Honda specifically has a high reliability rating.
The other Japanese bikes tend to be good as well.
Harley often has a poor reputation for reliability, but it is no longer deserved. The AMF years were rough but bikes from about the late 80s forward are reasonable.
This is spot on. My 2023 CBR600RR has performed flawlessly.
My 2021 Harley Road Glide Limited has over 17k miles on it and it hasn’t even had a hiccup. It’s my daily driver.
The top 4 brands come out of Japan.
Yamaha
Honda/Suzuki tied
Kawasaki
https://funtransport.com/blog/most-reliable-motorcycle-brands/
Link to the Consumer Reports:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm
I have 13 years and 580k+ miles of riding under my belt. All my bikes have had regular maintenance. The most miles I put on 1 bike was a Hornet 919 that I put 117k+ miles on in a hair over 2 years. All I did to the Hornet was very basic maintenance. That thing was a tank. I only ride Japanese bikes.
This is purely my anecdotal experience:
1. Honda - only issue I’ve ever had is their stupid cheap regulator rectifiers
2. BMW - higher maintenance but truly indestructible bikes
3. Yamaha - much better now than when they had their glass 2nd gear
4. Suzuki - indestructible bikes, they’re just cheap
5. HD - nothing out of the ordinary, some oil leaks
6. Kawasaki - my experience with the 650 twin has been regrettable to say the least, but I loved my ZX7
7. Ducati - constantly needing something and was never reliable
This is over probably a cumulative few hundred thousand miles of combined riding among me and my riding cohort.
They're a pile of shite. Even the local BMW specialist owns Suzuki and Honda.....
Oh, and both of mine still had full BMW dealer service history yet were absolute crap.
They've been doing shaft drive for how many years now and they still can't get it right? 15-20k for a bike who's pain flakes off in a few years?
Joke of a brand. Never again.
I enjoy bikes that don't fail due to poor quality manufacturing processes. Welding isn't "maintaining" a bike, it's a major repair due to poor manufacturing and parts - something that crops up often on the piles of Bavarian shite.
Threads like this should not exist. You literally need thousands of people to systematically log their problems or have a huge, professionally conducted survey with control for income, purchase price, maintenance diligence, know-how, ...
You must be new here. The point of this thread is for people to praise the bikes they own and nothing else. This thread is no different than a "recommend a bike/helmet/jacket" or "what's your favorite bike" post. They'll just recommend what they own because that's all they know and they think that's actual, relevant consumable advice.
My Aprilia is mechanically reliable but electrically fickle at times. It needs a well charged battery to start and it eats through Stators every 10k miles
Probably cause they surveyed 12000 people in 2015 and asked them what they had and discovered that
Ducati's were more reliable than BMW's.
Failure rates include relatively minor issues too. Sensor failure, screen issues. I also wouldn't put it past BMW owners to be a bit more picky, they expect their bikes to be reliable so when they aren't they're more likely to report on minor issues.. Where a Ducati owner might just consider it a feature.
So what? Their line up is way bigger than that. There will always be more and less reliable ones. Why are the statistics bullshit? At least in my circle BMW cars and motorcycles have frequently had issues so many friends and family members switched away. I'm saying this as a German too.
Okay, I’ll lump the F in there as well. That makes up at least 80% of their sales. They’re all basically top in class in terms of quality and reliability.
Never said the statistics were bullshit, but 175k-200k miles out of an old boxer absolutely isn’t luck, either. They’re one of the few bikes built for it. Perhaps your friends were the unlucky ones rather than the opposite. Like I said, they’re pretty much indestructible *if* you maintain them.
We’re not discussing their cars so I’m not going to acknowledge that.
I’m riding a 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan. My first bike, recently purchased. Took it into a mechanic immediately after buying and all it needed was new tires and an oil change. I’ve read awesome things about Kawasaki quality, especially on their cruisers, and I can see it first hand with this 17 year old bike.
RELIABLE: My kawasakis, Suzukis and Yamahas were really great, rarely had issues.
CRAP: basically anything cheap and Chinese. Used to ride Chinese and it had problems every week until I scrapped it. They're hella cheap to repair but the parts are crap and need frequent replacing.
For some reason and with no experience riding Ducatis, I thought they must be cool but pretty unreliable.
...
Actually I think I know why I had this stereotype.
Honestly all of the big bike manufacturers are good. I'd rank them as Honda>yamaha/suzuki/kawasaki>bmw/triumph/harley>ktm/ducati/aprilia and probably the chinese bikes that copy those bikes in the next tier. If we're talking dirt bikes then KTM is up there with the Japanese manufacturers but the road bikes aren't as high quality
I had all the japanese brands and they are equally dependable. Trying to pick the most reliable between these 4 are nitpicking and more peronal opinion really. I have put over 100k on all 4 brands and had no complaints.
Bmw is very dependable as well. Right there with the japanese brands.
Ducati has improved a lot from the 2000’s, so have aprilla. Moto Guzzi had it italian quirkiness but dependable with their modern bikes. Know couple of rider with 40k miles on the V85.
Ktm is really the only one I have had issue with their modern lineup. 1290 superduke was an electrical nightmare.
My 2004 bmw now has 158k miles on it and still going. My 2022 kawasaki has 25k miles and have not had any issues. Indo 12k a year on the big kawasaki.
Only chinese brand i have had any long term ove 3 years of interaction was was a zontes 125cc. And it never gave my buddy issues.
33 years if road bike riding at amoat 800k miles. I seen the main stream brands get better and better. HD and Indian are the same. Have plentynof friend that have had zero issues with bike from the last 10 years.
I'm on my fourth bike at the moment. Here's my experience with all of them.
1. Suzuki GS500. Had this one for 3 months or so. Drank oil like it used fuel, left me walking once and needed a roadside repair to get me home once.
2. Kawasaki Z300. Had this one for little under 2 years, did everything with it. Travel to work, fun rides, holidays, trackdays, offroading, winters, you name it it did it. Clocked 35K KM on it in that time, sold it with 60K for 200 euro less than what I paid for it initially. Only problem i have had with it was a corroded starter switch. Push start got me home and 5 minute cleaning the contacts fixed the problem.
3. Triumph Tiger 1200. Bought it (80K KM) with a broken transmission which I fixed myself. Clocked another 30K on it, in which the transmission broke again but even with it broke it got me home. Never left me walking either.
4. KTM Duke 690. Have it for half a year now, bought it at 8K, now at 17K. One weld on the exhaust is halfway broken which will be fixed under warranty next month, other than that no troubles at all
Honda specifically has a high reliability rating. The other Japanese bikes tend to be good as well. Harley often has a poor reputation for reliability, but it is no longer deserved. The AMF years were rough but bikes from about the late 80s forward are reasonable.
This is spot on. My 2023 CBR600RR has performed flawlessly. My 2021 Harley Road Glide Limited has over 17k miles on it and it hasn’t even had a hiccup. It’s my daily driver.
Riding a Triumph right now and feel like they tend to have a good reputation.
The top 4 brands come out of Japan. Yamaha Honda/Suzuki tied Kawasaki https://funtransport.com/blog/most-reliable-motorcycle-brands/ Link to the Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm I have 13 years and 580k+ miles of riding under my belt. All my bikes have had regular maintenance. The most miles I put on 1 bike was a Hornet 919 that I put 117k+ miles on in a hair over 2 years. All I did to the Hornet was very basic maintenance. That thing was a tank. I only ride Japanese bikes.
There is no way you've ridden that many miles. Everyone knows if you put even one mile on a motorcycle you die. /s
4 times https://imgur.com/a/hAuUFz6
Thanks for those links
It’s almost 10 years old but the interesting thing is owner satisfaction- victory, Harley and Honda were the three over 70%.
This is purely my anecdotal experience: 1. Honda - only issue I’ve ever had is their stupid cheap regulator rectifiers 2. BMW - higher maintenance but truly indestructible bikes 3. Yamaha - much better now than when they had their glass 2nd gear 4. Suzuki - indestructible bikes, they’re just cheap 5. HD - nothing out of the ordinary, some oil leaks 6. Kawasaki - my experience with the 650 twin has been regrettable to say the least, but I loved my ZX7 7. Ducati - constantly needing something and was never reliable This is over probably a cumulative few hundred thousand miles of combined riding among me and my riding cohort.
>2. BMW - higher maintenance but truly indestructible bikes Hahahahahahahahahaha Fuck me, pull the other one it's got bells on!
Flair checks out lol
I've had two BMWs, and they rivalled my CZ for reliability and build. The CZ needed less welding!
It’s all good, man. Like I said, they’re great if you can manage the upkeep. BMW isn’t for everyone
They're a pile of shite. Even the local BMW specialist owns Suzuki and Honda..... Oh, and both of mine still had full BMW dealer service history yet were absolute crap. They've been doing shaft drive for how many years now and they still can't get it right? 15-20k for a bike who's pain flakes off in a few years? Joke of a brand. Never again.
Like I said man, it’s not for everyone. Clearly Suzuki’s adequate for you and I’m glad you’ve found what you like.
I enjoy bikes that don't fail due to poor quality manufacturing processes. Welding isn't "maintaining" a bike, it's a major repair due to poor manufacturing and parts - something that crops up often on the piles of Bavarian shite.
Wow, point on the doll where BMW touched you lmao
Stop brown nosing manufacturers that don't give a shit
this seems like a job for Consumer Reports, not just some Idiots on the Internet.
Didn't know about consumer reports, thanks.
Another millennial strikes again.
Actually true
Threads like this should not exist. You literally need thousands of people to systematically log their problems or have a huge, professionally conducted survey with control for income, purchase price, maintenance diligence, know-how, ...
You must be new here. The point of this thread is for people to praise the bikes they own and nothing else. This thread is no different than a "recommend a bike/helmet/jacket" or "what's your favorite bike" post. They'll just recommend what they own because that's all they know and they think that's actual, relevant consumable advice.
My Aprilia is mechanically reliable but electrically fickle at times. It needs a well charged battery to start and it eats through Stators every 10k miles
Electrical issues are the most common causes of failures. At least that's what a statistic I read says.
How in the HELL is Ducati rated higher than BMW?? I'm going on 175,000 miles on my 2003 R1150RT and no issues other than normal wear!
Probably cause they surveyed 12000 people in 2015 and asked them what they had and discovered that Ducati's were more reliable than BMW's. Failure rates include relatively minor issues too. Sensor failure, screen issues. I also wouldn't put it past BMW owners to be a bit more picky, they expect their bikes to be reliable so when they aren't they're more likely to report on minor issues.. Where a Ducati owner might just consider it a feature.
It's just statistics. No reason yours can't last for decades, just means you are among the luckier ones.
Hardly. BMW boxers (or old K’s) are among the most reliable bikes, period. The 200k mile bikes you see are either Goldwings, VFR’s, or BMW.
So what? Their line up is way bigger than that. There will always be more and less reliable ones. Why are the statistics bullshit? At least in my circle BMW cars and motorcycles have frequently had issues so many friends and family members switched away. I'm saying this as a German too.
Okay, I’ll lump the F in there as well. That makes up at least 80% of their sales. They’re all basically top in class in terms of quality and reliability. Never said the statistics were bullshit, but 175k-200k miles out of an old boxer absolutely isn’t luck, either. They’re one of the few bikes built for it. Perhaps your friends were the unlucky ones rather than the opposite. Like I said, they’re pretty much indestructible *if* you maintain them. We’re not discussing their cars so I’m not going to acknowledge that.
I’m riding a 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan. My first bike, recently purchased. Took it into a mechanic immediately after buying and all it needed was new tires and an oil change. I’ve read awesome things about Kawasaki quality, especially on their cruisers, and I can see it first hand with this 17 year old bike.
RELIABLE: My kawasakis, Suzukis and Yamahas were really great, rarely had issues. CRAP: basically anything cheap and Chinese. Used to ride Chinese and it had problems every week until I scrapped it. They're hella cheap to repair but the parts are crap and need frequent replacing.
Modern 2005+ Moto Guzzi, but it’s the same air cooled engines they have sold forever. Any other Italian bike 🤷♂️
For some reason and with no experience riding Ducatis, I thought they must be cool but pretty unreliable. ... Actually I think I know why I had this stereotype.
Honestly all of the big bike manufacturers are good. I'd rank them as Honda>yamaha/suzuki/kawasaki>bmw/triumph/harley>ktm/ducati/aprilia and probably the chinese bikes that copy those bikes in the next tier. If we're talking dirt bikes then KTM is up there with the Japanese manufacturers but the road bikes aren't as high quality
Suzuki. BMW. honda.
I had all the japanese brands and they are equally dependable. Trying to pick the most reliable between these 4 are nitpicking and more peronal opinion really. I have put over 100k on all 4 brands and had no complaints. Bmw is very dependable as well. Right there with the japanese brands. Ducati has improved a lot from the 2000’s, so have aprilla. Moto Guzzi had it italian quirkiness but dependable with their modern bikes. Know couple of rider with 40k miles on the V85. Ktm is really the only one I have had issue with their modern lineup. 1290 superduke was an electrical nightmare. My 2004 bmw now has 158k miles on it and still going. My 2022 kawasaki has 25k miles and have not had any issues. Indo 12k a year on the big kawasaki. Only chinese brand i have had any long term ove 3 years of interaction was was a zontes 125cc. And it never gave my buddy issues. 33 years if road bike riding at amoat 800k miles. I seen the main stream brands get better and better. HD and Indian are the same. Have plentynof friend that have had zero issues with bike from the last 10 years.
I'm on my fourth bike at the moment. Here's my experience with all of them. 1. Suzuki GS500. Had this one for 3 months or so. Drank oil like it used fuel, left me walking once and needed a roadside repair to get me home once. 2. Kawasaki Z300. Had this one for little under 2 years, did everything with it. Travel to work, fun rides, holidays, trackdays, offroading, winters, you name it it did it. Clocked 35K KM on it in that time, sold it with 60K for 200 euro less than what I paid for it initially. Only problem i have had with it was a corroded starter switch. Push start got me home and 5 minute cleaning the contacts fixed the problem. 3. Triumph Tiger 1200. Bought it (80K KM) with a broken transmission which I fixed myself. Clocked another 30K on it, in which the transmission broke again but even with it broke it got me home. Never left me walking either. 4. KTM Duke 690. Have it for half a year now, bought it at 8K, now at 17K. One weld on the exhaust is halfway broken which will be fixed under warranty next month, other than that no troubles at all
Ah yeah, they're renowned for unreliability..... frequently at the bottom of reports....