20 WORST Motorcycles From The 1960s, Everyone Hated!

20 WORST Motorcycles From The 1960s, Everyone Hated!
Get ready to laugh (and maybe cringe a little) as we take a look back at 20 of the worst motorcycles from the 1960s! From clunky designs to unreliable engines, these bikes were more likely to land you in trouble than on the open road. Join us as we explore the forgotten flops that made motorcycle enthusiasts shake their heads.

[@peterbennett4948]

What a poor vid with lack of knowledge regarding the period and mismatch of photo's to the dialogue 👎

[@Radioman.]

I noticed this too. Who was in charge of continuity?

[@Nooziterp1]

And the Indian Chief being described as a V-twin when it is clearly a vertical twin.

[@kbjerke]

@@Nooziterp1 "V" stands for "vertical," right? ROFL!

[@Nooziterp1]

@@kbjerke No, 'V' means cylinders in a V formation. Forming the letter V.

[@kbjerke]

Good grief. *IT WAS A JOKE.*

[@DMPB-fi2ir]

poor video you have no idea nor clue what you are talking about on some of these motorcycles

[@claes5336]

Is this vid a joke?

[@frederickmoller]

looks that way to me.

[@brianallen9810]

Yes.

[@chinablue1699]

Honestly had wondered that myself if this was a one off troll video.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

The guy who made it is. 😂

[@alandavies55]

The commentary is complete cobblers, by an American who knows little about European motorcycles.

[@mihaimihai9254]

I'm afraid he doesn't know too many about American motorcycles as well ... He can't make the difference between a V - Twin and a Parallel - Twin. Just take a look at that Indian. Does it seems a V-Twin to you?

[@BillDunlop-b1u]

@@mihaimihai9254 And he can't seem to match the images to the commentary.

[@herbertwoodbury1958]

@@BillDunlop-b1u This thing is cobbled together and narrated by a computer program.. Not a clue about what was going on at that time.

[@cowboy6591]

Agree dude. I had a Honda dream and my newer goldwing could not touch the quality of that little honda. 47,000 miles before the engine started smoking. And I loved the old Indian looks it had.

[@dellawrence4323]

Indeed, he is talking bollocks.

[@AL-T]

Poor video

[@shiveringsand]

Piss poor.

[@paulpaulsen7309]

... well, 20HP out of 250cc was already quite a lot in the early 60s, and also reliably durable...

[@dougankrum3328]

Yes, that's about equal what the 'big' motorcycles of 1,000 CC produced...75-80 horsepower! Like the legendary KZ-1000...or Honda CB750.

[@AlskinsX1-9]

What? The Hodaka was one of the best selling dirt bikes back in the day. Wake up!

[@rooky55]

I raced a 125 combat wombat.

[@machintelligence]

The Ace 90 would leave the Honda 90 in the dust.

[@CZ350tuner]

For a bike that was unreliable, the CZ250MX somehow managed to dominate world motocross championships during the late 1960's and early 1970's.

[@richsmith7200]

CZ was behind the times from 76 on, but they were indestructible and I loved my '74 250.

[@BullieBozz]

True!! Also; I'd like to find one for $1500 nowadays....

[@johnbrown1835]

This guy has no idea

[@szedko]

The idea od blaming a 50 c.c. engine moped for going not fast enough! 😀 This is one of the 20 worst MC review ever made.

[@threepot900]

The Ziggalo in the first few words is actually an Ariel Arrow, a quite successful bike, with many unique and groundbreaking features at the time. If the narrator can’t even get the basics right, I dread to think how the rest of the vid is going to go……

[@raymondo162]

.............. it went to bmw (5:15 mark) where the single-cylinder bike we are talking about is depicted in several places by boxer-twin engines. the rest is a random jumble sale of models. appalling

[@josecarlospoggian5460]

True!😂😂

[@dellawrence4323]

Didn't the police ride them, the noddy bikes?

[@threepot900]

@@dellawrence4323 They might have used the touring version of the Arrow, the Leader, but the “Noddy Bikes” were the 150cc Vellocette LE, later replaced with the 200cc Valient by some forces. It’s said the LE engine was so quiet police were able to sneak up on criminals in some cases.

[@nickwinn7812]

And when talking about the Bantam D7 kept showing clips of the D1. I learned Bantams are unreliable. Quite a revelation after 50 years of ownership!

[@janh1720]

"20 WORST Motorcycles From The 1960s," - the Video that Everyone Hated! Do come over to Europe sometime we'll help you try to understand t'arse from t'elbow...

[@MC202zipper]

Hear, hear!

[@threepot900]

@@janh1720 and if we can’t help, we’ll give you a hoof in the pods as compensation!

[@randaldavis8976]

The BMW 250 is a bike that could last forever

[@paulpaulsen7309]

... well, ... not the gearing, it was a little bit ... takes some getting used to ...

[@brucerogermorgan2388]

Yeah, I know, I had one for about 20 years. Utterly reliable. It got stolen. I still miss it.

[@peter7624]

If you have even a clue about motorbikes of this era then you'll know whoever cobbled this video together knows absolutely nothing about the subject of motorcycles, past or present.

[@richardbudgell2374]

This man has no clue ..just one example..the 250 twin 2 stroke yamaha was very fast ..leaving most other 250s in its dust

[@rogerfrost5521]

That was my second bike and was good for 85mph

[@threepot900]

@@richardbudgell2374 not just 250’s it was faster than quite a few larger mid size four strokes of the time, like the T90, Triumph and BSA 500 singles and twins and was good enough to frighten even the 650’s up to a point.

[@whitevanman6883]

A complete mess of a video, disregard the dialogue and only look at the bikes although mixing up models and makes on each section means you will see more than 20 bikes. Nice to see the bike less so to hear the limited knowledge of the video maker.

[@josecarlospoggian5460]

Harley Sprint it’s a Aermacchi 250 and in that time used to go fast

[@JillandKevin]

And the Aermacchi 250 was a popular 250 Road racing bike!

[@patrickporter6536]

Harley's 250 world championship was won by Aer Macchi bikes with Harley-Davidson written on them!

[@robertbryson4576]

Fun fact guys. Joey Dunlop raced an Aermacci early in his career. It was not slow......

[@richsmith7200]

Harley never had a fast dirt bike...

[@JillandKevin]

@@richsmith7200 There was a dirt version of the Sprint /Aermacchi that was fairly fast, but not fast enough to win motocrosses. Watch (if you haven't already) the Bruce Brown film "On Any Sunday", and you'll notice Mert Lawill (who was under contract to Harley Davidson) riding a Sprint with Husqvarna-mounted Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith. No, it wasn't fast enough to win MX's, but the Aermacchi engine DI power some winning Road Racers.

[@williamjsmith9877]

This video is a joke, in 61 my first bike was a Royal Enfield Crusader sports, a fantastic bike in its day, together with the Ariel's and that fantastic Norton Dominator, this guy knows anything about British bikes of the day, was he even alive in the 60's.

[@patrickporter6536]

He once read a book about motor cycles, but didn't understand it.

[@billcarson1971]

Next up, 20 worst You Tube videos. First one, Retro Rides by someone who absolutely has no clue what he/she/it/they/them is talking about. Don’t quit your day job.

[@memyname1771]

The Cushman Eagle is a motorscooter with a fuel tank stuck on to make it look like a motorcycle.

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

In Europe in the 60s we regarded Harleys as lumbering thirsty and primitive

[@ianrichards4907]

bit like now then !

[@dutchsailor6620]

That perception hasn't changed much...

[@patrickporter6536]

They're still lumbering, thirsty and primitive.. also gutless.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Harley's are great. Unlike this video maker. 😂

[@HaroldParks-bd7ng]

A Ducati dealer from 1962 on with a119 mph 250 Diana ( clocked ) and 28 up on the dyno from a Monza engine shows that this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

[@markalton2809]

Very poor video

[@wymple09]

So, small engined, low power bikes designed for city commuting weren't good for anything else......So what? Go to any bike rally & see the attention these things get when they show up. Worth every penny.

[@AndyAndy-bg7mv]

this vid is bolloks

[@philliprobinson7724]

Hi Andy. No! It's not even that good. Cheers, P.R.

[@mildandbitter]

I think thr Ariel Arrow looks great, also the BMW is cool. At least half of these bikes would be great to own.

[@DrakeN-ow1im]

First let me qualify - I was in my twenties in the '60s, in the UK where most of this video's clips originated, albeit of later origin..;) This is possibly one of the worst executed and most misinformed I have ever seen on this topic. The parameters by which the commentary judges the characteristics of the various machines is risible as well as being questionable.

[@johndaut2838]

The market for these bikes was high school and college students in the 60s. I would have driven any of these, but my parents would not let me due to a relative hurting himself in a motorcycle wreck.

[@bartmanlestrade9089]

with reference to the header of this video, the only things laughable and cringeworthy ia the commentary and lack of knowedge !!!

[@emmachamberlain7587]

He sure do;nt know anything about nortons

[@BillDunlop-b1u]

He surely doesn't know anything about bikes, it seems.

[@MC202zipper]

Nor Moto Guzzi... 😁

[@JillandKevin]

The one he showed was a Norton 400 Electra actually was a relative failure, but pretty much their only flop, and still a fun bike!

[@BillDunlop-b1u]

19:13 This is a rebadged and uglyfied Royal Enfield Super Meteor of 700cc. A parallel twin, not a V-twin of 1,200cc. The Super Meteors, and later Interceptors, were comfortable and capable tourers. This "Retro Rides" must be one of the most ignorant youtubers.

[@philliprobinson7724]

Hi User. I reckon he must be selling new m/cycles, because he's sure doing his best to ruin the second-hand market. Cheers, P.R.

[@syketherocker]

And I don’t think they were sold past 1959.

[@anthonylavallee4362]

I owned a 69 BMW R27. Fast it was not but it was very dependable. It also was a smooth ride and handled well. I got lots of positive compliments on the styling and is still considered a great looking bike to this day. Whoever wrote your script lacks knowledge!

[@NotMe-st8qc]

You have no clue. You obviously did not live through this time and are speaking about things of which you have no knowledge.

[@garybray3614]

Honda Dream was a dream. You are a liar. the new ninja looks completely stinks. Love the old bikes. they are not dull.

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

1:00 Underpowered and slow are the outstanding characteristics of any H-D so what is the issue?

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

The BMW 250 single what BMW is most popular bike and they made 47,000 of them.

[@PekkaTiusanen]

It was a very very old model. I think original 250 cc was the first BMW model about 1927.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@PekkaTiusanen no the BMW 250 single was started in 1947. Don't know when they discontinued it.

[@dirkseye9960]

It was a good quality bike but slow as a snail...

[@Mariazellerbahn]

The Cezeta was the worst ever. It had the fuel tank mounted at the front and doubled as a mudguard. When full of fuel it was nose heavy and when half full, the petrol sloshed around and made the handling ..... interesting.

[@martinsaunders7925]

There is no context given. Post WW2 factories in Japan, Italy ,Germany and Britain were being rebuilt. Some with new and innovative machinery. Scrap aluminum was used to build Japanese engines and great care was needed to dismantle and reassemble them. Phillips screws were soft and easily stripped. The BSA bantam,workhorse of British postal telegram service in its 125cc form was reliable when new,however,the crankshaft case seals were rubber and crankcase compression leakage caused hard starting and poor performance exacerbated by Lucas electrics. As a 13 to 15 year old kid I rebuilt five bantam and numerous NSU. Mopeds . The quicklies would reach 70 mph before getting point bounce running on nitro,gas and Castrol R. For brief periods.

[@stephenlitten1789]

The engine would also run backwards, if you were really unlucky

[@sidneydawe9937]

The Ariel Arrow was a great looking bike which was popular in the UK.

[@philliprobinson7724]

Hi Sid. Did you notice the Ariel "leader" in there? I would have loved an Arrow, at least Ariel tried to up their game and tackle the Japs with a fast two stroke. Cheers, P.R.

[@michealfigueroa6325]

You are kidding ...right? "popular in the UK" well it explaines it

[@DrakeN-ow1im]

@@michealfigueroa6325 How, exactly? PS. check your spelling.

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

19:29 the Indian shown here has a vertical twin setup NOT v twin...sheesh.

[@paulmilsom1092]

yep Indian made a vertical twin. The Scout..

[@philliprobinson7724]

Hi Alfred E. Don't you mean "zotkrotz"? Cheers from the MAD house, P.R.

[@drewkelley7326]

Well, it was a re-badged Royal Enfield, wasn't it?

[@22Boyne]

This really could have been a decent video, but at least try to ensure that the bike in question is actually the ONLY bike being shown in the associated video.

[@CZ350tuner]

300 pound in weight is light for a 250cc motorcycle. Modern 300cc bikes actually weigh more!! For example, the 1980 Yamaha RD/RZ250LC weighs 365 pounds. The 1978 Suzuki GT250 X7 weighs 280 pounds. The 1977 CZ350 Sport weighs 291 pounds.

[@flouisbailey]

Harley SR100 technically an Italian Harley sold in the early 1970. This dog of a bike was my pride and joy until I rode it, buyers remorse was't a word then but this was the definition of that bike. Two stroke/smoke with measuring cap for the oil in the gas cap, problem was getting a running mixture. Mine came from an uncle who had a real Harley shop, I will never believe my Dad didn't say Steve get something that will make him never ride a motorcycle again.

[@thomasbooth7532]

I had a 1961 Harley Davidson XLCH and loved it.

[@george-ev1dq]

Everything in Murica must do 75 mph

[@drewkelley7326]

Late 50's, and Early 60's Bugs didn't even go 75mph.

[@JillandKevin]

According to THIS fool!!

[@george-ev1dq]

@@JillandKevin I reckon so, maybe these machines are restricted in power in the USA but I have owned a few of the machines he claims have a top speed of 75 MPH are a fair bit faster than he claims. I bought an old CB900F Honda from the USA for tiny money, the reason being it only had a 4 speed box, mild cams and tiny carbs, it was a total slug of a thing which easy to sort out using European Honda stock parts.

[@gerryc3112]

Some of those "top speeds" seemed weird. I had a Suzuki 120cc single-cylinder two-stroke that easily did better than 70mph.

[@brucerogermorgan2388]

Was that a B120? I had one of those too! Great reliable bike. I had to change to a bigger bike when I got married so I could take my wife as pillion.

[@johnschofield9496]

Sure wish you would show pictures and videos of the bikes being spoken about instead of darting back and forth like a waterbug ! I honestly don't understand the non stop criticism of the styling. Many of the bike shown are very similar to their contemporaries , and Hodaka, REALLY ?!

[@johndavis5502]

I grew up in So Calif.Hodaka Ace 90 was sold by the thousands. I own 2 Suzuki X-6, I got one over 105 MPH indicated. I bought a Honda CB 750 and the world changed.

[@bobsargeant9540]

Owned a 350 Sprint. At one time it held the Bonnie speed record. The damn thing handled like a demon. The vid is Bravo Sierra. I also owned a 125 Rapido which I modified. I got a ticket on it one night, 91 with a passenger. The engine was totally shot at 10,000 miles. The Rapido handled great too. The company that built the Sprint and Rapido, Aeronautica Maachi set a piston-engine speed record in 1934 that still stands 90 years later in 2024

[@chib9427]

Bravo Sierra from a person who is an Alpha Henry.

[@saywhat2014]

The Hodaka Ace 90 was sold as a trail bike and in SoCal I saw a bunch of them.

[@StuartDeBolt]

My 2nd bike was a used Ace 100 that I ❤

[@modellmotoren]

Redro Rides, could it be that you have lost control of your life?

[@patrickporter6536]

Redro? We have Redro fish paste in S. Africa...

[@1950accordionman]

I don't know much about motorcycles but what did people want for a few hundred dollars I'm amazed that these bikes had such low prices and how fast did people want to go?

[@ir8d8rads]

Records a video about European-style postwar commuter bikes, complaining about how they ride like European-style postwar commuter bikes. The Yamaha YDS3 was the first 2-stroke with Autolube. It was also the fastest 250 then sold. Yamaha won the 250cc world championship in 1964 with a similar engine. The YDS3 was the 250 street version on sale at the time. This was in fact the 2-stroke that broke the European lock on 250cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The YDS3 was the civilian-market innovator that boosted Japanese 2-strokes onto the world stage and led them to dominate motorcycle racing for the next 30 years. Hard to get from there to "hated" or "worst."

[@dellawrence4323]

The BSA Bantam sold in great numbers here in England during the 60's, it was very popular as a commuter bike which is what it was designed to be.

[@DennisBocock]

A cushman is Not a motorcycle

[@ronaldelliott4924]

Good to see the olds bikes . The rest is hog Wash.

[@marklapirow5473]

If you can find a Hodaka, buy it. Ace 100, Combat Wombat, Dirt Squirt. The Ace was a very good trial bike.

[@barryporteous4904]

I stopped watching with the "everyone hated" statement.

[@rooky55]

My bike #1 a 64 50 cub. Next bike 1968 SC 175 Honda. Both reliable and a lot of fun growing up in the sixties.

[@ramonaliso5653]

Probably one of the twenty worst videos on you tube.😫

[@gregpenny4384]

I find tis vid a joke, I was in my mid teens in 65, if it ran you were on it day and night. parents did not give you the money in those days you worked your way up bike after bike. who ever made this vid was born after 2000!

[@oldhillbillybuckkowalski]

I don't think the person who made this vedeo knows anything about motorcycles or motorcycle history. Almost none of these bikes were "Hated by everyone" and in reality the performance and reliability of most of these bikes were about average for the time.

[@pluckypurcell7186]

WORST video about motorcycles available on KZbin. Whoever wrote this video is clueless about what motorcycles were like back in the '60s.

[@keithnewbery8948]

There was an article in an old motorcycle mechanics that featured a water cooled ariel arrow,it was an apprentice engineering project, imagine if that had caught on.

[@threepot900]

@@keithnewbery8948 A few folk did that, not sure if there was a commercial kit made at the time or not. A stillborn engineering exercise was an Austin A7 engine (I think) mounted horizontally and longitudinaly in a Leader frame to make the ultimate long distance tourer at the time, 30 +years before the BMW K series bikes of the 1990’s.

[@dirkmul4802]

The ‘low HP’ and ‘poor performing’ bikes mentioned by Mr. Knowitall here have a considerable higher HP/Liter ratio in the mentioned time period than the Milwaukee produced clumsy metal.

[@jeromebreeding3302]

I had a 70 350 Harley Sprint. At 25 hp.and 300 lbs. Performance was pretty good. Unfortunately reliabilty was a problem, as was the aukward left side kick lever. Electrical gremlins resulted in me pushing it as much as riding it.

[@terrystewart2070]

This video is riddled with errors from start to finish. Sorry creator, who ever you are. You should move on.

[@Philip-b4h]

Some of the bikes were heavy but built for the european markets where the average rider was a lot lighter than most of the Americans shown in the videos. I suppose you could make the bike lighter or send the riders to weightwatchers to make the performance better.

[@gerryc3112]

He forgot my first bike my mother bought me from the department store where she worked (LOL), a JAWA 50cc. What an embarrassment that bike should have been to Czechoslovakia.

[@lonshoemaker9541]

My 1963 Ducati 250 would go 80 miles an hour. In 1972 that was one of the fastest 250s available. This video featured photos of the Diana, the scrambler, but no Monza

[@donaldcarey114]

I wish I still had my Honda 305 Dream - it is worth20 to 30 TIMES what I paid for it new ($305.00) today.

[@ianrmallett]

Sorry, I have to say the Yamaha YDS3 was one of the best bikes from the 60's. And it was a looker in its day. I had one for 3 years and loved it. Otherwise the rest of the video was shite! I rate it D-

[@magicgordo4878]

The dude who tossed this bit together probably bought a Harley and look at the result....

[@mikegLXIVMM]

Modern motorcycle failure: The Harley Davidson Livewire.

[@magicgordo4878]

This will be devastating news for many. The late Peter Fonda's first bike was an R-27 BMW. We are almost hesitant to access more of this failed attempt to be famous and for an elderly relative who bought a 1966 883 HD Sportster he characterizes as a POS. We try not to upset the old guy but he got shed of that one and bought a Triumph. A 40 incher..

[@KEVINPAGEkf4znl]

Some of these should be called scooters. HAHAHHAHAHAHA

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Those Aerials, were used by our police. You weren't going to catch many villains on those machines! They were called Noddy Bikes, from Enid Blyton's much beloved children's stories about Noddy and his friends.

[@threepot900]

@@capt.bart.roberts4975 the Noddy Bike was the water cooled 150cc Vellocette LE. It was said they were so quiet on more than one occasion the police snuck 9n criminals and caught them in the act. They were basically a motorised replacement for the old coppers bicycles and used in areas where a panda car couldn’t be justified. The Ariel was a different kettle of fish and some of the forces did use the Leader touring version which was factory fitted with a fairing and panniers as patrol bikes, with the radio fitted in the dummy tank.

[@johnsmith7676]

Utter codswallop.

[@DonLeist]

The small Ducati is kinda cool!

[@drewkelley7326]

In '59, a Ducati Bevel-drive 125 won its class in the Big Bear Run: over 750 starters, it finished 125th o/a.

[@JillandKevin]

I had the scrambler version of that Ducati 250, and LOVED it!!!

[@Demun1649]

There should be every motorbike that the US has ever produced.

[@budlistar5312]

I think Hodaka’s are more popular now. There’s numerous suppliers and rebuilders around keeping them alive.

[@blackholeentry3489]

I owned an early Sportster....no battery and magneto ignition. Impossible to start cold, and lucky for me I lived on a steep hill.

[@markhumbert1766]

I'd say that this is a video and commentary from 2024 that everybody hated.

[@chrisbrady-t1u]

lost count how many times he said ''uninspired design''

[@robertlarder1907]

Speaking of uninspiring- how about that voice?

[@tedrobison2153]

I might be crazy but a buddy of mine had a Montgomery Ward bike😳?????

[@drstevenrey]

The Indian Chief has a two cylinder inline, not a V.

[@Timothycan]

I'd disagree with much of this video. The Royal Enfield Crusader Sports (I once owned one) was the fastest production 250cc in the UK at the time, and won the Thruxton Marathon in its class, at the time. The BSA Bantam was a much loved, used and respected general work-horse for everyday use. (Eastern bloc bikes were often based on its design). Where I do tend to agree is with the CZ, although I know nothing about off-road ones, I owned a CZ 'Jawa' 350 twin (sidecar outfit) in the 80s, and it WAS rather poor.

[@757boing]

The 1963 Indian was NOT a V Twin as everyone who watched the video knows except for the guy talking. I've owned a ridden a 1959 Sportster for over 50 years and it's mechanicals are typical of every motorcycle made in that era. Mechanical shoe brakes, oil dampened shocks and forks and kick start only.

[@jocktulloch3499]

Ah, the Harley Piglet!

[@tonyunderwood9678]

I wonder if this guy ever rode any of these bikes, especially that Yammer 250. Get it up on the pipe and away it went with a rush. Shame seeing many of these bikes being slammed simply for being a part of their era. And, he seemed to include just about every manufacturer who made a motorcycle in the early '60s. Of COURSE they can't compare to bikes today. And most of them could be bought with what a high school kid made flipping burgers. Try that today. BTW... Hodaka made some fun bikes. And try telling any Indian fan his bike was a dud. In short, this video is... well... meh.

[@Rickwaldron1960]

They called the bmw the furnace big heavy and always ran to hot

[@icooper5236]

If it was a hit how was it hated

[@theymusthatetesla3186]

Good grief!! :(

[@user-vz8bu6uu1e]

my H-D sprint was VERY POWERFUL !!! yours must be wore out ! great bike

[@RonaldDaub-v9y]

The Sprint was a good motorcycle and it was not underpowered

[@bonesrhodes3762]

those R27 Beemers were amazing bikes - they could switch from being an upright single to being an opposed horizontal twin and sometime even morph into Harley Sprints - handy when running from the law since you couldn't outrun anything so subterfuge was needed just wondering if the Retro Rides folks have red noses and inflatable shoes ?

[@theonebigjack]

You left out the sears 106 super sport --- JUNK.

[@Michael-o3t1w]

Don´t know the difference between Corsaro and Corsarino !

[@cycoklr]

This video only amplifies the uploader's ignorance of motorcycle history regarding the significance of some of the models and their impact on the industry. 🤔

[@stirlingmoss4621]

I had a 1969 BSA Bantam 175 D14/4 which could do an indicated 70 mph. It was only good for one rider though, imo