what would you consider high mileage?

[ruddlad]

Still looking for a replacement for my sv.

This has probably been covered countless times so apologies.

ie a car with 100k is considered high mileage, but bikes??

I know with proper servicing etc. etc. etc. they can go on and on reasonably.

Looking for experiences of buying a "high miler" and any issues.

Do u guys have a limit on miles regardless of proper service history etc.??

I know its vague but just turned down a 96 reg 5k miler as it didnt have complete history (only 6 mots) so didnt want to risk.

Did want a cruiser but saw a triumph daytona (yellow so no change of leathers lol) and loved the angled looks.

Now not so sure what i want!!!!!!

[Bibio]

i look at how many owners and condition of bike. more owners = more muppets to mess around with things.

i would not by a bike over 50k unless it was mega cheep and one owner.

i would not buy a bile with more than 2 owners unless it was very low mileage.

i don't care about dealer service records as it's always the minimum that has been done so the stamp in the book is worthless to me.

i would rather buy a bike from an enthusiast who has looked after it and not messed with it.

there are exceptions to the rule but you need to know what your looking for.

a 96 reg bike with 5k on the clock would be easy to tell if the mileage is correct by just visual inspection of the bike as a whole as to weather its genuine or not.

if you don't feel right at the time when viewing a vehicle then most of the time it's the correct answer and walk away.

[dylandun]

mines got 32k mileage on a 04 sv650s pointy, and still runs pretty good.

[L3nny]

Most bike engines will last 100k plus

The mileage is pretty irrelivant as long as the bike has been maintained to a high standard.

I would rather buy a 50k bike that has just had the suspension refreshed for instance than a 30k bike where some lardarse has been bouncing around on the origional springs.

I would also never buy a bike that has really low mileage, I looked at a 10 year old fireblade that had 1400 miles on once and you could tell it had been stood for ages.

[DJ123]

Most bike engines will last 100k plus

The mileage is pretty irrelivant as long as the bike has been maintained to a high standard.

I would rather buy a 50k bike that has just had the suspension refreshed for instance than a 30k bike where some lardarse has been bouncing around on the origional springs.

I would also never buy a bike that has really low mileage, I looked at a 10 year old fireblade that had 1400 miles on once and you could tell it had been stood for ages.

This ^

More often that not a bike with miles on it has had good regular maintenance and been looked after. A bike with low miles has been sat around and not ridden on a regular basis.

I bought my K3 on 42,000 miles 18 months ago. Very shortly it'll be ticking over to 60,000. Touch wood, it's been pretty solid since i've had it.

[Fallout]

As has been mentioned above, there are far more more important things to consider. I've bought a couple of semi-lemons and a couple of minters. Lots of lessons learnt and I'm fairly confident in how I'd choose a vehicle now. Main points I can think of ..

- Vet the seller. If he's an enthusiast, you meet him at his house and he describes the bike warts and all, you can be more confident
- Minimum number of owners (if there are problems it'll keep changing hands)
- Thorough service history, dealer or private (receipts, log etc). Only way apart from the test ride/listening to it to have an idea if the engine has had regular oil changes to keep it in top condition
- Not crashed! There could be hidden issues like alignment problems which have never been fixed.

If its a low revving bike like an SV, than a 60k miles bike like Jobs will be ok if it's been well looked after. If it's high revving than it'll probably have less life in the engine, but if it's been rigorously looked after by an enthusiast then it could still be in cracking condition.

It's still a punt no matter what.

My Gixxer has been crashed, has terrible service history and the owner wasn't exactly a passionate biker, although he was at least mechanically minded. As such, I got a bit of a lemon, but I knew that when I bought it. It was just a bargain and I wanted one so bad! :D Even with all it's problems it's still been a cracking bike and hasn't cost me much to sort it. Engine is still good. Probably has 40k miles on it (can't be sure as the speedo doesn't work properly!). It's fine for my purposes because it's a weekend/hobby bike and not something I need to be ultra reliable.

Basically, mileage is 'meh!' if it's been well looked after.

The only other thing to consider imo is that 20-25k range where lots of consumables like chain/sprockets, bearings, valve clearances etc. might be due. If they've been done then that sort of bike is a better value purchase than a 15k bike of the same age which will be due all that stuff soon.

[L3nny]

Exactly as above. Cost of consumables can add up, if it needs a couple of tyres a chain and sprocket and a major service that's nearly a grand if you get it done at a main dealer!

[ruddlad]

Thanx for all the input.
Theres a bike on a certain auction website if you search
Yamaha v-max full power 1200 you should find it.
Theres somethings been done ie frame welded and powder coated.
Obvious what the powder coat is but hearing the world welded!!
Totally not standard.
Thoughts on work done and what benefits appreciated.

[stuR]

High mileage on a bike IMO is 60k+ but as has been said above, that does not nessacerily rule a bike out. Its more important you go with your guy and know what you are buying.

[Red ones]

Does this mean my 96,000 mile SV is classed as high mileage then?

60,000 I would expect to looking at suspension replacement, probably speedo pickup replacement and I would not be surprised if the R/R and coils had been changed (although Yamaha might make good ones, unlike Suzuki).

That said the clutch should be good, although have a good feel - the adjuster can be shot.

[jambo]

The higher the mileage, the more important the current owner is.

I have ridden some great feeling 100,000+ mile bikes, and I've ridden some 20,000 mile dogs.

That said the price has to reflect condition. Short of producing a recent Dyno run, compression test, and oil usage rate stats, it's best to knock money off as the mileage goes up to reflect the likelihood of components being past their best.

Jambo

[Ceri JC]

Depends a huge amount on the specific model you're looking at and how comprehensive a service history it has.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Goldwing or an R80G/S with 100K on the clock if I knew it had been maintained well. An R1, not so much.