Although the company is quite popular to this day, it’s not so much of a status symbol as it used to be. It’s not so much of a reliable name since 40% of BMW bikes end up in repair during the first four years.
Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed more than 11,000 riders who purchased 12,300+ new motorcycles. The study asked them to answer two key questions: Did they experience any problems and repairs, and if so, which ones? And at the end of the day, were they satisfied with their purchase?
The study’s reliability findings
Overall, Japanese brands were the most reliable—at least as far as the study’s motorcycle owners were concerned. Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki had the lowest failure ratings, all under 16%. On the other side of the spectrum were Triumph, Ducati, BMW and Can-Am. Can-Am owners reported a whopping
42% failure rate by the fourth year of ownership.
The Consumer Reports Top 5 Most Reliable
- Yamaha/Star (11% failed)
- Suzuki (12% failed)
- Honda (12% failed)
- Kawasaki (15% failed)
- Victory (17% failed)
In the survey, nearly half of German BMW owners said their bikes had a serious problem or needed repair after four years.
