Motorcycles are some of the coolest-looking things we can see on the road. They are curvy, stylish and generally make you look like a badass. However, not all motorcycles are nice to look at.
In fact, some are a bit aesthetically challenged. These are the bikes that make you wonder how they were approved, from the design stage to the final version.
I’m going to step on a few toes here because some of these are much-loved bikes with a lot of loyal owners. Therefore, if you own one of these, remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and no offense is intended.
With that said, one culprit that many bikers like to poke holes at is BMW. But, as ugly as some of their bikes might look, more well-respected brands have still made uglier machines. So, below are the bikes which are so unappealing that only their designers could love them.
In no particular order let’s get started.
Morbidelli V8
Italian automakers, for both cars and bikes, generally know how to make visually appealing bikes. However, the Morbidelli V8 is not one of them.
This was meant to be the most powerful bike in the world, with a massive V8 engine powering it. However, it looked like a failed concept art for a police bike.
The bike was never released for the market. The brand’s reason was that it was just too expensive to produce. However, we suspect that they finally realized it was a little too hard to look at, so not many bikers would cough up the cash needed to buy one of these.
Harley Davidson Road Glide/Ultra
Harley Davidson is one bike I contemplated keeping off the list, they tend to make bikes that look simple and appealing. However, everyone is liable to mess up at some point and make a mistake; the Road Glide is Harley Davidson’s mistake.
The bike itself is okay from a functional perspective. It is one of the best-handling bikes from the bike maker. However, that’s the only redeeming quality about it. The bike looks hideous from every angle, like it was stretched for the sake of it.
The base Road Glide is unappealing enough; but the Road Glide Ultra is worse. Instead of trying to make up for the base model’s looks, it makes the seat look like an armchair.
Johammer J1
Bike makers often try to make their bikes look futuristic, with various levels of success. The Johammer J1 is one bike that failed on all fronts.
Instead of looking like something you’d see in a sci-fi movie, it resembles a bug. With its antenna-like mirrors and its weirdly-shaped body, it is hard to look at.
The bike doesn’t even perform well. It has a top speed of 74 mph, which isn’t too bad for an electric motorbike. But factor in the price—an astounding $34,000—and the bike’s existence makes little sense.
Victory Vision
It’s strange that something so hard to look at has such a loyal following. But that’s the case with the Victory Vision. Owners praise it for how well it rides, and we can give them that.
However, when it comes to the looks department, the Victory Vision is a dud. It’s stretched way too long, it’s too big, and the designers crammed in virtually every idea they thought of.
This bike would have been a lot better if they had just slammed the brakes on all the design elements they put into it. As it is, the bike looks like the road version of Frankenstein’s monster.
BMW C1
Naturally, BMW bikes can’t be absent in a list like this. The C1 is among the most infamous bikes the German automaker has developed. Launched in the year 2000, it looks like a failed attempt to embrace the future.
BMW probably intended the C1 to be appealing to consumers; it was meant to be practical and usable like a scooter, but with the safety of a car. That’s why it came with a top-heavy roof.
However, the roof was a pain in both windy conditions and when riding a little fast. Instead of offering safety and comfort, the BMW C1 ended up annoying anyone who rode in it.
We’ve poked fun at a few motorbikes here today but like I said earlier, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one person finds hot the next guy finds hideous, and vice versa. Everyone has different taste and preferences. Having said that, I would happily take anyone of these bikes.
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