Who Makes the Most Reliable Motorcycle?

[RIDEMYST]

A Consumer Reports article. -JEP-
https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/makes-most-reliable-motorcycle-100025261.html

[qman8]

;            The higher complexity of the machine = more potential failures. 
2;            The higher cost will cause people to complain about minor “failures” versus just dealing with them.
3;            A better dealer network will allow more complaints to be brought to light
4:            People who buy BMWs are gonna ride the snot out of them.
5:            Nobody buys Honda’s anymore (in the states)…they make the strangest stuff now.
6;            I do like Yamaha’s stuff, but my one and only Yamaha had  issues. 
7;            Harleys vibrate too much …need constant maintenance!!!    Similarly, I’d like know where KTM falls in that line-up.
8;           46K miles on my 09 GS and only one issue with the fuel strip..which is covered by BMW.  (At the risk of jinxing myself)

[DirtFlier]

Hey, what's wrong with strange?   

[roginoz]

As my old research professor once said, "reality is kinda complex."  I currently have a couple of Hondas, and Kawasaki, and a Harley.  I don't really perceive any difference in quality; I think most motorcycles sold today are pretty reliable.  I buy based on features for the market segment in question.  Even the Ducatis are OK, if Steve and Mickey would avoid crashing them...

[Brick]

Two Yamaha Super Teneré 2012 and 2014 = 90,000 trouble free miles.


I am out riding my Super Teneré'!

[qman8]

I think i'd be interested in the tenere if it put out just a few more HPs!  I certainly dont want to drop from where i'm at now. 

[Brick]

Ok... but for me all the HP is in the usable range. Who needs top end? AND many on the Tenere' forum are doing a reflash and while it doesn't make more HP it moves it around to where you want it.
You know this is why there are more than one MC manufacturer... to each his own!
YMMV!

I think i'd be interested in the tenere if it put out just a few more HPs!  I certainly dont want to drop from where i'm at now. 

[Paco Bulto]

Ok... but for me all the HP is in the usable range. Who needs top end? AND many on the Tenere' forum are doing a reflash and while it doesn't make more HP it moves it around to where you want it.
You know this is why there are more than one MC manufacturer... to each his own!
YMMV!

I think i'd be interested in the tenere if it put out just a few more HPs!  I certainly dont want to drop from where i'm at now. 

I also had a 2012 Tenere and had the ECU flashed and it ran beautifully. I now have a 14 ES like Brick and love it even more. Motorcycle Consumer News tested the 14 and 12 and found the 14 had gained 8.25 more HP over the 12, which gave it 99.5 at the rear wheel and that works wonderfully for me. On top of all the other improvements they made on the 14, it is the best bike I have had in almost 50 years of riding.   More important than raw HP readings, to me it is engine character that either endures me to a bike or turns me off. I had a 99 R1100S and while it was a good bike, I never did learn to love the boxer engine character. Up until buying my first Tenere, my 98 Super Hawk V twin was my all time favorite engine. My 12 Tenere displaced that and the 14 bumped the 12 into second place.

We all like different things, including bikes and we are fortunate that there are so many good choices today, so that finding the right choice for each of us is easily attainable. Ride what makes you smile.

PS. I spend almost as much time maintaining my Bultacos as I do riding them, but still, after all these years of riding and racing them, I have an ear to ear smile each time I get to ride one. :-)

[stevegrab]

Agree most new bikes are pretty reliable. I still feel like my VFR (even with its stator and RR issues, both replaced) is the most reliable. Never problems starting it (my Triumph has always been a struggle after storage).

As for the whole HP thing, I know there's a camp that always thinks they need more. I think the VFR and my Sprint are both just fine, and even my little Ninja 650R has plenty of power to be lots of fun. Sure 200 or even 300HP sounds cool, but where are you going to use that?

[Paco Bulto]

I really haven't paid much attention to the HP figures of bikes that I wasn't interested in, but this thread prompted me to take a look. In particular talking about the R1200GS and the Super Tenere. I have found that Motorcycle Consumer News can be trusted, mainly because they accept no advertising, so do not have to answer to anybody but their readers. While I may not always agree with their subjective opinions, I trust their measurements and specs.

So, in looking at the Super Tenere. They measured 91.3 at the rear wheel on the 2012 model and 99.5 on the 2014 model.

There have been several generations of R1200GS's tested, starting in 2004 when they measured 80.2. In 2008, they measured 94.0 and in 2010 and 2011, they got 94.99 on each. BMW took a big leap with the 2013 model when MCN measured 115.65.

While these figures are interesting and show that there may not be much difference in the 2 bikes, depending on the model year, as Brick stated, these peak HP numbers do not in themselves show the characteristics of where most of us ride out bikes, the low and midrange. I seldom ride WFO, and if I do it is only for a short time, preferring to enjoy midrange torque while riding my favorite twisties.

In this particular discussion, it would seem that if someone preferred the R1200GS, and HP is important to them, they should upgrade to the 2013 model or newer. OTOH, if whatever each of us rides pleases us and makes us smile, there is no need to justify that to anybody but yourself.

[RIDEMYST]

Note that the article is Consumer News not MCN. -JEP-

[Paco Bulto]

Note that the article is Consumer News not MCN. -JEP-

Hi Jim,

If you are referring to the original article in your first post that is Consumer Reports, not Consumer News. My post is about Motorcycle Consumer News regarding performance test results, not the reliability survey that Consumer Reports published. I only referred to MCN  because of a comment about being interested in a Tenere except for the loss of HP, which turns out not to be what some may have thought.

Are we all confused now? :-)

Thanks.

[RIDEMYST]

Gotcha and you are correct, "Consumer "Reports"....brain fart again.


Sent by using these little bitty keys on my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DirtFlier]

The brief article in Consumer Reports just covered brands and not specific models.

[OldButNotDead]

Vincent, Munch, Puch, Norton, Matchless, BSA, Royal Enfield, Moto Morini, Bultaco, but not in order of reliability.