Reliable motorcycles, I can't be the only one...

[bad Chad]

So many negative reports about motorcycles lately round here got me to thinking about my moto experience.  Many of you have many more years in the saddle and have owned/ridden far more motorcycles than me, here's my quick story. 

Been riding on the street for 36 years, there has never been one riding season that I didn't put on at least 2500 miles, most years somewhere between 3-7k.  And I don't want to jinks myself,  but I have never been left on the side of the road, broken down by any bike, that wasn't do to my ignorance.

They went in this order, starting around 1982

*Got a 1970 Honda CL125 scrambler, cleaned it up rode it the last 3 years of high school

*Dad then gave me his BMW /2  rode it until a poorly re-machined head started to leak and I was too dumb to stop riding it one night and burned a Chanel in the head where the leak started.

* Bought cousins 78 Suzuki GS1000 (fantastic fun bike for a young man) rode it all through college and a couple years past.  Did have to get the stator fixed, but I don't think I ever got left beside the rode on it.

*Got used 86 BMW k75T  fine bike, never a problem, but too boring for me, sold it after couple years

*Wanted to buy a Guzzi, but just had baby decided the 16v hydro valve Honda NightHawk 750 would be good enough.  Bought it brand new, very nice, worked great, but I soon realized I really, really wanted a Guzzi.  Traded it for...

*Brand new 99 Bassa, ran great, wonderful fun.  After 9 years sold it to my brother.

*Like new Breva 1100, ben almost perfect, started to show signs of Startus-interuptus this summer, bought plug and forget kit from MPH for $38, problem solved.   Also had a v65sp for a few years, it to never failed me.

*2016 CSC Zong Sheng TT250 enduro, two thousand trouble free miles on it so far.

So that's nine street legal motorcycles, none of which failed me in a clinch.  The v65 did originally have issues when I got it, but they were taken care of by Jim Barron's shop.   36 years, I don't know how many miles, but far beyond 100,000, and never left on the side of the road because the bike broke!  Yes, I did run out of gas, several times, one time I had a bike towed home, my dad came out looked at it for 3 minutes and said the battery cable loosened up!   

When I read some of the stories of troubles folks have had, I think I must have been one lucky duck!  I sure hope it holds up!

[Lannis]

Neither you (well, till now) nor I nor anyone else writes to the Internet and says "Hey, I've been riding this bike for some time and haven't really had any trouble with it at all, nothing major anyway.  What do you think about that?"

On the other hand, "My Humbley-Pudge with only 15,000 miles on it dropped a valve and I'm really peeved.   These things all seem to be a piece of junk".

A newbie who started reading the Guzzi list to see if he wanted one based on reliability would run away from Guzzi like his tail was on fire ....

Lannis

[kidsmoke]

same in business. I only get calls from the pissed off guys on the fly. ONE TIME, one of my more colorful customers when things go wrong called me in his normal gruff tone" Yeah! It's Paul! Listen, just wanted you to know...you guys are killin' it. Seriously! Nice job" and erupted into a barrel of laughs 'cus he knew what I had braced myself for and NOBODY DOES THAT!

In related news, my 20 year old Jackal ran 650 miles this weekend with 300 pounds on its back and 90 degree temps without a hiccup.

[guzzisteve]

I always got junk on phone. Now I say "Call the 800#" Before I would explain, I didn't make it and I haven't worked on your bike, take it up w/your past mechanic. My crap run's fine, always has, always will.
If you know a good wrench befriend him and get on his list for work as service, then when catastrophe hits you may get in sooner than later.
Hell Chad, take care of the B11, you're a good way from anyone who works on those. Robinson is closest/unless R&K will work.

[bad Chad]

Indeed Steve, I'm in the same lot, as many, if I need or want a real Guzzi tech, they are hours away.

[Cdn850T5NT]

*Wanted to buy a Guzzi, but just had baby decided the 16v hydro valve Honda NightHawk 750 would be good enough.  Bought it brand new, very nice, worked great, but I soon realized I really, really wanted a Guzzi.  Traded it for...

We ALMOST bought this bike instead of our 2nd Guzzi - the 850 T5... Often wondered how it'd be like.

My Dad liked the 750... it was lighter, a bit lower in the saddle.

I was afraid of the hydro valves... and wasn't so enamoured with the chain drive.  I thought the bike was 'real nice, though, and it was a bunch cheaper than the Guzzi we got.

[kirb]

Only stranded bike issue was a battery, spendy fix was the Guzzi trans case split.

'82 Honda Magna- no issues
'99 Buell Cyclone- nothing that left me stranded, some items covered by warranty (oil burn and speed pickups)
'02 Honda ST1100- Nothing
'05 Yamaha FJR- Nothing
'08 KTM 990 ADV- nothing that left me stranded, water pump seal, fuel pump o-ring, standard for this bike
'07 Guzzi Griso- Nothing
'12 Guzzi Stelvio- infested with deer hair, totaled.
'13 Guzzi Stelvio- nothing until it lauched part of the clutch plate through the trans case ~28k miles. Not stranded.
'12 Ducati Diavel- Nothing but a bad battery cell- needed to be picked up and trailer home.
'17 Motus MST-R- Nothing
'17 Motus MST naked- starter ring gear broke

[Seventy One]

'09 DR650. 30k miles. Blew a cam chain tensioner gasket when I accidentally downshifted. Some (very) minor spots of rust on the frame. No other issues to report. Still looks new.

'13 Tiger 800XC. Garbage. Worst purchase ever. Currently trying to get $2,450 for it.

It probably has that much in accessories on it. Burned oil from new. Low compression on #3. Two separate transmission failures. Soft, paper thin paint. Poor powder coating on wheels and frame. Anodization on various bits was gone by the 3rd season and replaced with rust by the 4th season. Horn and heated grip failed. Two voltage regulators. Starter brushes worn out by the 4th season. Multiple other miscellaneous failures. Bike looks as if it was pulled from a river despite living its whole life in a shed or on the road. Absolute garbage.

'16 Versys 1000LT. Flawless. 28k miles.

Bad bikes do happen.

[bigbikerrick]

Thats crazy about the Tiger 800 XC! I always thought the newer Triumph triples were good motors, I guess anything can turn out to be a lemon.
Rick

[Bisbonian]

I had a KTM 640 Adventure for a while.
During that time my 1200 Sport was my reliable bike.

[Lannis]

Thats crazy about the Tiger 800 XC! I always thought the newer Triumph triples were good motors, I guess anything can turn out to be a lemon.
Rick

I have a Triumph triple, and that's the first one I ever heard of that had any of those problems, especially fit and finish.

Just goes to show, anyone can have a bad day making a bike ....

Lannis

[Beowulf]

Ive have 33700 on my v7 ii. Few problems. My daily commuter. One problem i blame on the dealer the other was a bad starter. Currently sorting out one other problem. Nothing that has been really bad. Honestly one of the better vehicles i have owned. I could tell you a nightmare story about a f150 ecoboost. 

[kingoffleece]

Only bike ever to leave me stranded was first year H-D FRX.  The electronic ignition just up and quit 100 miles away.  replaced with with POINTS and zero trouble for the next 50,000 miles.

[Knuckle Dragger]

I've never had a single bike - not one, ever - that HASN'T let me down, at least once, with roadside breakdowns, usually in less than convenient locales.  I think this phenomenon is attributable to a much disliked Irishman named Murpy.

Some don't (won't) start.  Another shred a cambelt on the fly.  A couple had multiple, intermittent and at night untraceable electrical gremlins.  Guess which ones they were?  A clue:  both Italian, both V (& L) Twins, one longitudinal, the other transverse.  Another refused to acknowledge that the throttle was in any way opened, thereby failing to rev beyond a preset idling mix of about 1500 RPM.  A gennie/alternator/stator has suddenly refused to generate electron movement. Plug leads have "suddenly" broken down (to make a single cylinder boxer motor).  Gearboxes have refused to shift, another's gear shaft suddenly decided to move 1" back & forth (in & out).  A brake master cylinder has seized.  And so on & so forth.

Honestly?  For me it's been such a recurrent theme in my motorcycling experience that I consider it to be more or less expected.  Any ride without a breakdown is a pretty high point for me!  Maybe a wild exaggeration, but nonetheless I've always considered breakdowns to be part of life's rich tapestry.  You get to meet the nicest, friendliest and kindest people when dealing with one's own or attending to other peoples breakdowns & misadventures.

[BobA]

In the "Beginning" 50+ years ago, wrench time usually was equal to ride time on a good day. Grew up on Brittish and HDs and you were lucky to get there, let alone back, without getting your hands dirty. Part of the "sport". Along came the Yammies and Hondas etc and those of us who chose to stay on European or US bikes continued to suffer with pride and scorn. If you examine the HD business model I'd wager the dealers make way more money on service than sales. Not to mention the HD "Costume" dept.

So maybe it's a generational thing? Much of what I see and hear today is. I have AAA Exec/RV coverage and get 200 mile tows on occasion. Cheap insurance. I love my hobby/sport/obsession and am willing to pay the price for style and tradition. Have ridden most of the European creations that have catch my fancy. Loved some, peed on others. Seem to buy a Harley every 10 years or so just to see if I can make them into what I consider a Motorcycle. Great looking and sounding and are very reliable in general. Won't stop or turn for squat and I don't fit in with the Halloween crowd on weekends.

So I'll keep riding my weird looking bikes that have a heart and soul but as I certainly have in life, go astray on occasion.

Probably shouldn't drink wine and post. Done

[TN Mark]

I’ve had 10 Guzzis over the years and never, not one time, had any of them ever stranded me or had an ‘issue’. My oldest was a 1960 Stornello and my newest, a 2009 Griso and a 2009(?) CalVin.

[PhilB]

I've had very good luck with that.

I got each of my first three main bikes up to 80K, without much incident.
The first one took some work to get it there, and some rebuilds, and it let me down a couple of times, but then it was a 1960 Heinkel scooter -- 175cc 4-stroke.  Not designed for that level of use.
The second one was a 1979 BMW R65 airhead.  It never let me down seriously, but by 80K it was about done, and needing some real money put into it to go any further.
The third one was a 1989 Honda CBR600 Hurricane.  It was indestructible and never needed anything.  I ave it to a friend who needed transport.  It's probably still out there, running, somewhere.

Then I got my real bike -- a 1993 Ducati M900 Monster.  That bike was a joy, for 24 years and 265K miles, and I'd still be riding it if we hadn't gotten smacked 2 years ago by a hit-and-run driver.  That bike pretty much never let me down either.  Rode it to 35 states, plus parts of Canada and Mexico.  Fine machine.

I think the secret is to not ever let them sit and rot.  I typically ride 11K to 14K per year, and I think that's what keeps them running right.

PhilB

[pete roper]

Never had a Guzzi fail to get me home. It's been a close run thing on occasion but I've always made it. Worst problem I've had was the flat tappets going out on my Griso 1200 and that trashed the motor. Yes, on a scale of 'Seriousness' that's right up there but with a new, roller, motor it's been bulletproof and I love it so much I forgive that single design failing. Don't forgive the bean-counters who insisted on using flat tappets to save a few $ per bike mind. Bugger them! And the horse they rode in on!

Pete

[wirespokes]

1966 - Honda 150 dream dropped a rear sprocket mounting bolt into the hub and locked it up. Fishtailed, but didn't go down. Rode the five miles home VERY slowly.
1969 - Austin Healey LeMans lost compression (cracked head) and wouldn't run. Had it towed ten miles back home.
1970 - 500 Triumph quit running somewhere south of Seattle heading back to Portland. After about a 1/2 hour it started back up again. ??? Rode it home.
1976 - Kawasaki 500 triple seized up and quit running 80 miles from home. Waited a while and it started, rode it home.
1991 - R90/6 quit 3 blocks from home (heading to a rally in N CA). Rolled it home, took all morning to find and fix an electrical connection. All good afterwards.

I've always had used bikes, usually needing fixing since they're cheaper, and the only time I recall being stranded was a few miles from home when the battery died on the R65 - slip rings were goo'd up with old brushes. Cleaned up, and all was good.

Did a car-pool/ride 600 miles away, for an R80G/S that supposedly only needed a battery. Had a battery with me. Turned out needing the ignition module, so was stranded till one arrived next-day air.

Did a fly/ride from Portland to Virginia (3000 miles) about 12 years ago - picked up a 77RS and rode it home. I recall sorting out the turn signals in a rest stop. No other issues.

1999 R1100S - Elk strike near Mt Shasta heading to a rally in N CA  - totaled the bike. Didn't ride it home.

Rode the R100R to Burlington VT from Portland (6K round trip) for a BMW National. The rear shock was leaking, but it made it there and back.

R80G/S About 12 years ago lost a trans bearing. Whined a while then went bad on a ride to Crescent City. Made a mess of the transmission, but it still worked in 1st, 2nd and 4th. Rode it to friends in southern Or who borrowed a trailer and towed it home for me. That's the only time I recall not riding a bike home, except for the elk strike.

Rode the 92 PD from Portland to eastern PA and back for the 90S rally five years ago. No issues.

77T3 - Riding home from a rally in N CA it wouldn't start at a rest stop. Had to have a fellow traveler give me a push start. Had to kick the starter the rest of the way home to make it work.

I've had flats and things happen, but mostly minor stuff fixable on the side of the road. 

I've gotten lots of bikes that hadn't been ridden in years and rode them as my main transportation. Even now, I'm getting an 85LM going that was last tagged in 91 and possibly went through hurricane Sandy. Took some work fixing what needed fixing (starter, clutch, and other more minor issues) but now it's been 500 miles without a hitch. Usualy stuff breaks at home - or I notice something isn't right and take care of it here. Also, I treat my bikes as transportation, not amusement rides, so they tend to get understressed and less likely to fail.

[screamday]

My EV is the only motorcycle that has ever left me stranded on the side of the road, more than once. I haven't had many bikes in my 37 years of riding.......5 in all. Mostly because if a bike ran, I kept it a long time and was never looking for the next best thing. The Guzzi is currently sitting in my garage as it cut out on me again about 8 weeks ago when I wanted to take it out for a little spin. An electrical problem I have never been able to find and repair. So now I'm just contemplating what to do. Will probably just sell it to someone that is smarter than me.

[stonelover]

Began riding in 1955. Have owned American, British, German, Italian & Japanese machines, both used and new. All have served me well.

[rschrum]

69 cb350 blew the main fuse. Searched the ditch for a cigarette package, wrapped the foil around the fuse and rode home. 74 Norton battery died, had the wife bring me a new one and rode home. 2000 v11 sport, fuel pump died, had to trailer that one. Not really the bikes fault. Dad's brand new 71 Harley blew up on the way back from Sturges. After they rebuilt the engine he traded it for a 72 Eldorado. No issues with that one.

[Tusayan]

Began riding in 1955. Have owned American, British, German, Italian & Japanese machines, both used and new. All have served me well.

I started about 20 years after that but have ridden a lot of miles on all sorts of bikes, in all sorts of places.  Through a combination of luck and being attuned to the bikes I’ve never been stranded on the road by any bike.  I can’t say bikes like my Commando served me well (the engineering on the British stuff was abysmal) but with some attention to the bike, they have always got me to the destination.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

After 6 years with my 1200 Sport, the status left me sitting TWICE for 30 minutes each time. Since I got the Startus Int. kit, no problems. A very reliable bike.

[Testarossa]

Put me down as a believer in the general reliability of old clunkers. Riding for 50 years, I've never been stranded, except in the wake of the Triumph rebuild when a couple of sorting-out problems (both due to my own ignorance of Depression-era engineering) required my wife to fetch me in the van.

I've never owned a new bike. This means that major problems were sorted under warranty by the original owners, and I inherited small stuff including a lot of worn-out electrical components and rubbery things. My first bike, the Aermacchi, was always hard to start but that's no doubt due to my own ignorance at the time about carburetors. It did teach me how to set valves and timing and even replace piston rings.

The Japanese bikes (the Honda 500/4 and Suzuki VX800) got only regular maintenance -- in the case of the Honda, which I owned in my 20s and therefore thrashed pretty severely, that included a top-end refresh late in its life.

The Laverda occasionally limped home on one cylinder. The 850T always came home under her own power even after accidents and a broken shifter spring. Regular maintenance and electrical upgrades kept her reliable. I replaced the chrome cylinders. All other major work was due to outside interference. The Mille has been flawless. The F650 suffered a bad regulator and boiled its battery dry, but even then I was able to coast down the mountain and refill the battery to get home.

I never had enough money to pay for mechanical help until quite recently, so had to fumble my way to solutions. Now that I can afford to go to pros, they're hours away so I'm still doing my own work. The most important thing I learned over the years was to rely on the expertise on WG, and especially to ask questions early rather than late (thank you Pete and Charlie!), and Guzziology of course. Now I have sort of a local reputation -- this summer I was asked to diagnose/fix problems with an old Bonneville, a KTM dirt bike, a 1200RT and an ancient Ambassador. This is entirely due to the dearth of competent local mechanics and my decades-long accretion of proper tools.

[BrotherJim]

Thinking about the bunch of bikes I've had over the years, I can't say that any of them stand out as being unreliable.  Stuff happens, though, and two of the bikes in my current stable have let me down, but only for a moment.  Most recently, my '02 CalStone dropped a nut from the shift linkage as I hit a false neutral on a busy freeway.  With the traffic racing by and me being on the "barely there" left shoulder, I couldn't think straight at the time to go through my tool kit for some lucky hardware or a zip tie, so a frantic search through roadside junk yielded a zip tie across the Jersey barrier.  Back on the road!  Another time I was riding my '98 Triumph Thunderbird Sport on the Smoky Mountain Expressway when the single throttle cable broke.  Scratched my head for a minute and decided to adjust the idle to "WAAAAAAAAAAAA," and off I went.  That was a hairy ride!  Luckily it was towards the end of the day and we weren't far from home base.

[boatdetective]

I've owned 4 Guzzis. I only had the EV for a short period (just didn't fit me), so it didn't have time to break. The other three (V50, Griso 1100, 1200S) all broke down multiple times. They were all showered with love and considerable wrench time- but still broke down. The 1200S never left me stranded anywhere, so it gets considered "reliable" from a Guzzi perspective. I have the gut feeling that the old mechanical machines were probably OK.

[Seventy One]

Thats crazy about the Tiger 800 XC! I always thought the newer Triumph triples were good motors, I guess anything can turn out to be a lemon.
Rick

Excessive oil consumption is a "known issue" with these bikes. I've seen people get engines rebuilt by Triumph because of improperly installed rings, cracked liners, etc.

There is a list a mile long of "known issues" with these. I haven't even experience half of 'em yet.

Triumph recalled the shift shafts on the Daytona's but neglected to do so on the Tigers. I believe they are the same part. These two engines share 85% of their parts with one another. Mine failed at a Guzzi rally in Elkader Iowa back in 2016. Just 2,000 miles later the shifter pawl failed...at 42k miles.

Every time I mention a fault with my bike on Triumph forums or ADVrider I'm always met with the same response; "That's a known issue".... (as if that somehow excuses it!). It's so frustrating.







A $12,800 bike with transmission parts that were carved out of low-grade cheese. I don't race or beat on this thing. I don't "dual-sport it" either. I tour on it.





Anodization faded away completely in just three years. This isn't a Ural or a Royale Enfield. It's supposed to be a competitor to BMW. Go watch You-Tube "long term Tiger" reviews. You'll see grey mirror stems there too. In a year they'll be bare steel. I see the same thing on used Triumphs at my local dealer. My DR650 still looks new and it was half the price.

 



 

[80CX100]

Upon reflection, I've never actually been stranded by a motorcycle.

I've gotten in some major fixes due to utter stupidity, I learned that you can't cross a swamp on an XT500, no matter how pinned you have the throttle. After dragging that heavyweight out of the Mer Bleu Bog, I replaced it with a much lighter IT400, I learned on that bike crossing a creek at a corner may be the shortest way across but also the deepest, much lighter bike to self rescue though.lol

I had the CDI quit on a '72 H2 Triple, but it was kind enough to die in my parking lot.

Seized an RD400 on a WOT test run after having a short in the coils repaired, after it cooled down, I was able to limp back to the shop.

I've had all sorts of mechanical misadventures, mainly electrical due to ignorance and lack of knowledge. But I'm proud to say, I've learned enough to "sort out" my guzzis they've always brought me home.

Every machine has their own unique issues, that needs solving, at least every UJM or guzzi I've owned; as Chuck has pointed out, it usually takes more than luck to have a reliable motorcycle. fwiw

Kelly

 

[Kiwi_Roy]

I blew a head gasket on a 600 Ariel VB, I solved that on the side of the road by taking the head gasket off all together and chuffing back to town to make another gasket out of copper sheet.
Vincent Comet dropped an exhaust valve, had to call my brother who came and towed me home. The valve breaking was really my fault the cam was so worn out.
VII Sport almost left me stranded when the regulator quit, managed to limp home at low revs on a rectifier from an electronic supplier. The engine would cut out on over Voltage if I reved too high.
The 72 Eldorado almost left me stranded when I thought I would treat it to a new condenser, turned out Chinese knock-offs aren't as good as the original Guzzi ones, barely made it home with a very weak spark. Throttle cable broke one day but I got home by pulling on the throttle cables so they stayed partially open and regulated the speed by switching the ignition off and on.
Broken clutch cables don't even warrant a mention.