Build Quality in Motorcycles

  • Thread starter JohnBM01
  • 2 comments
  • 685 views

JohnBM01

20 years!
Premium
26,199
United States
Houston, Texas, USA
JMarine25
Automobiles built to high standards allow for a car to have a rigid chassis and high-quality parts. Stability is also important for automobiles with quality suspension parts and overall impressive engineering. Build quality is a big part of an overall design of a car. But what about motorcycles? I've been thinking a lot recently about how motorcycles have such rigid chassis and quality parts for riders to get on them and ride. I sometimes wonder how most bikes usually have such rigid chasses that don't wear out after a long while. GTPlanet, this is a thread in which I'd like to offer a discussion on build quality with motorcycles. What qualifies for motorcycles to have amazing build quality? What qualities do motorcycles of impressive build quality have over those with poor build quality? What motorcycles have good build quality as opposed to bikes with poor build quality? Please note that this can be about ANY motorcycle. It can be a sport bike, a super bike, a cruiser, a scooter... I'll even allow ATVs in this discussion (they qualify as motorcycles). Feel free to kick this thread off.
 
Personally my FJR is built better than any car I've ever owned. All the controls have an exact and consistent feel and feedback. There is NO oil on any of the casings or on the ground in the bike's parking space. None of the hydraulics seep around the fittings. I've NEVER had to top off any fluids between changes. And while valves using shims for adjustment rather than hydraulic tappets like most modern cars sound like an inconvenience, my valve adjustment has never been out of spec.

That said, there is a difference between build quality and dealer quality. I've heard stories of loose front axles, undelivered options, etc from the posts on my motorcycle forum. Dealer quality overhaul can be a serious effect on the enjoyment of your bike. I know for a fact that my local Yammy dealer is not well-respected. On the 2 visits I made to the showroom for gear, nobody talked to me until I asked for help, and then it was an attitude like I was keeping them from something. Haven't been back. Also, after scraping the left side of my bike last fall in gravel, I was trying to figure out how to tell my insurance agent I didn't want the local dealer anywhere near my bike. Turns out I didn't have to. He said they'd take it up the road about 80 miles if it needed a dealer, they'd had repair quality problems locally.
 
Back