Re: Longevity etc.

[Marco S Hyman <marc@xxxxxxxxx>]

 >   I've been reading the Longevity Chronicles with much interest. If I  were 
 > you, I would go Japanese. It could possibly be more cost  effective to find

I've got a different take.   IMHO the majority of bikes made are quite
reliable.  Yes, there are bikes out there with problems. The only thing
I can see in common is that owners of problem bikes are absolutely
sure that their problems are brand wide.   Sometimes they are right,
e.g. the Harley cam problem, the Goldwing frame crack problem, the early
R1100 transmission problems, the ST1100 headshake problem, etc.

Sometimes they are not (but then the owner is *positive* the manufacturer
is hiding the problem).

Pick a bike... any bike.   Then go through the back issues of something
like MCN looking specifically for problems with that bike.   You'll find
them.   Do a google search... you'll find more problems.  Kind of makes
you wonder why we ride the junk we do :-)

My Yamaha vision (50K) left me and my daughter nearly stranded with the
all-too-common burnt out stator problem.   My R80RT never left me at the
side of the road (90K).   On the other hand my dad's R100RT once quit 150
miles from home with the dreaded diode board problem.  Luck of the draw.
My K1100LT (50K) and K1200LT(24K) never left me stranded.   So far (30K)
the only problem with my R1150RT was a bad tire.

The groups with which I ride the most uses all makes and models of
motorcycles.   Don't know that any one bike is more trouble-prone
than the next.   Most rides all bikes work just fine.   Troubles that
have occurred have been spread over the various models: Concours, Wings,
R and K bikes, Harleys, Yamahas, etc.

I'll pick and ride the bike that's fun to ride.  If it stops being fun
for any reason -- breakdowns or otherwise, I'll get a different bike.
I got rid of the K1200LT, a bike that never gave me a problem, because
it stopped being fun to ride.

// marc

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End of oilheads-digest V1 #349
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