Not sure I agree. I suspect Bavarian marketeers and their "resets" have an undue influence.

I currently own two bikes, a 2020 CB500X and a 1973 CL350. The basic service on the CL is an oil change, timing check and valve adjustment every 2000 miles. The tank has to be drained and you need a test lamp and feeler gauges. The CB500X is every 8000 miles and is an oil change that can be done with two spanners and an oil filter.

To fault find the CL requires a multi meter and circlip pliers. You need enough tools to dig through it and the time to do stuff like plug chops and removing jets to inspect for blockages. It is a matter of luck as much as skill as to if you follow the right track to the fault first time. When there are two faults expect it to take 20 times longer.

The CB500X gives you a fault code. You read it and go from there. Even where manufacturers don't provide this most can be defeated by an OBD reader, something easier to find or carry than say a timing strobe or compression tester.

The 16000 service on the CB500X is a nightmare expedition through the tank and electrics tray, but just time and a pile of spanners. The CL is simpler because you just use those circlip pliers to access the oil spinner.

This to me is just knowledge and not believing idiots who'll clear the error memory and charge you seventy quid. I occasionally still train workshop technicians (the mechanic is unfortunately an endangered species) and do meet the "Thar' black box be full O' demons, we must exorcise them by grounding the sacred pin 24" variety. These are more likely to be found in Surrey than Sindh because young people there still have to find solutions not fob people off until they buy new vehicles.

Either way when you find something you need parts or a bodge. ECU pins or carb diaphragms can both be glued. An injector in 97 pieces leaves you just as stranded as a carb manifold in 96.

Andy

Typical wearing parts you will get anywhere after a short waiting time. But if you need something outside this range problems will start.

I think it´s a myth that manufactures cover the world with spare stocks. It is too difficult und expensive to forecast und to build up spare stocks in all markets. "Just in time" or "Just in sequence" is only done for manufacturing but not for spare parts. Manufacturers centralize spare stocks in general and outsource to spare parts logicstics to balance and reduce costs of parts, of availibilty and working capital.

BWM is perfect an example for this. A friend of mine crashed his GS 1250 in India in late 2019. This happened 10 months after bringing that modell to the indian market. BWM has 18 Service Centers in India. Not a single part was available there or in BMW Service Centers in asian countries nearby. All parts had to be shipped from Germany und to be imported to India including the import fee which nearly tripples the price. Took "only" 2 months of time because we bought and fetched the parts directly from BMW Germany. Than we faked the invoices a little bit to reduce the cost of import fees and send the packet via DHL. Packet was hanging around in 3 indian post offices for 4 weeks before he could pick it up with the help of some tea-money.

You can rate reliability of bike by the number of service points in the world but you never know in front where your needed part will be stocked. Equal of the brand it is definitely a matter of expense I would keep in mind if I will go for a longer trip.

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Watched that film - enjoyed it

No, had nothing to do with the film of 2018. But we acted similar because when it happened circumstances of bike parts availability were the same and we had watched the film.

One of the reasons why Christian Vogel of "Egal was kommt" film choosed a GS for his world trip was that he thought it has a good reliability because of the worldwide service points of BMW. His GS performed fine all the way but he went "accidentally" into the spare parts problem.

In modern bikes you find a bunch of electrical/software helpers which have a very low error probability. I don`t hear, read or see very often about electrical or software problems but since a long time I recognize the spare parts problem. Manufacturers haven`t find yet a way to avoid customer dissatisfaction caused by the costs and time effort of spare parts policy. This problem is still growing bigger through different models for global markets and its legal and technical restrictions.

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I can guarantee there is no stock of parts anywhere. The accountants view stock as a cost and 99.9% of buyers won't let such practicalities get in they way of their fantasies on purchase day. So long as every manufacturer works the same way they don't have to worry. They'll even try to "do you a good deal" on a new one which is even better for them.

ATM, things are even worse, the so called JIT is in a state of collapse. COVID brought the whole house of cards crashing down with chip manufacturers getting demand predictions totally wrong and shipping being used as storage. Various large car and truck makers have been shut down and you can guarantee new sales which seed the market take priority

If you are in the break and fix frame of mind you want a smaller manufacturer in the most common layout possible. A generic part for a Chinese 125 gives a dozen sources who might have stuffed up JIT and have stock, including car items . Some weird flat twin part only has one source.

Andy

Both Hondas ...... First bike I ever explored eastern Europe on A Blackbird . First bike I ever went to Morocco on .An St1300 . Neither were adventure bikes in the current sense but never broke down , totally reliable , off roadable......not recommended tbh But had adventures in spades .

Parts wise have found Yamaha to be pretty damn good in relation to supply......from a dealer point of view anyways .
If I was in India then prob not so good.....would b using a hero Honda or pulsar anyways.

A Moto Guzzi 850 T

Nothing ever happened to that bike

Shaft drive. (No chain to take care of)
Points
Carburettors
=> Very little electronics

Not an "Adventure bike" by todays definition.
But adventures we had.......

Attached Thumbnails

 

For South American trips.
There is a saying that BMW owners map their route according to BMW service places......

Maybe that gives a hint.
(Bearings, shock absorbers, charging system.....)

Define 'adventure', and hence, 'adventure bike".

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Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost.

yoo tell me !

Weestrom 650

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

1982 Honda Z50r. By far the most reliable bike i ever owned. Adventures of all kinds for many many years

Probably my Honda XL600V Transalp.

Although it's never been anywhere really gnarly, I have had it for 10 years now and it has done everything I've asked brilliantly, if not blisteringly....

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Yes they were a great bike. think honda are going to bring out a new Transalp.