Whos got the highest mileage SV?>

Just coming up to completing 14,000 on 2000 W plate. Had it since October 2003 when it had 6,400 on clock (bought used with 2 previous owners). So that's around 7,500 in 16 months. I only really use bike for commuting 35 miles per day. Ride most days in winter. Never (or hardly use) for pure leisure at weekends or ride-outs, more into pedal-power a la Armstrong and Ullrich-style in free-time. That's why I'm more into Fenda-extendas than race-cans and other such tweakings.

Thing is, cycling can be as expensive as motorcycling. Carbon-frame bikes cost a feckin fortune! You can now even buy Scottoiler systems for bicycle chains!

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Excuses!

Mr. Ju puts you to shame

Well actually...

If we go average kilometers per month, then I win again!

Mitch: 7 Months/2000 = 285.7 km/month
Mr. Ju: 2.5 Months/12000 = 4800 km/month

Damn... that is embarrassing! How about a ban on Ju? For making me look pitiful!

Mitch

Well my bike has done considerable less miles that it would have

I use it everyday for work as well as playing at the weekend.

Accidents aside I was looking at doing about 35k a year. New job and errr "time off" has kept the milage down.

I havent read the posts in the middle but I would have thought Rictus wins this one

Mine is an 03 K2 with slightly over 11,000 miles, all done by me :P

Hmm...

I have all of 87 miles on the clock, so at the mo, possibly the lowest.
But I reckon after I brake the engine in. I could possibly be up there with Rictus. I should be doing about 30 - 35k a year

Poor Blue cow Looks at her through window

ReLoAd wrote:
wow so the fact thats mines a 99model on 11000 is good then??

If you mean good for resale, yeah, if you mean good in that the bike's hardly been ridden, then no.

Why whould that be a bad thing about not being ridden alot?

Originally Posted by ReLoAd

Why whould that be a bad thing about not being ridden alot?

Why else have a bike if not to ride alot?

[rictus01]

OK, been a bit tied up with work for the last few days, so hadn't seen this.

Whist it's true my bike has had a number of parts changed, it's generally because I've worn them out or corrected "shortcomings" of the original bike, switchgear,wheels (well I've two sets I use so I'm not at the Mercy of the tyre places), 5 GXSR shocks, all the bushes and bearings have been removed twice ,checked and put back in, as they haven't needed replacing.

the other reason parts have been changed is cosmetics, I treat the bike to a total re-style and re-spray, when I get bored with the look (3 x now), and as I got loads of panels last winter for about £10 each I can do them and then just change it over in a day.

My hobby is to add things or mod them, cameras, radar detectors, speed shifters, led lights, you name it it's been fitted at one time or another.

Having only the bike (well a spare bike as well) and no car (wouldn't want one), The bike does everything, being as I travel about 1,000 miles a week, every week, since getting the bike in July 02 I've covered approx 124,645 miles, and it's still not due it's first mot yet.

the bike gets a basic service every 3 weeks and 15 minutes to check the tyres, bolts, fluid levels and re-fill the scottoiler every week.

Average out about 55,000 miles to a chain & sprocket set.
tyres: normally get about 7.5k from a rear, but the last set are Z6's and have given me over 12k so far .

Generally my bike will hit 125-130mph "on my own track, officer" at least twice a day, and the rest of the time, lets just say I'm not the last in the crowd (if you know what I mean) and normally lives between 7,000-11,000 no matter what road speed I'm doing. so not exactly an easy live.


Engines

As after having the first engine problem (blew it up racing a couple of blades and a GSXR) I found Suzuki parts to be so expensive that the price of a secondhand engine was a valid option.


eg:
crank and rods new OEM £295
Gaskets for rebuild about £50
time for rebuild and re-fit of engine 2 days
time for parts to come through when ordered ?????

V

Good low mileage secondhand engine £350
time and transport to collect 6 hours, £20 petrol
Time to re-fit 1 hour.

Couldn't see the sense it saving £25, at the expense of having the bike off the road an extra day myself.

With a degree of mechanical empathy, I know when something isn't right, and could have repaired three of the engines, but re-placed them anyway, the last although running fine had 70,000 miles on it so I changed it, and have kept it as a spare.

I know how good (or not) Suzuki made this bike, and what wares out, how much you can push the engine and what bits to upgrade.
you can't know the limitations unless you have been passed them at some point.

So, after all that the conclusion, well given that the SV is easy for me to ride at it's limit most of the time, and exceed (and repair) some of the time, it's an outstanding machine for the money. I've broken it and repaired/replace bits but It's so easy and cheap to do, it's not been a problem.

Even now after all the work it's done it's reliable, of the fastest (SV's), and cheap to run, given the way I look after the bike it would be good for another 100,000 miles.

I could have gone for something more distance focused, but then wouldn't have wanted to ride it so much, I still have fun everyday on it and will probably use it every month once it's been retired.

the bike was built to ride, perhaps not my type of riding but I've found out what it needs to do what I want. £3,500 for what I've had from this bike is peanuts, so I'm well happy,it won't last forever and isn't one of the bikes i would keep for 10-15years, to my mind I've used it for the purpose it was built, transportation & fun doing it. what more can you ask

Of course if the question was only "how far have you ridden in the last 2 1/2 years then I've answered that above.

Cheers Mark.

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by RandyO

I have less than a tank of gas to go before I hit 105,000. Still on original motor and orginal rear shock... replaced the clutch as preventative maintenance just a couple k ago, rebuilt front suspension with progressive springs @ 62k

Well all i can say is, the standard SV shock is good for about 15-20,000 miles, judging by other peoples bikes I've ridden, so if you've got over a hundred thousand out of one then either you ride very gentle or it's lost all it's damping a long time ago and you just except it like that?

as I replaced mine after only 30 miles, for a GSXR shock, I can't say how long mine would have lasted with the way I ride, but suspect it would have been no more than 15,000 tops.

the better quality of the Gsxr shocks give me about 20,000 before they need re-built or replacement.

As the loss of damping is a gradual thing a lot of riders can't tell that it has degraded, and only when it's changed or they compare with someone Else's bike do they feel the difference.

If your objective is to use the SV as a cost effective bike then I'm sure you could leave a lot of the bits I change alone and live with the drop off in performance.

I'm not having a go at you RandyO, or anything, it's just we have a different way of using our SV's.

Cheers Mark.

Note to self......Rictus01 is an SV guru!! I am not worthy. Any questions regarding anything SV related will now be directed towards you.