dannygraves wrote:at the end of the day, a properly maintained bike that isn't overly abused will last a good long time. A bike that is poorly maintained, poorly tuned and reved to the limit constantly will not last very long. 500, 450, 2 stroke, 4 stroke air or water cooled, these rules still apply. A 500 might put up with the bad longer than most, but whatever will kill a 450 will also kill a 500, it might just take longer.
If I buy a brand new bike, properly maintain, take good care of it and keep on top of things, like re-ring every 2 years, keep on top of valve adjustments, etc. it should last a good long time the same way the thumpers owned by several of my friends have.
Sounds about right to me.