Life of motorcycle motor 100,000km?

[rocketman1]

Just been thinking about what sort of motorcycle motor "generally" gives the longest life before it start needing bearings, rings and a good old overhaul.
I have heard that a piston size of about 300-400 max cc per piston is the best, for overall longevity. Ie 300cc x 4 = 1200cc or 400cc x 4 = 1600cc well known a optimum racing car engine in cars.
I have a concern about the 1500-2000cc twins thats 750-1000cc per cylinder, a huge amount of alloy(inertia) shifting back and forth, but of course much slower than a 4 cylinder 600cc engine that is doing 15,000 rpm, but with little tiny 150cc pistons that dont have much inertia, so because of that fact may last a lot longer???
I guess it all come down to piston speed + wear, but does it?
Interested to know how many Harleys ie 750cc per piston make it over 100,000kms without an over haul.
Can Big 2000cc v twin Kawasakis and Suzukis to get to 100,000km without an overhaul?
I know many 1200cc 4 cylinder Hondas and Suzukis do well in excess of this mileage. What about the small bikes 600cc, anyone got over 100,000 km?

The Honda V4 configuration (750-800cc ) I have heard offer very high mileages before any trouble occuring.

Many car engines 1600cc etc get well over 300,000km if looked after, I'm not sure many bikes get to that mileage.

Interested to hear from those oldies with genuine mileage, as to how far their bike engines have taken them, free of trouble.

[hospitalfood]

i have an old bmw r series twin ( 1000 cc ) with over 100,000 km on the clock. reads about 75,000 miles at present and I'm fairly sure thats the second time around, so I think it may be 175,000 miles.
this is by no means unusual for an old boxer twin, i have heard of 350,000 km on the original pistons and rings etc, ie without a rebuild.

no sure about harley engines but I think 120,000 km is not unusual.
many of the bmw engines do very high km.
there is a honda goldwing for sale with 220,000 km on it at present, not sure if it has been rebuilt but I doubt it.

[caseye]

for what it's worth my old girl, Yamaha coal burning XV 1000 has recently clocked up 98000 K's with no appreciable loss of power or fluids.
Am hoping she keeps on going for many more K's an all.
I do service her regularly and change things that need it before they break.

[grusomhat]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=106452

I think that's well worth a mention.

[AllanB]

I owned a 1983 750 twin Kawasaki from new for 23 years. It needed a new set of rings, cam chain and a clutch at 100,000. Everything else was AOK engine wise. Well serviced with name brand oils. I see from Carjam it's still alive :woohoo:

I expect my Hornet to do big kms.

[mowgli]

Triumph S4 600cc IL4 up over 82k in four years and still going strong. Most of the credit lies with the previous owner who loved it thru 70k. Regular use and proper servicing plays a big part I reckon.

[Taz]

My BMW is up to 124000kms and runs like new.

[mossy1200]

Poor attitude to service and oil changes leads to early expiry.
my bonneville has 3500ks and only 3 oil leaks so far.The leather on my boots will never crack and split.Thats character you cant put a price on.:Oops:

[Ixion]

My BMW steamed past the run in point at 100000 miles last year. I can ride it a bit harder now it's run in. I anticpate no problems in the next 100000

My single cylinder air cooled Yamaha XT600 has done 99700 and odd. It's running fine, I'd be confident , engine wise of it going to 150000. At least.

One of my two strokes has done nearly 90000 on the original bores.

[cs363]

My RF900 recently clocked over 100,000km and is still going fine, feels like there's plenty of life left in the old girl yet :)

[1billyboy]

191890km. Only work on motor 2 valve shims a long time ago. 1 set front wheel bearings. 1 set steering head bearings.

[YellowDog]

I have a mate with a GSX1400.

Never does over 6000rpm or 100Kph.

Oil change every 5000km.

I recon it will last forever.

I just wish he would have a bit more fun :)

[Eddieb]

I have a few high mileage vehicles

BMW R80G/S, unsure of motor mileage but carfax.co.nz indicates the chassis at least has done about 250,000km.

I owned another R80G/s a few years ago and that was on it's 3rd time round the clock

BMW R100GS PD, 80,000km's, maybe I'll finish running it in over summer.

'97 Subaru Forester 2 litre Turbo, 302,000km.

BMW America did an advert in the 80's featuring customers who had done high miles on their bikes, the lowest is 230,000 MILES.

A mate in Hamilton had a 91 GSXR-1100 a few years ago, at 100,000km he got the shop to have a look inside, the only wear they could see was the a tiny amount on the right most camlobes, they reckoned it was from warming it up on the sidestand each morning, that was the highest point in the motor so the last to get oil.

[Subike]

My old 70 Yamaha XS1100 has clocked up 160k on one rebuild,
but there is another KB'er with an XS1100 who had it from new, he managed to clock up 350k before the crank snaped.
The life of an engine depends upon how it is treated and serviced.
heavy right wrist, heavy maintenance bills, short life.
It all depends upon how you treat the engine and drive gear.
Regular servicing and consistant riding
Long life comes from respect.
Abuse will empty your wallet really fast.

[Pedrostt500]

So who has the bike with the most Proven KMs on it, ie paper work to back the claim up, no engine change outs, so same frame / engine Nos as from new.

[SMOKEU]

'97 Subaru Forester 2 litre Turbo, 302,000km.


Not on the original rings though

[ducatilover]

There are so many variables to consider when talking why an engine will last xxxxxxkm I find it silly. Manufacturing quality, average operating speed, temp, oil/coolant temp/pressure etc etc maintenance.......
I have seen little CBR250RR's go around the clock, my BROS650 had around 129km or so when I purchased it. Clutch was slipping but it had a hard life.
I had an 89 Mazda familia with 377km on the clock, abused little 1300cc family car, only died when I put it into a VN commonwhore.

Yeah, too many variables.

[SARGE]

Just been thinking about what sort of motorcycle motor "generally" gives the longest life before it start needing bearings, rings and a good old overhaul.

Interested to hear from those oldies with genuine mileage, as to how far their bike engines have taken them, free of trouble.

i bought my first bike in NZ when i got here .. it was an 84 Yamaha FJ1100R .. had 200394 km on it when i got it ( documented).. when i parted it out .. had well over 300k on it and i understand the engine is still running in another FJ1100 in the Tron


i personally never had the engine apart and the previous owner claims just regular service since new


only reason i got rid of it was i bought Spooky and the fairings / etc on the old one were thrashed

[insomnia01]

Brought me BB 3+ yrs ago with 42000 on the clock, I'm currently sitting on 132580km & still going strong :woohoo::woohoo: I would suggest she has heaps of life in her yet. Sticking to regular service intervals helps I'm sure

[Blackbird]

Brought me BB 3+ yrs ago with 42000 on the clock, I'm currently sitting on 132580km & still going strong :woohoo::woohoo: I would suggest she has heaps of life in her yet. Sticking to regular service intervals helps I'm sure

Yep, I know of one or two Blackbirds in the UK and States with over 200,000 MILES on the clock with nothing more than a cam chain tensioner replacement. As someone else said, provided they've been looked after, it's hard to stress a big engine.

[Eddieb]

Not on the original rings though

Yes.

Not the original turbo though.

[MarkW]

My 1981 Suzuki GS450 went past 100,000km with no major work required;

Then I put over 70,000km onto an RG500 with only a replacement set of rings. This bike did two years AMCC Clubman racing and a summer trip through Death Valley when the temperature guage didn't get lower than one needle width below the red for a couple of hours. As well as being used as my (not very economic) transport.

My 600cc Honda Revere had over 145,000 MILES on the odometer when I sold it. A top end overhaul (replace the rear cylinder exhaust valve, new cam chains and rings) was completed at 100,000 miles and the waterpump died at 125,000.

My current D'eauville is just about run in at 67,000km and I have every intention of keeping this for 200,000km.

Regular servicing, sensible riding (and maybe a bit of luck) and modern motors run for a very long time.

[vifferman]

A mate in Hamilton had a 91 GSXR-1100 a few years ago, at 100,000km he got the shop to have a look inside, the only wear they could see was the a tiny amount on the right most camlobes, they reckoned it was from warming it up on the sidestand each morning, that was the highest point in the motor so the last to get oil.
This is a common habit for many owners, many of whom brag about how well they treated their engines, always fully warming them up before going on the road. Unfortunately, it doesn't circulate the oil as well as riding them does.
There's some evidence that camchain tensioner failure on VTR1000s may be due to excessive idling while leaned over on the sidestand.

[vifferman]

The Honda V4 configuration (750-800cc ) I have heard offer very high mileages before any trouble occuring.
Yeah, there's many guys in Mrka with over 100,000 miles on their VFRs, but the record seems to be held by a courier rider in London, who got a total of over 850,000 miles on two VFRs.

[danchop]

one of my uz125 suzukis down in the garage has done 86000kms with only one plug change and regular oil/filter changes,and was literally thrashed daily,its not going now cause the drivebelt came to bits on the motorway

[Bass]

I read an item that came from a report on the 2008 Australian Ulysses AGM.

The author got talking to a member there who had bought an R100 BMW on the day he retired in (I think) 1991 and set out to do some riding. In fact he set out pretty often.
In 2007, when the bike clocked over 500,000 km, he decided that it might be time to replace it and so he went shopping. He could find nothing that he liked - everything he saw was too complicated for someone who liked to do their own maintenance.
So he spent the money on getting the R100 completely rebuilt to near new specs and now he's busy working on the second half million km.

[insomnia01]

Yep, I know of one or two Blackbirds in the UK and States with over 200,000 MILES on the clock with nothing more than a cam chain tensioner replacement. As someone else said, provided they've been looked after, it's hard to stress a big engine.

I changed my CCT purely to tick off "another must do" before it gets to noisey down there

[insane1]

theres a few 650 burgman scoots in the states with over 90,000 miles on them ones just had a over haul .

[scott411]

we have a customer with a 01 ZRX1200 that he brought new, he has done 155000km on it, with only basic servicing, at 115000km it did need the valves being reshimmed,

he also brought a 07 VN1600 that he did 40000km on, all this with no motorcycle liceince, (he is about 75 and when he gets pulled up the cops let him off)

[Naki Rat]

Yeah, there's many guys in Mrka with over 100,000 miles on their VFRs, but the record seems to be held by a courier rider in London, who got a total of over 850,000 miles on two VFRs.

The warm-up period accounts for most wear so if an engine is permanently at or close to running temperature the expected life will be far greater. I've been in Commodore/Falcon taxis that have more than 500,000kms on the clock and I've heard that long haul trucks that are run non-stop for weeks on end (driver out/driver in) return engine live well over the million km mark.

[Mully]

I've heard in a few places, that the RF engines (based on the GSX1100 bottom end) are good for 200,000 miles without a rebuild if you look after them. They also go like a thing that goes a lot. (It's the budget suspension that lets them down really, not the engine)
Mine's currently at 36000-odd miles - so nearly 60000km.

[R1madness]

i know of a guy in the USa that brought a new BMW R1100gs in 1995. He still has it but it now has over 585000 MILES on the clock. Its had regular services and no major repairs (ok the ABS unit crapped out but who cares he did not bother fixing that...).
Engine/gearbox life is directly perportional to maintenance and inversely perportional to abuse.

[popelli]

Harley Davidson Evo motors , my 86 electraglide has over 250,000 kms on it and had a 10 thou over rebore about 10 years ago along with head work, cam exhaust and s&s carb, have hardly touched it since then

[duckonin]

Hmmmm ! may as well stick my small amount in, bought a new C50T three years two months ago have hit 90,000k's, by xmas with two trips to the South he should be over the 100,000, oil+filter changed every 5000k's long kilometres almost always two up and still runs strong as ...And I hope he stays that way for a lot longer yet..

Had a 409 trader I did 750,000k's and did nothing but the brakes to that truck, but always serviced....

[beyond]

I have a mate with a GSX1400.

Never does over 6000rpm or 100Kph.

Oil change every 5000km.

I recon it will last forever.

I just wish he would have a bit more fun :)

He should have more fun.... give them stick cos they are well under tuned anyway and guys overseas are getting 160,000kms before small things need doing to the motor :)

[rocketman1]

What about Sport V twins, like Ducati, Aprilia, any one done 100,000kms + unchecked?

[NordieBoy]

Any big mileage singles?

[Ixion]

Yamaha will be past the 100000 km mark by the end of the week. All untouched. Not a very high mileage, but it's good for many many more.

[Eddieb]

Any big mileage singles?

Sisters/Bro in laws XT600 has done 105,000.

[Richard Mc F]

1991 FJ1200, nothing done to the engine as far as I know ( and I asked the service people who looked after it before I bought it) was imported with 20000km on the clock, now has 162800 km, going strong

[davereid]

I guess it all come down to piston speed + wear, but does it?
Interested to know how many Harleys ie 750cc per piston make it over 100,000kms without an over haul.


The main factor is piston speed against the bore. So a short stroke engine has a piston speed advantage over a long stroke engine at any given rpm. This advantage is usually lost of course as small stroke motors love to REV, and manufacturers love to make em rev !

Good, clean, and frequently replenished oil is massively important, as is cooling. Thats why Harleys have not fared so well, as until recent times they had pretty basic oil distribution systems, and air cooling.

For what its worth...

My 49cc TGB Scooter has just passed 44,000 km with one set of rings, but no bore wear to speak of. It runs on Total 2T synthetic two stroke oil.

My 1985 Mazda Van has done 358,000 km and has had only cam belts, oil and filters. It is now using about a litre of oil between oil changes, but thats mostly due to the failure of 5th gear, meaning it revs its head off at highway speeds. I a sure that a second hand gearbox (I'm in the market for one) will cure it.

[Motu]

The main factor is piston speed against the bore. So a short stroke engine has a piston speed advantage over a long stroke engine at any given rpm. This advantage is usually lost of course as small stroke motors love to REV, and manufacturers love to make em rev !


One factor possibly offsetting engine life for the R65 - it has lower piston speed for any rpm compared to the bigger airheads...but I think I ride it harder than what is considered normal for a BMW.(I have seen 8,000rpm,the tweed and pipe crowd would consider that extreme)

On the data base for the newly formed Kiwi Airheads website,mine has done the lowest km at 72,000km....some are over 300,000km.

[StoneY]

Dad had a CBX550 Integra that did 420 thou on its original pistons, rings and (no shit) cam chains
He did oil and filter himself, plugs too

Forks or tires, wmcc.
Rest he did

It shat itself at 422 and change, cams finally crapped out !!!
THATS good milage!

My bikes are never around long enough to get big miles LOL
Although my OLD 1100 15 years back did a genuine 72k under my ass, getting to 133 or so before she bought the farm (yes, i crashed it)

[cheshirecat]

Did 80,000 miles on a VF500 despatching in London. Used a couple of clutches but it was running extremely well when I sold it. A guy at Silvertsone who raced the VF400's said they need to be warmed up carefully. I used to ride it as soon as possible, but carefully not slogging or reving above 3 or 4k, for a good ten minutes. The gear cam VFR's seem consistantly 150k plus miles if the forums are anything to go by and mine is certainly more than fine

[rocketman1]

By virtue of their absence, to comment I think I stand correct that no European V twin can make the 100,000 km mark, without an overhaul.
Bit sad really but to be expected, too much inertia revving to fast.
Basic rules of Physics and Science I guess is working against them.

[cs363]

I do remember seeing an ST2 (or maybe it was an ST3) Ducati some time ago with over 100,000km's on it and owner said it had only had servicing work done. but I guess the ST and probably the Multistrada's live a more peaceful life compared to the average Ducati sport bike?

[Forest]

What about Sport V twins, like Ducati, Aprilia, any one done 100,000kms + unchecked?

The engines can get to 100,000km.

The problem is that their riders cannot last the distance.

They get stiff backs, sore wrists, numb backsides etc etc.

[Ixion]

The engines are probably fine to go beyond 100Mm.

The problem is, that these designs have only been around for 30 years or so, and, Eytie electrics being what they are, no'ones managed to keep them running for a collective time long enough to knock up that mileage.

[imdying]

By virtue of their absence, to comment I think I stand correct that no European V twin can make the 100,000 km mark, without an overhaul.
Bit sad really but to be expected, too much inertia revving to fast.
Basic rules of Physics and Science I guess is working against them.Oh, they'll be out there for sure. Consider that as premium brands they're more likely to be play things than work horses, that could be a major reason why there are less high mileage examples.

[Pedrostt500]

Yeah, there's many guys in Mrka with over 100,000 miles on their VFRs, but the record seems to be held by a courier rider in London, who got a total of over 850,000 miles on two VFRs.

The problem with the early honda V4 engine was getting oil to the heads, the pick up was from the gearbox, so offten the cams would not get lubrication during start up, There is quiet a simple fix fo this that I will be making up for the old VF 750 S that I have.