POS.
>
>
> Go fast Take chances.
> Mike S.

I had a 76yz250 the monoshock worked
the forks didn't (maybe because I didn't
keep them full of nitrogen)
I liked the motor, brakes had a nice feel.
I wish my gas gas front brakes were more
like the old yz... you could get to the edge of
locking them up and back off.. so far
on most disk brake dirt bikes i lock the front
then let it all the way of & repeat... until
i either blow the turn or wipe out... so to
make up for my lack of braking skills i just ride
slower than scrape.
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On Feb 22, 8:52 am, "john" <n....DeleteThis@this.add> wrote:
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)

Well, at least the 125 is right. My GasGas is, by far, the worst
dirtbike I ever owned. Ride/Wrech ratio is no better than 5%. That
may improve since everthing is pretty much done now, so I must make a
honorable mention:

A split-hair second for the worst dirtbike I ever owned is a KTM
50SXR, which was actually a re-branded LEM. While it was ridden
weekly (unlike my GasGas), it still provided a work/ride ratio of
close to 1.

JayC
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Yamaha 400 Special absolutely sucked in TST and wasn't very much better on
forest service roads!

KW
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On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:52:58 -0500, john <not RemoveThis @this.add> wrote:

> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)
>
>

Honda CT-70, followed closely by the KX-250 I once owned.


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On Feb 22, 8:52�am, "john" <n... DeleteThis @this.add> wrote:
> for me it was the aermacchi sx 125 (only kept it a weekend)

The worse for me was a 1974 Yamaha DT 250. It didn't have any ground
clearance and it was heavy. Rode a couple enduros and then I sold it
to get a Suzuki RL250.

Hank
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