Saw this on 599.com and thought it'd be interesting to see the 919 crowds responses. Searched and didn't find a similar thread so here we go.
What year you got
Mileage/Miles you put on it
What mechanical problems have you had
I've only had mine since September (9/19!) but I'll answer anyway.
2002 919
w/13,200 miles (2k are mine)
Changed the oil once so far @ 12k miles, broken bottom exhaust mount which I need to fix
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"A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life."
A couple of shims required at the 32K valve check
Wheel bearings at 37K
Chain replaced at 24K
Brake pad replaced at 31K
New rear Brake light switch at about 40K. Switched from mechanical to hydraulic.
2004
bought @ 7368 mi. on 4/09
current milage is 23470
3 sets of tires
1 battery
2 tail light bulbs
1 set of plugs
1 set of brakes
1 sprocket set
oil and gas
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
2007 I bought new last year. Replaced the tires. Everything else is normal maintenance (oil change, lube chain, brake fluid flush) or stuff I've done to make it run better or be more comfortable. 6500 miles.
2004 Honda 1000RR
31,600+ miles
42 or so sets of tires not including using other riders take-offs
15 or 16 sets of brake pads not including test pads
OEM chain was worn out in less than 6000 miles
ERV3 520 Chain and sprocket kit replaced at roughly 10,000 miles
Second ERV3 520 Chain kit has been on for 15,000+ miles
Worn down 3 sets of Galindo Superbike grips from pushing and pulling on them with my gloves, destroyed at least 5 other sets of grips from crashing
I'm on my 2nd battery about to be the 3rd and have replaced the plugs once in the original motor and put fresh ones in the second motor prior to installation.
3 sets of Sharkskinz bodywork, 1 set of Catalyst Composites & 4 front fairing stays have all been retired due to crash damage.
Replaced the triple trees twice and the fork tubes once and the stator cover 3 times before investing in a billet one.
I'm on my 3rd swingarm as well as the others tend to get bent a little when you throw the bike into a tire wall about 3 feet in the air and ass first...
Original motor blew a head gasket around 16,000 miles at Nashville Super Speedway where paddock temps were exceeding 105° inside the garages! On the banking at 170mph engine temps were 250°+
Second motor has been thrashed mercilessly ever since with virtually no mechanical sympathy whatsoever other than letting it warm up to proper operating temp before flogging commences.
2007 919 bought this summer
came with 12503kms
now has 18623kms
new set of tires, pilot power
new battery from dealer
oil change
no issues!
Tons of fun!
"Security is mostly a superstition, it does not exist in nature: avoiding danger in the long run is no safer than outright being exposed. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."-Helen Keller
notice no plug change in above posts....20.000 mile on my 07 bought new in 09..changed nothing except oil......plugs should be good for another season or two...same anti freeze....did change brake pads at 10.000 just for the hell of it...thought they looked a little thin
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dont need a bike to ride the fast lane
2006 919. Bought around 10k miles, currently 19k miles.
Changed plugs and filters and fluids when came into my possession, as is my habit.
Since then, just normal consumables have been replaced: brake pads, rear tire, chain/sprockets (about 17k miles), battery, fluids, etc.
Only real issue was the turn signal switch on the left handlebar stopped working. Replaced with a used unit from a fellow WT member who, for some reason I don't recall, had no need for his old one. Other than that, no mechanical issues at all.
Geez, LDH. How do you put 31k miles on a track bike? Lol. You have more track miles than I have road miles.
2002. 28k Miles. Zero mechanical problems. Having to change fluids isn't a problem.
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Preschool - Kawasaki 100 enduro
Grade School - Honda CB 125
High School - Honda 400 Hawk
College - Honda VT500 Ascot Real life - Honda 919
Yeah, we are contaminating the spirit of the Original question with our normal maintenance stuff...but, without that excessive input, there's not much to say.
Seriously, are there many other bikes that are as boringly reliable?
Yeah, we are contaminating the spirit of the Original question with our normal maintenance stuff...but, without that excessive input, there's not much to say.
Seriously, are there many other bikes that are as boringly reliable?
Not without a Honda badge, no. With the Honda badge? Lots and lots.
Triumph Speed Triple - 44,5xx miles. Only part that has worn out has been my rear hub bearings replaced at 24,000 miles. Haven't even had to replace shims when checking my valves yet. Honda doesn't have a patent on reliability.
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In 1915 T. Roosevelt said, in a speech to the KofC, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. "
Triumph Speed Triple - 44,5xx miles. Only part that has worn out has been my rear hub bearings replaced at 24,000 miles. Haven't even had to replace shims when checking my valves yet. Honda doesn't have a patent on reliability.
Honda's reliability for the most part along with their legendary fit & finish has gone to hell in the last several years. That all started to go up in smoke with the burned up 1000RR stators in 2004 along with fading tank & wheel paint & melting uppers from the radiator hoses and completely disappeared like a fart in the hurricane with the 08 1000RR model.
Granted the 919 seems to be immune, but what do you expect with an engine design that is 15 years old with the very basics of fuel injection technology running the show.
The one thing Honda does better than any other company is give the customers exactly what they don't want. Until recently Honda was large enough and had such a dominance of sales that they could follow that philosophy and still sell motorcycles, but that came to a very abrupt end in 2008 where in 2009 they were still trying to liquidate new on the floor 08 models that suffered extremely poor sales even at severely marked down prices around $8300 Aside from the oil burning issue, the 08 1000RR is universally ugly by most standards as it does not have a poster boy face at all... That is not what attracts new buyers at least not in the quantities required to be gauged as successful regardless of how good your ergonomics and mid-range performance might be. Add to that what a nightmare it is to get the OEM bodywork off and reassembled and fit & finish is a complete misnomer anymore for anyone in the actual sportbike market rather than the naked category.
Back in 2002 though I did some research as I am known to do and cataloged all the Federally mandated recalls on the major brands at the time from 1994-2001 (these numbers do not indicate voluntary factory recalls). These are also UNIQUE problems for example if a Ducati 996 & 996 Biposto had the same recall that only counts as 1 recall not 2
Oh & one of the Honda recalls was for a misprint of the pinch bolt torque settings in the owners manual
Clearly Honda came out on top
When I added in the Triumph motorcycles which did not start their US Sales until 1997 well you can see how it skewed the results more than doubling even the worst of the other brands
In 1915 T. Roosevelt said, in a speech to the KofC, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. "
2007 bought in Jan 2008 and now has 2200 miles on it. So far it is on its 3d battery and a better set of rubbers even if they are select used. Original battery shorted and went to 7 volts and no hope of recovery at about 15 months. 2nd battery did a short down to 9 volts with no recovery and the 3d is kickin ass and starting when the others don't but we do not talk about that.
So in the few miles it has on it there are 3 batteries - select used rubber for better sticky - several ass chewins for riding it with out asking.
I am starting to dislike that bike..................
07, bought new in 07. Not sure on mileage as I don't really keep track and the ticker is out right now anyway. Less than 20K though.
problems = 0
although the OEM battery shit the bed this summer and that seems a bit premature. Comparing to my 7 year stint with a CBR600F4 that never had a single failure. Including the battery. I don't even remember where the batter was on that thing. Think it was under the seat...
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No plan survives first contact...but there's always a plan.
I'm sitting at ~40,000 trouble-free miles right now on my '02. the bike came to me with 6k on the clock, but 32,000 are mine!
The battery needs to be replaced, and I've had wiring issues in the taillight/turn sigs caused by the previous owner, and a PCIII that crapped out...but I don't count those as a fault of the bike.
I've replaced the rear wheel bearings recently, but that is normal wear & tear. I'm getting ready to put on my 3rd set of tires.
Once I get her back to tip-top from her crash damage, I expect to get another 40,000+ trouble-free miles at least!
I hope I get as much solid reliability from my Goldwing project when it's done!
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Well, fire the engines! Spur this iron space-pony on!
Honda's reliability for the most part along with their legendary fit & finish has gone to hell in the last several years. That all started to go up in smoke with the burned up 1000RR stators in 2004 along with fading tank & wheel paint & melting uppers from the radiator hoses and completely disappeared like a fart in the hurricane with the 08 1000RR model.
My '03 600RR had the r/r issue...which I've heard is an issue for many Honda bikes. By the time I got my '06 600RR, they seemed to have addressed the issue (actually, in '04 I believe bigger cooling fins were used).
I honestly don't know what the real issue with the '08 1000RR was, other than the terrible blow-by.
I haven't heard a lot of complaints on the '07+ 600RRs - at least reliability wise. Have you heard of any other Hondas with issues?
As far as the plastic removal goes, I curse at all of them. From the short list of bikes I've had, the RC51 was the easiest.
I've had my 919 since February, posted 12k miles on it since then (has over 17k miles total), with no major issues. I've got an air bubble or something in the rear line, which I don't use...and it had a hard time starting after sitting for 3 weeks - but other than that, no problems.
2004. Bought it almost exactly two years ago at 13k, just shy of 35k now.
I've replaced the stock battery as well as the front left brake rotor (rotor buttons popped). As far as I can tell the rotor thing was a freak accident. I'm almost through my second chain and I've flushed the radiator once.
Starter switch headlight wire broke at 18,000 klms. Re-soldered and broke twice since, then just bypassed the dang thing.
At 22,000 klms the lower exhaust bracket broke, Ive never fixed it.
2 headlight bulbs, both blown at night time.
Rear brake light switch replaced at 71,000 klms, contacts corroded and full of crud.
Clutch cable also replaced, frayed at clutch end badly, at 72,000 klms.
Lower triple tee surface rust at a very early age, like 6,000 klms.
2 sets of spark plugs that still had a lot of life and didnt really need replacing, but may as well when they are taken out. 1 set at 24,000 klms, next at 68,000 klms.
2 chains also replaced.....
Otherwise, thats it.
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I come from the land Down Under, Where the women blow and the men thunder!!
2005
had just had its 24,000km service (apparently). immediatly needed fork seals redone, new chain sprockets front wheel.
it has an aftermarket front disk brakes so lettting the engine brake itself in first is a bad move its jumpy as fuck but other than that it runs like a slut on a pole
Starter switch headlight wire broke at 18,000 klms. Re-soldered and broke twice since, then just bypassed the dang thing.
At 22,000 klms the lower exhaust bracket broke, Ive never fixed it.
2 headlight bulbs, both blown at night time.
Rear brake light switch replaced at 71,000 klms, contacts corroded and full of crud.
Clutch cable also replaced, frayed at clutch end badly, at 72,000 klms.
Lower triple tee surface rust at a very early age, like 6,000 klms.
2 sets of spark plugs that still had a lot of life and didnt really need replacing, but may as well when they are taken out. 1 set at 24,000 klms, next at 68,000 klms.
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