10 Legendary Motorcycles Known For Their Bulletproof Reliability

When we discover something new, we seek thrills and excitement, like something from a collaboration between Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer. However, with time, we tend to settle down and take fewer risks. We seek stability, and security becomes more important than a double shot of adrenaline.

So it is with motorcycles as well. When we first get into the game as young humans with strong backs and knees, we want the quickest sports bikes. As the years and decades roll by, we gravitate to bikes (and people) that offer that desirable trait: reliability. Enough of the philosophizing; here are ten legendary motorcycles known for their bulletproof reliability, from cruisers to dual sport bikes and tourers.

To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Yamaha Motorsports, Suzuki Cycles, and Honda Powersports. They have been arranged in increasing price to give the list some order.

Yamaha TW200

Price: $4,999

The TW200 is a dual sport, but it is unlike any other motorcycle on sale today. It is quite a small motorcycle, and it has balloon-type tires that make it look somewhat like a beach bike. But under that faintly cartoonish exterior lies a product that is a lot tougher than most motorcycles today. Part of the reason is its simplicity: it has an air-cooled single-cylinder engine that is fed by a carburetor, it has a rear drum brake, and the instrumentation is analog. This is a classic example of things not breaking because there aren’t many things in the first place!

Kawasaki KLR650

Price: $6,999

The KLR650 has been in continuous production for over three decades, and in that time, the sum total of major non-cosmetic changes is the addition of fuel injection, ABS, and a digital LCD instrument cluster. It isn’t perfect, but it is certainly close to perfection if all you want is a workhorse that will get to wherever you want to go without fuss. The ABS is a $200 option, and you can have a lowered KLR650, the KLR650 S, if the regular one is too high.

Honda XR650L

Price: $6,999

The KLR650’s changes are few and far between, but the XR650L has had no changes at all since it was launched. It is a Honda, so reliability was never in question, but even so, with a few decades of production under its belt, it has become the kind of motorcycle you’ll want with you to ride out WW3. The engine is a simple air-cooled, carbureted thumper, but it is unique in that it has a dry sump. This is usually done to increase ground clearance in motorcycles, and Honda made the frame the oil sump/cooler, making for an interesting wrinkle in an otherwise bog-standard motorcycle.

Suzuki DR650S

Price: $7,299

The DR650S is Suzuki’s contribution to the indestructible 650 cc dual sport segment. It has an air-cooled and carbureted single-cylinder engine that puts out par-for-the-course horsepower and torque figures. This is a conventional engine like the KLR650; it collects its oil in a sump at the bottom of the crankcase. It offers adjustable compression damping for the rear shock, which is unique among the old-school dual sport bikes. A lowering kit is available at the dealer level if the seat is too high for the rider.

Honda Shadow Aero

Price: $7,949

It isn’t difficult to understand why the Shadow is as popular as it is: Honda designed it to compete with Harley-Davidson. That means it ape the American marque’s design, but adds Honda reliability to it. The 745 cc version that is on sale today had fuel injection and liquid cooling even at launch. It breathes through two intake valves and a single exhaust valve, has a five-speed transmission, and the final drive is via a shaft. The Shadow sells well enough for Honda to have recently given it a rear disc brake and ABS as a $300 option.

Yamaha Bolt R-Spec

Price: $8,999

The Bolt R-Spec is Yamaha’s effort to beat Harley-Davidson at its own game. That is why it gives off last-gen Sportster vibes; it was designed to be like the American model. While the Sportster range has now moved on to a very different style of cruiser, the Bolt R-Spec remains the same, with an air-cooled engine, cradle frame, and twin rear shocks. The fuel injection is a welcome nod to modernity, but the Bolt R-Spec is simple enough that reliability is almost a given.

Suzuki Boulevard C50

Price: $9,299

Suzuki has quite a few models that qualify for this list, but the Boulevard C50 is among our preferred options because it has been around for so long, and it uses minimal electronics to achieve what it does. It is an interesting product, though: like the Honda Shadow, this is a fuel-injected and liquid-cooled engine, and it even chooses final shaft drive. However, unlike the Honda, it has Suzuki’s ‘SDTV’ (Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve) technology, which puts a second set of throttle valves in line with the cable-actuated ones, to make the power delivery smooth and to help with cold starts. You’ll also notice that it looks like a hardtail, and that is because Suzuki has chosen to give it a hidden rear monoshock under the seat.

Kawasaki Vulcan 900

Price: $9,599

We finally come to Kawasaki’s competitor in the midsize retro cruiser segment. The Vulcan 900 has a rear disc brake (unlike the Boulevard C50’s drum brake), but doesn’t offer ABS even as an option. Another difference is that it opts for a belt to drive the rear wheel. You can have the Vulcan 900 in three distinct flavors: the Vulcan 900 Classic with its lovely retro looks and whitewall tires, the Vulcan 900 LT that adds soft luggage and a bolt-on windscreen to the mix, or the drag bike-style Vulcan 900 Custom. The latter uses a blacked-out look with alloy wheels, a large 21-inch front rim, and drag bike ‘bars for a factory custom look. No matter what you choose, though, you will get unreal reliability.

Suzuki Boulevard M109R

Price: $15,799

The Boulevard M109R is the bigger of the two Boulevards on sale today. There are similarities between the two: a V-twin engine with four valves per cylinder, a five-speed wide ratio gearbox, and a final shaft drive. However, the M109R is a massive powerplant, and it generates a lot of power – 123 horsepower – in addition to a huge 118 pound-feet of torque. This engine’s insane performance necessitated the widest rear tire on a production motorcycle when it launched. It’s got so much performance that its reliability, despite being faultless, ends up taking a back seat!

Harley-Davidson Road King Special

Price: $24,999

The Road King Special is the last of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles to use the Milwaukee Eight 114 engine. The rest of the Harley two-wheeler range uses either the M8 117 or M8 121 engines when it chooses from this range of engines. The Milwaukee Eight 114 is a workhorse; this is clear because it is still the engine of choice for H-D’s trike range. If it is capable of hauling all that weight, well, it’s definitely going to be bulletproof in a Road King! It helps that it is in its simplest form and with a relaxed state of tune in the touring motorcycle.