High K's? How high?

[Biff]

I've never owned any one of my bikes for more than 6 months and the highest mileage bike I've ever owned had about 16K miles on the clock.

What kind of K's can you get out of a modern bike?
I know a guy with 200K + on his GW.

[vifferman]

What kind of K's can you get out of a modern bike?
Lotsa variables, like what type of riding the bike is used for, how robust it is, etc. etc.
I know of several VFRs in the US with over 160,000 kms on them, and I think there was one wandering around somewhere with more than double that.

OTOH, a small two-stroke commuter bike may well be completely knackered after 20,000 kms.

When I traded my VTR1000 in recently, it had 65 or 67K on it, and I was told I should ditch it, as it was getting fairly geriatric; this despite running well, burning minimal oil (big V-twins do burn a little), still having a good gearchange, etc.
(Mind you, I was also told the braided lines, APE camchain tensioners, aftermarket R/R and all the other 'good' stuff were a liability, that it was worth stuff all, and they'd be lucky not to make a loss on it. They then put it on the lot for $2K more than they gave me, and $1K more than they said they'd ask for it.)

[MOTOXXX]

Yea its a bit of a tuffie as all bikes a different.
i guess one of the main things is, if a bike can do high kms and still be reliable, will it have an ok re sale value.




i see lots of bikes on trademe that have 30kms pluss that sit there for ages.

[merv]

I've never owned any one of my bikes for more than 6 months and the highest mileage bike I've ever owned had about 16K miles on the clock.


So you are happy with the depreciation that comes with trading so quickly?

[bear]

Isn't about 50k with an okay service history ok?

[manuboy]

Some of the lads at Magpie Madness knew of (or owned) Guzzi's that had over 200,000 km's on them - with not much done engine wise.

Spankme's SV1000 forum had a murkan bike courier that did 32,000 miles in 3 months (get ya calculator out) on an SV1000 (naked). Bike was still running like clockwork.

[Motu]

My XLV750 had done over 90,000km when I sold it - no noises,never burned a drop of oil,and when ever I had an engine case off (clutch and alt) you could wipe the inside of the cases with an old black T shirt it would be spotless.Subequent owners reap the benifits of others good maintenence.

[Posh Tourer :P]

You are barely running them in!!

The beemer's got 80,000kms on it and the pistons and barrels are spotless...
My little Honda CB125 had 40,000kms on it, and the MZ and 30,000 miles

The bigger the bike the longer they last (generally), and your CBR should be good for 150,000kms easily....

Have you ever done an oil change on your bikes? I'd keep em for longer TBH, rather than going through running it in and then selling it immediately...

[Eddieb]

I had a R80G/S 1981 that had done 150k and still ran sweet. It's still around Wellington.

A friend of mine had a GSX1100F, the electric windscreen model. At 95k the head was pulled off and the only sign of wear was slight rubbing on the r.h.s cam lobes where they had been a little dry when idling on the side stand while warming up.

[SPman]

Sold the FZR750 at 85K and it was running sweet - saw it earlier this year -116k and the owner reckons the engine's sweet as.

[Pickle]

Modern bikes last for ages so long as you maintain them properly, Our Zx6's have over 50tho on them still run well and use no oil.
Mate in Aussie has an old Kawasaki GT750 with nearly 500,000 on it, still runs good, he also has a Yamaha TT600 Tenere which he rode overland to England which has over 200,000 on it.
15 to 16 kms on your bike is barely run in, stop wasting money and go for a good long ride.

[onearmedbandit]

52k on the gixxer, runs sweet. Little to no oil consumption, pulls very cleanly. Years of headbanging mental riding yet!!!

[NC]

The NC has 50k I'm getting things bored and bigger ringgs and such

[Bonez]

I've a couple of bikes with over 100,000kms up.

[Bonez]

The NC has 50k I'm getting things bored and bigger ringgs and such
Hope you feel better after the operation. :doctor:

[Kwaka-Kid]

The NC has 50k I'm getting things bored and bigger ringgs and such
What?!

shouldnt need anything like that, just a head skim about now to regain lost compression and shes right till least 80,000k


got 15,000k on my VFR400 now, 2,000k when i got it 6 months ago.

[Jackrat]

The best I've had was my Harley FLT with 180000kms,it had a top end rebuild and then a full rebuild just before I bought it.
My Honda CB550 had 120000kms on the clock but I don't know what it's history was.The XS has 53000km on the clock now an I've just done the cam chain which is about right for this model.I heard of XS's doing 100000km without major work.We'll see about that.

[DEATH_INC.]

A mate had a gpz 7fiddy with about 120k on it,it's up north some where and still running sweet (about two years later)
My gixx's up to 45k ( alot of 'em hard k's) and she's still sweet
My original turbo Kwak'd done 70k,still running sweet 'till the pooter shit itself
My mate in aus reckons anything with under 100k is low k's there.....
Other mate has an nc30 with 70 odd k on it too,still sweet.

[dangerous]

What kind of K's can you get out of a modern bike?
NZer's are a funny bunch when it comes to milage.... WTF does it matter how high it is as long as the bike has been looked after, its like an obsesion here..... all it means at the end is that to sell it ya have to have a real low price on it.


I know of several VFRs in the US with over 160,000 kms on them
Well i recently sold my back up bike a 86 VFR750 with 140,000k on it and I wipped the cam covers of it expecting to see some damage........... but nothing the hardening was perfect, and this bike burnt no oil it was a bit sloppy in the carbs tho other wise it may aswell have had 40k on it
Biff you may of seen this bike on the frount lawn with a for sale sign on it a while back.... got $2200 payed $2000

[Posh Tourer :P]

What?!

shouldnt need anything like that, just a head skim about now to regain lost compression and shes right till least 80,000k


got 15,000k on my VFR400 now, 2,000k when i got it 6 months ago.

Need is all relative remember.....

[FzerozeroT]

I've got 15 on my 2 stroke KR and when I had the exhaust off at 12k the piston looks sweet as. i reckon it should get 30k+

[sels1]

40K on the XT400, 60k on the BMW both running sweet as

[mattt]

Flicked an fzr400rr early this year with nearly 90k's. Was screaming along quite nicely.

[gav]

While the engine is no doubt still running fine, hows the gearbox, suspension, head stock, brakes, calipers ,gear linkages, etc all holding out? Surely must be getting some wear in these areas?

[Bonez]

While the engine is no doubt still running fine, hows the gearbox, suspension, head stock, brakes, calipers ,gear linkages, etc all holding out? Surely must be getting some wear in these areas?The Integra, 120,000kms. Gearbox fine, has never been "perfect" since new. Stearing head bearings original, inspected 2 months ago. Brakes/calipers due for steel braided lines, gear linkage needs replacement but still shifts ok. Burns a bit of oil now but what do you expect from a 1970s designed air cooled engine? Think I did pretty well when I forked out NZ$6200 back in '86 buying it new. Have forked out around $2000 since then on bits to keep it servicable other than the usual consumables such as tyres, oils filters etc. got a hell of a surprise when a dealer offered $2700 as a trade around six months ago on a GS1200SS :thud: Will input around another $2000 when I finish the next 6 months work contract-that's if I haven't traded in for a flatdeck ute. The '76 CB550 I bought second hand with 72,000kms on the clock now has 145,000. rattles like fuck and ummm still rattles like fuck. Rebuilt the engine not long after I got it. Parts seem to be easier to get now than when I bought it. Runs like a dream, is my fav ride infact. Have a spare motor in bits as you do. Will be interesting to see now long the GSX750 holds out for. It's nice to have a spare bike in the garage :devil2: If you can't get 100,000 out of a modern fuel injected, liquid cool m/c with regular maintenance there must be something wrong.

[Paul in NZ]

Not just new bikes go for ages if looked after... Old Guzzi's just chunder on forever... Looking slightly more decrepid every season but still running...

After I reco'd my old trumpy I thrashed it for 50,000km before the aftermarket piston nipped up. Bottom end is still std, cams are factory and god know how many miles it has on it... HEAPS and some competition or off road use as well.....

My friend Dave bought a new Z1000 (83?? some thing anyway) and he commuted from Paraparaumu to Wellington (100km round trip) in rain wind and shine...

At 70,000km they swapped the pistons for the better 3 ring design as his had some god awful 2 ring things that never worked...

The bike has 370,000km on it now and is parked because the wiring was falling to bits from oil and heat from the engine. Still runs like a top!

Paul N

Fresh oil is STILL the cheapest thing you will ever put in your engine...

[dangerous]

While the engine is no doubt still running fine, hows the gearbox, suspension, head stock, brakes, calipers ,gear linkages, etc all holding out? Surely must be getting some wear in these areas?
With the VFR posted above all that has been done to it was a replacment rear shock...... other wise sweet and I am a fussy prick.

[Paul in NZ]

With the VFR posted above all that has been done to it was a replacment rear shock...... other wise sweet and I am a fussy prick.

we were told you were not at all fussy.....

:killingme

Paul N.....

[dangerous]

we were told you were not at all fussy.....

:killingme

Paul N.....
but a prick right........ :msn-wink:

[NC]

What?!

shouldnt need anything like that, just a head skim about now to regain lost compression and shes right till least 80,000k


got 15,000k on my VFR400 now, 2,000k when i got it 6 months ago.
Oooooh ok :D

Fanks you

[Ghost Lemur]

Anyone seen this (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports-tourer/auction-20291200.htm) on trademe. 85k's but wanting less than $2k for it, and it at least superficially looks like it's been well maintained. If I was in a position I'd snap it up (with due dilligence obviously).

[Kwaka-Kid]

not quite an NC30 though, but yeah ive taken a peak at it/

[igor]

The best I've had was my Harley FLT with 180000kms,it had a top end rebuild and then a full rebuild just before I bought it.


yeah but carrying the HD around on the bak of the trow truck for 180000kms don't count. arf arf arf

[Mongoose]

Best I have seen, as in with me own eyes, was a 900 Ninja at 300+k.It eventually spun a bearing due to lack of lubricant, slack owner.
But them dudes in the bigger countries, like Oz get and do way higher K's than us K1W1 folk do.

[NordieBoy]

VT250F Integra with 85000Km when I sold it.
The cam chains were a bit sloppy but it would still do 170kph at 13000rpm.
Only ever done consumables on it apart from a tune up once.
Beauty little bike, I still regret selling it.

[Liv, Norway]

TAA-DAAA!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

May I present the everlasting bike;
1986 BMW K100RS!

It's close to 300 000 kilometres on the clock!
My boyfriend can't remeber the exact number, but it's more than 299 000 kilometres.

If he can win a price we can take a picture of the clock, so you can see the exact number.

My Scarver got 20 000 kilometres, and I guess it's more left! :-)

:-) Liv. :kick:

[Posh Tourer :P]

Sounds like standard sort of BMW reliability.....

[Liv, Norway]

Sounds like standard sort of BMW reliability.....

Yes!

Liv :-)

[Bonez]

Sounds like standard sort of BMW reliability.....
Ask dad about his beemer reliability :laugh: :brick: It's been ok really, apart from the ignition unit and a silly electrical fault that he hasn't managed to track down yet.

[Al]

Ask dad about his beemer reliability It's been ok really, apart from the ignition unit and a silly electrical fault that he hasn't managed to track down yet.

Maybe Dad should let a BMW technician track down the fault....?

My ZZR1100 had 98000km when I sold it back in SA before immigrating, still running sweetly!

Al

[Bonez]

Maybe Dad should let a BMW technician track down the fault....?

My ZZR1100 had 98000km when I sold it back in SA before immigrating, still running sweetly!

Al Nah dads a do it yourselfer from way back. Good way to learn things.

[Posh Tourer :P]

what are the symptoms of the electrical fault, and was the ignition unit replaced? Old twin, new twin, or K series?

[Bonez]

what are the symptoms of the electrical fault, and was the ignition unit replaced? Old twin, new twin, or K series?Old twin-R80, no electrics at all sometimes. Nothing wrong with the kill switch either. Yes the IU was replaced some time ago, new battery fitted as well. Just spoke to him. He's going to Hamilton in the new year and will book the bike into the local BMW dealership.

[White trash]

Aaron Slight had his FAtboy in at work for a WOF the other day. That's a tidy 95 Fatboy me thinks, have a look, it's done 5500km. In 9 years.

Now *that's* making sure you don't wear it out.

Ther's also a guy in Whakatane and if you read through M/C trader regularly, you'll always see 2005 FXDWG, 17km, $35000. Previous to that, he sold his Rocket III with 40km on it. He has had and sold 8 brand new bikes over the past 2 years.

Fruitcake.

[Bonez]

He has had and sold 8 brand new bikes over the past 2 years. Goody. The more second hand stuff on the market the better.

[moko]

100,ooo K`s,bloody hell,just about any modern-ish machine these days will go for 100,ooo MILES + if it`s looked after.You`re more likely to have electrical problems than major mechanical problems on an older machine.I`ve heard of VFR750`s,various BMW`s,GT Kwaks and XJ/Diversion 900`s doing over 200,000 miles in the hands of couriers and they thrash the hell out of their bikes,trick is regular oil-changes.Usual problems are camchain at maybe 70,000 or so,probably top-end overhaul at 100,000.Mileage thing suits the bike trade,in the U.k. they reckon over 3000 miles a year is above average,maybe is when you add in the Summer riders,and they can dick you on trade-in because of it.If a bike`s been looked after then mileage isn`t that much of an issue,in fact if you find a machine a few years old with very low mileage that means it`s either been used for short hops or been standing around for much of it`s life,neither does a motor a lot of good.Had this conversation with a guy once who had a Kawasaki 800 cruiser,he used the thing to go 2 miles to work and back every day,couldn`t see that although his low-mileage might well make it easier to sell I wouldn`t touch it because basically it`d been run on a cold engine for most of it`s life which it was never designed to do.Incidentally Honda once ran their CB500 motor on a test rig for the equivalent of 200,000 miles with no ill-effects.Motor`s probably one of the most hardy parts of your bike,it`s brakes,suspension and electrics that`ll need replacing long before anything in your engine.