Discussion
I've been looking on Marketplace and noticed a lot of bikes with mileages that I would never consider 40,000 etc , an example is a ZZR1200 with 44,000 miles on , am I being silly ? Or is a worn/broken cam chain just waiting to bite someone ? Not to mention big ends, cam lobes, bores, rings etc
Steve Bass said:
Why is 40k on a bike considered high when on a car it's barely run in??
Surely the normal caveats apply. Good service history, regular off service maintenance and TLC.
Thats why I'm asking the question .......as an example , I've had a Honda cam chain tensioner fail which allowed the chain to saw into the cylinder barrel at around 10,000 milesSurely the normal caveats apply. Good service history, regular off service maintenance and TLC.
mike-v2tmf said:
Steve Bass said:
Why is 40k on a bike considered high when on a car it's barely run in??
Surely the normal caveats apply. Good service history, regular off service maintenance and TLC.
Thats why I'm asking the question .......as an example , I've had a Honda cam chain tensioner fail which allowed the chain to saw into the cylinder barrel at around 10,000 milesSurely the normal caveats apply. Good service history, regular off service maintenance and TLC.
On a bike like a ZZR 1400 which may be used for longer distance daily commuting, 40k+ is not to be unexpected.
I'd sooner look at the owner and how the bike has been cared for not just service hstory. is his house well maintained? His car? Himself??
I know it sounds silly but if a 'mint' bike is being offered by someone resembling a character from Shameless, my spidey senses would be jingling.....
my zzr had 100 000 on it before i swapped, the only issue was the wear and tear repairs were going to be more than 50% of the bike value and i only had a month or so before i was going to swap at four years old, so there was no point in having the work done. Had i been keeping it longer i would have had the work done and carried on using it
some one bought it and they'll have a well looked after bike with a few miles on it - rather that than something that is 15 years old with 10 000 miles on that has been sat for ages
As mentioned - depending upon the bike / owner / history 40k may be high for a 125 but I wouldn't consider it high for a GS1250 or ZZR1400 etc - these bakes are rarely used for short trips nor thrashed and tend to attract "sensible" owners.
The problem is that the price difference between a 10k and 40k bike is so small that most of us buy the lower mileage bike.
I agree that bikes which have been stood for years can have more issues than those that are regularly used BUT that higher mileage bikes are more likely to throw a catastrophic bill - again depending upon the bike and usage.
The problem is that the price difference between a 10k and 40k bike is so small that most of us buy the lower mileage bike.
I agree that bikes which have been stood for years can have more issues than those that are regularly used BUT that higher mileage bikes are more likely to throw a catastrophic bill - again depending upon the bike and usage.
I watched a youtube video of a chap who used a Cbr600f and put 300k miles on it whilst doing trips around the US.
At around 300k he then started track daying it!
I'd say 40k on a big tourer is just child's play but 15k with no maintenance will be hanging where as 100k with a fastidious owner will likely be far better condition.
At around 300k he then started track daying it!
I'd say 40k on a big tourer is just child's play but 15k with no maintenance will be hanging where as 100k with a fastidious owner will likely be far better condition.
I'm another "depends on the bike". However, standard suspension doesn't last that long and as we're so dependant on that on a motorcycle we tend to fixate on lower mileages compared to cars. Also bikes aren't made out of the same materials as cars so corrode a lot more, doesn't necessarily make them dangerous but does make them look scruffy.
Having said that my 60k Hornet 900 and my brother's 110k CBR600fx are both on original suspension....and both are probably a bit baggy but we're used to them (I've done all the mileage, he bought his with 12k). The engines in both have no issues as they've been serviced properly, and his has had a few CCTs.
I'd buy a higher mileage bike with 40k+ but would do more checks. Everyone focuses on engines but by the time you've done brake discs/pads, suspension/linkage rebuilds, wheel bearings etc. then you could be paying the difference between a 10k and 40k bike in the first place. Of course the original stuff could be knackered by 20k if ridden hard so it's not all about mileage. Go even higher to 100k+ish and you start getting into worn carbs and generally more intensive maintenance though.
Having said that my 60k Hornet 900 and my brother's 110k CBR600fx are both on original suspension....and both are probably a bit baggy but we're used to them (I've done all the mileage, he bought his with 12k). The engines in both have no issues as they've been serviced properly, and his has had a few CCTs.
I'd buy a higher mileage bike with 40k+ but would do more checks. Everyone focuses on engines but by the time you've done brake discs/pads, suspension/linkage rebuilds, wheel bearings etc. then you could be paying the difference between a 10k and 40k bike in the first place. Of course the original stuff could be knackered by 20k if ridden hard so it's not all about mileage. Go even higher to 100k+ish and you start getting into worn carbs and generally more intensive maintenance though.
A few years ago one of the bike mags dismantled the engine of a 100.000 mile + BMW. An R1100RS I think. There was virtually no wear on most components and the one major component that did have noticeable wear, IE outside manufacturers tolerance for a new part, was still nowhere near needing replacement. I daresay electrics and suspension were a different matter.
Dr Jekyll said:
A few years ago one of the bike mags dismantled the engine of a 100.000 mile + BMW. An R1100RS I think. There was virtually no wear on most components and the one major component that did have noticeable wear, IE outside manufacturers tolerance for a new part, was still nowhere near needing replacement. I daresay electrics and suspension were a different matter.
Not many cars nor bikes die because of engine / gearbox failure, the vast majority get to a price level where they aren't worth fixing properly and then go into a downward spiral.It's why there are so many old Rolls Royce still around, not because they were better built but because their higher value meant they were worth maintaining / fixing
I did 92k on a Honda Fireblade an original "round eye", over a period of 5 years loved every minute, never let me down, cost a fortune in tyres and chains but was 100% reliable. Have done over 50-60k miles on a number of GS's and again never a problem.
I think it is the ones that just sit and do a few hundred miles a year are fat more likely to be a problem!
I think it is the ones that just sit and do a few hundred miles a year are fat more likely to be a problem!
I've taken my bikes to 70+k miles (k1200lt) and 80k+ (1150gs). Both were going strong when I sold them, although the K was smokey on start-up. Both had a clutch and rear wheel bearing replacement, but not much else to report.
My current bike is around 50k and I have no plans to change it soon.
My current bike is around 50k and I have no plans to change it soon.
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