What is the Most reliable, least maintenance motorcycle?

What is the Most reliable, least maintenance motorcycle?

Choosing a motorcycle is an exciting time; there are so many different styles and looks available that it can be hard to choose your favorite. But, whether you’re looking at a sports bike, touring bike, city bike or even a scooter you need to remember that the cost of purchasing the bike is only the first part of the equation.

Despite the average cost of a motorcycle being between $5,000 and $10,000 you also have to factor in the right safety gear, insurance, maintenance and those unexpected issues. Of course choosing a reputable Motorbike Sales firm will help with the unexpected issues.

But the best way to ensure your new pride and joy doesn’t become a money pit is to purchase the motorcycle that needs the least maintenance and will still be reliable for you. Fortunately, this is not as difficult as it may sound:
Go Japanese

The simple truth is that Japanese bikes are more reliable than any other brand. In fact a recent survey showed the failure percentage after 4 years for the following brands:

• Yamaha – 11%
• Suzuki – 12%
• Honda – 12%
• Kawasaki – 15%
• Victory – 17%
• Harley-Davidson – 26%
• Triumph – 29%
• Ducati – 33%
• BMW – 40%
• Can-am – 42%

If you want to choose the bike that is most likely to stay reliable then you need to choose one of the top 4 Japanese brands. But, this doesn’t mean that they are the ones that will make you happiest to ride. In fact the most satisfying bike to ride according to the same survey is Victory, followed by Harley-Davidson and then Honda.

You’ll need to decide whether satisfaction is worth more than reliability or perhaps aim for a good compromise with Honda that comes in 3rd for reliability and satisfaction.

Maintenance Is Necessary

It is important to note that every motorbike needs to be maintained. You will need to check tire pressures, oil level, water level and your drive components:

• Chain driven needs regular adjusting and lubricating.
• Belt driven needs inspecting for wear and tear
• Shaft driven needs occasional lubricating.

This is just a few of the jobs that won’t just help to keep your like on the road. Regular maintenance will also help to ensure you remain safe while riding. If you don’t do the maintenance the risk of your bike failing is significantly higher. Of course if it fails at high speed there is a significant risk of you being injured even if you have the right gear on.

It is worth noting that a water cooled engine requires slightly more maintenance as the water level needs to be checked and periodically replaced. But, water cooled engines are generally more reliable than their air cooled counterparts.

You can’t pinpoint an exact bike that is going to be more reliable than any other. But you can select the manufacturer that offers the most reliability and then make sure you stick to the maintenance schedule. This will help to keep you on the road throughout the year.