BEST and WORST bikes you ever owned??

LuckyStar64

LuckyStar64

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Hey guys!! This is a just for fun thread! Post up on the BEST bike you ever rode, raced, owned, and fill us in on the WORST POS that you ever threw a leg over. This should be funny. I'll go first.

I was in the classic CRA 125 C mix from 1990-2000/2001. So my experience isn't the same as guys that have been in it for 40 years, or the young cats that have never ridden a two stroke.

The WORST bike I ever rode and raced was hands down a '95 KX125. What was wrong with it?? What wasn't? It was so slow that we thought the clutch was slipping, the suspension was..... wrong, it didn't want to turn, and the ergos were weird to say the least.

The BEST bike I ever owned came a year later with a fantastic '96 YZ125!! I LOVED that bike! Yamaha got everything right with that beauty!! I'd still own it today had it not developed an electrical issue that had it fouling plugs every other lap. NEXT!!
 
Best, while short lived, was my 15 Ktm 250sx. Tied with my 08 crf 450. Bone stock and never broke.
Worst, 02 cr 250. Thing broke every single time I rode it after about 5 hours of time on it.
 
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Worst, 75 RM 125, fast but blew up and broke parts a lot. Best, 02 WR250F. That thing ran forever, so many hours of fun, hole shot and lead one lap in a MX 40+ class, finished second that day, many hours of cross country riding, learned to double jump on it, clapped out and still ran good.
 
Best would be my 2012 crf450 or my 2008 yz450. My 2016 Ktm 450 is looking to make a run at the title though.

Worst is a tie between my 2011 ktm350 and my 2014 yz450. Can't tell you one thing I liked about either of those two bikes.
 
Worst: 96 KX125, never could figure out what was wrong with the engine. Ran like a dog.

Best: 97 CR 125, endless power for a 125. Loved that bike!
 
Best :
2003 yz250f
2006 yz450

Worst
2015 ktm350

Reason: in 2003-2009ish my confidence and bike ride time was triple what it is now... Can't get enough time on the 2015 to feel good or confident on. Plus age and doubt factor in too much now lol
 
Worst: I'd have to say my 2000 KX250.
Best: By far, 2002 RM125. That bike turned so good and it ran super crisp. I loved that bike.
 
Best - Tie. '73.5 125 Elsinore, first one in Lake County. I wasn't good enough but it was.
'85 FZ750 that Yamabucks paid for and then some.

Worst - '77 YZ250 Messed up air forks and motor that made as much horsepower as a Briggs and
Stratton.
 
Best: a tie between my 1995 CR500 (1995 - 2006) that had hundres of operating hours and many, many great memories) and my 2001 RM250.
Worst: 1990 CR125 (1991 - 1992). Fast, bust headshake for days. Every fork rebuild brought fork oil that looked like silver metallic paint.
 
All the bikes I raced from 1974 to my last were excellent choices. I could count on my hands the number of mechanical DNF's I had over that span.
I will have to grade my favorite bike on what was or was not accomplished on it.

My top choice was my 1974 Honda RC 125 Marty Smith replica I raced all over the country chasing the AHRMA 1994 Sportsman Intermediate 125 National Championship, which I did win.
The process of scouring junk yards for parts to build the bike was fun, I ended up with about 20 of them to mix and match parts.
From Southwick, Unadilla, Budds Creek, Road Atlanta, Honda Hills, Steamboat to Hollister Hills, Ca. it was THE FASTEST Elsinore in the country

. fastest125001.jpg

The worst bike was my 1973 Honda CR 250 Elsinore which I also raced that year in the AHRMA Sportsman 250 Intermediate.
I wound up 4th in the nation that year simply because at the last two rounds, Steamboat, Co. and Hollister Hills, Ca. I wanted to concentrate only on the 125.
Dont get me wrong my 250 was one trick bike. DG radial head, GEM reed valve, Motoplat ignition, Aluminum swingarm and many other mods.
But that was the bikes major problem, it was fragile, it needed allot just to make it sane.
The transmission (2nd gear) was like glass, the frame broke allot, the powerband was on/off, handling was vague, the downpipe sucked,and it was just out classed by the Mag Hoosk.

250elsinore001.jpg

And yes I did upgrade to a Hoosk the next year.

hoosk2.jpg
 
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BEST- 1995 KX125. slowest big bike I've ever ridden but once I got a pro circuit engine in it I loved it. Spent lots of time with my dad working on it and traveling to races. Memories of mid 90's racing probably make my thoughts of the bike better then it actually was. I even took my prom pics with that bike!

kx125.jpg
WORST- 2011 YZ450. It just wasn't a fun bike to ride. Power was jerky and set up was picky at different tracks. couldn't just get on this bike and ride. My 2015 YZ450 is light years better even though it looks almost the same.
 
nope. it was the first mx bike I bought brand new. got it in September of 1994 from Jerry ferrells in medina
 
2005 yz125 has been by far the best bike I've ever owned. Bought it new and it still runs great. Still cheap enough to work on that every couple years I put a crank in it and depending on how many hours a couple top ends a year. One thing I have to say is that stock is the only way to go. No major motor mods, exhaust, reeds and that's it. Keep it simple and those bikes last forever. Literally.

2 strokes for life. Braaap
 
Best:
Yz 105, KX 105. (Maybe not the best for my dads wallet, but I loved riding them).
06 Yz 144 (current bike, love it. Feels like a "suped-up" supermini and I love it.)
08 YZ 250 Probably would still have it, if not for thieves.

Worst:

2013 YZ 450F - I hated every part about this bike. My dad broke his leg on it. I couldn't get it to turn. Sold it with 10 hours on it. HATED that bike. HATEHATEHATEHATEHATE. This is the only dirtbike I've ever been on in my life where I would come in after riding and be pissed off about riding. I'm sure I bitched about it to everyone on pitracer if they saw me in person when I was riding that ill-handling POS.

Yz 80 (I remember dad buying clutches in Bulk, no joke.)
 
worst is easy my 1982 yz 125, my rod went out , then the crank went out. bike was slow only owned it 7 months

my best was my 94 yz 250, I have owned 7 yz250s and never had a bad one. 81, 83,84,94,2001,03,05
 
funny hearing what people love and hate.. example george..i rode your yz450f right after you sold it and for some reason really liked it!! lol
and ryan i loved my 2011 ktm 350... after an exhaust, remap and revalved suspension.

My favorite was probably my 11 ktm 350.. or my 2015 yz250f, with my 13 crf450 somewhere in there too.
I hated my 2013 suzuki 450...my 01 rm125 i had to put 4 bottom ends in..
 
Best - 02 KTM 125 SX or my 01 200 EXC for hare scrambles. Before KTM really started to make a push to lighten things ups and compete with the big 4 in motocross, they were bullet proof. I've only had to replace 1 piston on the 200 in 14 years, and I can't even describe what I've put the 200 through over the years. The 125 would rip holeshots against the new 250f's all day long, I still can't believe how hard that motor pulls up top.

Worst - maybe the 96 Kawi KDX 200, thing was a tank with the worst suspension ever. Broke too many bones on that bike, then again I was way too young to be on that bike.
 
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