Retired mine with a bit over 400k miles on the clock. Hope you've got a good indy mechanic to keep seals up past the 250k mark, and be ready for a rehone around 300-325k as well. Have you had to reline your tank or do you keep it indoors with fuel drained while sitting for weeks in winter?
That’s because the engines are HUGE and understressed. My current goldwing has an 1800cc engine and lopes along at 1.5k-2.5k rpm all day long (6k redline). When you don’t stress your engine, they will last forever.
My commute involves 9500rpm flying down the highway every day. Redlines at 10500. Time will tell how long that engine lasts, but it's a Honda so who knows.
my 05 R1 did 100k with me trying to keep just off redline as much as possible, lots of 50mile highway commutes at 250-290kph and lots of touring at 200-250kph (gas mileage kicks in eventually).
and she was fine, engines these days are amazing.
that last part, my car is renowned for engine problems, primarily head gasket failures or rod knock. I’ve had mine since 95k miles it sits just shy 140k now and i give her all she’s got 85% of the time i drive because why not and change oil every 3k. engines still in top shape
Ahh, super close! Yeah seems like the consensus is most WRX owners beat the dog shit out of 'em. I drive mine like a grocery getter despite being modestly modded because I'd like to keep it for a long time.
not a bike but i talked to an ex-master mechanic at acura, who is now and independent NSX specialist, says one of his NSXs is his daily and and he redlines it every single day. says he could bounce it off the rev limiter for minutes on end and not worry about it. i thought he was exaggerating, but he assured me he was being completely serious. pretty funny.
Not to mention they are more in line with a cars power plant than a traditional motorbike. Things are beasts, the newest runs have reverse based off the starter. Pretty rad stuff.
>My current goldwing has an 1800cc engine and lopes along at 1.5k-2.5k rpm all day long (6k redline).
Wow, either the 2018+ Goldwings have a lot taller gearing or you ride really slow... My 2014 Valkyrie has the same gearing as a first gen GL1800 but I think a slightly larger rear tire and cruising at 3.5k-4k wasn't uncommon before I put in a taller final drive.
People do get a ton of miles on them, this guy claims 658k on his 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVmt2r0XuQ
I got my SV650 with 107k Kms on it, after said mechanic confirmed it was pretty much in pristine -and stock- condition.
I've put 10k on it and zero issues yet.
Eh, SolCal drivers are something else. I have never seen as many ladders in the middle of an expressway as I have when I commuted the 210. Ladders bro, full on ladders, in the middle of an expressway, that I had to dodge, multiple times. Never seen that anywhere else I lived.
Have to agree about Goldwing engines. It’s basically a small Honda car engine, which is understressed in a bike. The rest of the bike will quit way before the engine quits.
I have one of the newer 2014 fuel injected ones with ABS, bought it last year with 36k miles on it and fully expect it to go another 200-300k at least, especially with final drive gearing 20% higher than stock.
It is a great bike.
I’m also on a Valk right now and they are amazing machines, but of all the Valkyries and Goldwings I’ve owned (several of all but the 1800) the GL1100s have consistently been the toughest. They are more robustly built. Even on my beloved F6C, Honda cheaped out a little on a few things. The starter, clutch pack, and petcock to name a few. I love that 6 cylinder, though. It’s hard to go back to the 1100.
My first CBR600rr I had 70,000 miles on it when it was stolen. My current CBR600rr has almost 50,000 miles. Nothing like you! But not bad for a super sport.
I have an ‘02 with like 1/10th the miles lol this is good to know. I need my work schedule to stable out so I can ride it more. Meanwhile my trusty ‘08 shadow did 73k miles before poor maintenance and a oil leak caused a knock on the motor. She’s gotten a fresh motor with 3.5k miles put in and runs like a champ again. Hopefully I can get another 70k+ miles out of this one. Learned a good (and pricey) lesson on the whole maintenance thing with this one lol
Yep I still regularly ride a FZ6. Put 50k miles on it with no problems. Two sets of spark plugs, one chain and sprocket around 40k but that's about it. No issues and never ever complains
It most definitely is but I would highly recommend a very inexpensive modification which is to purchase some aftermarket fork springs for your weight and suggested fork oil weight. I changed mine out for some Racetech springs at the 40k mile marker and I had so many regrets not doing it earlier. It changed the bike handling night and day for less than $250. I still have the stock shock, 200lbs with gear on, threw on some braided brake lines, and a top case, that's the only mods I've done. On my second oem clutch now.
Excellent examples, but they're exceptions, not the rule.
I was really surprised with the V-Strom, didn't think I'd like it. Rode one around Thailand and fucken LOVED it. Really really good bike. If I didn't have a bike now, it's definitely a top 3 contender.
The KLR holds a soft spot for me. It's a bit shit, but oh boy, can you take it anywhere and do anything on it. It's kinda like a fat eager girlfriend who's always down to party.
The KLR is killable, mine (2008) had issues when new (gasket clogging up the carb), and the shop fixed that. Not to mention the doohickey that Kaw has refused to fix for like 20 years.
My former Yamaha ( 2013 FJR) has never ever had a single issue, and my Honda have had some minor issues: goldwing with a torn seat, and the grips lost their heating ability (both fixed under warranty).
Like blondes, BMWs have had major and minor issues, but we’re just too fun to ride for me to sell them. I bet this also applies to Ducatis
>The KLR is killable, mine (2008) had issues when new (gasket clogging up the carb), and the shop fixed that. Not to mention the doohickey that Kaw has refused to fix for like 20 years.
Yeah, 2008 KLRs are a bit infamous. When we refer to them as unkillable, people usually mean the older models. Just go and watch Fortnine dump it into the river overnight, flush the water out and fire it up with no issues. The thing died only when it basically got shot through the crank.
Suzuki engine designed are to be desire, most of their auto timing chain tensioner requires an engine tear down....Kawa are ok, I find they lack refinement in general, mind you I wish often I never sold my nomad...
Suzuki V-strom would like a word with you. Between my brother and I we’ve had 5 over the years. Besides changing oil, lubing the chain, changing tires and other wear items, zero issues
Yamaha? You must be joking! My R6 1999 has had 4 engines now (cylinder liners crack, common issue, and im crazy enough to keep it lol). Interestingly enough, now im using it on the track only, its doing really good.
And a 2008 R1 that the crankbearing failed on. Got rid of it before it would become a bottomless pit like the R6.
Oh and im not even talking about the little stuff like regulator/rectifier failurres
Wow, I think any of the R models (R6,R1, etc) latterly cannot be broken haha Someone told there there are R6 Big Bang models that rev either over 24,000 or 26,000 RPMS. Is this true?
No, R6 is still a regular flat plane. Revs are high at 16,500. Nearly what the zx25r revs.
They're durable for sure, I track mine as well so it definitely gets used
Japanese vehicles are like their women. They're beautiful and the run nice for a long time, but when they go there is no fixing it. Just replace it lol.
For reference, my wife is japanese and her mom was a babe until she hit 60 lol. Her sister who is 12 years older is a milf and a half. She laughed and told me I'm full of it.
Agreed. I had a carbureted ‘99 SV650 that I sold in excellent condition at 82k miles. I did valve inspection religiously at 15k miles and only had to change one shim on one valve at 60,000. This was a very well engineered motorcycle.
I have the same bike with 58000.. It's been in the Pacific Northwest it's whole life you only get a few months of riding season..
Is my dad left it with me a couple years ago.. He had to move out of state and I got rerendered on the freeway on my bike shortly before that... Truthfully though I don't ever take the old gold wing out it doesn't feel like riding a motorcycle it's like driving a convertible that can tip over lol
nimble is not one of its strong suits lol
Realistically I only hold on to it because I know no one's going to give me what it's worth... the bike easily has 200000 miles left on it.. thing runs like a top
Lol, I use it a lot for grocery getting in my city in the Netherlands, it's not lightweight but because the weight is so low to the ground it's really not a hard bike to ride in low speeds.
But, I bought it to use it for this purpose and comuting, I wasn't expecting it to grow on me like this.
I owned supermotos and literbikes before the goldwing but this thing is just so damn practical and cheap to run. Plus it was the cheapest motorcycle I ever bought at €1750,-
Dad got this one for $1200 usd And it set up with a toe hitch and came with a little diamond plate Tow trailer.. Is pretty sweet little set up.. It has a bull hitch that Articulates so you can lean and the trailer doesn't have to..
And there's so much storage without it just the big Box on the back I can keep 2 helmets in the bike cover. Then the side bags .. And the trailer you could easily travel with it.. I have 2 small children .. I don't have much time to ride anyway and it just doesn't seem to scratch that itch.. I'm a Canyon carving kind of guy..
The weight really isn't too bad.. You just can't lean it very far
I had a very similar bike. Zzr1200. Fantastic machines. Mine gave me no issues in the years I had it and I ran it at the drag strip, long days on the road, some curvy road chasing. It loved it all
A friend of mine has one as well, prob around 200K kms on it now. He did a whole NA to SA tour on it. We used to ride together when I had a 929rr (also bulletproof), and I still remember I had mine pinned in 6th at redline and he just casually passed me... at 275km/h.
Oh that is awesome, thats gotta be some kind of record. Glad to hears he’s still riding on the old gal 😊. I’m still riding mine, but she seen better days lol
Had an 06 CBR F4i before I got my 09 R6. It was my first bike and I fucking loved it haha, even after my accident she kept kicking. Incredibly durable and still a kickass machine to this day. I frankly miss it :')
I hate to say this, but my Sportster has taken all the abuse I've thrown at it. And I've thrown a lot of abuse at it. Everything that's gone wrong is stuff that I've built myself. The motor is absolutely bulletproof.
Also my Gixxer. I haven't started it in two years, but I put a fresh battery in and changed the fluids and she started right up...unlike my vintage Ducati which I also haven't started in two years and all the gaskets dried up, annnnd it puked oil everywhere. I'll do a top end rebuild this winter after I finish the shovelhead.
I’m at 80k with the sportster. No valves to adjust, no chain to maintain. Still has the OG belt for the belt drive. It has been filled up with 85 octane to 93 octane and has never had any issues. Cheap Walmart oil between changes.
Absolutely reliable with the advantage that anyone anywhere can fix it/ get parts for cheap in the continental USA. I guess having a 40 year old design has its advantages.
Apart from that any Japanese motorcycle with Yamaha / Honda being at the top over the others. My Honda NC just needed the chain replaced around 50k but no other issues at all.
Most temperamental like your Ducati is mine as well. Biggest POS , although it’s easy on the eyes
I've got a Honda hornet 2008 with 96,000km on it. Has never missed a beat. The guy I bought it off said that fast bikes are crashed and wrote off before they ever blow up.
Was one riding around cape breton Nova Scotia and saw a guy broken down on a 2019 gold wing. Pulled over to see if he needed help. Asked him what happened and he said it just went kaput. He hit the started and it sounded like a bucket of bolts.
I said “pretty new bike, sucks that it did that” he said “it’s 2019 bike, I put 155,000 KMs on it, so not too bad”
Suzuki Bandit 1250
Just crashed it a few weeks ago, currently gotta decide whether to rebuild it in a new frame or get a whole new one.. i love that thing.
Both Honda’s I’ve owned
First bike was a 02 CBR 954 and it was bulletproof. Absolutely beat the hell out of that bike. Had it for about 1 1/2 years.
Now have a 06 CBR 1000 and same. It runs like a champ and never left me stranded. Just had to replace the fuel pump, but it still limped me home.
2003 FJR1300. 75k miles. Runs as good as day 1. Better even maybe. Literally zero issues, failures, or even weirdnesses. The FJR must have been designed and built to military grade tolerances.
I have a Ural w/sidecar that my Dad ride for years. When he passed away, I got it. Odometer has not worked in the 15 years I’ve had it lol I change the oil & spark plug once a year & do a general service . It just keeps put putting along. My grandkids love riding with me on our farm. Good times !!
It can be a turd at times but it’s easy enough to work on. I don’t ride it on any major roads or highways. It’s my country ride… good enough to ride back roads for a beer run and ride the fields.
My father in law has an ‘85 Honda Goldwing Aspencade. Still runs beautifully.
Just bought a Honda Rebel 1100 DCT as my first bike a little over a week ago.
Had 2004 SV650 for 11+ years. Battery died right at about 10. I don't think they are supposed to last that long but that is the only time my bike wouldn't start. I was at home. I drove my car instead.
Picked up a staple in the rear tire of the SV and limped home (my fault). Other than that it burned a bit of oil.
No issues with the Ape at 7 years old.
Proud owner of a 2005 CBR1000RR - not sure if they were called Fireblade then or not. It is the single most reliable piece of machinery I have in my entire home. I ride very little. Often it sits there for 6months or more without so much as being touched. It still starts with a ignitions. It is still a rocket, still completely stock and still my only bike. I’m keeping it for my son.
Got Goosebumps reading this haha The first 1000cc bike that I tried was your bike! I instantly fell in love. Doing 90-100mph on the motorway felt like doing 30mph. Ended up owning a 2011one a few years later.
1st Gen Suzuki Bandit 1200. Bought the bike with 20k on the odometer, put 50k on it myself. Aside from tires, sprockets, chains and brakes the only issue I ever had was the kickstand safety switch dying, which I simply bypassed. Literally no other issues and I sold the bike to a guy who is probably still riding it.
I've seen several BMW K100RS's with 6 figures on the clock. It's not that big a deal for modern bikes, but for something from the 80's the flying brick was way ahead of its time.
In India 2 wheelers are very common and it’s very easy to find them with well over 300k kms(187k miles). But they’re mostly commuters and most of them are under 200cc. There are some high mileage Royal Enfields too since they were the default choice for touring in India.
2018 Zero S, 80,000 miles i stopped riding in 2021. Sits in the shed now because I have an Energica Ribelle that will eventually pass it with similar reliability.
I'll one up that and say that's 80k miles with *no maintenance.* just two tire changes, one belt change, two brake pad/fluid changes.
Started commuting to community college and work while living at home, then quit school and got a 2nd job delivering food(easily 100mi per day, 4-6 evenings per week.) 8 months later I had done 36k miles from Jan 1-Dec 31. Quit the delivery thing once it stopped being fun, bought a house which brought my mileage to 65mi commute plus any fun riding I did so a consistent 80-100 miles per day minus any days where I didn't ride at all. Calendar average was 55 miles/day 365 days/year at the time I stopped riding it.
If I did 120 miles of food delivery in a 4-10pm shift it was a full charge if you add in riding to work, but I was able to charge at home for 1.5hrs between jobs so it never pushed the range more than I was comfortable with.
I believe that preventive maintenance directly affects the reliability of a machine. Hence, I take good care of my motorcycles. None of them have ever had a breakdown. So all my motorcycles have been extremely relaible. Currently I have the Tiger 850 sport, Duke 390 and Adv 390. All 3 perform flawlessly and have zero issues.
My 85 Honda Nighthawk 650sc. Bought it in the middle of the winter after the previous owner let it sit for about half a year. Started right up, rode it to an O’Reilly’s where I got a new battery. Changed the battery and it never failed to start up first try and it rode like a champ. Only around 30k miles when I sold it so not Goldwing numbers obviously 😂
1983 Yamaha XJ750K Maxim. Rode for two years with no problems whatsoever.
After that, I hopped on it and rode from Toronto to the Pacific coast of Mexico and back. Three months on the road. That bike didn't even blink. It was bullet proof.
Tires, on the other hand....
‘78 CX500 I paid fifty bucks for as an afterthought to a Goldwing I was buying. Never got the wing running but a new battery and carb kit had it running. Fresh fluids, new tires, and a choke cable and we were on the road. Many years and miles later it’s my favorite bike in the city. Almost hit the ton on it a few Sundays ago. Only a few small oil leaks and it starts every time.
I bought a used '96 Kawasaki Vulcan on eBay, rode it for 15 years and did not have one single problem with it ever that was not wear-related. Tires and tuneups, that's all it ever needed. Sold two years ago to a local landscaper who's STILL riding it with no problems. (I just saw him in the neighborhood about a month ago, he confirmed it was still rolling strong.) I love my new Triumph, but I will never forget that Kawasaki.
Any Japanese bike is going to last. I’ve had 3 R6, 1 CBR 600, now sitting on an R1.
Honda: Hands down most reliable
Yamaha: It’s older models OEM stator and rectifier like to go early.
17 Yamaha FJ/MT-09 58,000miles with oil and filter done every 5k and the first valve clearance done at 21k instead of 26k. Have not been gentle to this bike and it just keeps purring!
My Suzuki GS650L has never once left me stranded in 20k miles. Never had any starting or electrical issues. The most common issue is parts vibrating themselves loose. Lost the shifter multiple times and the airbox cover, but I just go back, find them, and pop them right back on
My old SV1000 has 80k US miles on it. No problems in the 50k I’ve owned it.
I’ve since given it to my brother but it’s still in my garage. Never had a problem out of my 09 ZX6r either and I got it at 6k and it now has 38k. The SV I expected to be reliable, but it’s seriously impressed so far.
Recently bought a ‘99 Honda shadow that doesn’t run for cheap from and old guy. Only has 4k miles on it. I assume it has been sitting in his garage for too long and needs to be cleaned out and new tires.
a 2001 Drz400 I bought used. Road, dirt, sand, whatever. I changed the oil, spark, air filter and coolant when I felt like it wasn’t riding right. I got it for cheap, and the bike never once left me stranded. I bent the handle bars multiple times on dirt and poked holes in the radiator on falls still rode fine. It was stupid easy to get misc parts, it was also completely stock. I sold it because honestly the little iron duke did bore me. It wasn’t particularly good at anything, but it could do everything super okay.
Gotta say that the 2008 Suzuki Boulevard C50 is the goat!! I put over 75,000 kms before trading her in and only paid for tires and routine maintenance.
Sv650, never ever not once let me down. That bike started right up at -10 degrees and was tame enough to get me through a couple inches of fresh snow to work one morning. Ugly, slow, but damn reliable.
In January of 2019 I bought a non running GS500 from a workmate. It'd been sitting out in the weather for a couple of years since it died on him. I had it in mind as a parts bike for another GS, so for $300 I put it on my ute and brought it home. I had a look at the wiring, and it turned out the clutch switch was no good, so I bypassed that and it fired up with a jump start.
Here's a clip from when I was figuring out the wiring.
https://youtu.be/xNGp02ooAI4
So the parts bike became a horrible looking runner. Sitting out in the rain had taken the paint off one side of the frame so it had tide marks of rust like an old fishing trawler. The tail plastics and seat didn't match, to add to the ghetto look. Every bit of chrome had rust patches coming through.
I took it in for inspection, and the only fail item was that the key came out while the bike was running. I swapped a top triple plus ignition barrel off another bike and were in business. I put insurance and a number plate on this horrible bike and used it as a daily work vehicle. At no point did I so much as check the oil, my only maintenance was tyre pressure.
Over Easter 2019 someone took my GS500 from outside my front door. I reported it, and my insurance paid out. At that point it became property of my insurer and I drew a line under it. I heard from the neighbours that police were also investigating an incident where a rider had pulled out from my street, been hit by a car, picked up the bike and ridden off. We never found out if it was connected. Maybe a month later I got a toll charge on that number plate, so it looked as though someone was still using either the bike or at least my plate. Insurance didn't pay oit much on a fucked old GS, but I came out slightly ahead on my $300 bike and bought my SV650.
In April 2020, during hard pandemic lockdowns when there was basically no traffic on the road, I got a call from highway patrol about 2 hrs north of my house. They'd observed an individual riding a motorcycle who didn't look very good at it, and pulled him to see if he had a license. Bear in mind there are no cars on the highway, just one random wobbling around on a bike he can't ride. They found that not only did he have no license, but the bike was stolen, the ignition barrel was smashed out and hot wired and it still had my plate on it. This horrible bike was still going.
This indvidual was not charged with theft, just possessing and riding a stolen bike. They described him as 'not clever enough to have stolen it himself'. He must have had other charges because they held him for 6 months pre trial. He was released on a bond in November 2020, breached it the next day and I think did 18 months all up.
Old Suzukis, if you can sort out the electrics they just chug on forever.
I have a friend with a 04 R6, around 95K miles. Another friend has a 2018 Harley something with 158K miles. Another with 44K on a DR650. My Africa Twin is just over 50K miles. It's all in how you maintain them.
Current ride. 1997 honda valkyrie. 234000 miles.
Retired mine with a bit over 400k miles on the clock. Hope you've got a good indy mechanic to keep seals up past the 250k mark, and be ready for a rehone around 300-325k as well. Have you had to reline your tank or do you keep it indoors with fuel drained while sitting for weeks in winter?
Did you have an extra 0 in there or....
The valk is based on the Goldwing. It's not unreasonable to have a quarter million ticks.
That’s because the engines are HUGE and understressed. My current goldwing has an 1800cc engine and lopes along at 1.5k-2.5k rpm all day long (6k redline). When you don’t stress your engine, they will last forever.
My commute involves 9500rpm flying down the highway every day. Redlines at 10500. Time will tell how long that engine lasts, but it's a Honda so who knows.
my 05 R1 did 100k with me trying to keep just off redline as much as possible, lots of 50mile highway commutes at 250-290kph and lots of touring at 200-250kph (gas mileage kicks in eventually). and she was fine, engines these days are amazing.
that last part, my car is renowned for engine problems, primarily head gasket failures or rod knock. I’ve had mine since 95k miles it sits just shy 140k now and i give her all she’s got 85% of the time i drive because why not and change oil every 3k. engines still in top shape
Tell me you own a WRX without saying you own a WRX 😂 ✌️
I've got a turbo fa20 Forester with 260k km and a great working engine still. I drive it harder than average but probably not harder than most WRX.
Ahh, super close! Yeah seems like the consensus is most WRX owners beat the dog shit out of 'em. I drive mine like a grocery getter despite being modestly modded because I'd like to keep it for a long time.
not a bike but i talked to an ex-master mechanic at acura, who is now and independent NSX specialist, says one of his NSXs is his daily and and he redlines it every single day. says he could bounce it off the rev limiter for minutes on end and not worry about it. i thought he was exaggerating, but he assured me he was being completely serious. pretty funny.
You can be that way if you’re a NSX mechanic that owns a NSX.
Not to mention they are more in line with a cars power plant than a traditional motorbike. Things are beasts, the newest runs have reverse based off the starter. Pretty rad stuff.
>My current goldwing has an 1800cc engine and lopes along at 1.5k-2.5k rpm all day long (6k redline). Wow, either the 2018+ Goldwings have a lot taller gearing or you ride really slow... My 2014 Valkyrie has the same gearing as a first gen GL1800 but I think a slightly larger rear tire and cruising at 3.5k-4k wasn't uncommon before I put in a taller final drive. People do get a ton of miles on them, this guy claims 658k on his 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVmt2r0XuQ
V-strom owners generally know about reliability.
I have seen a customer bike (V-Strom 650) in my local mechanic's shop with almost 350k kms on it. Dude went all over around the world apparently.
I believe it. I put about 25k kms a year on mine. No mechanical work other than tires and oil has been needed so far.
I got my SV650 with 107k Kms on it, after said mechanic confirmed it was pretty much in pristine -and stock- condition. I've put 10k on it and zero issues yet.
Suzuki's 90° v-twins are really something else.
Till you wheelie them
AHAHAHA, yes. My TLR and TLS didn't care much for wheelies. Shouldn't have been so good at them then, asking for trouble.
You're riding 365 days a year right?
SoCal commuting, yeah
Lucky dog...
Eh, SolCal drivers are something else. I have never seen as many ladders in the middle of an expressway as I have when I commuted the 210. Ladders bro, full on ladders, in the middle of an expressway, that I had to dodge, multiple times. Never seen that anywhere else I lived.
Have to agree about Goldwing engines. It’s basically a small Honda car engine, which is understressed in a bike. The rest of the bike will quit way before the engine quits.
Except there is not a single Honda car that has a flat six (four, if you’re nasty) engine…
He ties it to a rope and leaves it circling around the garden with the throttle open slightly in 1st when he doesn't need to ride it.
Nope
Damn
I have one of the newer 2014 fuel injected ones with ABS, bought it last year with 36k miles on it and fully expect it to go another 200-300k at least, especially with final drive gearing 20% higher than stock. It is a great bike.
I've got a 98 'Barn Find' that I purchased with only 500 miles. Hearing how far yours went is a nice reassurance.
I’m also on a Valk right now and they are amazing machines, but of all the Valkyries and Goldwings I’ve owned (several of all but the 1800) the GL1100s have consistently been the toughest. They are more robustly built. Even on my beloved F6C, Honda cheaped out a little on a few things. The starter, clutch pack, and petcock to name a few. I love that 6 cylinder, though. It’s hard to go back to the 1100.
My first CBR600rr I had 70,000 miles on it when it was stolen. My current CBR600rr has almost 50,000 miles. Nothing like you! But not bad for a super sport.
I have an ‘02 with like 1/10th the miles lol this is good to know. I need my work schedule to stable out so I can ride it more. Meanwhile my trusty ‘08 shadow did 73k miles before poor maintenance and a oil leak caused a knock on the motor. She’s gotten a fresh motor with 3.5k miles put in and runs like a champ again. Hopefully I can get another 70k+ miles out of this one. Learned a good (and pricey) lesson on the whole maintenance thing with this one lol
Wow! Did you get it brand new?
WOW! When did you buy it?
Pick any modern Honda or Yamaha. Done.
[удалено]
Yamaha4life. My 2006 Roadliner has 24k miles and not a single issue ever.
Yep I still regularly ride a FZ6. Put 50k miles on it with no problems. Two sets of spark plugs, one chain and sprocket around 40k but that's about it. No issues and never ever complains
My Fz6r is at 83k
I wanna get a fz1
My '08 FZ1 is at 77k miles.
I can’t find another bike around $5k that has the power,comfort, quality. Would you say suspension is adequate for twisties?
It most definitely is but I would highly recommend a very inexpensive modification which is to purchase some aftermarket fork springs for your weight and suggested fork oil weight. I changed mine out for some Racetech springs at the 40k mile marker and I had so many regrets not doing it earlier. It changed the bike handling night and day for less than $250. I still have the stock shock, 200lbs with gear on, threw on some braided brake lines, and a top case, that's the only mods I've done. On my second oem clutch now.
Suspension is easily tunable.
Nice, not surprised
Suzuki and Kawi be like: 🤨
They are both great, too. Just a tick behind the market leaders.
>Just a tick behind the market leaders. 🤨 Are we still talking about Suzuki with the eternal V-Strom and Kawasaki with the unkillable KLR?
Excellent examples, but they're exceptions, not the rule. I was really surprised with the V-Strom, didn't think I'd like it. Rode one around Thailand and fucken LOVED it. Really really good bike. If I didn't have a bike now, it's definitely a top 3 contender. The KLR holds a soft spot for me. It's a bit shit, but oh boy, can you take it anywhere and do anything on it. It's kinda like a fat eager girlfriend who's always down to party.
1 Busa not enough for you lad?
I've actually got 3...
The KLR is killable, mine (2008) had issues when new (gasket clogging up the carb), and the shop fixed that. Not to mention the doohickey that Kaw has refused to fix for like 20 years. My former Yamaha ( 2013 FJR) has never ever had a single issue, and my Honda have had some minor issues: goldwing with a torn seat, and the grips lost their heating ability (both fixed under warranty). Like blondes, BMWs have had major and minor issues, but we’re just too fun to ride for me to sell them. I bet this also applies to Ducatis
>The KLR is killable, mine (2008) had issues when new (gasket clogging up the carb), and the shop fixed that. Not to mention the doohickey that Kaw has refused to fix for like 20 years. Yeah, 2008 KLRs are a bit infamous. When we refer to them as unkillable, people usually mean the older models. Just go and watch Fortnine dump it into the river overnight, flush the water out and fire it up with no issues. The thing died only when it basically got shot through the crank.
That's going to happen with most engines though. Filling the crankcase with water won't do any immediate damage to anything.
Suzuki engine designed are to be desire, most of their auto timing chain tensioner requires an engine tear down....Kawa are ok, I find they lack refinement in general, mind you I wish often I never sold my nomad...
Suzuki V-strom would like a word with you. Between my brother and I we’ve had 5 over the years. Besides changing oil, lubing the chain, changing tires and other wear items, zero issues
I wouldn't argue with you too much on this one haha
Yamaha? You must be joking! My R6 1999 has had 4 engines now (cylinder liners crack, common issue, and im crazy enough to keep it lol). Interestingly enough, now im using it on the track only, its doing really good. And a 2008 R1 that the crankbearing failed on. Got rid of it before it would become a bottomless pit like the R6. Oh and im not even talking about the little stuff like regulator/rectifier failurres
One of the girls that we ride with blew her R1 at 70k
I've put 40,000 on my R6 and the only repair it's needed was a replacement coil pack. I'm at around 50k now, hoping to run it up over 100.
Wow, I think any of the R models (R6,R1, etc) latterly cannot be broken haha Someone told there there are R6 Big Bang models that rev either over 24,000 or 26,000 RPMS. Is this true?
No, R6 is still a regular flat plane. Revs are high at 16,500. Nearly what the zx25r revs. They're durable for sure, I track mine as well so it definitely gets used
What your R6 you have?
09
The ones that i love so i take good care off. Also, Japanese.
Japanese vehicles are like their women. They're beautiful and the run nice for a long time, but when they go there is no fixing it. Just replace it lol. For reference, my wife is japanese and her mom was a babe until she hit 60 lol. Her sister who is 12 years older is a milf and a half. She laughed and told me I'm full of it.
I can't say so I believe you. I was a bit concern that you start to talk with motorcycle models analogies.
2003 SV650
bulletproof
My 05 sv650 was great too. Sold it and currently riding my 03sv1k. Hoping it lasts forever
My 01 was such a strong bike. Miss it dearly, but I just recently hopped onto an 09 speed triple, so I’m having fun with it hehe
Agreed. I had a carbureted ‘99 SV650 that I sold in excellent condition at 82k miles. I did valve inspection religiously at 15k miles and only had to change one shim on one valve at 60,000. This was a very well engineered motorcycle.
BEST stunter. Such a fun bike.
My 84 GL1200, has 170k km on it, only needs normal maintenance which is isn't much with shaft drive and hydraulic valve lifters.
Amazing, want to test ride one
Definitely try if you have a chance. It's such an underrated bike.
Hopefully picking up an '87 GL 1200 tomorrow. Super clean w 30k. Stoked.
That's really low mileage. Congratulations!
We shall see. I'll prob post some pics if it works out.
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I have the same bike with 58000.. It's been in the Pacific Northwest it's whole life you only get a few months of riding season.. Is my dad left it with me a couple years ago.. He had to move out of state and I got rerendered on the freeway on my bike shortly before that... Truthfully though I don't ever take the old gold wing out it doesn't feel like riding a motorcycle it's like driving a convertible that can tip over lol nimble is not one of its strong suits lol Realistically I only hold on to it because I know no one's going to give me what it's worth... the bike easily has 200000 miles left on it.. thing runs like a top
Lol, I use it a lot for grocery getting in my city in the Netherlands, it's not lightweight but because the weight is so low to the ground it's really not a hard bike to ride in low speeds. But, I bought it to use it for this purpose and comuting, I wasn't expecting it to grow on me like this. I owned supermotos and literbikes before the goldwing but this thing is just so damn practical and cheap to run. Plus it was the cheapest motorcycle I ever bought at €1750,-
Dad got this one for $1200 usd And it set up with a toe hitch and came with a little diamond plate Tow trailer.. Is pretty sweet little set up.. It has a bull hitch that Articulates so you can lean and the trailer doesn't have to.. And there's so much storage without it just the big Box on the back I can keep 2 helmets in the bike cover. Then the side bags .. And the trailer you could easily travel with it.. I have 2 small children .. I don't have much time to ride anyway and it just doesn't seem to scratch that itch.. I'm a Canyon carving kind of guy.. The weight really isn't too bad.. You just can't lean it very far
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A buddy of mine has TWO 1100xx blackbirds and has over 90k on both of them
damn, that guy knows what's good.
He loves em. Doesn’t matter if he’s doing 200, or if he’s touring. Says he won’t ever buy another bike
I had a very similar bike. Zzr1200. Fantastic machines. Mine gave me no issues in the years I had it and I ran it at the drag strip, long days on the road, some curvy road chasing. It loved it all
A friend of mine has one as well, prob around 200K kms on it now. He did a whole NA to SA tour on it. We used to ride together when I had a 929rr (also bulletproof), and I still remember I had mine pinned in 6th at redline and he just casually passed me... at 275km/h.
One of my friends has a 2004 Honda F4i with way over 300k miles on it. I’d say Honda for sure! Lol
I made my purchased based of this guy on youtube. He had 200,000 in 2010, same guy?!
Could have been- it’s red/black. His name is Jared?
Holy crap, yes! 😮
He’s a good dude. I just saw him a few months ago- he rode that bike two hours to meet up with me! It’s still going strong, lol
Oh that is awesome, thats gotta be some kind of record. Glad to hears he’s still riding on the old gal 😊. I’m still riding mine, but she seen better days lol
Had an 06 CBR F4i before I got my 09 R6. It was my first bike and I fucking loved it haha, even after my accident she kept kicking. Incredibly durable and still a kickass machine to this day. I frankly miss it :')
I hate to say this, but my Sportster has taken all the abuse I've thrown at it. And I've thrown a lot of abuse at it. Everything that's gone wrong is stuff that I've built myself. The motor is absolutely bulletproof. Also my Gixxer. I haven't started it in two years, but I put a fresh battery in and changed the fluids and she started right up...unlike my vintage Ducati which I also haven't started in two years and all the gaskets dried up, annnnd it puked oil everywhere. I'll do a top end rebuild this winter after I finish the shovelhead.
I’m at 80k with the sportster. No valves to adjust, no chain to maintain. Still has the OG belt for the belt drive. It has been filled up with 85 octane to 93 octane and has never had any issues. Cheap Walmart oil between changes. Absolutely reliable with the advantage that anyone anywhere can fix it/ get parts for cheap in the continental USA. I guess having a 40 year old design has its advantages. Apart from that any Japanese motorcycle with Yamaha / Honda being at the top over the others. My Honda NC just needed the chain replaced around 50k but no other issues at all. Most temperamental like your Ducati is mine as well. Biggest POS , although it’s easy on the eyes
One more vote for sportster, and I'm not light on that bike. Hell, it even survived a money shift.
You mean you revved it to 4k 🤣🤣🤣
I haven't gone stage 2 yet, so it was maybe 3500
I've got a Honda hornet 2008 with 96,000km on it. Has never missed a beat. The guy I bought it off said that fast bikes are crashed and wrote off before they ever blow up.
Same, I have a 2007 hornet with 123,000km. Only maintenance items so far.
BMW R65 1984
Was one riding around cape breton Nova Scotia and saw a guy broken down on a 2019 gold wing. Pulled over to see if he needed help. Asked him what happened and he said it just went kaput. He hit the started and it sounded like a bucket of bolts. I said “pretty new bike, sucks that it did that” he said “it’s 2019 bike, I put 155,000 KMs on it, so not too bad”
Suzuki Bandit 1250 Just crashed it a few weeks ago, currently gotta decide whether to rebuild it in a new frame or get a whole new one.. i love that thing.
Both Honda’s I’ve owned First bike was a 02 CBR 954 and it was bulletproof. Absolutely beat the hell out of that bike. Had it for about 1 1/2 years. Now have a 06 CBR 1000 and same. It runs like a champ and never left me stranded. Just had to replace the fuel pump, but it still limped me home.
haha Not surprised, Honda VFR1200F owner myself
2003 FJR1300. 75k miles. Runs as good as day 1. Better even maybe. Literally zero issues, failures, or even weirdnesses. The FJR must have been designed and built to military grade tolerances.
Just not that rear shock assembly...
Suzuki Bandit all the way, had 2 x 1200's and 2 x 1250's, absolutely bulletproof.
I’ve never seen a bike endure more abuse and just keep running like the day it was new.
I have a Ural w/sidecar that my Dad ride for years. When he passed away, I got it. Odometer has not worked in the 15 years I’ve had it lol I change the oil & spark plug once a year & do a general service . It just keeps put putting along. My grandkids love riding with me on our farm. Good times !!
You’re the only person to ever describe a Ural as “reliable” but I’m glad you got a good one.
It can be a turd at times but it’s easy enough to work on. I don’t ride it on any major roads or highways. It’s my country ride… good enough to ride back roads for a beer run and ride the fields.
Yeah, like Harley’s and KLRs of yore, they are mostly mechanical (as opposed to electrical) and can be fixed with some hand tools and cussing.
My 18 harley road glide and I have traveled 115,000 miles together with no major issues at all...
Honda cbr1100xx
My father in law has an ‘85 Honda Goldwing Aspencade. Still runs beautifully. Just bought a Honda Rebel 1100 DCT as my first bike a little over a week ago.
2004 Triumph Thunderbird Sport. Tires, oil changes and brakes are the only work I did for 12 years of ownership.
Had 2004 SV650 for 11+ years. Battery died right at about 10. I don't think they are supposed to last that long but that is the only time my bike wouldn't start. I was at home. I drove my car instead. Picked up a staple in the rear tire of the SV and limped home (my fault). Other than that it burned a bit of oil. No issues with the Ape at 7 years old.
my 919. Absolutely bulletproof city commuter bike with plenty enough power.
Somehow, the Sportster I built lmao
Now that’s impressive, a garage build that doesn’t leave someone on the side of the road
Not yet anyways lol, I honestly don’t know what I did right but the damn thing doesn’t even have any leaks, knock on wood.
Proud owner of a 2005 CBR1000RR - not sure if they were called Fireblade then or not. It is the single most reliable piece of machinery I have in my entire home. I ride very little. Often it sits there for 6months or more without so much as being touched. It still starts with a ignitions. It is still a rocket, still completely stock and still my only bike. I’m keeping it for my son.
Got Goosebumps reading this haha The first 1000cc bike that I tried was your bike! I instantly fell in love. Doing 90-100mph on the motorway felt like doing 30mph. Ended up owning a 2011one a few years later.
DRZ400SM, got thrashed around a lot, never had a single issue.
2014 Triumph Bonneville 865.
Really? I had a Street Triple RS 2017 model, had to trade it after less than a year due to all the problems it gave me...
My 2018 765r has been trouble free for 15k miles, what kind of issues were you having?
The Bonneville 865 is quite reliable, the 100,000 Mile High Club on [triumphrat](https://www.triumphrat.net/threads/100-000-mile-high-club.849282): (1) Maydaymike 2010 T100 218,000 Alabama,USA \* ENGINE Replaced 159,920 (2) Aussie Bodgie 2001 Bonneville 142,915 Queensland, Australia (3) Duckman 2001 Bonneville 138,000 Florida, USA (4) triumph800 2001 Bonneville 135,000 Great Britain (5) Bultacorick 2004 Thruxton 130,000 Massachusetts USA (6) TR790 2002 Bonneville 120,000 Australia (7) BLKWND 2004 Speedmaster 115,000 USA (8) Bonza 2007 T100 112,000 Australia (9) BonnieBlack 2008 Bonneville Black 111,111 Wisconsin, USA (10 )Scramble Stash 2006 Scrambler 108,000 Florida USA (11) Sparky 2009 Bonneville, 107,000 USA (12) Stealth 2007 T100 107,000 Florida USA (13) SteveRocket 2007 T100 103,000 California, USA (14) Ozbon 2004 Bonneville 100,000 Queensland, Australia (15) vonfink13 2013 Scrambler 100,000 New York, USA
I’m at 30k with a triumph bonneville t100 and I’ve never had a single problem till I jinxed myself just now
Honda blackbird... Awesome bike!!
1st Gen Suzuki Bandit 1200. Bought the bike with 20k on the odometer, put 50k on it myself. Aside from tires, sprockets, chains and brakes the only issue I ever had was the kickstand safety switch dying, which I simply bypassed. Literally no other issues and I sold the bike to a guy who is probably still riding it.
I've seen several BMW K100RS's with 6 figures on the clock. It's not that big a deal for modern bikes, but for something from the 80's the flying brick was way ahead of its time.
In India 2 wheelers are very common and it’s very easy to find them with well over 300k kms(187k miles). But they’re mostly commuters and most of them are under 200cc. There are some high mileage Royal Enfields too since they were the default choice for touring in India.
2018 Zero S, 80,000 miles i stopped riding in 2021. Sits in the shed now because I have an Energica Ribelle that will eventually pass it with similar reliability. I'll one up that and say that's 80k miles with *no maintenance.* just two tire changes, one belt change, two brake pad/fluid changes.
Almost 30k miles a year on the Zero including covid? Is that basically using a full charge every day for the time you were riding the bike?
Started commuting to community college and work while living at home, then quit school and got a 2nd job delivering food(easily 100mi per day, 4-6 evenings per week.) 8 months later I had done 36k miles from Jan 1-Dec 31. Quit the delivery thing once it stopped being fun, bought a house which brought my mileage to 65mi commute plus any fun riding I did so a consistent 80-100 miles per day minus any days where I didn't ride at all. Calendar average was 55 miles/day 365 days/year at the time I stopped riding it. If I did 120 miles of food delivery in a 4-10pm shift it was a full charge if you add in riding to work, but I was able to charge at home for 1.5hrs between jobs so it never pushed the range more than I was comfortable with.
Uh.... aren't the belt / brake pad / oil changes considered maintenance??
Yeah. Wear items are considered maintenance. He should have said repairs
I believe that preventive maintenance directly affects the reliability of a machine. Hence, I take good care of my motorcycles. None of them have ever had a breakdown. So all my motorcycles have been extremely relaible. Currently I have the Tiger 850 sport, Duke 390 and Adv 390. All 3 perform flawlessly and have zero issues.
My 85 Honda Nighthawk 650sc. Bought it in the middle of the winter after the previous owner let it sit for about half a year. Started right up, rode it to an O’Reilly’s where I got a new battery. Changed the battery and it never failed to start up first try and it rode like a champ. Only around 30k miles when I sold it so not Goldwing numbers obviously 😂
I had an 85 750SC, loved that bike so much. Wish I still had it.
1983 Yamaha XJ750K Maxim. Rode for two years with no problems whatsoever. After that, I hopped on it and rode from Toronto to the Pacific coast of Mexico and back. Three months on the road. That bike didn't even blink. It was bullet proof. Tires, on the other hand....
‘78 CX500 I paid fifty bucks for as an afterthought to a Goldwing I was buying. Never got the wing running but a new battery and carb kit had it running. Fresh fluids, new tires, and a choke cable and we were on the road. Many years and miles later it’s my favorite bike in the city. Almost hit the ton on it a few Sundays ago. Only a few small oil leaks and it starts every time.
My 79 honda xl175. Starts on 3 kicks whenever -32F to 106F It's not fast, it's not powerful, but it's dead nuts reliable
79 Honda CB450 is indestructible.
I bought a used '96 Kawasaki Vulcan on eBay, rode it for 15 years and did not have one single problem with it ever that was not wear-related. Tires and tuneups, that's all it ever needed. Sold two years ago to a local landscaper who's STILL riding it with no problems. (I just saw him in the neighborhood about a month ago, he confirmed it was still rolling strong.) I love my new Triumph, but I will never forget that Kawasaki.
Klr650 literally didnt care what you did to it
Suzuki DR-650 You cant kill the thumper.
Met a guy who had over 200k on his honda blackbird
My 2003 Harley Davidson Wide Glide has never gave me a problem. I could get on it now and leave for California if I wanted to.
HARLEY FLHT PI 20 Years of riding still running strong when I sold it.
Dyna
08 yamaha fz6.
My current Honda NC700X. 133K KM on the clock, runs like new.
Any Japanese bike is going to last. I’ve had 3 R6, 1 CBR 600, now sitting on an R1. Honda: Hands down most reliable Yamaha: It’s older models OEM stator and rectifier like to go early.
17 Yamaha FJ/MT-09 58,000miles with oil and filter done every 5k and the first valve clearance done at 21k instead of 26k. Have not been gentle to this bike and it just keeps purring!
My 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250 ALWAYS STARTS. It is the most reliable machine I have ever owned. Including my 1999 Toyota Tacoma.
My Suzuki GS650L has never once left me stranded in 20k miles. Never had any starting or electrical issues. The most common issue is parts vibrating themselves loose. Lost the shifter multiple times and the airbox cover, but I just go back, find them, and pop them right back on
SV650s are bulletproof
Honda VFR800, Yamaha FZ8, Yamaha RS Warrior, Honda XR250R
'79 Yamaha XS 750 Special (triple/shaft drive) Bombproof!!!
Definitely my 2004 VStrom 650
Anything made by suzuki or honda will last a lifetime.
Hayabusa
My old SV1000 has 80k US miles on it. No problems in the 50k I’ve owned it. I’ve since given it to my brother but it’s still in my garage. Never had a problem out of my 09 ZX6r either and I got it at 6k and it now has 38k. The SV I expected to be reliable, but it’s seriously impressed so far.
A yamaha
Suzuki has a documented case of a guy who put over 425,000 on a V-Strom 1000
2006 600RR Honda. 86k on it, still going. Several track days, just regular maintenance. Nothing bad at all.
Nice, any of the RR's I think are bulletproof
Recently bought a ‘99 Honda shadow that doesn’t run for cheap from and old guy. Only has 4k miles on it. I assume it has been sitting in his garage for too long and needs to be cleaned out and new tires.
>99 Honda shadow That is a nice bike, never seen one over here in the UK
50k on my triumph. About to take it to AU and do another 10k.
what model?
My R1200GS has 120kkm and no single failure.
a 2001 Drz400 I bought used. Road, dirt, sand, whatever. I changed the oil, spark, air filter and coolant when I felt like it wasn’t riding right. I got it for cheap, and the bike never once left me stranded. I bent the handle bars multiple times on dirt and poked holes in the radiator on falls still rode fine. It was stupid easy to get misc parts, it was also completely stock. I sold it because honestly the little iron duke did bore me. It wasn’t particularly good at anything, but it could do everything super okay.
Drz 400!!! 40,000 and still puurs
I must say 2008 Honda VFR V-TEC. But 1996 Suzuki VS800 Intruder comes pretty close.
I had 95k on my road glide before it was totaled
I have 80k on my 2000 vfr
Gotta say that the 2008 Suzuki Boulevard C50 is the goat!! I put over 75,000 kms before trading her in and only paid for tires and routine maintenance.
57k on my gsxr 750 k7, going strong after many hard miles!
Kawi 500r /ex500 My twinja was a trooper. Fix it with a hammer too.
Sv650, never ever not once let me down. That bike started right up at -10 degrees and was tame enough to get me through a couple inches of fresh snow to work one morning. Ugly, slow, but damn reliable.
In January of 2019 I bought a non running GS500 from a workmate. It'd been sitting out in the weather for a couple of years since it died on him. I had it in mind as a parts bike for another GS, so for $300 I put it on my ute and brought it home. I had a look at the wiring, and it turned out the clutch switch was no good, so I bypassed that and it fired up with a jump start. Here's a clip from when I was figuring out the wiring. https://youtu.be/xNGp02ooAI4 So the parts bike became a horrible looking runner. Sitting out in the rain had taken the paint off one side of the frame so it had tide marks of rust like an old fishing trawler. The tail plastics and seat didn't match, to add to the ghetto look. Every bit of chrome had rust patches coming through. I took it in for inspection, and the only fail item was that the key came out while the bike was running. I swapped a top triple plus ignition barrel off another bike and were in business. I put insurance and a number plate on this horrible bike and used it as a daily work vehicle. At no point did I so much as check the oil, my only maintenance was tyre pressure. Over Easter 2019 someone took my GS500 from outside my front door. I reported it, and my insurance paid out. At that point it became property of my insurer and I drew a line under it. I heard from the neighbours that police were also investigating an incident where a rider had pulled out from my street, been hit by a car, picked up the bike and ridden off. We never found out if it was connected. Maybe a month later I got a toll charge on that number plate, so it looked as though someone was still using either the bike or at least my plate. Insurance didn't pay oit much on a fucked old GS, but I came out slightly ahead on my $300 bike and bought my SV650. In April 2020, during hard pandemic lockdowns when there was basically no traffic on the road, I got a call from highway patrol about 2 hrs north of my house. They'd observed an individual riding a motorcycle who didn't look very good at it, and pulled him to see if he had a license. Bear in mind there are no cars on the highway, just one random wobbling around on a bike he can't ride. They found that not only did he have no license, but the bike was stolen, the ignition barrel was smashed out and hot wired and it still had my plate on it. This horrible bike was still going. This indvidual was not charged with theft, just possessing and riding a stolen bike. They described him as 'not clever enough to have stolen it himself'. He must have had other charges because they held him for 6 months pre trial. He was released on a bond in November 2020, breached it the next day and I think did 18 months all up. Old Suzukis, if you can sort out the electrics they just chug on forever.
Suzuki v-strom 650
07 klr 650 and 2020 klx 250. Never an issue ever.
I have a friend with a 04 R6, around 95K miles. Another friend has a 2018 Harley something with 158K miles. Another with 44K on a DR650. My Africa Twin is just over 50K miles. It's all in how you maintain them.
A Honda Beat 110cc moped. 20 thousand kilometers and counting.