Jay Leno Shares His Least Favorite Purchase Ever!

You don’t build a massive, diverse, amazing collection like Jay Leno’s without running across a few rides that just don’t deliver as expected. In a Q&A segment with his fans, Jay is asked about which of his purchases ended up leaving the worst taste in his mouth. Jay needs only a second to recall a particular motorcycle that really made a terrible first impression, especially on Jay’s leg!

The bike in question, a BSA 441 Victor, was powered by a large single-cylinder engine that had to be kick started. As one might imagine, kicking over a large-displacement engine doesn’t always go smoothly, and the first time Jay kicked the 441, the lever on the kick starter whipped around and kicked him back, right in the back of the leg. He doesn’t go into details, but it almost certainly left a nice little bruise. He also likened the bike to riding a bass drum and says it just plain was no fun to ride.

He also had a bad experience with a Harley Davidson cafe racer, though luckily he didn’t spend any money on that one, thanks to an ill-advised salesman. Jay saw the bikes and headed down to the dealership to pick one up for himself. Cash in hand, Leno walked into the dealership to purchase the bike, not even bothering to ask for a test ride first. The salesman, for whatever reason, talked Jay into test riding the bike, which turned him off cold. The bike was slow, noisy and clunky, in Jay’s own words, and he returned to the dealership and left with his money still in his pocket. While it ended up better for Jay, we have to wonder if the salesman regretted insisting on a test ride, since it cost him the commission he would have made from the sale. Stories like these are just part of the reason we love Leno and Jay Leno’s Garage.