what is the most reliable bike?

[RAINMAKER]

fed up with worries about cct etc, wondering wht the most reliable big bike is? honda pan, BMW or what ?
heard of vtr with 150,000 miles on vtr registry so why are we worried?

[mattbridges]

partly design; partly care; partly owner; mostly luck.

In my break from bikes I brought a couple of UK manufactured sports cars. Same year; full service histories etc etc. One was a complete lemon; gearbox problems; warped head; dropped value; the other only had to have tyres and oil replaced at each service and never had a problem.

The cct's do worry me an awful lot though

[RAINMAKER]

yeah, just the thought of a high speed lock up makes me quiver

[Max]

I had 4 GSXR 1100's at various times and didnt have a single problem, I also had a RG 500, which was the most fun bike I have ever owned, and it was broken most of the time usually destroying its gearbox.

[mattbridges]

I know exactly where you're coming from! Would be a brown pants moment for sure - Clean up aisle three!

[EGG]

Most reliable i have had is a Leverda 750s. Never had 1 single problem with. If only it had more power. However i did sell it to a mate of mine who dropped it 2 days later and had nothing but problems after that.

[Iwantafirestorm]

Surely this quote from this month's Ride magazine has to clinch it:

"The bike was bought new in 1994. Since then it has done a tad under 30,000 miles. It's had a speedo cable, one headlight bulb and two tail bulbs - apart from service items that's all"

Wow! those items must have cost pence. 10 years old or nearly 11. What's the bike: A BMW R1100GS

Even if you hate BM's, you can't deny that's an impressive history.

[bluesman]

Surely this quote from this month's Ride magazine has to clinch it:

"The bike was bought new in 1994. Since then it has done a tad under 30,000 miles. It's had a speedo cable, one headlight bulb and two tail bulbs - apart from service items that's all"

Wow! those items must have cost pence. 10 years old or nearly 11. What's the bike: A BMW R1100GS

Even if you hate BM's, you can't deny that's an impressive history.

Well, here is another one for you: man bough 1100 Beemer. Rode it for like a year - he is not novice. Travelled from Russia to Germany (2000 km via St.Petersburg). We were there in meeting with our friends. At 3:00 AM he called German guys telling story about oil leak from left cylinder. That was end of his trip - Beemer had to go to service. That's 10 000 km.
Another story. One of my friends here in Belgium got married, and father in law in his wisdom gave him 5000 euro top-up for buying a touring bike (he's biker himself), but insisted on Beemer. As I am good at buying and finding bargains, we went looking for LT together. Found several. All looked fine, one was suitable choice, but then I convinced this friend of mine and his father in law to go for GTS1000, which was only 5000 with more power, less km and more options than any LT at 6000.
4 months later we walk into local dealership - and we see this Beemer. Obviously - we ask price, but dealer says "forget it, gearbox gone, those Beemers are pain in the butt - they never fail with small things, but if they go they go big - engine, gearbox, shaft etc.".
So, this is purely luck/no luck with any bike....

Example: as former Hornet owner - one of guys on Hornet's Nest got Hornet 600 (600!!!) with 140 000 miles on the clock, and he only changes what supoosed to be changed by service book. And bike still works perfectly.

I had grey-import Japanese VTR250 - clock was at 54000 km when sold, 16000 of them was mine, now it have 70000 with new owner, and despite he crashed it lightly twice, still noting done except consumables - simply cos there is no way to buy any spares for it in Kiev, so he never bothered to check if it needs any.

Any bike can be good or bad. I never heard of Diversion 600 to break down or example.

[Iwantafirestorm]

simply cos there is no way to buy any spares for it in Kiev, so he never bothered to check if it needs any.

No way to buy spares!? That sounds pretty scary. Looks like there may be a big market there for me to open up my own business - motorcycle spares in Kiev!

[bluesman]

You would not even imagine what is motorcyclists life like there....
When I was there - I been lucky to go to business trips so that I had possibility to buy some parts in Europe - back then my chain came from London trip, fork seals from Warsaw, helmet from Brussels....
It is a bit easier now, but still it is nothing like you walk into shop and order what you want and have it in 2 weeks. Nothing like that.
Couple of my friends setup some kind of shop, but they mainly sell "generic" consumables, second-hand parts or orders from Louis catalogue via Moscow (so - over border from Russia, customs and all that).
There is just 2 motorcycle shops for bikes also - just bikes, this is side business for those companies, as they actually sell cars...
Of course all that not a problem if you have decent money - then you can go to Germany and buy all you need...

[Iwantafirestorm]

So just like here in the UK, as usual, money is the answer.