Topic: the most reliable motorcycle for a commuter

[db22]

Last night my 1975 CB550K left me stranded after work.  It's still sitting in the downtown parking garage at the mercy of a kind police officer who assured me he wouldn't impound it until the full 12 hours had passed. 

So -- if you were looking for the simplest, most reliable bike in the roughly-500cc category, what would you choose?  I assume nothing with four cylinders, four carbs, two point sets, and two coils.  A big single?  What about the Yamaha SR500, or the Suzuki S40?  I need something that will start and run no matter what, and that can be maintained with simple skills and tools.  Any opinions?

[andy750]

Suzuki VStrom.

I have the DL1000 and ride to work every day (30 min journey in stop/go traffic with brief high speeds).  Ride in all weathers. Since I bought it in 2009 its gone 12,000 miles with basic maintenance. Get the DL650 and you will be happy.

However saying that the 550 can be reliable - just needs to be maintained like any motorcycle.

Good luck
Andy

[kirkn]

Hmm....  ANY mainstream bike, new or vintage, can be fairly easily and cheaply kept dead-nuts realiable.  And ANY bike, new or vintage, can still fail without warning and leave you stranded.

What, exactly, failed and left you stranded?  Battery?  Ignition?  Fuel/carb?  I think you'll find that the same circumstances as whatever left you could very conceivably have happened to ANY bike you could have been on...

That all said, I would choose some kind of twin.  On a single-cylinder, there are too many possible failure points that leave you stranded, where on a multi-cylinder bike, you could still limp home.  The trade off is that more cylinders = more complexity = more things to fail.  So, the balance point is a twin.

Going further, there's a tradeoff between vintage / less vintage / new.  In my mind, vintage = points, spokes and drum brakes.  Less vintage = electronic ignition, cast wheels and disk brakes. 

It's almost impossible to compare, objectively, a 1978 Kawasaki KZ400 against, say, a 2001 Suzuki SV650, although they'll both conceivable fit your bill...

Tough call...

Kirk

[Damfino]

Kawasaki KLR650...you could even take the trails home.

[Grnrngr]

+1 to Kirkn's reply..I've got an 83 xv500 Virago that didn't run when I got it. A good carb clean and cleaning all the electrical contacts got it on the road, swapping out the burnt starter with my parts bike, and changing the worn out fuse block with a new blade type are the only things I've had to repair. Change the oil regularly and keep gas in it, I bought a new battery, front brake pads, plugs, and put a rear tire on it,  but thats about it, runs great, I ride almost daily, try to do a 75-100 mile ride weekly, did a 1700 mile trip on it last summer. Definitely +1 on a twin (or more), I bought another xv500 recently that I found out (too late) it has a hole in the piston. I can start it, ride it around, runs pretty danged good for only running on one cylinder, it'd definitely have gotten me home if it had happened to me on the road.  4s can be reliable too, maybe a little more attention needs to be paid to "the complexity of it all" but I haven't had any real issues with my 73 cb750 either, which also didn't run when I got it. It was actually seized with rust, but runs well enough I haven't felt the need to pull it apart yet.  Swapped in a Dyna ignition so I don't have to mess with points, battery, plugs, oil, headlight bulb, front and two rear tires so far(2yrs)..but those are routine maintenance, throttle cables, speedo and tach cables, chain and front sprocket,and rear wheel bearings might not be routine, but ya gotta expect those eventually too during a 35+ yr lifespan. On the other hand, NOTHING is 100% reliable, not even a new Cadillac off the showroom floor....mechanical devices are inevitably subject to failure.

[MoMo]

+2 to Kirk's reply..  Any bike can fail. A twin would be my recommendation due to being less complex than a four.  My 73 CB750 and 81 GL500 are my daily riders and have never let me down.  Vintage requires a bit more maintenance but it is fun to stand out from the crowd ....Larry

[TwoTired]

Last night my 1975 CB550K left me stranded after work. 

No it didn't.  The mechanic for the bike left you stranded.

So -- if you were looking for the simplest, most reliable bike in the roughly-500cc category, what would you choose?  I assume nothing with four cylinders, four carbs, two point sets, and two coils.  A big single?  What about the Yamaha SR500, or the Suzuki S40?  I need something that will start and run no matter what, and that can be maintained with simple skills and tools.  Any opinions?

You need to buy a good mechanic along with whatever bike you settle upon, or one with a good maintenance warranty and roadside service plan.

I commuted for 20 years plus on a CB550.  Tire flats and dead battery were the only times it left me stranded.

IMO.  You should be mad at yourself, not the bike.  'Tis a poor musician that blames his instrument for lack of ability.

Most new bikes have a good warranty and mechanics to work on them, and you don't have to learn anything about the bike!

[db22]

"IMO.  You should be mad at yourself, not the bike.  'Tis a poor musician that blames his instrument for lack of ability."
TT, you are of course correct.  You have tried to talk me through the intricacies of SOHC4 carburetion and ignition in other threads, and I appreciate your advice and patience.  My personal situation doesn't allow me a lot of garage time, nor do I have a lot of extra money to spend.  I had hoped the CB550 would cut my commuting expenses along with adding some fun to the daily drudgery.  I will simply keep trying to get the bike into good enough condition to handle a daily 32-mile commute with reliability comparable to a car.

[kirkn]

Well, if you keep plugging away, you'll get there, reliability-wise.

OTOH, if it's really an uphill struggle to GET this one there, you may be better off pulling the plug and getting into one that's more closer to that 'baseline' reliability already.

You'll have to make the call on that one.

BTW, what failed and left ya stranded?  Have you got an idea, yet?

Kirk

[TwoTired]

"IMO.  You should be mad at yourself, not the bike.  'Tis a poor musician that blames his instrument for lack of ability."
TT, you are of course correct.  You have tried to talk me through the intricacies of SOHC4 carburetion and ignition in other threads, and I appreciate your advice and patience.  My personal situation doesn't allow me a lot of garage time, nor do I have a lot of extra money to spend.  I had hoped the CB550 would cut my commuting expenses along with adding some fun to the daily drudgery.  I will simply keep trying to get the bike into good enough condition to handle a daily 32-mile commute with reliability comparable to a car.

With some of my resurrections, I have overlooked a couple critical things after getting it roadworthy.
One of them was the main power branch off the solenoid post.  Yeah, the post nut was tight and the ring lug was clean.  But, there was corrosion between the wire and ring lug.  This became intermittent (I dread those).  The bike would simply shut off on its own.  Any shock to the bike, like kicking it in the frame nuts, would bring it back to life.  ...for a while.  I rebuilt the key switch, the fuse block and the problem persisted.  Eventually, I narrowed down the shock treatment to the electrical panel, then smacking just the solenoid would bring the lights back on.  Finally, hidden behind the solenoid and connection post I wiggled the small wire in the ring lug, and could make the power come and go at will.  Viola'.  Cleaned the wire and ring lug, soldered the two together, and the bike became just as reliable as all my other CB550s.  Jeez what a pecker head that problem turn out to be!  This particular 550 had led a hard life exposed to outside elements and several clueless abuses by previous owners.
It does help to have a spare bike you can switch to, if the one you choose doesn't cooperate or has an "issue" that can wait for the weekend.

But, if you happen to leave the parking light on at work, none of the SOHC4s will go anywhere under its own power without borrowing some power from a nearby charged battery.  Then you just have to remember to keep the headlight off and the engine revving above 2000 rpm.
Yes, THAT is the voice of experience  ...on more than one occasion. 

Anyway, these are simple bikes.  Really.  You just have to "attack" them methodically and logically.  They can't ignore the laws of physics.  They MUST run if all the proper conditions are met.  They just need someone to keep those conditions present.

Having said that, it can be hard to focus when the distractions of life are in the way.  I don't think anyone is immune to that.

Cheers,

[db22]

Note change in thread title above.  I should have asked about bikes that trade performance for very low maintenance requirements and a toleration of ten-thumbed beginners' attempts at repair and restoration.  Readily available parts and good gas mileage count, too. 

I am grateful for the guidance I have received on this forum, and am dedicated to making my CB550K a good and reliable bike, in the long run.  I have a 1968 CT-90 that is now in shape to sell, and I hope to acquire something like a Honda Rebel or Suzuki TU-250 to replace the Trail 90 as a daily commuter.  It's really too small for the 32 miles I have to go every day.  My CB550 frame needs to be refurbished, preferrably sandblasted and powder-coated, which means a season out of service while I disassemble and reassemble the bike.  It would be nice to have another bike while the 550 is down.

The rusty rear wheel spokes should be replaced, too.  Which reminds me -- there is a usable-looking '75 550F rear hub for sale on eBay, pretty cheap.  Is there any difference between a K and F rear hub?  I could clean that F hub up, and have it laced with stainless spokes and an aluminum rim, if finances allow, next year.  Does that sound like a good idea?