Ride CT & Ride New England Serving New England, NYC and The Hudson Valley!
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com
A subscriber squealed. “Consumer Reports” yesterday came out with its first-ever motorcycle reliability survey, with an online tease only saying that “Japanese bikes have fewer problems than BMW or Harley models.” Only subscribers were allowed to read the full story.
Well, a subscriber sent it along, and the results of show that nearly one in four Harley owners reported problems with their bikes. Doing worse, though, was BMW with 30 percent reporting problems. Experiencing fewer repairs were Yamaha (11 percent), Kawasaki (13 percent) and Honda (14 percent) owners.
Not surprisingly, “Consumer Reports” said, “Despite a high number of problems, Harley and BMW owners were among the most satisfied with their bikes. When asked whether, considering everything, they would buy their bike again if they had it to do over, 75 percent of Harley owners said definitely yes, closed followed by 74 percent of BMW owners and 72 percent of Honda owners.”
Owners of touring models had the most problems with their bikes (27 percent), while cruiser owners had the least (16 percent). “Consumer Reports” also said, “Respondents reported having the most trouble with accessories, such as lights, instruments, switches, and radios (21 percent); brakes (20 percent); the electrical system (16 percent); and the fuel system (15 percent).”
“Consumer Reports” surveyed 4,680 motorcycle-owning subscribers. The magazine didn’t receive sufficient data to include Suzuki or Triumph. To get the full details (and become a subscriber), go here.
