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.

[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.

[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

[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.

Apsalute bollocks you two 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. 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