Simple really.
Buy a simple bike with low mileage and which has been well maintained. Then have it checked by a GOOD mechanic.
Learn how to do simple repairs and simple maintenance. Just the obvious ones. It's really not that hard at all to check your oil, chain etc and learn how fix a puncture. I am CERTAIN that 90% of all breakdowns are people letting their bikes run low on oil, really stretching maintenance out far too long or when it actually matters, really having no idea how to change a puncture.
I blame a lot of this on the whole "That bike's bulletproof" forum and media chatter. It makes many folk totally nonchalant..... Blasé. It's a machine with a million working parts. Things need maintaining. No matter how "Bullet Proof" it's claimed to be.
Check these boxes and then you'd have to be really unlucky to be stuck anywhere. And if you have a simple bike, A LOT more people can help you fix it if you can't do it yourself.
This is why the big, expensive exotic bikes loaded with gadgets and electronics are the WORST bikes to go long distance travelling on. Unless of course you can just throw ridiculous amounts of cash a problem that you can't solve yourself.
And that's why so many BMW's make it around the world. With enough money, you can be rescued from anywhere. Almost.
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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.
Last edited by *Touring Ted*; 3 Nov 2014 at 14:32.
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