Italian Bikes Reliable ?

[czs]

Hey guys,

 

I'm rather new to the forum, first post, taking my 2b now and scouting out for a potential ride already.

 

I'm quite interested in the Cagiva mito/planet or maybe the RS125 but i'm quite concerned as I've heard that they are very unreliable. Is there any truth to this ? If so, could someone explain why ? I've done some research but couldn't really find any explanation as to why, i'm very curious.

 

I'm not too concerned about the initial cost as I don't think it's THAT much more, but if it requires too much maintenance, then I think it would be a problem as I've gathered that servicing + spares parts can be quite a killer.

 

I'm looking for a used one btw.

 

Thanks for all the help !

[scubasimon]

hi. you can find out more about the respective bikes in the sportsbikes section. there are separate threads for the mito and rs125.

 

personally, i do not feel that the mito is any less reliable than a japanese bike. cost for standard servicing is similar to other sportsbikes. since they are 2-stroke bikes, there is the added step of 2T top ups but that isn't a real inconvenience either.

 

make sure you know what to look out for when you get a used bike. this is always true regardless of the marque. a well taken care of bike will last you a long time. one that isn't taken care of properly will be problematic. so check thoroughly before committing.

[NightPhantom]

make sure you know what to look out for when you get a used bike. this is always true regardless of the marque. a well taken care of bike will last you a long time. one that isn't taken care of properly will be problematic. so check thoroughly before committing.

 

i cant agree more.....

 

servicing no diff, except tires as mito/rs125 tires abit bigger.. its the parts that cost a bomb...

[czs]

Hey guys, I've browsed through the threads already .... I myself hate reading time and time repeated questions so I try not to be guilty of that !

 

So where do you guys think this conception/misconception that Italian bikes breakdown come from ? Cause I've been reading other forums as well (overseas ones) and you get some people saying that it goes 10 years w/o a hitch and you get pple saying it breaks down a million times within a week ..... I'm guessing it could happen to any bike ? What do you guys think ?

[czs]

and oh yes, thanks again for all the replies !

[thenation]

Hey guys, I've browsed through the threads already .... I myself hate reading time and time repeated questions so I try not to be guilty of that !

 

So where do you guys think this conception/misconception that Italian bikes breakdown come from ? Cause I've been reading other forums as well (overseas ones) and you get some people saying that it goes 10 years w/o a hitch and you get pple saying it breaks down a million times within a week ..... I'm guessing it could happen to any bike ? What do you guys think ?

 

Those that break down regularly have probably been abused or not properly taken care of in the past.

[KeraKing]

i've seen that the electrical system is more fragile than japanese (even local made) brands.

[testamant]

Hey guys, I've browsed through the threads already .... I myself hate reading time and time repeated questions so I try not to be guilty of that !

 

So where do you guys think this conception/misconception that Italian bikes breakdown come from ? Cause I've been reading other forums as well (overseas ones) and you get some people saying that it goes 10 years w/o a hitch and you get pple saying it breaks down a million times within a week ..... I'm guessing it could happen to any bike ? What do you guys think ?

 

Do you know that nearly 2/4 of the 2nd hand sportsbikes been sold is either been wacked till there is no tmrw,dropped engine,freshly painted, premixed oil,Modified to some what called it perfection.So my fren if you are buying a bike make sure you bring along an experienced fren,dun buy on impulse ok.cheers. btw the bike repairs will reflect on the habits of a Rider EG.ROUGH RIDER = MORE MAINTENANCE.

[czs]

Hey thanks for all the advice so far, could you give me a rough idea how much is the difference in servicing? Lets say a rough comparison between the SP and Mito ?

 

testament: I'm not really the type to be too precious with my posessions, lol

[lunloon]

imo, it's not that Italian bikes are not reliable (for some cases), just that

 

1. full/thorough repair will probably cost another bike

 

2. Used to be OEM parts are not stocked locally, and must order, which has a very very long lead time if production is low.

 

I had a friend who rode a Mito in the late 90s. The joke was that he went to collect his Mito from the workshop one day, and another friend drove him there. Once he collected his ride (was after 3 months of repair, reason was that parts not available), he rode it out, and made a u-turn back into the workshop, where it remained for another 3 months. So he was taking cab more than he rode. And i think it was pretty expensive for a 2B bike.

 

I dunno if things are better now, but it really should.

[czs]

Yikes !

 

I've heard too many stories like that, that's the only reason that's keeping me from getting one .... I heard the aprilia is even worse ?

 

But why would your friend's bike break down any more freq than say any old jap bike? I just can't make sense of it, lol. Lets say all things being equal, they should hold up at least the same ye a?

[scubasimon]

Bottomline is very clear. Buy a bike that is well maintained and continue to maintain it well. Electrics, engine, parts, they all need care. I do not mean that you need to ride them gently because they were not designed for gentle riding. You have to load the engine for it to perform well and continue to function properly. But you do have to service regularly, change parts when the manual suggests etc so that you continue to enjoy the bike without the need for repairs. Its common sense really. Taking care of the little things will prevent the big ones from happening. If you ignore those, then you are just asking for trouble.

 

So get yourself a bike that you like. Then do it up to the point where things are good for you and maintain it from there. I think it will be very tough to find a stock bike these days...though the newer ones should be mainly stock. I was lucky to find mine in a very stock condition...but still...you'll need to do it up. So set aside some dollars for that.

 

The only way to prevent all this hassle is to not get a bike. Whether you get new or used, Italian or Japanese, whacked or not, you will have to set aside some dollars for servicing, wear and tear, and some repairs.

 

To me, as long as you enjoy your ride...its worth it

[lunloon]

Yikes !

 

I've heard too many stories like that, that's the only reason that's keeping me from getting one .... I heard the aprilia is even worse ?

 

But why would your friend's bike break down any more freq than say any old jap bike? I just can't make sense of it, lol. Lets say all things being equal, they should hold up at least the same ye a?

 

My guess would be at that moment in time, support for such Italian bikes are not very strong, and if one ends up with a sneaky workshop then gone case.

 

Just my guess, to reiterate.

[scubasimon]

Yikes !

 

I've heard too many stories like that, that's the only reason that's keeping me from getting one .... I heard the aprilia is even worse ?

 

But why would your friend's bike break down any more freq than say any old jap bike? I just can't make sense of it, lol. Lets say all things being equal, they should hold up at least the same ye a?

 

Well, a bike breaking down more has more to do with how it is being ridden and maintained than anything else. 2-stroke engines work twice as hard as their 4-stroke counterparts so replacement of worn components need to be done proactively. If this isn't given due attention, you will have problems and they will come one after another, very closely and quickly.

 

All things being equal, they will hold up at least as well as other bikes.

[Luster]

mito will be alrite. RS will be a headache if u "miss" some area. trust me.

aprilia is not lousy, easy to breakdown. juz that some riders, or ex owner. whack their bikes from time to time without going

for servicing, doesnt bother to check on the bike etc.. when the time comes, bike giving problem. RS engine built to race, lightweight. light material parts everywhere.

but buy watever ur heart desire bro. dun want u to regret.

if u thinking abt speed. i suggest u wait till u get ur class 2.

cheers!

[thenation]

i've seen that the electrical system is more fragile than japanese (even local made) brands.

 

Its hard to generalise it like that. If you really want to base your opinion on personal experiences, I can say that my 11 year old ducati has almost no electrical problems compared to a friend's 2 year old super 4.

 

Its true that in general, parts for italian bikes are more expensive and harder to find simply because of their relative rarity here in singapore. Its also true that lots of people 'geh khiang' and own one without being able to maintain it properly and then pass it down to the next owner in a poor condition. The next owner tries but fails to restore it and then the cycle repeats. The end result is that people have the perception that italian bikes are unreliable.

 

So if at all possible, be patient and look for one that is in relatively good condition and always set aside a sum of money in case problems surface. This actually applies to all bike purchases regardless of marquee.

[conjurer]

if we are to generalize, simple answer is yes, it is less reliable compared to japanese bikes... but they are damn fun to ride, the feeling, the sound, the pride, it's priceless

[czs]

Hey guys ! Thanks for all the input again, really appreciate it.

 

I guess I'll find out how much servicing and freq is and see if I'm comfortable with it. And having read up so much, I guess most important is to test em out once I get my license, but given that you need insurance to ride, do the dealers let you test ? (a law which I find really dumb btw).

 

I'm also considering buying a really cheap bike to abuse and learn to maintain before getting a nicer one when I get my 2a.

[CMYRS]

get a new one n treat it right, it should b reliable.

 

buying a trashed 2nd hand one is just asking for trouble, italian or not.

 

when on 2 wheels, this can be very dangerous, regardless if ure a new/experienced rider.

[Constructicon]

hmm...How many really take their 2B sports bikes to the max?

I mean, other than asthetics, I wonder if anyone can feel the difference between the handling of say, a SP to a Mito in everyday Point A to Point B riding? Is it really worth the extra cost?

 

Most of us move to 2A eventually. No need to spend too much $$$ on the 1st 2B bike if you intend to upgrade soon.

After all, if you want performance, change to a bigger bike.

 

Years ago, i got a SP. Breaks down something like every 2 months.

Well, as said by others. All bikes breaks down if the previous owner didnt take care of it.

But if my bike is of a more rare model, I would really have to pay alot more for the repairs and parts, and I wonder is it worth it.

[piggyback1974]

Can you tahan the shop mechanic tells you that "oh you need to import this spare parts and these and these. how long ah?....hmm that depends on the shipment lor can take a few months one. want fast ah?...then airfreight lor." This is a rider worst nightmare.Why pay so much for a Class 2B bike power? A japanese one will do.Like bro construction said, you may take class 2A in future.

[Sols]

Mito...

 

One spark plug, 1 litre of EO (I think) thats it for maintenance...

 

Same as any other 2B sports bike...

[Sols]

parts wise...

 

if you don't want to pay, then you have to wait...

 

Minerva still carries the spares, but at a cost, but they aren't unreasonable priced...

 

if want 2nd hand, then you have to wait... want aftermarket, have to order... want cheaper OEM parts, order on eBay, also have to wait...

[Sols]

hmm...How many really take their 2B sports bikes to the max?

I mean, other than asthetics, I wonder if anyone can feel the difference between the handling of say, a SP to a Mito in everyday Point A to Point B riding? Is it really worth the extra cost?

 

Most of us move to 2A eventually. No need to spend too much $$$ on the 1st 2B bike if you intend to upgrade soon.

After all, if you want performance, change to a bigger bike.

 

Years ago, i got a SP. Breaks down something like every 2 months.

Well, as said by others. All bikes breaks down if the previous owner didnt take care of it.

But if my bike is of a more rare model, I would really have to pay alot more for the repairs and parts, and I wonder is it worth it.

 

I had my Mito for 3 years... if not for my wife, I'd have kept it till now even with the Duc... sigh... saw my old bike in not too fantastic condition recently...

 

The day i picked up a SP to test ride in school, it literally felt like a bicycle... felt way too light and unstable... lol... sorry... no offence to SP riders...

 

and yeah, as most of the guys have mentioned, if well maintained, all bikes shouldn't break down that often, only thing with italian bikes is that most people trash it and can't bear to spend the money to fix it up... so it gets trashed more and more... sigh...

[Blackie21]

so far i have not had any problems with my guzzi, all things done were related to wear and tear and with the internet & cheap international mobile call rates, parts all arrive from anywhere in the world within 2 wks if required, which has not been required for this bike as yet.

as Sols mentioned, the problem is that most individuals skimp on maintaning the bikes, which screws it up. so fundamental problem with riders here are that they want things "cheap and good" but not willing to pay to look after them.