Any way to verify odometer reading?

[Marclev]

So ... today I walked into the local motorcycle dealership thinking I'd look at a "new-ish" (i.e. anything up to about 5 years old) boring-but-within-my-comfort-zone middleweight sports tourer and ... walked out after falling in love with and putting down a deposit on a 1999 ZX6R. So much for dealing with my impulse-control issues. How did that happen??

So anyway, it's in great condition, has clearly been looked after over the years, and obviously cheaper than what I actually had in mind, but I'm a bit suspicious of the odometer reading. The bike is 17 or 18 years old and only has 8000 miles on the clock.

Question is, do people really just keep a nice bike like that in the garage for years with hardly riding it? Does anybody know how one would go about checking that the reading on the digital odometer is actually accurate? Am I just being needlessly paranoid?

[duhawkz]

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Stick the reg in there ^

The odometer readings are recorded at mot time
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"The guy is a worthless cunt and I honestly believe I would be a slightly happier person if he died." - Chris-Red

[iooi]

Check the MOT history. Should have the mileage listed.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[Itchy]

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Marclev]

Nice, thanks!

Hmm, the MOT history looks in order, but it doesn't list anything before 2007 when it had 5,092 miles on the clock, I guess I'll have to take the "early years" on trust. Is it right that the system wouldn't go back any further than that?

Anyhow, looks like whoever had it then since 2007 hardly rode it at all for a few years and then either had an epiphany or someone else took ownership of it in 2013 and put 3000 miles on it between then and now.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

MOT check ^^^
< < <

An excellent choice, sir! I've noticed lots of these bikes which are hardly used and on sale for around £2k.
Mine had 60,000 miles before I bought a second bike ('03 R1) and took the Kawasaki off the road for a mainly cosmetic "refresh". Now ready for an MOT. I'll never sell it.

[arry]

[Marclev]

[Marclev]

[Alex A]

The short answer to your question is No. Not 100%. Not for any bike.

It's a matter of credibility. And there are certainly ways to discredit the mileage:

- The MOT check (as linked above), plus paper MOTs. Make sure the mileage goes up as the date advances. But, even if it doesn't, there might be legitimate reasons for a one-off anomaly, such as data entry error by the MOT tester, or the clocks changing from miles to kilometers, or vice versa. The online database only goes back to 2006ish too, so it's not exactly comprehensive for a 19 year old bike.

- The Service Log. Again, make sure the mileage goes up as the date advances. Also check that it's consistent with the MOT mileage recordings.

- HPI check. The more expensive HPI checks will provide a mileage verification service. These typically check that there are no anomalies in the mileage progression based on MOT data, V5 data (when the odometer reading is entered at the change of keeper point), and also the recorded mileage when previous HPI checks have been purchased. Again, you can have false positive alerts here because it's sensitive to data entry errors, particularly with people rounding up/down because they don't think what they put in goes on the record. It does.

Even if all that stacks up, all it tells you is that there's no record to suggest that it's inaccurate. Which, for the most part, is as good as it being genuine.

Even so, there are many other reasons (deliberate or otherwise) why it might not be genuine. So, if it's important to you that it is accurate, then even if the above does stack up, take your own view based on the age and condition, and ownership history (if you have it). I would suggest that it's unlikely but not unknown for that kind of bike to have covered so few miles.
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Current: Ducati Panigale R / Ducati Streetfighter S / Suzuki GSX-R1000 L5

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[Rogerborg]

Plenty of garage queens around.

Things I'd check in particular:

Inside the tank for rust.
Fork seals for weeping.
That the tyres aren't ancient and hardened.
That the oil is still something like a liquid.
Exhaust, under the fairing.
Battery. Watch out for them jump-starting it.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Shaft]

[Nobby the Bastard]

The exup came with MOT certs since 1992. Apparently it only did 27 miles one year......

Recorded milage is bollocks. Condition is everything. Look at pedals, seat and levers.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[yen_powell]

I know a bloke who patiently rebuilt an old triumph twin (well he got all his mates to do it whilst he patiently made them cups of tea). For 5 years after it was finished its only mileage was to and from the MOT test which was close enough to push to if he wanted.
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[dodsi]

I have a zx9r of the same vintage with under 10k miles because the bike basically has spent most of its life not being used. Perfectly possible and the MOT checker is a good place to start.

[doggone]

People buy another bike but don't always want or need to sell their older one.or have intermittent health problems keeps mileage low.
Certainly not unusual but not always a good thing if it just sat for a number of years.
Rubbery parts are going to degrade regardless though storage in dry and dark will prolong life.

[ScottT]

I bought a 98 zx6r recently, seems ok at 24,000 the only thing i can find wrong is the radiator is starting to corode and a few fins are falling out, the very short front mudguard doesnt help so ive fitted an extender, apart from that its ok.

[Paris2]

[skatefreak]

Boss has a Mint 2008 R1.
Gets either 20 odd miles a year going in for its MOT or every few years it gets a couple of hundred if he takes it up north for a long weekend (going up north on a trailer that is).

I get his motul 7100 each year when he changed is

Doubt it'll hit 10k in the next few decades but bugger me it's shiny and sounds superb!

[M.C]

[Marclev]

[Wonko The Sane]

[ZX-7R]