This is being cross-posted for as much feedback as I can get.
My '12 Honda CBR600RR is nearing the end of it's life at 82,000 miles; there's minor visible scoring in the nikasil plating in the cylinders, and that's only going to get worse.
I can get the cylinders replated--assuming that the scoring is no worse than I think it is--for about $800 + the cost of shipping the block, but that would require being able to entirely rebuild the engine on my own. I'd probably want to also regrind the valve seats, replace the valves, piston heads, and def. piston rings if I did that. I've already got the cylinder head off because the valves weren't holding pressure.
I can get a replacement engine for around $1500-2500. I can replace an engine on my own, although it's a pain in the ass.
Or, I can get a new bike. But I'm not sure what makes and models for my riding style will have any better longevity than my CBR600RR has had.
My current short-list is a crashed '07- '12 CBR600RR (because I can easily swap necessary parts/bodywork, etc.), or a Yamaha YZF R6, Suzuki GSX R750, or Triumph Speed Triple 1050 (which is prone to electrical issues, and also needs some creative headlight adjustment to work with clip-on bars). Does anyone have experience with the YZF R6, GSX R750, or Speed Triple? Any issues to watch out for that might prevent any of them from making it to 100k miles without major mechanical work?
That makes a lot of sense. And I can agree that I have an emotional attachment to my motorcycle, both because of the money it cost, but also because of the time I've put into it, and the ways that I've modified it to make it 'mine'.
After talking to a lot of people over the last few days, the most rational approach seems to be to buy a replacement motorcycle, and then repair this one as I can, assuming that I can find a reliable place that can replate the cylinders (or bore them to 69mm and then plate them if the scoring is deeper than it appears). That way I'm not feeling stressed about it not working, and if I fuck it up, it's not a tragedy but a learning experience.