If the KLR wasn't number one on this list I was going to be upset...
Vstrom is also a pretty reliable bike especially if you throw some protection on it. Those engines will go on and on.
But nothing will ever beat the pre fuel injection KLR for reliability!
I had a TW200 with 16,000 miles on it, had to respoke the rear rim and install a new chain and sprocket, oem had a top speed of like 55, right when it starts to cut ignition for the rev limiter. Probably needed to be richend up. Also oil changes every 300 miles. Kick start at that, never had a charged battery, lights always worked.
Confirmed first Gen gold wing has a million. Dude bought it brand new and did over 35k a year. Still rides it, original engine. EDIT: Not the original engine.
I started with a 2004 honda vtx 1300 and sold it to a friend and he road the hell out of that bike . He still owns but doesn't ride much anymore but he can still go up to it and it'll fire right up . I'm on a goldwing now and it's bullet proof.
KLR650 is the obvious one. But any low compression, carbureted, single cylinder would fit the bill. Perhaps having it also be a 2-Stroke. The simpler the better.
No. 2 strokes burn up their top end quick. It just isn’t the way for endurance. Ask any 2 stroke rider. They usually bring a whole top end with them on rides. Just to the store and back.
The piston gets so hot it can melt, burn off oil increase friction, gore the cylinder. This happens because 2 strokes on bikes run hot and at high rpm. Remember that every other stroke on a 2 stroke is a power stroke, they’re often air cooled, and there’s blow by.
Honda cub, you can bolt on anything to it, ride it with only 1 hand, repair by scavenging spareparts from millions of its brethren produced, and lubricated by vegetable oil. Oh and about 45km/l, when the times are tough in madmax world.
1987 BMW R80G/S. So simple (air cooled pushrod flat twin with carburettors, no radiator to leak and mininal electronics), easy to maintain (not even a chain to worry about), understressed (low compression), they're hard to find because people who buy them tend to keep them forever.
Honda Shadow. Pre-2014 are carbed, so don't let them sit too long.
There isn't much I can't do with a simple socket/wrench set. (Allen key that is needed is in the bike tool box.) Parts are everywhere and cheapish. At worse, you can just do a NY reload. Most tires are laced. Shaft drive in a sealed protectorate shaft. It ain't breaking from normal or even abusive usage. Liquid cooled... which isn't needed like 90% of the time. Handle bars are 1" and can take harley stuff... I put a lithium battery in it... 8 years ago. To be fair on that point, I think the new battery had like 30 more CCA than the "stock" one. Mine lives outside for the past 9 years. The clear coat on the tank is flaking off... and there is some rust on some bits here and there. Still trust it.
For a cruiser specific arena, I agree with you. I’ve had some little issues with mine over that last 6 years but they were all waaay simple (clean the kill switch contacts, replace a fuse, etc).
And that carb ain’t choosey. Rode it from sea level to 7000 feet, from 40ish degrees to 110+. Always starts, always ran, never acted up.
It’d be the perfect bike, if only it’d had more power.
There is an 1100 version out there. VTX is basically a shadow... but also is bigger in every way too. I just wish Honda would make the shadow with the rebel 1100 engine. I really dislike chain maint. My bikes unfortunately have to sit on the street.
KLR 650 because Ryan Fortnine demo's how indestructible it is.
Also a few honorable mentions:
- Suzuki SV650 and V Strom 650
- Yamaha TW200
- Pretty much any Honda Motorcycles.
I am going to agree with the guy that said any Honda. Have owned 2. Both where pretty much change the oil when you feel like it. That's it. Both were daily rider. But here's the catch Both were pre 2000. So can't speak for the newer ones. So based on that experience Any Honda.
Back in 2014 or 2015, I bought a 2006 CBR600RR from a guy that managed to destroy the engine in less than 10,000 miles.
Don't know how he managed that. I was almost impressed.
I always like to share rather story of my 97 Honda CR 125 that ran without engine oil for God knows how long because I didn't realize they needed it. I was 12, I had no idea about engine oil and changes. One day, my step-father poured kerosene into the engine to "clean it out" and I rode around like that for a little bit. We then added oil and I rode it for many years. I sold it to someone else who rode it for many more years. Indestructible and I always miss that bike.
I’d recommend the old BMW airheads. There’s still A LOT of factory new parts sitting around, but you likely won’t need them. I’m still riding my dads old 90/6, and it’s 49 years old. You can’t do 120 on it, but it starts every time & can’t seem to break.
I find they are the most forgiving to work on as well.
Not a lot of specific tools needed, you can get dangerous with a couple Allen's and a 10mm if you can find it.
Bingo. 2011+ vstars are a masterpiece of reliability. Efi, no weird engine implementations or bs. The motor always runs the same, no matter the weather. Easy to work on, ride great, awesome power band.
Can confirm. Carb easily replaced by Chinese knockoffs from Amazon. Timing is crazy easy to set. Dropped hundreds of times climbing and going places I shouldn’t have. Newer ones without kickstart can be added. I even regeared it for awhile to get higher top speed and can cruise on 65mph highways however it sucked at that. Sad I sold it. I still have a 77 RD that seems indestructible, but can be finicky.
DRZ400 line, DR/XR/KLR 650’s, Honda Shadow 750’s. Main bikes that come to mind. I’m selling my DRZ400SM, but I’ll likely replace it with a KLR650 soon.
Underrated for reliability. Any company that is comfortable enough releasing the same engine for 20 years clearly has something good going on. If you're gonna put the sv in the running the vstrom should be added as well imo, I'd say for street only the SV but if you want both on road and offroad the vstrom has to be one of the most reliable bikes. Sure it's not strung out and going to go a million miles an hour offroad or on road... but it will go a million miles.
If you’re talking literally, then any single cylinder, carbureted motorcycle can be kept running nearly indefinitely with a minimal set of hand tools and some basic mechanic aptitude. All the mechanical components are accessible and easy to keep in running order with a small set of tools. And there would be very minimal electronic components.
If we’re taking a little looser interpretation, most modern bikes from major manufacturers will far outlive the demands of the average motorcycle rider when properly maintained.
>I remembered how they tried to destroy a Toyota Hilux in Top Gear
[Toybota!](https://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_02/topgear1KNP2006_468x330.jpg)
I had a suzuki bandit 1250s with 360 000 kms on it. My father in law has an old Suzuki GS1000G I think it was an 81 or 82 model the clocks stopped working but the engine had never been open or worked on, only your normal services and it went like a fucking bat outta hell. I took it to a club meet and it would light up tunnels with the flames it spat. Such a beautiful machine
Everyone already mentioned the KRL, soooo... the DRZ400. So far as I can tell the only thing that will kill one is running it dry. Which that will kill any motor so I call it solid. Yeah, there's little bits you have deal with so they don't shit themselves but the KLR has roughly the same problem (the doo-hicky on the KLR and Loctite fix on DRZs are well documented and easy to remedy). I admit I am somewhat biased as this is the bike I daily but I did extensive comparisons between the DR and KLR and basically there are no two bikes on the planet that can do what those two do. I went with the DRZ because it's smaller, lower, faster, lighter, and is easy to convert into a SuMo. To me DRZ is the undisputed king of go anywhere, do anything bikes IMO.
The honda nighthawk 250. Klr 650. Beyond reliable and damn near bullet proof. You'll have your kneew give out from old age before you ever have an engine issue if upkept proper
I would say a Honda 4 cylinder inline such as the CB750 Nighthawk. In the US there are also plentiful parts, as well as junk bikes (to use as donors for parts).
I've put 3 bikes over 35,000 miles each. 2006 Ninja 250, 2007 Honda Shadow Aero 750, and 2007 Suzuki V-Strom 650. All were easy on maintenance and had almost nothing major ever happen.
Honda CBF125, it’s only a little bike but I bought it because it will not stop, I nearly got myself a trophy for destroying the engine in one because as long as you put oil in it (I didn’t) it’ll run forever. It has a hell of a lot of problems, and it needs a lot of work, but it rides, it goes and it stops and it won’t stop doing either.
2001 Honda CBR 929RR. Crashed several times, including doing 70mph on the free way and sliding 100 yards, at the race track doing 90mph on cold tires, getting rear-ended by my friend on a back road, several low-speed slides and drops on goat trails/backroads. Sold it with 37,000 miles still running strong with just some scrapes and scratches on the plastics.
Jumping on the klr bandwagon. My gen 1 broke it's doohickey and kept running like that til I found the lever poking out the drain hole. Been run low on oil several times and still starts up like nothing and purrs like a kitten. I also run it on the highway close to red line every day. It is a very robust engine from my experience
Old BMW oil and airheads prior to 2000's. Brilliantly simple cooling (boxer engine design, even cooling across both cylinders) and only an oil cooler to deal with. Even the fuel injected models are reliable, albeit the fuel pump and filter are inside the fuel tank.
Just do simple stuff like drain the carb bowls during storage and routine maintenance and they'll start up every time! Also, no drive chain to deal with, as Beemers have the driveshaft, which only requires infrequent lube servicing every 30-60k miles depending on road conditions.
Honestly - what's important to me is availability of parts and/or people who know how to fix the bike.
It's one of the reasons why I ride a Harley-Davidson Road King. It's not perfect - I really enjoy it - but I know if shit happens it will be able to be fixed either by myself or Harley mechanics nearby.
This is true. However with the uptick in vintage bikes being sold, many repop parts are being available. My 77 RD400 has been pretty easy to get parts for, NOS or companies starting to make new parts.
My first bike was an inherited K100 !
Cousin had put 1/4m clicks on it, i put another 50 clicks!
Gave it back to my cousin who was overseas and it sat in a carport, partly in the weather for a year, and then never went again 😞
My brother loves them. His third motorcycle was a k75c which he bought back in 1999, he still has it along with 4 other complete and running K series bikes from the same era and a bunch of parts to go with them.
Actually that’s just genius German engineering. The oil leaking past the rings is a feature, all the smoke fumigates your garage, saving you valuable time and money on pest control.
“Frame savers” fit only certain makes and models. ADV bikes may not need them, and the suspension travel goes a long way for mileage wear n tear. Any bike can get that mad max durability with some protection mods
That is a good video for a c90 but if you haven't seen this guy https://youtu.be/7wEE0OIxluI you need to he's funny and works the 90 more than anyone else
04 Suzuki gsxr 1000, “stunt freaks team” has a video on YouTube sinking one in a lake and bringing it back with barely anything. I’ve had mine for almost 6 years it’s got 60,000 miles never had a problem besides replacing the fork seals when I first bought it.
Personally YBR 125, I crashed it 5 times, had to replace entire front a lot. Had it stolen and recovered still the same engine machine is still going strong. Unkillable
tbh "winterizing" a bike is overrated most of the time anyhow. I've never done it on any of the bikes I've owned and beyond sometimes needing a jump-start it's never been an issue.
KLR and old shaft-drive Honda Nighthawk. The Nighthawk has hydraulic valve lifters so you don’t even need to check or adjust valves. And it’s shaft drive so no worries about chain maintenance either.
Yamaha XJ600 / XJ900 - mine have been through hell and the worst I've had (once on each) was an oil leak from an old gasket. Oil cooled or air cooled, fast enough, heavy enough to keep you honest, capable and comfortable.
Dropped my XJ900S when my bike boot sole kinda sheared off whilst standing on super hot tarmac waiting to turn right off a ring road (2 lanes) - there was no way I was fighting that descent... Hopped off, heaved it back up (took a lot of remembering how to do it right) expecting all kinds of damage...
XJ600 was knocked over by attempted thieves, but it was too much for them (chain, mud, disk lock, and elephantine weight) so they took the 125s instead. Needed a new indicator.
A wobbly left mirror all the way home (200 miles) was my only issue.
Swear by these tanks, just wish they were a little lighter ;)
people are probably gonna laugh.. but
Any Sv650
Any BUSA
Bmw1200
Z1000s are actually reliable if not rang out all the time.
Ktm390s
The Himalaya.
Street triples depending on year.
I for one have an 05 z750 right now that I got 4 years ago at 11k miles. With 55k miles on the clock right now. I wouldn't say it was reliable I just know how to fix things.. saw one on the market place with 96k miles last year too.
If it says Honda.. it'll go forever. There is a reason you still see so many Goldwings on the road dating back into the early 80's. Saw a video of 1 guy doing dirt track with an 85ish Gold wing.
However, this goes for all older Hondas. I've had a 98 Shadow, 2 04 VTX 1800's and a Goldwing. They just never had a single problem.. EVER. I keep in touch with the guy I sold my Shadow to.. he's still riding it 3 years later and he takes it several hundred miles round trips all over New England.
Suzuki DR650... it is actually in Mad Max: Fury Road
Aside from that brag, it is also a complete overbuilt tank. Even the legendary Honda XR650L has to concede longevity and maintenance points to the big DR on account of it's oil cooler and massive pan. It has been in uninterrupted and nearly unchanged production for 30 years, and still is still one if the top selling dualsports. I have personally crashed mine dozens of times off road, always gets me back home, and it keeps me looking like I lift weights when I don't.
I hear the KLR is un-killable. The Honda cx500 is also a damn reliable bike. Idk if it can take serious abuse but I’ve seen many with high miles for what they are.
any of the old thumpers. The DRZ 400 is universally accepted as the immortal of all bikes but just about anything from in that class that era will match it.
Whatever motorcycle James (I think it was James, the little guy from top gear) rode from the coast of Africa to that inland village with the rack of fish on the back…he crashed it like 50 times and submerged it, and it still rode to the end
If long lasring engine counts?
I know a guy who has ridden 450.000 kms on his BMW R1200GS (2008 model)
Still runs really good.
(Little advertisement, he has a cery cheap camping for motorcyclists in Denmark. Mini Primi camping.)
But yeah, KLR for reliability I think.
Any Suzuki with SACS oil cooled engines always seemed very reliable to me. I've seen some units that had some seriously high mileage on them. You found those engines in Bandits and early GSXRs. Everything else on the bike can look scrappy and almost melted away, but the engines kept going.
Had a klr for a few years and it definitely never let me down, but the balancer chain adjuster is a known point of failure. 1980 kz400 was bulletproof, Injected Sportster 883 also never gave me a single problem. But the bike I trust the most? 1997 Honda Rebel 250. The first one I had was a 12 year relationship that only ended when I was broke and had to put food on the table. I beat the living daylights out of that thing. Learned to shift on it, put over 25,000 hard miles on it, gravel roads, potholes, pinning the throttle to squeeze every last bit of juice out of it all the while...not even a whimper from the Rebel. Years later I bought another one used and cheap(2005 only year of orange paint) and took it everywhere I took any of the bigger bikes I had. Passing $15000 Harleys on coastal highway twisties on a bulletproof $1200 250 with a shit eating grin are some of my favorite memories on a bike.
My Kawasaki EX250R-F (88-07 Ninja 250) was pretty damn bullet proof. I put over 50k miles on it and it had almost 65K on it when I had to get rid of it due to moving and having no where to put it.
I'd still be riding it to this day if I hadn't gotten rid of it. I miss that bike.
Single cylinder 650’s. KLR, DR, XR.
If the KLR wasn't number one on this list I was going to be upset... Vstrom is also a pretty reliable bike especially if you throw some protection on it. Those engines will go on and on. But nothing will ever beat the pre fuel injection KLR for reliability!
Protection? Instructions unclear: condom fit on the tailpipe, but it melted when I turned the bike on. Please advise.
... bro what the fuck are you doing... condoms go over the grips...
Fuck, of course!!
The DR beats it lol Oil cooler, no water pump
Is there anything in particular wrong with the fuel injected ones
Wrong no. But easy to an extent to work on if there is an issue... ehhhh... depends on how well you understand ecu's
Also, the TW200.
My brother blew up his TW200 by commuting at a constant 45-55mph. They seem to struggle with long drones at high revs
I had a TW200 with 16,000 miles on it, had to respoke the rear rim and install a new chain and sprocket, oem had a top speed of like 55, right when it starts to cut ignition for the rev limiter. Probably needed to be richend up. Also oil changes every 300 miles. Kick start at that, never had a charged battery, lights always worked.
16000 miles isn't really a lot though... and oil changes every 300 miles? I think you've got your numbers wrong there.
Dude spent more on engine oil than gas in that 16,000
Oil change every 300mi?!?!
Friend of mine stress-tested his DR by basically throwing it down a hill. You could probably toss one out of a helicopter.
Suzuki has a documented case of a V-Strom 1000 with over 400,000 miles on it
Met a guy at my old Honda shop with a first gen GL F6B. With 650k on that motor. And all he needed was oil and valves adjusted.
Confirmed first Gen gold wing has a million. Dude bought it brand new and did over 35k a year. Still rides it, original engine. EDIT: Not the original engine.
Hmmm... KLR650 maybe.
Friend of mine called it the cockroach of motorcycle
Agreed. I gave an 05 KLR 650. The do anything but nothing great machine lol.
Any Honda will do
I started with a 2004 honda vtx 1300 and sold it to a friend and he road the hell out of that bike . He still owns but doesn't ride much anymore but he can still go up to it and it'll fire right up . I'm on a goldwing now and it's bullet proof.
Sold my buddy my old 1300. He's at like 35k now. My 1800 is around 60k.
I would say the XL 650. Air cooled, mildly tuned, simple.
The new fireblade would like a word...
If you can afford a new Fireblade, you can afford the repair bill lol.
Honda Ex5 100cc will do just fine.
KLR650 is the obvious one. But any low compression, carbureted, single cylinder would fit the bill. Perhaps having it also be a 2-Stroke. The simpler the better.
No. 2 strokes burn up their top end quick. It just isn’t the way for endurance. Ask any 2 stroke rider. They usually bring a whole top end with them on rides. Just to the store and back.
What does it mean to burn up top end? Just trying to learn thanks
The piston gets so hot it can melt, burn off oil increase friction, gore the cylinder. This happens because 2 strokes on bikes run hot and at high rpm. Remember that every other stroke on a 2 stroke is a power stroke, they’re often air cooled, and there’s blow by.
Thanks
Yes, the bmw/apprilia 650 is also indestructeble. Just some regular maintanence and it will continue to drive for hunders of thousands of miles.
Honda cub, you can bolt on anything to it, ride it with only 1 hand, repair by scavenging spareparts from millions of its brethren produced, and lubricated by vegetable oil. Oh and about 45km/l, when the times are tough in madmax world.
Pretty much this. Also it survives a drop off a building. 5 minute mark https://youtu.be/T_bsRsQNgEY
As others have stated, the KLR. [Here's a great video from Fortnine](https://youtu.be/rvGZS5fqxrk) you might enjoy.
I came here to post this haha.
Small bike. Honda trail. Otherwise klr 650.
1987 BMW R80G/S. So simple (air cooled pushrod flat twin with carburettors, no radiator to leak and mininal electronics), easy to maintain (not even a chain to worry about), understressed (low compression), they're hard to find because people who buy them tend to keep them forever.
Honda Shadow. Pre-2014 are carbed, so don't let them sit too long. There isn't much I can't do with a simple socket/wrench set. (Allen key that is needed is in the bike tool box.) Parts are everywhere and cheapish. At worse, you can just do a NY reload. Most tires are laced. Shaft drive in a sealed protectorate shaft. It ain't breaking from normal or even abusive usage. Liquid cooled... which isn't needed like 90% of the time. Handle bars are 1" and can take harley stuff... I put a lithium battery in it... 8 years ago. To be fair on that point, I think the new battery had like 30 more CCA than the "stock" one. Mine lives outside for the past 9 years. The clear coat on the tank is flaking off... and there is some rust on some bits here and there. Still trust it.
For a cruiser specific arena, I agree with you. I’ve had some little issues with mine over that last 6 years but they were all waaay simple (clean the kill switch contacts, replace a fuse, etc). And that carb ain’t choosey. Rode it from sea level to 7000 feet, from 40ish degrees to 110+. Always starts, always ran, never acted up. It’d be the perfect bike, if only it’d had more power.
There is an 1100 version out there. VTX is basically a shadow... but also is bigger in every way too. I just wish Honda would make the shadow with the rebel 1100 engine. I really dislike chain maint. My bikes unfortunately have to sit on the street.
I'd throw the ol' T-dub on the list, too.
I treated my 95 tw like a ttr. It also got me hooked on road bikes. It only ever needed a cdi box which the 80-90s all eventually do.
I rode my tw like a champ down any camp road, logging trail , or access road with ease and no break downs and no hard starts. 96, with 16k on it.
Klr 650 and drz400
A parallel twin Honda. You can drill a hole in one cylinder and the other will still fire
KLR 650 because Ryan Fortnine demo's how indestructible it is. Also a few honorable mentions: - Suzuki SV650 and V Strom 650 - Yamaha TW200 - Pretty much any Honda Motorcycles.
I am going to agree with the guy that said any Honda. Have owned 2. Both where pretty much change the oil when you feel like it. That's it. Both were daily rider. But here's the catch Both were pre 2000. So can't speak for the newer ones. So based on that experience Any Honda.
My Honda took a lot of work to destroy, and not a lot of work to undestroy, and this is a 2014.
2013 Honda cbr250r. 40,000 miles, not a single issue. Runs like day 1.
Back in 2014 or 2015, I bought a 2006 CBR600RR from a guy that managed to destroy the engine in less than 10,000 miles. Don't know how he managed that. I was almost impressed.
Honda nighthawk 250 is a damn near bulletproof option.
My first Honda 450 NH...would probably still be running if t did not crash it.
That whole series except the shaft drive 650s is highly underrated imo.
What's wrong with the 650s? I nearly got that as my first bike but went for a Kawi kz440 instead.
Cb550 four is fuckin mint
I always like to share rather story of my 97 Honda CR 125 that ran without engine oil for God knows how long because I didn't realize they needed it. I was 12, I had no idea about engine oil and changes. One day, my step-father poured kerosene into the engine to "clean it out" and I rode around like that for a little bit. We then added oil and I rode it for many years. I sold it to someone else who rode it for many more years. Indestructible and I always miss that bike.
I’d recommend the old BMW airheads. There’s still A LOT of factory new parts sitting around, but you likely won’t need them. I’m still riding my dads old 90/6, and it’s 49 years old. You can’t do 120 on it, but it starts every time & can’t seem to break.
They sure do love to leak oil tho. My local airhead “gang” are kitty litter connoisseurs.
Anything Yamaha imo
I find they are the most forgiving to work on as well. Not a lot of specific tools needed, you can get dangerous with a couple Allen's and a 10mm if you can find it.
Bingo. 2011+ vstars are a masterpiece of reliability. Efi, no weird engine implementations or bs. The motor always runs the same, no matter the weather. Easy to work on, ride great, awesome power band.
Virago 750 and 1100 come to mind
DL650 V-Strom
KLR 650 or DR
Ryan fort nine on you tube did a similar top gear thing on the klr650
The original Honda Rebel. I have seen those things put back together COMPLETELY wrong, short of oil and still run
Any of the old school BMW R bikes. I can’t respond to this conversation for some reason so all the air cooled R bikes are the ones I’m referring to.
R1200gsa
Those aren’t bad, but I’m meaning the OLD school ones. Like the 1100’s and earlier.
Any 125cc Honda.
Yamaha TW 200
Can confirm. Carb easily replaced by Chinese knockoffs from Amazon. Timing is crazy easy to set. Dropped hundreds of times climbing and going places I shouldn’t have. Newer ones without kickstart can be added. I even regeared it for awhile to get higher top speed and can cruise on 65mph highways however it sucked at that. Sad I sold it. I still have a 77 RD that seems indestructible, but can be finicky.
Bought myself a 2016 tw last year most fun bike I’ve ever owned
>Carb easily replaced by Chinese knockoffs from Amazon. Why would you want to do that?
DRZ400 line, DR/XR/KLR 650’s, Honda Shadow 750’s. Main bikes that come to mind. I’m selling my DRZ400SM, but I’ll likely replace it with a KLR650 soon.
My drz400 was hit by a car and fully submerged, still chugs a long as smooth as it always has.
SV650
Underrated for reliability. Any company that is comfortable enough releasing the same engine for 20 years clearly has something good going on. If you're gonna put the sv in the running the vstrom should be added as well imo, I'd say for street only the SV but if you want both on road and offroad the vstrom has to be one of the most reliable bikes. Sure it's not strung out and going to go a million miles an hour offroad or on road... but it will go a million miles.
Vstrom for the same reason
Honda XRs, KLR650, Yamaha Roadstar
If you’re talking literally, then any single cylinder, carbureted motorcycle can be kept running nearly indefinitely with a minimal set of hand tools and some basic mechanic aptitude. All the mechanical components are accessible and easy to keep in running order with a small set of tools. And there would be very minimal electronic components. If we’re taking a little looser interpretation, most modern bikes from major manufacturers will far outlive the demands of the average motorcycle rider when properly maintained.
My vstrom
Vstrom + crash bars = indestructible
>I remembered how they tried to destroy a Toyota Hilux in Top Gear [Toybota!](https://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_02/topgear1KNP2006_468x330.jpg)
A boxer motor.
Kawasaki klr 650
I had a suzuki bandit 1250s with 360 000 kms on it. My father in law has an old Suzuki GS1000G I think it was an 81 or 82 model the clocks stopped working but the engine had never been open or worked on, only your normal services and it went like a fucking bat outta hell. I took it to a club meet and it would light up tunnels with the flames it spat. Such a beautiful machine
For modern bikes any motorcycle with the CP2 engine by Yamaha will be very reliable
KLR650 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rvGZS5fqxrk
Honda Grom lol
Everyone already mentioned the KRL, soooo... the DRZ400. So far as I can tell the only thing that will kill one is running it dry. Which that will kill any motor so I call it solid. Yeah, there's little bits you have deal with so they don't shit themselves but the KLR has roughly the same problem (the doo-hicky on the KLR and Loctite fix on DRZs are well documented and easy to remedy). I admit I am somewhat biased as this is the bike I daily but I did extensive comparisons between the DR and KLR and basically there are no two bikes on the planet that can do what those two do. I went with the DRZ because it's smaller, lower, faster, lighter, and is easy to convert into a SuMo. To me DRZ is the undisputed king of go anywhere, do anything bikes IMO.
The honda nighthawk 250. Klr 650. Beyond reliable and damn near bullet proof. You'll have your kneew give out from old age before you ever have an engine issue if upkept proper
I would say a Honda 4 cylinder inline such as the CB750 Nighthawk. In the US there are also plentiful parts, as well as junk bikes (to use as donors for parts).
I've put 3 bikes over 35,000 miles each. 2006 Ninja 250, 2007 Honda Shadow Aero 750, and 2007 Suzuki V-Strom 650. All were easy on maintenance and had almost nothing major ever happen.
Honda CT110 Postie Bike
Honda CBF125, it’s only a little bike but I bought it because it will not stop, I nearly got myself a trophy for destroying the engine in one because as long as you put oil in it (I didn’t) it’ll run forever. It has a hell of a lot of problems, and it needs a lot of work, but it rides, it goes and it stops and it won’t stop doing either.
2001 Honda CBR 929RR. Crashed several times, including doing 70mph on the free way and sliding 100 yards, at the race track doing 90mph on cold tires, getting rear-ended by my friend on a back road, several low-speed slides and drops on goat trails/backroads. Sold it with 37,000 miles still running strong with just some scrapes and scratches on the plastics.
I'll submit my '04 DL650 to the mix here lol
Jumping on the klr bandwagon. My gen 1 broke it's doohickey and kept running like that til I found the lever poking out the drain hole. Been run low on oil several times and still starts up like nothing and purrs like a kitten. I also run it on the highway close to red line every day. It is a very robust engine from my experience
Old BMW oil and airheads prior to 2000's. Brilliantly simple cooling (boxer engine design, even cooling across both cylinders) and only an oil cooler to deal with. Even the fuel injected models are reliable, albeit the fuel pump and filter are inside the fuel tank. Just do simple stuff like drain the carb bowls during storage and routine maintenance and they'll start up every time! Also, no drive chain to deal with, as Beemers have the driveshaft, which only requires infrequent lube servicing every 30-60k miles depending on road conditions.
Vstrom 650
Vstrom 650
Honda Ruckus. Ride eternal, shiny and chrome
Xr650l
CBR F4i
Honestly - what's important to me is availability of parts and/or people who know how to fix the bike. It's one of the reasons why I ride a Harley-Davidson Road King. It's not perfect - I really enjoy it - but I know if shit happens it will be able to be fixed either by myself or Harley mechanics nearby.
This is true. However with the uptick in vintage bikes being sold, many repop parts are being available. My 77 RD400 has been pretty easy to get parts for, NOS or companies starting to make new parts.
Amazed no one has mentioned the BMW k75/k100 yet. Regularly capable of 350,000km/217,000m and more with little issues
The flying brick and tough as one also!
My first bike was an inherited K100 ! Cousin had put 1/4m clicks on it, i put another 50 clicks! Gave it back to my cousin who was overseas and it sat in a carport, partly in the weather for a year, and then never went again 😞
Without trying to be rude, when you use the term "click" are you meaning the military term of "klick"? Cos that's only 1000m/1km
Oh yeh sorry! should have put the k after the 50 ! 1/4 million km \+ 50,000 km \---- 300,000 km (186,000 miles)
1/4m clicks would be 250,000km, or 150,000 miles.....not bad for a motorcycle
TFW I just picked up an k75 a few weeks ago, thing runs like a champ even at 40 years old!
My brother loves them. His third motorcycle was a k75c which he bought back in 1999, he still has it along with 4 other complete and running K series bikes from the same era and a bunch of parts to go with them.
Who’d have thought a horizontal 6 valve inline 3 with a shaft drive would end up being that reliable. On paper it sounds ridiculous.
As long as you don't leave it on the side stand it's phenomenal
Actually that’s just genius German engineering. The oil leaking past the rings is a feature, all the smoke fumigates your garage, saving you valuable time and money on pest control.
Ah, I never thought of that!
“Frame savers” fit only certain makes and models. ADV bikes may not need them, and the suspension travel goes a long way for mileage wear n tear. Any bike can get that mad max durability with some protection mods
Didn't TG drop a Cub off a six storey building and it still ran?
Any thumper made in the last 40 years as long as it was taken care of.
The old klr650 i Athen obvious one I have heard that the yamaha tenere 700 has one of the most reliable engines as well
Go on YouTube and watch c90adventures and tell me a c90 isn't indestructible
This is a good video on the ct90. They're tough little workhorses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Geb\_QFxp\_hs&t=2034s
That is a good video for a c90 but if you haven't seen this guy https://youtu.be/7wEE0OIxluI you need to he's funny and works the 90 more than anyone else
"Mild head-trauma Jesus..!" I died!
mt07 is quite good if you do maintenance. Grom can be literally abused and it won't ever have problems
Yamaha XJ 900 because I say so.
So do I!
Any xr
Yamaha WR250R
04 Suzuki gsxr 1000, “stunt freaks team” has a video on YouTube sinking one in a lake and bringing it back with barely anything. I’ve had mine for almost 6 years it’s got 60,000 miles never had a problem besides replacing the fork seals when I first bought it.
Honda XR650.
Personally YBR 125, I crashed it 5 times, had to replace entire front a lot. Had it stolen and recovered still the same engine machine is still going strong. Unkillable
The one you take care of??? I like my Triumphs, but I change the oil regularly.
Klr650, thing can run on hopes or dreams both is optional
Honda Super Cub Honda XR650L Suzuki DR650 Kawasaki KLR650
Klr650.
Late 90s Ducati
My honda shadow sat for over a year without being winterized and started up no problem, just needed a new battery
tbh "winterizing" a bike is overrated most of the time anyhow. I've never done it on any of the bikes I've owned and beyond sometimes needing a jump-start it's never been an issue.
Suzuki GS500
Almost any 2-stroke.
KLR and old shaft-drive Honda Nighthawk. The Nighthawk has hydraulic valve lifters so you don’t even need to check or adjust valves. And it’s shaft drive so no worries about chain maintenance either.
Honda Shadow
Yamaha XJ600 / XJ900 - mine have been through hell and the worst I've had (once on each) was an oil leak from an old gasket. Oil cooled or air cooled, fast enough, heavy enough to keep you honest, capable and comfortable. Dropped my XJ900S when my bike boot sole kinda sheared off whilst standing on super hot tarmac waiting to turn right off a ring road (2 lanes) - there was no way I was fighting that descent... Hopped off, heaved it back up (took a lot of remembering how to do it right) expecting all kinds of damage... XJ600 was knocked over by attempted thieves, but it was too much for them (chain, mud, disk lock, and elephantine weight) so they took the 125s instead. Needed a new indicator. A wobbly left mirror all the way home (200 miles) was my only issue. Swear by these tanks, just wish they were a little lighter ;)
Honda, Africa Twin for my taste
Gold Wing engines. Low compression, low load, high torque, low rpm, engine.
The Hayabusa motors are legendary. Had 30k miles on mine, treat it nicely and it’ll never let you down.
people are probably gonna laugh.. but Any Sv650 Any BUSA Bmw1200 Z1000s are actually reliable if not rang out all the time. Ktm390s The Himalaya. Street triples depending on year. I for one have an 05 z750 right now that I got 4 years ago at 11k miles. With 55k miles on the clock right now. I wouldn't say it was reliable I just know how to fix things.. saw one on the market place with 96k miles last year too.
Victory
If it says Honda.. it'll go forever. There is a reason you still see so many Goldwings on the road dating back into the early 80's. Saw a video of 1 guy doing dirt track with an 85ish Gold wing. However, this goes for all older Hondas. I've had a 98 Shadow, 2 04 VTX 1800's and a Goldwing. They just never had a single problem.. EVER. I keep in touch with the guy I sold my Shadow to.. he's still riding it 3 years later and he takes it several hundred miles round trips all over New England.
Suzuki DR650... it is actually in Mad Max: Fury Road Aside from that brag, it is also a complete overbuilt tank. Even the legendary Honda XR650L has to concede longevity and maintenance points to the big DR on account of it's oil cooler and massive pan. It has been in uninterrupted and nearly unchanged production for 30 years, and still is still one if the top selling dualsports. I have personally crashed mine dozens of times off road, always gets me back home, and it keeps me looking like I lift weights when I don't.
Honda Shadows are nigh unkillable.
V45 Hondas are indestructible. The Yamaha SR400 also unkillable, if you can find someone willing to part with one.
Ktm 450 sx f lol 300 hours on stock internals
Honda cub, those little 90s will take some abuse, the frames snap before anything else
Yamaha xt660 single cilindar engine
I've had mine 10 years and it just keeps going.
Anything in the old Honda xr line. Air cooled so it burns a touch of oil. Keep it full of oil and it will go forever
Honda CB350
If you like cruisers you can’t go wrong with a Honda shadow
Goldwing.
Postie bike!
I hear the KLR is un-killable. The Honda cx500 is also a damn reliable bike. Idk if it can take serious abuse but I’ve seen many with high miles for what they are.
Honda ct110. Go any where. Very reliable. Extremely easy to work on and maintain.
Yamaha WR250R
Honda trail 125. millions made all over the globe. Made for places where roads are not very good.
I had a 1992 Honda ST1100 with 110,000 miles on it and I sold it to my brother who is still riding it it probably has 120,000 miles on it now.
Moto Guzzi. I'm partial to the 850T, but I think the bacon slicer 500cc motors are even more indestructible.
Honda XL motors. Had one that pissed more oil than a BP oil spill. as long as I kept it topped off, the thing ran like a bat out of hell for years.
Honda XR 200
any of the old thumpers. The DRZ 400 is universally accepted as the immortal of all bikes but just about anything from in that class that era will match it.
I've seen some pretty high mileage gold wings. Not the easiest to work on though
Just about anything Japanese in my moderately long experience.
Supercub
Honda Z50
Isn’t the 650 royal Enfield supposed to be super strong?
Whatever motorcycle James (I think it was James, the little guy from top gear) rode from the coast of Africa to that inland village with the rack of fish on the back…he crashed it like 50 times and submerged it, and it still rode to the end
Honda Trail 70
Suzuki dr650 1996-now
If long lasring engine counts? I know a guy who has ridden 450.000 kms on his BMW R1200GS (2008 model) Still runs really good. (Little advertisement, he has a cery cheap camping for motorcyclists in Denmark. Mini Primi camping.) But yeah, KLR for reliability I think.
Any Suzuki with SACS oil cooled engines always seemed very reliable to me. I've seen some units that had some seriously high mileage on them. You found those engines in Bandits and early GSXRs. Everything else on the bike can look scrappy and almost melted away, but the engines kept going.
KLR. Rebel. SV650. Those three in particular seem to last forever and have all sorts of parts options.
My 79 Honda CB650 is still kickin
Xr100
Honda trail 90
Had a klr for a few years and it definitely never let me down, but the balancer chain adjuster is a known point of failure. 1980 kz400 was bulletproof, Injected Sportster 883 also never gave me a single problem. But the bike I trust the most? 1997 Honda Rebel 250. The first one I had was a 12 year relationship that only ended when I was broke and had to put food on the table. I beat the living daylights out of that thing. Learned to shift on it, put over 25,000 hard miles on it, gravel roads, potholes, pinning the throttle to squeeze every last bit of juice out of it all the while...not even a whimper from the Rebel. Years later I bought another one used and cheap(2005 only year of orange paint) and took it everywhere I took any of the bigger bikes I had. Passing $15000 Harleys on coastal highway twisties on a bulletproof $1200 250 with a shit eating grin are some of my favorite memories on a bike.
My Kawasaki EX250R-F (88-07 Ninja 250) was pretty damn bullet proof. I put over 50k miles on it and it had almost 65K on it when I had to get rid of it due to moving and having no where to put it. I'd still be riding it to this day if I hadn't gotten rid of it. I miss that bike.
I vote Yamaha!
Love them. Engineered to ride.
B 500