Having owned Yamaha's, Suzuki's, Kawasaki's and Honda's I can tell you the build quality is most definitely more apparent on the Honda's vs the other three. The main areas I notice this most in is in the plastics and wiring. Attention to detail shines through when the plastics are more durable and resist cracking. Then when you look at wiring clips and fasteners are more durable and sheathing is more common over electrical tape and zip ties. It's small details but when you start really paying attention it's very noticeable.
Personnel experience counts for a lot. Thanks for that input.
I've also had a lot of bikes so far (19 with no end in sight). I've seen poorly finished examples of everything, including Honda. From my experience all the big 4 now have a LOT of attention to detail on all their flagship bikes. But the economy models may well favour the Honda, until I own every recent example I cannot argue.
Yeah I'd have to agree on the small details. The Burgman fasteners and some fittings were subpar whereas the dressing on the all the Honda's was top notch and the motors appear bulletproof. ( even my son couldn't kill either Honda tho he did in the Yamaha and Kawi motors - the Honda clutch on the 450 race bike was NOT meant for mudding.
OP - you've had a Honda - stick with it.
There are other reliable machines out there but I'd say your odds of getting a quality ride( and expense ) are high with Hondas.
get a honda...
although i am personally a yamaha triumph fan... and have had no problems with either.... as a mechanic, i think honda cars are bullet-proof, and from limited motorcycle mechanic experience, their bikes dont fall far from the mark.
as for bmw... stay the **** away, like their cars, the bikes are overpriced and overcomplicated, and when something goes wrong... it'll cost you three arms and a leg. you can get the same(if not better) performance and reliability out of any of the big 4 jap bikes... honda and yamaha would be on top of my list.
but just like everyone else in this thread... i'm only stating my personal opinion.
My last 4 bikes were all big Kawasaki's. I had a 1996 zx11, 2000 zx12, 2007 zx14 and now a 2012 zx14r (only 3000 on this yet so I can not comment on how it will stand the test of hard use). Combined on the first 3 bikes I put over 225,000kms. Apart from regular items, (adjust the valves, filters, liquids and of course tires) the bikes were all exception. No major issues at all. Highly recommend.
I have also owned 3 Suzuki bikes, 2 yamaha bikes and one honda. Quality on all of them was top except for a fuel pump on my 1985 V65 Magna when the bike had ~10,000kms on it.
i think honda cars are bullet-proof, and from limited motorcycle mechanic experience, their bikes dont fall far from the mark.
as for bmw... stay the **** away, like their cars, the bikes are overpriced and overcomplicated, and when something goes wrong... it'll cost you three arms and a leg. you can get the same(if not better) performance and reliability out of any of the big 4 jap bikes... honda and yamaha would be on top of my list.
WOW, another TL125 owner. there aren't many of us left now............ I really liked mine and it was a mountain goat, it could go anywhere.
Build quality and long term reliability it's Honda for me and I've owned a number of brands. My 10 year old ST looks and runs like new. Lots of them with 200,000 - 300,000 km on them with nothing more that routine maintenance. One Iron Butt rider I met has over 650,000km on his and it's still running good.
I am starting to think seriously about my next bike purchase and overall quality and longevity is something I find myself thinking more and more about (I currently ride a 1980 Honda GL1100i). I know it can be difficulty to compare different types of bikes but I want to compare the build-quality, quality of individual components, and how well the bike stands-up to everyday use. Which bike or bike brand do you, GTAM members, think deserves the "best quality" title
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I can't tell you which bike is the best quality, but I can tell you I put over 202,500 km on my 2006 Suzuki DL650 with close to no issues. (Issues were grease needed in speedo drive around 80,000 km, Clutch actuator mechanism need replacing around 100,000 km ($50 in parts), fuel filter needed replacing around 145,000 km and starter switch needed cleaning around 160,000 km.)
I think most of the items above would qualify as maintenance, and after a valve check at 24,000 km the bike never saw a dealer.
I hate to say it, but after owning the four Japanese brands, and Triumph and BMW, Honda wins out. I suppose it was not a fair comparison, as I never owned a Harley. I base this on overall "fit and finish" and reliability.
I hate to say it, but after owning the four Japanese brands, and Triumph and BMW, Honda wins out. I suppose it was not a fair comparison, as I never owned a Harley. I base this on overall "fit and finish" and reliability.
oil burning was a big issue on the 1kRR in 08. I have an 08, 90% of the bikes on the market from the 08-11 are 08's. Root cause seems to be bad rings in the early production numbers. 09+ models don't seem to have the issue. Some guys talk about burning 1 qt of oil per 1000 km, which honda considers "normal". Honda still does not admit this is a problem which is surprising. Ringing it out on the track, it uses a bit. Not tons, but you notice it. On the street, there is no noticeable usage. Switched to motul 7100 from 5100 this year, we will see if it makes a difference.
In terms of performance and reliability, it has been exceptional. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. The only thing I hope they change is the "seamless" fairing design, which does not expose the bolts. Its a major PITA to take the fairings off. If you do track, its an issue.
In terms of performance and reliability, it has been exceptional. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. The only thing I hope they change is the "seamless" fairing design, which does not expose the bolts. Its a major PITA to take the fairings off. If you do track, its an issue.
OH JOY - I hate this feature, too. It looks fantastic on the bike. Less so when it comes time to take the fairings off. And all of the recently-introduced Honda models are like this (VFR1200, CBR250, new CBR125).
I've read that the engine from the 250 Ninja is basically bombproof since the design hasen't changed much from a decade ago.
As long as we are bringing car makers into this. Stay away frm BMW/Audi. The Audi Q7/Q5 could be the worst built cars ever. Mercedes have gotten their act together on reliability.
The usual failure mode for Ninja 250 is that the owner lets them run low on oil. It's rather normal, and not an indication of a problem, for those engines to burn just a wee bit of oil (it is a small engine that has to be flogged hard) and the sump is not very big. Combine that with a frequently-noob owner who doesn't check the oil, and you have a ticking time bomb. Stay on top of the oil level and they seldom break.
The BMW boxer engine is simple to work on and easy to maintain. The bikes run forever. Check to see what the majority of the RTW riders use. I'm not a mechanic but I'm able to do all the regular service work on the bike. Check the resale values of the bikes and see what the prices are after 5 years.
I think Honda build the most reliable bikes overall. Just look at history and how many of the older bikes 25 or more years old) that are still on the road today are Honda's. Or go on kajiji and look at how many Honda's that are still in great running condition are out there. Far more than any other brand. I'd bet at least 60 percent of all older bikes on the roads are Honda's with the other 40 percent being all other manufacturers combined. Obviously it's too soon to judge the reliability of bikes currently in production but i see no reason to think Honda's strong reputation will change anytime soon.
hey, I wasn't posting look for advice about what to buy I just wanted to start this conversation about what people think. So far I think it's been a good one
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