OBP (other bikes problems)

[Don G]

I had a customer bring me an 850 Norton that had a catastrophic rod failure one time, the con rod basically was missing most of the center section, it was in the bottom of the engine case and looked like fine gravel, it was never stated what caused this failure, but I heard later that it was running on its side wide open and the operator fled the scene until it quit running. DonG

[alanp]

The highly respected Yamaha FJR.  I owned one that had a "head shake" issue.  Looking at it online, it seemed a lot of them had the issue.  I adjusted, then replaced the steering head bearings, played with 1000 different suspension settings and tire pressure settings, different tire brands,etc. and no difference to speak of, the shake was always there.  It wore out front tires twice as fast as the rear, which was a first!  I also rode a couple of others and they both had the same issue.
 
Good bike otherwise, but the shake was not forgivable and was the reason the bike is gone.

[SmithSwede]

The highly respected Yamaha FJR.  I owned one that had a "head shake" issue.  Looking at it online, it seemed a lot of them had the issue.  I adjusted, then replaced the steering head bearings, played with 1000 different suspension settings and tire pressure settings, different tire brands,etc. and no difference to speak of, the shake was always there.  It wore out front tires twice as fast as the rear, which was a first!  I also rode a couple of others and they both had the same issue.
 
Good bike otherwise, but the shake was not forgivable and was the reason the bike is gone.

Funny you mention this.  I had a 2005 FJR from new.  Hated that bike.   Poor handling.  Ridiculous tire wear.  Super hot; felt like I was straddling a cast iron cooking stove.  Could never adjust the adjustable windshield correctly.  And buzzy at regular freeway speeds.  WTH?

But people fanatically love them.  If I talk bad about an FJR, most people look at me like I’ve got lobsters crawling out of my ears.   

[Chuck in Indiana]

Nephew Ricky has a (gasp) $34000 Harley CVO with handling problems. "Uh, they all do that." He says he's stuck with it, nobody will buy it.<shrug>

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

Funny you mention this.  I had a 2005 FJR from new.  Hated that bike.   Poor handling.  Ridiculous tire wear.  Super hot; felt like I was straddling a cast iron cooking stove.  Could never adjust the adjustable windshield correctly.  And buzzy at regular freeway speeds.  WTH?

But people fanatically love them.  If I talk bad about an FJR, most people look at me like I’ve got lobsters crawling out of my ears.

This is a post that makes me wish I was good at photoshop. Find a pic of smithswede and edit some lobsters coming out of his ears! Or maybe Zoidburg from futurama! 😂😂😂😂😂 I dunno why but this strikes my funny bone. Thanks for the smile.

[John A]

When Rick posted his beautiful ST1300 with a sidecar, I looked at the postings on reliability. The early ones had a stability problem starting around 80mph. They would start a weave that would increase in amplitude and frequency.
It killed a Police man and some places banned them from their forces. Not sure what they did to fix that.  It looks like a very good bike otherwise

[Lannis]

When Rick posted his beautiful ST1300 with a sidecar, I looked at the postings on reliability. The early ones had a stability problem starting around 80mph. They would start a weave that would increase in amplitude and frequency.

People have been making motorcycles with that basic design (raked head, forks, etc) for 120 years.   

It's amazing to me, after a lifetime of riding motorcycles made in 1954, 1955 .... up to 2014, that never went into a weave or wobble or killed me, that a reputable maker would design a bike whose rake, trail, tires, and weight distribution would be designed SO close to unstable parameters that it would go into a wobble and make the rider lose control.   I mean, that's like designing a Honda Civic that if you took your hands off the wheel at 100 MPH, the front wheels would start slamming from stop to stop.

Why would anyone design something like that?

Lannis

[BSABEN]

Yamaha Virago starter issue is the first thing that came to mind. I think Ducati 900s around 1993 had an issue with stainless bolts that hold the jugs breaking

[Rough Edge racing]

 Ducati uses long studs to fasten both cylinders and heads...some were stainless and have a reputation for breaking unexpectedly..

[Moparnut72]

I realize they are old but /2 BMWs had a problem with the rear main bearings failing. A preyty expensive repair. One I owned had this happen not too long after I sold it to a friend. I warned him about the problem so I didn't frrl too bad.
kk