The two makes that have the most dramatic difference between their U.S. market share and their percentage of the bikes on the starting grid are BMW and Harley. Harley, which has about 30% of the highway motorcycle market in the U.S., is the choice of only one rider. In contrast, BMW, which has about 1% of the U.S. market, is the choice of 35% of the riders.
There are two reasons for the lack of interest in Harleys among this crowd; the ergonomics of most Harley models are all wrong for long distance comfort and the company doesn’t enjoy the same reputation other brands have in the areas of handling, braking, reliability, and performance.
BMW’s over-representation on the starting line is also due to a combination of factors; BMWs are relatively light weight motorcycles with great brakes, great ride and handling, excellent ergonomics, and good fuel economy. The company has also enjoyed a reputation for durability and reliability. But that reputation is fading among long distance riders.
The four BMW final drive failures that occurred in the 2007 Iron Butt Rally are having an effect on hardware choices this year. Another K1200GT rider, Jeff Earls, will actually be carrying a spare final drive with him. Long time BMW rider Eric Jewell has taken an even more effective step to minimize the risk of having his ride end with a final drive failure; he sold his BMW and purchased a Honda ST1300. Tom and Rosie Sperry, who have been riding BMWs 2-up for many years, have adopted the same strategy. After experiencing a final drive failure on their K1200LT following the last Iron Butt Rally, they switched to a Honda Gold Wing.
While BMW continues to claim that there is no significant problem with its final drives, a number of long-time BMW riders disagree and are switching brands. BMW’s reputation for building the most reliable motorcycles has been damaged within the long distance riding community. More long distance riders now consider motorcycles made by Honda and Yamaha to be inherently more durable than those produced by BMW. How many riders show up on BMWs in 2011 probably depends on whether there are DNFs caused by mechanical failures this year.
The percentage of Iron Butt Rally riders on BMWs has dropped to 35% this year, down from 43% in 2007. Due in part to several BMW riders switching to Hondas, the percentage of riders on Hondas has increased from 28% to 36%. Yamaha has 19% of the entries, up several percent from 2007.
but I wouldn't trust my life with it 
May try it
)
