The 10 Most Reliable Motorcycles That'll Keep You on the Road

IMPORTANT Dakar have hit me with a copyright strike so ive had to delist some of the videos just in case i guess they got pissed that mine were better because of the MOTOGP one before xmas that means im really vulnerable now and the channel could be removed at any time I have set up this backup channel so please go and follow it NOW, this could all be removed at any moment now so it is critical to stay in touch via the backup channel here www.youtube.com/channel/UCCSl6i-tZJNC5DQ38vgCtvw sorry for this if i get another strike it wipes out all my work all my old videos will be removed I wont be posting anything much on the new channel unless this goes down but this is a just in case because it really could go down at any point the videos are still visible if you have a link so if you have problems message me for links so you can still watch them, if you follow the channel and this one gets taken down you will be able to find me there sorry if thats a bit garbled ive just woken to this but i guess i could have had the channel taken down already so i should be thankful ride free everyone

In my humble opinion the 650 Suzuki v twin is one of the greatest engines of all time. I had a Vstrom for a few years and thought the performance was far greater than you would expect from this engine.

I have been a bike mechanic for 50 years. Most bikes are killed by neglect. Modern bikes arrived in the 1980s and if you ride them and make sure the oil and air filters are clean they will last a very long time. I had a 1982 Yamaha Xj650 Seca since new, sold it 10 years ago, running fine at 337,000 miles. My current daily is a 2004 Honda 919 or Hornet as it's called across the pond. Had the valve cover off 3 times, and found 1 valve .05 mm tight once. 176,000 miles and counting. Oil & filters ( full synthetic) every 6 k miles. Air filters 20 k. Tires, chains & sprockets, brake pads, front disks 100k. Steering head bearings 100k, wheel bearings every 50k. Simple to work on by modern standards, but doesn't need much. Original clutch also.

Had a Honda VFR 750 for 28 years now - 60,000 miles on the clock and still going strong.

Spot on with the Honda Cub. I had one many, many years ago using it to do my 30-mile round trip to work and back, whatever the season. It never let me down, but did get me worried when on the odd occasion I had to kick it a second time to start it. At the age of 86, I now ride a Yamaha MT-03 (big enough for a little old man) My 70-year-old wife rides a Honda Rebel 500 (well, she's younger than me lol) both bike being super reliable.

Your channel is not just about motorcycles... it's about motorcycle history. Your knowledge and love for bikes is much appreciated. How can I not subscribe? Thank you!

That GPZ500 entry made me smile. I've ridden literally hundreds of motorcycles and basically everything from the big four Japanese manufacturers until around 2001. The GPZ500 was the most pure fun. That thing was featherweight, handled like a dream, had nice torque and midrange. It is my 'secret favorite' motorcycle, yet I never owned one. Such a well conceived motorcycle.

The CD175 had a 360 degree crank. If you fitted Dunstalls or other less restrictive silencers than the Honda originals, the sound of the CD175 could get surprisingly close to that of a big British twin. They were great, rugged little bikes.

I'd add the Honda NC700/750 series to the list. Maintenance is a breeze, the spark plugs are accessible without removing anything and the valve clearance only required the removal of the radiator (and they're screw and lock valves too!). They're absolutely bulletproof, I have roughly 150K KM on mine and spoke to guys with double (and more) the mileage and they all claim no issues whatsoever.

I started watching your channel today - 1st time. Love the content and reviews. I agree with your list and I have settled on a DL1000 V Strom after 6 other bikes, and my daughter rides a DL650. We love our bikes and the all round capabilities of the V Stroms. Thank you for your efforts and videos - much appreciated.

As a 20-year owner of a '94 VFR750, will 107K miles now, I can say that there is not often reason to remove all of the plastics, but when I do, it is part of the pleasure of the bike. I'll never get rid of that bike. (No, the VFR is not my only bike, just my favorite.)

The Honda CB750. It sold in about 1 million examples over the years. It would run forever and was easy to work on. You could get big bore kits of 812cc (Yoshimura) 836cc (Norris) and even 900cc (MTC) and the engine could still take a beating and be very reliable over many years. Mine was a Norris 836 with an RX2 cam, rebuildt engine head and 32mm Dell'Ortos, giving it 110 HP in the bench.

Back in the day I owned 3 of these motorcycles. The C90, CG125 and the CD175. Each supremely reliable as my daily transport. Great to see these lowly machines make it into your hall of fame.

Good list there , just got myself a triump tiger in boxes ready to restore that will keep me busy this winter , have a great day out there and stay safe .

A very comprehensive & accurate list - many of these bikes were despatched to within an inch of their lives, so they went forever without proper maintenance! A friend had a CD175 years ago, he called it 'the dum-di-dum', as it was so boring to ride. It never let him down though, whatever the weather!

Your channel is great..the passion expressed through your tone, and shake down of the models..fires me up..and ignites my soul just like the first time I threw a leg over my first mc at 12 years old..Thank You

Ive really enjoyed your series of videos. First class, brings back lots of memories after 55 years on Two wheels.

Another wonderful film! Keep them coming, my coffee breaks will never be the same again since I found you and your films👍😎

CB750F. I maintained mine very meticulously , and besides charging issues, it has never let me down for over 100,000 km. I had it. GS1000G and GS1000S were bullit proof. Most 50cc bikes from the 80's and 90s were all very reliable, taking into account that they were almost all the time full throttled and hardly serviced. Suzuki B120, tractor of its time, would get you there every day slowly. Thanks for the videos, keep doing it the way you do.

Nice list . I’ve been a rider for 50+ years and have owned most of these and actually still do . Today my favorite is the Honda VFR -800 I’ve had two and just love them . As you say not the easiest to work on but man is it fun to ride . Thanks for sharing.