I've worked on cars and tractors for ages (even though I never got one myself, cars are boring, bikes are better) and have never had to replace a transmission.

I've worked on cars and tractors for ages (even though I never got one myself, cars are boring, bikes are better) and have never had to replace a transmission. Clutch plates, yes. Crankshaft, yes. Pistons, cylinder heads, valves, cylinder linings, bearings, the works. Transmissions? Nope. Might this be one of the bigger advantages of manual transmissions which still are the norm (and probably will remain so for the remaining lifetime of internal combustion engines) in north-western Europe? Apart from synchromesh rings there are no real wearable parts in a manual transmission.