How many miles is too many?

[tom720]

So still on the hunt for a bike but what would be considered a 'no go' for engine mileage? 20000 miles seems reasonable for me but a gsxr 600 k1 just popped up in my area with 35000 miles for £1750? What you guys think? It's got fresh tyres, brake pads, mot, datatool etc and a full service history so seems taken care of but still........... How many is too many?

[i.p.phrealy]

Fund out how much an engine rebuild is if you're that worried, but if it's been well looked after it should be ok. Car engines go for 100000 miles easily without any major work. My pug 306 engine has done 170k and is still going.
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[-Matt-]

All depends on how well its been maintained and how its been ridden - which is the hard part.

I'd say with sports bikes its best to be extra cautious as they are more commonly hammered, but if its got good history and looks well maintained [doesn't matter if it looks all shiny] it should be fine.

Give the engine a good listen to, ask them to start it up, have a sit on it and try the gears and give it some rev's etc - obviously ideally test ride but may not be an option with most private sellers, i'd never let my bikes be tested either to be honest.

My ZX6 has done nearly 20k now and is as good as new as its been maintained and i don't rag it to within an inch of its life, were as you could find a newer model ZX6 with 5k on the clock, piss poor maintenance history and a clunking engine.

[MarJay]

For that money that's an OK mileage. Bear in mind that most motorcycle engines will outlast the chassis by a long way. They are either crashed, stolen or the suspension and chassis bearings wear out before the engine has a chance to die.

I'd say go for it but bear in mind you might need to refresh the forks and replace or rebuild the rear shock at some point.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Dean-J]

my k4 gsxr 600 is on 42k miles and rising rapidly. engine is sweet as a nut, its stuff like bearings and bushes, adjusters etc you have to watch out for.

if the bikes good, owners switched on, and paperwork is in order, ileage really shouldnt be a big concern.
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Current: 99 Yamaha Thuundercat
Previous: K7 GSXR 1000 K4 GSXR 600 roadbike, CBR 600 Steelie Track bike, 2005 SV1000Sz, 2004 FZ6 Streetfighter,2003 Yamaha Thundercat, 2002 SV650, 1989 Yamaha DT125R

[John933]

It's a lot about how it is kept. I have a Honda that is on 97,000 mile's. It will be round the clock by the end of the year. Kept in a garage, on a SORN in the winter. Do my own service, then I know it's done right. It's been down the road once. Thank God for RG crash bung's. Just in the last month came back from a 5k trip round Portugal. No problem. Ran as sweet as a nut. Turned out the mile's one after the other. The bike is 23 year's old, I've had her nearly ten of them. What's she worth? I have no idea. Who will buy it with 97k on the clock? Next to no one. So it look's like I'll have to keep her. But if she did go. If you looked after her, she still got a lot of mile's left in her.

So it's a case of how they have been treated through their life.
John933
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[Rodd]

My bmw gs 1100 is now up to 107000 miles I got it with 68 k on it.like the previous posters said its all about how's it's been treated.

[deleted111]

TL;DR if it's been maintained properly, mileage is usually nae bother.

[Tungtvann]

I think it's the nature of how motorbikes are usually ridden which makes people believe they have a far shorter life than a car, but not that actual motorbike engine itself. It's quite common to have bikes that have averaged less than a couple of thousand miles a year, so we expect that a lot more too.

[deleted111]

I'm grabbing something in a dim memory here - but wasn't the CB500 engine tested to over 200k or something like that??

[Shinigami]

81k on the hornet now, though other bits are starting to fail such as wheel bearings and radiator
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[cyberglass]

recently sold my 99 r1 with 67000 on the clock religiously maintained and running as sweet as the day it left the factory. all depends on previous owners and how they have been treated.
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DL650 Vstrom 2004
DRZ400S 2003
Yamaha R1 2005

[R-Johnny]

My 08 zx6r has 26000, runs sweet.

Only engine issues I've had were the can chain tensioner sticking and causing a little rattle which was sorted at the same time the valve cover gasket failed ( the gasket was a Kawasaki recall/repair jobby ) other than that no problems.

Regular maintenance is what to look for.
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Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R P8F

[Acemastr]

06 CBR600RR on 23k miles now, still running beautifully and uses absolutely no oil whatsoever
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[The Tot]

If it's a honda, electrics will expire way before the engine! 44k miles on the Blade and it's gone though 3x reg/rec, 2 alternators and 4 yuasa batteries! Go figure!

Shock and forks refurbed at 30k miles.

So, as long as it's maintained, be it DIY or at a dealer, then you'll be fine. The engine is not a consumable item. Saying that though, 600cc engines usually go around between 300-600 quid. I'd know because i had to replace the engine on the ninja - A torn air filter and coastal roads make for nicely worn piston rings causing smoking on the overrun.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[garth]

[Derivative]

Looking at my own bike after putting 7k miles on it, the number of miles is far less relevant than things like winter riding, how often you clean the bike, whether the miles are on smooth motorways or potholed city roads.

I mean, I'm fairly sure I could crack out 100k dry motorway miles on the CB and have it ride pretty similarly to how it does now after replacing the standard chain, tyres, oil, pads.

As stated - engines don't really break.

[UnspeedySam]