Unfortunately I don't think motorcycles will ever be as reliable as cars. Not sure why really. Maybe because they are not produced in the numbers cars are, so they can't outfit them with the very best components and still make a profit on them ? I'm going to ride my 05' R3 to Oregon from Michigan this summer. I'm a little concerned about getting stranded. I'm pretty handy at fixing things, but sometimes you need parts which aren't readily available for our bikes. If I have a major breakdown, I will rent a small U-Haul one way, and bring it home for repair. There are definitely more reliable touring bikes out there, but I can't think of any I would rather ride.