Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 2015 Consumer Reports Motorcycle Reliability

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.