|
|
Hi,
Just a quick question... Can anyone tell me if there is an order as to the reliability and quality of motorcycle brands. I do realize that maintenence and use of the bike by the owner will result in differing opinions, but as a standard who is the most reliable/highest quality, and least reliable/worst quality out of the big manufacturers? Honda, Kaw, Yamaha, Suzuki... I am a stickler for things being reliable and well built. Knowing that there are many people on this Forum that do work on their own bike, I'd expect there are some great stories of quality and lack there of. Even a ranking 1-4 IYO would be great.
Any and all opinions would be appreciated.
Cheers
Sometimes the sun makes beggars believers
And sometimes a shrine is built to deceive her
In between let oblivion ring
Whoa let me hear all you sad angels sing
Appaloosa
they're all pretty good brands but if any other sticks out more then the others i would say honda. they build very reliable engines in all their vehicles...and i am not even a honda guy, the cbr 1000 is one of the ugliest bikes i have ever seen but reliability, hondas engines are bulletproof.
Of the 4 Japanese brands you mentioned there is no "stay away from" brand. Some models may have certain isolated issues more commonly known and discussed on owner forums. Some of those are blown out of proportion as well. It's a good time to be a motorcyclist. It wasn't always so, reliability wise.
all of them are pretty much equally reliable. honda has the best track record for longevity.
actually Kawasaki does.Originally Posted by rukus
As stated before, the big four jap manufactures you listed are ALL good.
I'd be open to buy any of them if reliabillity was a concern of mine. Having said that, IMO, there's much more to buying a bike than just reliability.
Agreed, although breaking down to or from work would suck pretty bad... plus the tow may cost me 10% of the value of a used bike... so when looking at a used bike I still feel reliability is paramount.
Thanks for the comments none the less.
Sometimes the sun makes beggars believers
And sometimes a shrine is built to deceive her
In between let oblivion ring
Whoa let me hear all you sad angels sing
Appaloosa
No mention of buying used in your first post.
GL with the purchase!
Regular maintenance/care (no need to be absolutely anal about it, but ya can't just ignore it either) and rational riding habits are more relevant reliability factors than "which model/brand" anymore.
Never change the oil/filter, leave it sitting out uncovered all year, do wheelies and stoppies every light... ya, stuff is gonna stop working or break no matter what bike you buy.
Sorry, guess I should have specified it, but I think reliability and quality starts with a new bike and ends with a used one. Either way, thanks for the good wishes... lol, trust me, if I could afford new I would... You are right as well, there are other important factors to consider... I am just an attractor of LEMONS!!! I am always very gun shy buying vehicles as I have been stung so bad in the past. Thanks again for the input, I value everyones opinion.
Sometimes the sun makes beggars believers
And sometimes a shrine is built to deceive her
In between let oblivion ring
Whoa let me hear all you sad angels sing
Appaloosa
All 4 japs are very closely matched in terms of reliabality. As mention in above replies, it is more of how you maintain and ride it. If you keep rev above 10,000 some thing will go wrong eventally.
For peace of mind I buy CAA every year. Even if you don't use it, you're paying for peace of mind.
Good point. I have my rev limiter set at 9,999.
basically bikes are simple. most work can be done on a drive way in an afternoon and a manual. the worst possible thing is having an engine blow, i replaced mine for $500 and swapped it in myself in a weekend. so even if you get a lemon bike it wont be as bad of a burden as having a lemon car. find someone who knows a bit about bikes to go with you to buy your first bike, theres tons of guys on here who would help you out.
I have friends who suffer this malady... no matter what bike they buy, no matter how well they care for it, the damn thing craps out on them.
I tend to be fortunate ending up with bikes more reliable/lasting than the norm for that model. Not that I have any idea why, as I just kinda buy what's there at the time, stretch maintenance intervals a fair bit and ride them pretty hard.Go fig...
Maybe it IS because I tend to buy Hondas.
Good hunting!
This is a very subjective topic. As many people develop brand loyalties for whatever reasons. I do feel that all 4 japanese bikes are great quality and if serviced properly can give years and thousands of kms of reliability. Not sure that there are any statistics to prove one brand over the other? You'll likely just find several message boards with varying opinions from riders of different skill levels and preferance. If you are looking to get a new bike, IMO it comes down to personal taste. Do you like the looks, the colour, the comfort etc. For me it even comes down to price. The last bike I bought was not my 1st choice, however after shopping around I got it for 800bux cheaper than any other bike I was interested in!
Since I havent answered your question yet, heres MY PERSONAL OPINION for reliabilty based only on my experiences.
Honda
Yamaha
Kawi/Suzuki
It is what it is...
I have a black belt in anger!
As others have said, when buying used, the type of care (maintenance, riding habits) taken is much more important than the brand.
There is no way to tell for sure how a bike is cared for, but if the previous owner kept it clean (no rust, dents,...), that is a pretty good indicator of a well cared for bike.
Good :
wealthy owner (tend to sell because they want new,not because it's worn out)
mature owner (tend to ride more conservatively)
one owner (if you want something to last, you keep better care of it)
clean appearance (no rust or dents, paint not faded)
"boring" model (the "old technology", low horsepower, heavy bikes tend to be ridden more conservatively)
Bad :
poor owner (will hang on to anything that is reliable, they can't afford new)
young owner - tend to ride faster-especially a newb who tend to drop it a lot
latest super sport models (they are built for speed, so...)
If you are buying new, brand reliability may be a factor (although how you care for it will have a lot more to do with how long it lasts - I have seen 30 year old bikes on ebay in far better shape than one locally sold three year old bike).
My personal oppinion of the brands reliability are 1)Honda, 2) Yamaha, 3) Kawasaki, 4) Suzuki. The problem with Suzuki is their "finish" (thin paint, and chrome - ask any Brit about it, and they will confirm this - although if you keep them clean, store them indoors, and don't ride in the winter, it won't be a problem)
SeaMe
Awesome responses and info from all. I am happy to say that I was going to try to stick to Honda or Yamaha as my car is a honda, and the boat motor up at the cabin is a Yamaha... No issues as of yet...*Knocking on wood with a sledge hammer* lol
I love the idea of CAA, good call on that one.. I will certainly be taking that advice, atleast then if the gremlins return I won't be out 500 skins to get it home.
I have done lots of work on my cars over the years, so I am somewhat inclined to mechanics, I am hoping to learn the full break down on any bike I might purchase. As always experience is the best teacher... that being said, I hope I don't need to teach myself for a while, or atleaset learn at my own leasure.
Thanks again for all the advice, I have learnt more for the folks on this board then I ever though possible.
Cheers
Sometimes the sun makes beggars believers
And sometimes a shrine is built to deceive her
In between let oblivion ring
Whoa let me hear all you sad angels sing
Appaloosa
personlay I am gettign a Hyosung a korean maker, but here is the fun part they make parts and even full bikes for Suzuki. There gt650 is there own bike, not a copy of anything, they had issue sin 2005 and early 2006 engines throwing a rod in eurupe. Seams those models never made it here. But peoe to this day blow the issues WAY out of proportion to say its crap. Now is it the best thign since sliced bread, nope there are more common issues, these days rather small ones. but it don;t have th reutation of the big 4. But the big has there iwn issues, and its usualy per bike line. IE the GT250 from hyosung has diffrent issues from the GT650. Same with say Honda, the 2003-2004 goldwings where known for overheatign when in stop and go traffic. Dose this mean the Honda bikes are worse then say the Hyosung or a Suzuki, nope.
Now lets compare diffrent brands in the same class, so say the SV650 and the GT650 I am getting. The SV650 a more refined bike, and will have less minor issues as most if not all have been worked out. The GT650 will have more but is cheaper bike to buy and I got a steel so I got one comming to me. But at the same time the GT650 has soem features above the SV such as upside down forkes. So hey that feature may be enough for you to say you want this bike, again only using this as a example.
So in the end EVERY manufacturer will have issues, even the big ones but limited to lines of bikes. IE some suzuki bikes ahve the o so fun frame cracking issue. But that dose not mean all Suzuki's have it. Also some bikes will have interchangable parts even, as Suzuki and Honda and Hyosung may all use the same supplyer of a specic part. IE the carborator in the Gt650 hyosung is the same one found in the older sv650's. So hey say that carb had a issue (IT don't) it could be cross brand name issue even.
So best to find out what bikes you are looking at and if you find 5 that you REALY like, then don't base decision on the brand but the bike lines. So if you find out one of those bikes is known for breaking the chain thats a reason not to go that way. But the other bike you realy like may have a spotless record but from say from honda who has had heat issues on the goldwing line thats not even remotley related to the sport bike you are looking at.
1.honda 2.yamaha 3.suzuki. 4.kawasaki, just my 2 cents
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks