you typically dont see 20 year old sportbikes because they didnt really make true sportbikes back then...and its not a reliabilty issue its a crashing issue...i know several guys that have over 100,000 miles on an R6...heck ive got over 30k on my R6 in my sig...done nothing but the typical maintenance on it...fluid changes and such

i just reread the post above..i mostly agree with it but i would go out and say that sportbike is just as reliable if not more than a harley...and thats not only because i ride a sportbike

 

I currently only have two bikes, one that keeps me young with a rush when I need and can pull in stock condition a decent mid 9 at about 143 or so terminal speed. that would be my Hayabusa.
My other bike is a Dyna Low rider......for my 60 year old mature self.
Is there any comparison ? Not in this life time. Two very different machines for a given purpose and I do give equal time as able to both because they both want my attention.
Are there "pukes" on the sportbikes ? Absolutely but not all are.
Are there "pukes" on Harley's, about as many as on the "ricers".
A bike is a bike, there for the love of riding, don't try to compare apples to oranges please.

 

someguy --- You are a little off on your facts. My XR1200 does 7,200 rpms at redline. A sport bike does three times that. Pure BS my friend. Less maintenance? Let's see the sporty has hydraulic lifters=no maintenance. The sport bike oh yea must adjust the lifters. The belt drive on the XR has an idler pulley= no maintenance. Good for the 100K miles of the belt life. The sport bike? Well the ones with chains need constant attention. The ones with drive shafts need periodic fluid changes. Then there is the periodic radiator fluid changing and flushing.

You don't seem to know that a HD has fewer periodic maintenance issues than most sport bikes.

My Buell Ulysess 12XT has fewer periodic maintenance needs than the XR. It does not even require a rear wheel alignment when a new tire is installed.

 

If I really, really wanted speed, I'd just buy a Hayabusa and be done with it.

 

I don't think so. Even a jap 750 has better power to weight ratio.

 

I thought the GSX-R dated back to the mid '80s. That's as sportbike as it gets.

 

I paid BIG bucks for a slow bike because I like it that way.....You go fast,I'll go slow,I will get there eventually.It's like the tortoise and the hare thing !!!!!!

 

I have a link to a 2000 GSX-R 750 with 200,000 miles on the odo. A well taken care of sportbike probably lasts longer than a Harley before a rebuild. Water-cooling and tight tolerances makes a difference in the long run.

 

My buddy had one of those 2 smokes and it would flat out **** and git.

 

They did and then do not forget the GPZ 750 tubo, early 80's and at the time was running 10.25 in the 1/4.
I still had mine until about 5 years ago.