What is High Mileage on a bike?

I've seen price guides for bikes reckoning on 4000-6000 miles per year as an average (Ride, I think)

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

I've seen price guides for bikes reckoning on 4000-6000 miles per year as an average (Ride, I think)

Thats no good, how am i supposed to get to work now i've used my allowance up!


Mine had 11k on it when i bought it and its 8 years old. A 97 GSXR 600.

I think RandyO has some high miles on his SV

The mileage on a bike is all relative. Most of them are more than capable of reaching high miles if looked after correctly.

But as most bikes sit in the garage as a leisure pursuit rather than a method of transport they are seen as the "norm" and then affect the value of the higher mileage bikes. I dont intend on selling the GSXR i have now due to the mileage i am going to clock up over the coming years.

However, 16k is a very low figure. I'd check it out properly for maintenance and expect to shell out on at least a basic service (unless you can do it yourself) to see what sort of condition it is in and if it has been well maintained.

Originally Posted by rubberduckofdeath

Regardless of whether you've bought the bike from a main dealer or privately, I'd always do an oil + filter change on it and do other basic servicing checks as soon as you get it.

Thats what i said. But if he isnt compentant enough he could get it serviced somewhere that he trusts.

Originally Posted by Cloggsy

I think RandyO has some high miles on his SV

yup, 115,000 miles original motor, I have to do some suspension work, fork was rebuilt @ 65k, needs it again, along with a rear shock, engine runs great.

[Sid Squid]

My ZX6 has nearly 60,000 miles on it, not only has it not gone wrong in any significant way, but it hasn't required any more looking after than the service schedule would suggest, 16,000 is nothing, as long as that's 16,000 done by someone who took even a modicum of care, it would be more than enough to screw it good and proper if certain abusive things were done to it, that said, if a bike is in appropriate condition on the outside, it's a fair indication that's it's not been abused.

Spanner Man: Why do you say that ZX6s require lots of maintenance? Against which bike/bikes are you measuring that? I haven't found my ZX to need significantly different amounts of work to that of other bikes I've owned or the bikes that I regularly look after.

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Spanner Man: Why do you say that ZX6s require lots of maintenance? Against which bike/bikes are you measuring that? I haven't found my ZX to need significantly different amounts of work to that of other bikes I've owned or the bikes that I regularly look after.

He dont come on that on often, but hes been a bike mechanic for more than 10 years though. I'd say he knew something about ZX6's in general. Perhaps not the newer ones.

[Sid Squid]

So I understand, but then I've been spannering for a considerable time too, I'm just interested to know why this was said.

Don't go thinking I'm taking it personally but as I actually own one of the bikes in question* I find it a curious comment.

*If I didn't I'd probably not find this a curious comment.

The Ducati spent most of its life broken at the dealers

Wheelnut!