They did this last year and they're continuing it, which makes me happy. No surprises for the top 4, but some big surprises on the bottom...BMW...only Can-Am is lower than BMW.

11,000 bikes over a 4 year period, and the results are displayed in % of bikes that will encounter a "major" repair in a 4 year period.

Reliablity by brand
Brand Percent failed
Yamaha/Star- 11%
Suzuki - 12
Honda - 12
Kawasaki - 15
Victory - 17
Harley-Davidson - 26
Triumph - 29
Ducati - 33
BMW - 40
Can-Am - 42


HOWEVER - Harley Davidson ranks highest in owner satisfaction.
https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/makes-most-reliable-motorcycle-100025261.html

Because, when you analyze the list, you'll note that those bikes above HD are mostly cruisers or crotch rockets.. Most HDs are like a good Lazy-Boy chair; one can ride that sumbish from 6:00 am - 10:00 pm and not feel like you've been run over by a cement truck, nor have ones knees fitted for grease zerks..

And I would bet the median age of HD owners are well in their 50s - where knees cannot take the hunched-over crotchies without needing a pry-bar to dismount..

BTDT, when I was young..

Yeah but with the upper list you do have sport bikes who have their damn guts run out. A jap bike can't be beat for reliability.

my expirence doesn't jive with this.every time I would go ride with HD's,they would get off stiff and sore,while I was perfectly comfortable,this after only 100 miles or so.

I'm surprised the Honda # is that high. I would have thought it to be in the single digits.

Bought my first Suzuki 30+ years ago. Great bike a GS750. Rode it for 10-12 years and a whole lot of miles.

Currently riding a 2009 Suzuki 650 V-Strom. Rugged & reliable twin that weighs less than 500 pounds, delivers 55 mpg routinely, up to 63 mpg at times. Gets up and GOES pretty doggone well, particularly for a mid-size motor. Entirely trouble free for six years now. I only put about 4,000 - 5,000 miles a year on 'em, but sometimes take the bikes for 1,500 - 3,000 mile tours. I don't stick to pavement. Lots of dirt miles for this particular Suzy. Longest day in the saddle was 800 miles, which I'll admit was about 100 miles too far for this rider, in my late 50's.

Ya know, the absolute reliability of a Japanese built bike anymore is pretty incredible. Then again, in my experience, it always has been good.

Regards, Guy

Let's see how you do after 750 miles..

Besides, when ya reach the 50's+ you can get stiff for absolutely NO reason at all.

In some cases, I fully agree. Before I got my first HD Ultra Classic (2005) I rode an '87 Kawasaki Voyager 1300 for eighteen years before I traded it for the HD. The only repair was a couple of switches on the handlebar during that entire time.

Two reasons I got rid of it; (1) IF I would have needed some serious repairs I'd have a helluva time finding parts and (2) the Voyager had only one position for the feet - while the HD I could add the highway pegs and stretch out my knees..

Riding from here to Sturgis (600+ miles) on the Voyager got to be painful. But I've put 735 miles one time on the HD and wasn't all that tired at the end of the day..

Your buds, fluffy, might have been on other models of HDs that may not be quite as comfy. I did have a 2004 Sportster 1200 for a couple years. After 20 miles I hadda get off and walk around.. Man, that was a truly uncomfortable/stiff ride..

I can always tell when HD riders are out for a group ride. By the chase truck following them, to pick up the strays.

Rode straight through from Bar Harbor, Maine to Jacksonville, Fla. on my Road King stopping only for one meal, gas and towards the end a bottle of water.

Comfort city.

Metric riders would have needed a freakin' chiropractor at the end.

The last time I went to Vegas I rented a HD VROD
I was cruising around Red Rocks and saw a broken down Honda I stopped to take a picture.
Funny part was it was brand new CBR 1000 which I admit is a cool bike.
His cell phone wasn't working either.
He had a friend on another Honda so I suggested he hop on the back and his friend could take him into town to get help. He said if he carried a passenger the back fender would break off. They are just for looks.
It was all I could do to keep from laughing. No Hondas for me Thank You very much.

Sorry, you lost me at "I rented a VROD"

Lol

Bought my '97 HD Heritage Springer brandy new in November '96. Still have it. Harley shop owner near where I work found out I had it when I was asked to handle communications for a function we were throwing featuring HD's.
Showed it to him in present state and explained work I'd had done to it over the years to get it where it is today. Guy told me to never sell it.

Had several nice Jap bikes when I was younger. Never had any complaints about them, but if I was going for a longer ride I'd want a Harley or my Dad's Gold Wing.

Had to see what all the hype was about.

I understand, just foolin with ya.



Note the Victory ranking on the list, not too shabby!



I agree with redneck and others on the cushy ride of some of the bigger HD cruisers.


My last HD was a road king classic, which had air ride. Really nice ride as someone else here noted.

I see a lot of the Can Am 3 wheel bikes here around in my neck of the woods in Alabama.
Did not know they had that bad a record!

I really, really do not like the reverse trike bikes.

Yuck.





Now THIS, is a bike.

What constitutes a major repair?

Dave, Nice! That's my bike. But, it looks like this now for around town and short hops. I've got a pack that slips over the backrest real nice.

That's what I'm talking about!

Beautiful!

You said you have been doing stuff to yours over the years, I'll have to hear some details sometime. I did send you a PM too, so if you have any details you would care to share you could do it by PM too.

Very nice bike.

where da ammo cans?

Interesting. I had just logged in, with the intentions of posting about bikes. I just bought my 1st ever 2-wheel, at 45 y.o. It's an 09 Street Glide, and I'm still getting used to a few things. I grew up on 4-wheelers, and have owned em for over 20 years, but seldom rode any 2-wheel machines.

I took the State riders course, to bypass the bullchit of getting a permit - then license. I've put probably 200 miles on it since I bought it a week ago, but don't feel I'm really ready to ride with a group - which is the intention - since all of my buddies got em. Probably just road time/experience from here.

Most of you guys sound like you've been riding most of your lives, but if you can pass along anything to a relatively new (to 2-wheels) rider, I'd appreciate it. The idea is to possibly get the wife on the back eventually, but we'll see how that goes!

Those Road Kings are awesome! Apparently my file size is too big, or some chit.

Thanks

Harley Davidson = The most efficient way to turn gas into noise without producing horsepower.

Have had bikes from BMW, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha, plus 3 Harley's. I like the Harley.

It is a good thing this is on a gun forum as there are a lot of similarities, in that the majority of users of big rifles also seem more impressed with raw power and image than serious performance.

They left off Royal Enfield at 85%

I think all the jap bikes are pretty reliable, although I will say Suzuki is the most cold natured of the ones I've had.

If I were u, I'd grab a cheap trail bike and do a bunch of riding on trails and a mix of dirt and pavement. Get comfortable on a lighter bike. It doesn't sound like you are quite confident yet. @ 45 yrs, the confidence won't come as fast as it does for a 10-12 yr old.

But, at 45... Its not false confidence.



So, you got that going for you, which is nice.

You obviously haven't been outta the house in 20+ years, have ya?

the best value for the dollar on trail bikes to me is the Yamaha TTR line - , they are 4 stroke, you get electric start and they aren't so tall you're fighting for leverage standing still.

They are plentiful enough that prices are pretty reasonable for them and you rarely find one that has been dogged out by a serious rider.

The downside is they don't have the power of their competitors and they aren't an enduro/road setup.

+1 on the ttr. We had one for a season, it was my son's. We should have kept it, he needed mo powwah!

I would have liked it for myself.

Yeah heres a tidbit.Riding in groups will get you hurt.No more than 2 or 3 riders besides me and I prefer to go solo.

I agree with that too.

That thought has crossed my mind, or at least something I wouldn't cry over if I happened to drop it.

I agree on the confidence thing, and feel it a blessing, and a curse. If I were young and dumb, I wouldn't even be thinking about it.

I'll get there. Seems pretty common for guys my age to get their 1st bike. Been reading a lot of forums, and bought the book "Proficient Motorcycling", on a recommendation from one of them.

The big problem is, it's done nothing but rain since I got her, so I've had more time to think, than just get on and ride.

Not really. When riding in groups there should be a road captian that sets the pace and everyone should be familiar with and use hand signals as well as No freakin' tailgating

The slinky effect and lane wanderers are a buzz kill, for me anyways.

4 bikes or less is more comfortable for me

Dave those leathers look like they still have that new car smell.

Sounds like novice riders. Tell 'em to go home.

That stuff hasn't seen much use.

About the time I got set up with stuff I liked, I quit riding, for lack of bike.

The jacket is a fox creek, I really like it.

I got a partial season in with new riding gear and sold my road king classic to help us buy the house we are in now.

The white bike I'm sitting on isn't mine, its my uncles.

I love bikes period. A lot of guys say harleys are more comfortable and that rockets are uncomfortable. If I ride any kind of cruiser my back hurts because I slouch. My back doesn't hurt me at all when riding a sport bike but my hands go numb and I hate sitting on my nuts. lol

im a huge dual sport fan cause I was first and formost a dirt rider but love riding to the dirt instead of trailering them. My next bike will be a suzuki vstrom. My current bike is a honda xr650r cause I love 4th gear wheelies throttle only. grin

I'm not a cycle guy but... while looking at wheelers a few weeks ago some of the Victory's did give me wood.

They have medicine for that.

Put 3 to 400,000 miles on bikes and get back to me.

This, for sure. I ride alone.

ok, pepperoni, extra cheese ....JUUUUMP...you still there? yea ok, and how about some bread sticks

I always thought that electric start was a bad idea.
If you were in such bad shape you can't start your own motorcycle you should stay where you are.
I had a friend who rode a kick start Norton Commando who explained the kick start as a safety feature.

Easily 250,000+ on bikes. Riding in groups has never been a problem for me but then I didn't ride with idiots or reckless riders.

Choose your riding company carefully. It's not the number of miles you have put on the clock.

Yeah I'll second that, great bikes...reliable as an anvil.

I've been a Yamaha man my whole life, but these days I have two Kawasaki's. I have two Yamaha's for the kids and they're great bikes. But to be honest, I tend to love all motorcycles. Most every brand has a bike I would like to have the keys to.

I've only owned one cruiser bike and I quickly decided it wasn't the bike for me. But I'm REALLY impressed with the company of Harley Davidson. The supposed POS, low tech, low performance bikes somehow magically out-sell pretty much other company out there. I love how they're the most desired brand in Japan, India, and most of the Pacific Rim.

Harley as a company just impresses me. Their "low tech" engine has managed to scale up to over 1,800cc and still remain air cooled. Yeah they do run hot, but these low tech engines that run too hot still manage to turn 6 digits on an odo all the time.

And even though I'm a Yamaha man, I tend to think that a 1200 Sportster with a larger fuel tank, and better shocks on the rear to add another inch or two of ground clearance, is about the IDEAL general purpose, do a little of everything bike. I'd love to have one.

And even though their reliability isn't up there with the Japanese bikes, it's not as if they're unreliable by any means. They're very good bikes. And no one makes a better looking bike. Okay, there are a couple of better looking bikes out there, but Harley's entire line is gorgeous.

Nice post and a fair assessment, Kevin.

You don`t have to ride with reckless riders to get hurt from riding in a group.Guy in front or to the side of you gets a flat,throws a chain or belt gets hit by a bird or bigazz June Bug,hits gravel or oil!!Where you gonna go??Unless it`s your lucky day you will probably highside.Don`t matter if you are going 45 or 145 the least you will get is rode rash.Even if you are wearing leathers with Armor.Everyones gonna go down.Just hope one of your buds does not ride over you.Plain simple math.The more in a group,the more chances of injury.I learned that when I was 14.I am 71 now and since then have had at least 40 bikes.Lots of my friends got killed on bikes.None who did ever thought they would.Thats why I prefer to fly solo or with one other guy.If I get killed it will because I fugged up.Not someone else.

Hope I didn't offend. Safe riding habits should always apply but when the reaper calls,.... the reaper calls.

You know, when riding in a group it is humanly possible to have sufficient space between riders. You seem to assume everyone's a reckless rider and all in the pack ride close enough to swap bikes on the move. I've ridden in groups with experienced riders for years and everyone somehow managed to survive. And in those years we've had a couple bikes go down without taking out other riders.

The 4 second rule is always good.

4 seconds between bikes.

I would have bet money that the Hondas would be the most trouble free bikes.

You assumed that.Not me.Friend of mine is a member of The Blue knights.All Motorcycle Cops.Probably some of the best bikers in the US period.A few have met their maker riding also on two occasions when I was present.Fact is at 65 -70 miles an hour when a deer crosses the road and there is on coming traffic where do you go>>>Into the ditch or the oncoming lane?You aint going to get out with out a scratch,unless you ride a mile apart.Argue all you want.Ride long enough and chit will happen.

First bike was a "47 Harley. I bought it in 1956 for $45. I've had a few since then. My goal is to be riding at age 85. I'm 76 now.

In '08 I bought what I thought would be my last bike. A 1300 Yamaha V Star. I made a stop at McDonalds for coffee one day and the place was surrounded by Harleys. The guys were all standing around in their cute little Harley costumes. When they found that I had bought the V Star for my last bike one of them asked why I hadn't bought a Harley. My answer was simple. "Been there, done that, I'm retired on a modest income, can't afford the Loc-Tite to keep one together, and the vibration blurs my vision and irritates the arthritis.

When I swung out of the parking lot I saw some guys working on one of their bikes.

Don't ride as much as I used to. Northern NY gets too cool late fall 'till early spring. I put new tires on last year and only rode 6178 miles. Like my bike.

Jim

Suzuki's rock! I had a Suzuki DR200 that was a blast to ride both on and off road. I have the Suzuki Savage 650 now and have enjoyed riding up to Northern Idaho with Mark. It hasn't let me down yet. Sounds like the V-Strom is a great bike as well.

That was a great ride! Me atop my Harley Sportster and you on your "Suzi Davidson" . Lord willing, we shall do that one and on into Montana on our bikes really soon.

One of the guys in my church mens Wed coffee club has a V-Strom and he loves his, as well.

In the Boeing Everett parking lot 1981 all the motorcycles parked together.

They had mechanical odometers then. I took a survey of all motorcycles. The median mileage was 500 miles.

What does it all mean?
They can't break, if you don't drive them.