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Most reliable adventure bike :::::::::::: Most reliable adventure bike ::::::::::::
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Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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  #1  
Old 13 Mar 2021
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Angry Most reliable adventure bike ::::::::::::
What is your most reliable adventure bike owned ?
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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The one I'm yet to break

Too many factors to be able to say X is reliable and Y is a POS. It's just use, circumstances and knowledge. I'd say my CB500X gets more use, meets fewer unfortunate circumstances and requires less specialist knowledge than the Ural I had, but I'm sure some of the foil heads will disagree.

Andy
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post


The one I'm yet to break

Too many factors to be able to say X is reliable and Y is a POS. It's just use, circumstances and knowledge. I'd say my CB500X gets more use, meets fewer unfortunate circumstances and requires less specialist knowledge than the Ural I had, but I'm sure some of the foil heads will disagree.

Andy
Had a CB 500 x for a trip to Morocco ,( perfect bike for morocco )
9500 miles in 4 months totally reliable .... but .............................. no character at all .but a great bike !!
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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What's the unit of measurement for character? Can I buy it as a bolt on?

There is no such thing IMHO, just journalist speak for it did or did not match some expectation or concept of worth or appearance. I don't care if my tools are fashionable.

Andy
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
What's the unit of measurement for character? Can I buy it as a bolt on?

There is no such thing IMHO, just journalist speak for it did or did not match some expectation or concept of worth or appearance. I don't care if my tools are fashionable.

Andy
amazon sell this item !! no nuts needed !!
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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BMW R80GS, bought new in 1991 and has taken me UK to Australia, around South America, Europe several times and countless trips to work, shopping etc. It has needed work along the way but only left me needing a tow once 20 miles from home at 175,000 miles.
An honourable mention to my 1983 R80G/S, bought from the original owner who had done a 4 year RTW trip on it with his wife then used it for commuting for 10 years. I got it as something of a wreck with 120,000 miles on it and after a full overhaul did 20,000 trouble free miles across Africa on it, the bikes second trans-Africa trip. It has since been used for just about everything and has never needed towing home although it did leave me stuck in 3rd gear 10 miles from where I was staying in California but still got me home, on that tour which was four years ago it did nearly 20,000 in North America with that the only problem, it has now done 195,000 miles and is still on the road.
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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Anything Japanese post 1995.
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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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Vincent Black Shadow.

Also faster than a F111 until takeoff
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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A lot harder to answer than 'what's the most unreliable' ...

In terms of what have I had to do least to to keep it going I suppose it would have to be the 1800 Gold Wing I have in the US. From memory the sum total of repair work on it is zero. I've done some service work - oil etc - but its never let me down on the road and the only niggle has been replacing the battery when it was left for 3yrs one time.

Second - mainly because its vastly exceeded my reliability expectations - is my ancient 125 Suzuki. It just keeps going. It's not fault free but its only let me down once when salt water shorted out the plug while waiting for a ferry at Dover.

Because I rarely buy mainstream adventure bikes my choices are all going to be left field oddballs. At the moment I'm trying to get an ancient 250 two stroke reliable enough for a long trip. I'm fully expecting some side of the road 'experiences' - even new they weren't that reliable - but it just has to be good enough. If it was a 1250GS - or even a CB500X - I'd be applying different criteria.
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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So far no problems with my Versys-x 300. It has only done 20k km tho.
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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Originally Posted by frameworkSpecialist View Post
So far no problems with my Versys-x 300. It has only done 20k km tho.
I emailed Kawasaki UK the other day to see if they are importing any of these this year and unfortunately not, I would be interested if they did.
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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I emailed Kawasaki UK the other day to see if they are importing any of these this year and unfortunately not, I would be interested if they did.
I'm having the same conversation with Honda UK. H-ness 300? No. CT125? No. Have a CBRrrrr Fireplace Sir? FFS

I think they want me to buy an Enfield (the last two won't win the reliability contest, easy to fix though).

Andy
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Old 13 Mar 2021
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BMW1100gs
180K miles - apart from a gearbox rebuild which cost £300 it was only consumables.
Even with a clucking gearbox I got home from France - the bike never actually broke down.

I’ve just read backofbeyond’s thread and second place would go to my GL1000, plain Jane Goldwing - 120k miles.
The only time it failed was when a rivet came loose in the generator - engine out job for a simple fault but it was surprisingly easy to do.
The great thing about these bikes was that a lot of the parts were the same as a Honda Activan so very cheap.

My theory is, and there’s no science behind this, if you use a bike everyday it will be very reliable - I think this especially applies to BMWs. I don’t have a car and have been very lucky with the reliability of my bikes - I don’t fiddle with them or over wash them just service them according to manufacturers recommendations and ride them.
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Old 14 Mar 2021
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My old blue 1971 Honda CB100, never failed to start in the morning even covered in a foot of snow.

Mezo.
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Old 27 Mar 2021
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
...easy to fix though...
That's perhaps the more important consideration; as noted earlier, all or at least most of the mainstream modern bikes are very reliable, but there's likely to be something go awry eventually, so a bike that needs a heap of specialist tools and diagnostic computers to do even the basics like a service is not the one to choose. At least with modern online parts ordering and fast/efficient international shipping, obtaining spare parts is less of a problem than it was in the past, so you don't have to carry a heap of those along with you too; so long as you compare manufacturers spares back-up and select accordingly - BMW and the major Japanese manufacturers generally seem to be good.
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