You have my sympathy, Angus and RDfella!
But . . . having done a good 50K on my own current A without any major hassle . . . without wishing to be disagreeable at all, I don't think they are unreliable, I really don't!
Of the bikes I have and have had, the A can be relied upon to do the doings, with low maintenance and ridiculous reliability. In the 12-or-so years I've had this one (think I joined this forum in 2007when I got it), it's had some new crank shims, exhaust valves and guides, cam followers (just because I could get some good ones when the engine was apart for the only time), some rings, oil pump gears - just because, too - and a some on-and-off tlc to the quite-knackered but always-works gearbox. And she still goes first prod, sounds Ok and gets you there. All over France, runs into the UK, into Spain etc etc. It's a crap and 'not-right' bike compared to many on here - but it works and goes on working. Not thrashed often, being a low spec motor, iron head LJ crank & thick flange blah blah, but good for all day at 60mph. Seriously, can't fault it. Handling is almost to Norton standards bar the forks, but the 'get-you-there-and back' factor is right up there. Only punctures, a stripped fibre mag gear, and an encounter with some scrap metal which buggered the rear sprocket on a country lane, have ever stopped it.
I don't know why this one of mine has been so good, I really don't. It was cheap to buy, I had no great expectations. It's not cossetted, in fact it is largely ignored and very seldom cleaned. I've thought of letting it go to folk who've asked (because they see it always works), but have always said 'no'. I owe it more than it owes me. Because it's not at all valuable, far better to keep it than take a modest price and put the ££ towards something 'better' . . . that isn't. I've found that the more I've paid for things over the years, the more trouble I've had, coupled with that ***** off feeling . . .. 'Shiny' is the enemy of function maybe?
As you can tell, I quite like my A!