What do you consider is a High Mileage?

[Omega1]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering what everyones view was on what you would regard as a high mileage on a bike? is it different for different brands? and what would be the most kms/miles that you would be happy with on a 2nd hand bike purchase?


Cheers O

[duckman]

Anything over an 100,000 is worth avoiding. :D

[Motoracer]

I view 50,000 Kms for most small to medium sized non touring bikes as starting to head over the hill.

[White trash]

Depends on which wheel the speedos driven from <_<

[MikeL]

My Honda 89 CB1/400 has just turned over 50,000. At that mileage its value is probably close to rock-bottom and if I was looking for one myself the high kms would probably be enough to put me off. Yet the bike seems to run as well as it did when I bought it at 25,000 km. For someone who was willing to take a punt it would be an excellent buy at whatever ridiculously low price I gave it away. But precisely for that reason it's not for sale. It's worth more for me to keep it and run it into the ground. With what I've found out about the engine (superior design, gear-driven cams etc), and continuing to look after it with frequent oil-changes etc. I reckon it should last another 20-30,000 kms at least before it claps out.

[White trash]

My Honda 89 CB1/400 has just turned over 50,000. At that mileage its value is probably close to rock-bottom and if I was looking for one myself the high kms would probably be enough to put me off. Yet the bike seems to run as well as it did when I bought it at 25,000 km. For someone who was willing to take a punt it would be an excellent buy at whatever ridiculously low price I gave it away. But precisely for that reason it's not for sale. It's worth more for me to keep it and run it into the ground. With what I've found out about the engine (superior design, gear-driven cams etc), and continuing to look after it with frequent oil-changes etc. I reckon it should last another 20-30,000 kms at least before it claps out.

Gear driven cams? Really? I was under the mistaken impression that they had a regular old chain.

Shit, you learn something every day. :yes:

[Dr Bob]

My Honda 89 CB1/400 has just turned over 50,000. At that mileage its value is probably close to rock-bottom ....... With what I've found out about the engine (superior design, gear-driven cams etc), and continuing to look after it with frequent oil-changes etc. I reckon it should last another 20-30,000 kms at least before it claps out.

My Yamaha has done 83,000 and I am hoping I will get a bit more out of it. I recently had Mt Eden Motorcyles do the cam chain as I didn't want to do it myself and void the factory warrantee :D

[Posh Tourer :P]

RG150? 25,000kms Old beemer twins? 250,000kms at least. Ok that 250,000kms involves some work, but you get my point. CBR1100XX can get 150,000 easily. Varies hugely between bikes, mainly due to size of engine

[sAsLEX]

Varies hugely between bikes, mainly due to size of engine

And the quality of previous owners and their maintainence schedules

[dangerous]

I view 50,000 Kms for most small to medium sized non touring bikes as starting to head over the hill.


Anything over an 100,000 is worth avoiding. :D

Apsalute bollocks you two :msn-wink: Hell I recently sold my second bike a 86 VFR 750 with 140,000km's on it, and I had wipped the cam covers off and even to my suprise the hardening on the cams/tappits etc dident have the slightest mark on em.

The bike was very tidy all round made no noises out of the usual. Over its 18yrs it had been biffed down the rd on more than one ocasion however the only marks were a couple of scratches on the frame.

So you lot tell me what the bike is worth and FWIW it burnt no oil what so ever.

To answer the origonal question it depends on the indevidal bike, servicing, condition and what it is of course. Christ like the BMW's the Guzzi will see in excess of 250,000k's without any work being done apart from a valve grind.
I was speeking to a guy the other day that has just come back from London after a 8yr stint m/c couring and he said that ther was a CX500 there that was up to 900,000km's beet that!!

[NordieBoy]

My little VT250 has done 85000Km and hasn't been ridden for the last 3 years.

[Jackrat]

The type and age of most bikes Iv'e owned mean that it dosn't really matter that much.If I was looking at a more modern bike I wouldn't buy over fifty tho' unless it had been rebuilt at some stage.
if it was older british kms up don't mean a thing after 10,000.
My first HD I bought with 60,000 and just rebuilt with quality parts,I sold it after putting another 80,000 on it and the guy that bought it says it is still going strong.I think it really depends on how it has been looked after.
I think most big jap fours should go 100,000 easy with just the normal cam chain ect,done at the right times.Even if you cane em' oil,oil,oil and they last well.

[Deano]

I would say that high milage is about 20,000kms higher than the bike shops tell you when you try to trade the bike in.

[James Deuce]

I've got a CBR600 in the garage with 112,000km on it and the only reason it is there is because all the fairing connector lugs went brittle and snapped off at the same time. :eek5: I just need to do the clutch and I'm going to start using it as my commuter.

Compression tests are all within 10% on new, it doesn't burn oil, and doesn't make any nasty mechanical noises.

[Aucker]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering what everyones view was on what you would regard as a high mileage on a bike? is it different for different brands? and what would be the most kms/miles that you would be happy with on a 2nd hand bike purchase?


Cheers O
take car mileage and half it for bikes i say :D

[Eddieb]

I had a 1980 R80G/S BMW that I sold about 2 years ago with 150k on it. It's still around wellington and was just resold about 3 months ago for around $3500 I believe.

[sedge]

My bike is just about to hit 100ks and runs better now than when I got it at 70ks. I think it really is down to getting a bike that you know has had maintenance done regularly, IE look for reciepts and ask what shop the bike was maintained at, then ring them to ask about the bike. For a well maintained larger CC bike I'd say anything under 70 ks is OK, for a 250 that you know has been thrashed by every owner, not serviced and sold on quickly, I'd say 20ks. (1/2 that per rebuild for a two stroke, sorry Mr Melon where-ever you are).

[MD]

Anyone else noticed how few bikes survive long enough to clock up long miles and years?? Yeah theres always the odd "one careful old lady owner who rode it once a week to church and back for 20 years" and probably never reached the speed limit. But they are the exception compared to how many old cars are seen still chuggin along our roads. Seems only the boring bikes last to an old age. Maybe thats it- who the hell wants to ride boring bikes anyway. If you can't thrash it and extract that fun factor then sell it to that careful ole lady down the road.

[Mooch]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering what everyones view was on what you would regard as a high mileage on a bike? is it different for different brands? and what would be the most kms/miles that you would be happy with on a 2nd hand bike purchase?


Cheers O

My old Kawa KR1 250 two stroke stopped at 29400 kms . Guess that's about it for Kawa two strokes.

[Magua]

I'm looking at buying an Yammaha FZR250. 55000 kms. Sounds high, but the bike looks to be in great condition, how does a non mechanically minded person like myself determine if it is a bomb or not?

[Zed]

I'm looking at buying an Yammaha FZR250. 55000 kms. Sounds high, but the bike looks to be in great condition, how does a non mechanically minded person like myself determine if it is a bomb or not?
Get someone mechanically minded to check it for you. ;)

[k14]

I would be careful, those FZR250's have a very bad reputation. The most unreliable of the 250 4's. There aren't many around either which makes 2nd hand parts hard to come by. I think one of the problems has something to do with the exup valve, but I can't remember the exact problem.

If you do go for one make sure you get it checked over by someone that knows what to look for.

[Kickaha]

Mileage in itself means bugger all,it all comes down to how the bike has been maintained and used.

The old GSX1100 used to do a easy 200,000km+,with the higher outputs out of later motors I would perhaps expect shorter engine life although better manufacturing tolerances and materials may compensate for that.

My BMW R75/7 had 116,000 km on the clock when I bought it and I did another 20,000 before it was totaled in an accident,My Ducati was bought at 40,000 and sold at 90,000 running as good as ever,the last bike I bought (XJ550) had 93,000 when I got it and runs quite sweet and although cosmetically untidy had a pile of receipts which indicated it was well maintained.

I would have no hesitation in buying a high mileage bike even if was in need of engine work so long as it was reflected in the purchase price,if it had a pile of receipts so much the better.

Any bike is only as good as it's owners maintainence program.

[pete376403]

Maybe it's not the motors that wear out with the high mileage (kilometerage?)
but the rest of the bike. Especially now LTSA are getting all anal about things which previously would have been ignored or, improved by substituting later/better parts, eg brake disks will be rejected for a wof once they have worn beyond the manufacturers thickness limit - what would three new disks cost for an 82 GS1100, even assuming they can be bought? Or if the fork sliders were worn and had too much play, previously you could install forks off a later bike and get a better product at the same time, but now such things care not legal without an engineer certificate and that added cost might be the difference between keeping an old bike going or writing it off. (the LTSA website will tell you what you are allowed to modify and believe me, ther's not very much)

[Magua]

Is it possible to get say the AA in to take a look? Because I don't know anyone mechanically minded in Palmerston North (where the bike is).

[badlieutenant]

Apsalute bollocks you two :msn-wink: Hell I recently sold my second bike a 86 VFR 750 with 140,000km's on it, and I had wipped the cam covers off and even to my suprise the hardening on the cams/tappits etc dident have the slightest mark on em.

The bike was very tidy all round made no noises out of the usual. Over its 18yrs it had been biffed down the rd on more than one ocasion however the only marks were a couple of scratches on the frame.

So you lot tell me what the bike is worth and FWIW it burnt no oil what so ever.


I think after the vf's honda took special care to make the vfr's indestructable (within reason) Ive looked at alot of overseas vfr sites and they commonly claim 150,000 miles

[aff-man]

Just sold a zxr250 with 105000km on it and stiill going strong.

Bought a zxr400 with 46000km on it but a service history from 20000km and besides the cams need adjusting the engine is fine.

So basically depends on owners. :2thumbsup

[Bob]

I would say that high milage is about 20,000kms higher than the bike shops tell you when you try to trade the bike in.

I'd go along with that! When I sold my Fazer earlier this year, according to the dealer the mileage was "A bit on the high side". It had done 22,000 (give or take a few hundred) miles in six years - an average of 4,500 miles a year. Around 7,000 kms?

Not exactly world-touring miles, is it?

I find it laughable that my brokers uses a company that offers discounts - on modern bikes, not classics mind you - that are used for under 3,000 miles a year. That works out as 10 miles (16kms) a day! That wouldn't get me TO work, let alone back again!

[Paul in NZ]

A bloke I work with used to commute in from Paraparaumu on a Z1000 that he has owned from new.....

375,000km.....

His model had the horrible 2 ring pistons so it got the better 3 ring jobbies at 100 and something km...

In the end, the wiring has all gone brittle at the connectors but the engine runs fine. All down to sensible use and regular services... (oil)

Yes, new forks, disks, mufflers etc cost a motza but nothing like the cost of a new bike both in energy to manufacture or $$ to you. Most people ditch their vehicles because they become unfashionable and we are (at best) a vain lot readily held hostage buy the sawn off, double barreled shotgun of marketting....

There is no reason why an old Moto Guzzi won't run virtually forever giver regular oil changes and the usual rolling part replacement scedule. I have friends running them in the US with 250,000 MILEs no trouble. it's one reason I like my Guzzi 850 and my old Triumph 650. Both were made for donkeys yonks and therefore aftermarket parts guys can tool up for one batch of pistons (say) and sell to a BIG market over a wide range of models. I can still buy new cylinder kits, big bore kits, cams whatever... Cheap as chips because they are simple vehicles, designed to be repaired and kept in service...

What kills most modern vehicles is a lack of consumables like steering head bearings (because they insist on using bloody stupid custom sizes), cables, carb bits and ignition modules.

LTSA are frankly a bunch of pricks that have been bribed by vehicle sellers.

Who cares what bloody muffler you use? This is a relatively poor island nation that cannot afford to endlessly import crap when we could easily keep stuff going via sensible modification and updating. It's what we used to do and we were proud of it. Now we get dumb shit pollies telling us how the nations fleet has been updated... Whoopiee! And who benifited from this? you or me?? Not bloody likely, importers, thats all...

mutter grumble... (rant mode off)

Paul N

[bgd]

I'm hoping to keep the GS for 10 years and at current rates that will equate to about 250K miles. Not sure how realistic that is but the boxer engine is supposed to last. I suppose it depends how much it costs to keep it on the road. If it gets too expensive/unreliable then I'll have to rethink.

[rodgerd]

I had a 1980 R80G/S BMW that I sold about 2 years ago with 150k on it. It's still around wellington and was just resold about 3 months ago for around $3500 I believe.

It's a beemer, though. At 150k it's just broken in.

[Pwalo]

In my experience mileage isn't the issue (unless it's really huge), but rather how the bike has been maintained. Regular maintenance, and regular use seems to be the story.

My bike is coming up to 25,000 miles and it's probably going better than ever. I change the oil and filter every 1500 miles (daily commuting), clean and lube chain every week (more frequent if wet), and clean the bike every day (yes it is GS500).

And more importantly ride almost every day.

Cheers

Paul

[Paul in NZ]

Buy a couple of the simple service tools...

Buy a manual...

Learn to do most of the simple stuff yourself.. Be prepared to stuff up a few times and get dirty but if you start with the simple things you will be balancing throttle bodies before you know it...

Even and engine rebuild is just a matter of a few manual skills, the right tools, careful observation and re assembly.. (i n theory)

Paul N

[scumdog]

Most common theme here is regular oil AND filter changes, that and not constantly hammering the sucker and letting it warm up a bit before giving it the message will give the engine a long life.(does in car engines for me)

I'm sure that my bike will go past 80,000 before I have to to anything much to it but for a looked after, under-stressed H-D that would be normal :niceone:

[Dodgyiti]

Yes, Beemers and Guzzis are a little different from most, but old GS and GSX Suzi's do big kays also, big bore, low stress, regular servicing = high kays.
If it looks thrashed, or the oil is filthy, add some kays to the speedo. Also K series Beemers had problems with the speedo's so don't trust them 100% either.
My Boxer did a hard 260 before I threw in some rings and bearings, then did another 100 after that, and is still going I think. :doctor: