Originally Posted by
Herzlos
Not even close to being more reliable, but probably easier to fix with a hammer.
Modern cars (and bikes) are so much better, and that means more complexity.
I don't think there's been any comparable change in reliability for bikes, it's always been a relatively reliable machine. And a simple single speed bike can be just about the most reliable of them all.
Car complexity has made them more reliable in that it's really the electronic controls that have curbed the IC engine's tendency to slowly blow itself up. A lot of independent mechanics shops closed a few years back as they couldn't afford the ever escalating number of electronic devices needed to service a car.