[kz1000st]

Here's my take on this "Reliability" question. Everybody has had the issue spoon fed to them so long by dealers that they actually believe them. I'm here to tell you after decades of experience that 30,000 miles on a scooter is NOT outstanding. A good starting point, but not a milestone.

In the age of throwaway motorcycles, ie. the 1970s, I had a Kawasaki 500 last 30,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance. I sold it to ride something bigger but it was good as new with all original engine bits. the next bike, a 1979, lasted 125,000 before I sold it and I recently saw it on Craigslist for sale with even more miles.

If I was a dealer I would want everyone to believe that a scooter won't last as long as a modern automobile. It's good for business. Even a Chinese scooter, with sensible use and regular maintenance, will last 100,000 miles. At least the engine. It's the stupid things that wear out and cause people to seek a new ride but all motorcycles are like that. Switches, chains, seals and other things pop and people say, "I'm not fixing it. Time for a new one."

Craigslist is littered with good bikes that need nothing more than a brake pad or stator that someone won't fix.

A Genuine Roughhouse is a fine little machine, but at that price it darn well should be. BUT. Will it need a rebuild long before a Kymco Agility 50. Absolutely.

A two stroke fires every stroke putting stress on everything in comparison to a four stroke at the same RPMs. A two stroke is also spraying gas and oil at its piston rings while a four stroke runs straight lubricant.

What does that mean? A Roughhouse should last 50,000 to 75,000 miles before the bike needs a top end rebuild. The Kymco 50cc, probably around 125,000 to 150,000.

Reliability isn't what a scooter or anything does in the first year. It's what it does for ten to fifteen years. There are almost no two stroke Kawasaki, Suzuki or Yamaha two strokes out there from the 1970s. There are, however, legions of four stroke Hondas from the 1960s and 70s. There's a reason for that.