How many miles is too many miles for a used bike?

[Kal]

I was doing close on 600 miles a month on my 125...

I have problems with the trike because of its low mileage - a bike needs to do at least 1,200miles a year in my opinion.

A reasonably well maintained 4 stroke should put you over the 100,000 mile mark. One that has had the minimum of maintainence should see 50,000 without major problems.

[gsJack]

Recently I've been looking on Craigslist to try and find a ride for this summer. I just spotted at 2001 Suzuki GS500 for $2000. The bike looks alright and says "good condition", but I'll check all that out later. What I'm really looking at is that it already has 19,000miles Is this a lot or a little in the world of motorcycles? If it has been well maintained how long will this bike last? Another 20, 40k? Obviously I'm new and just wondering how much mileage an average bike in good hands will last before it will start falling apart?

According to KBB, that's just a little below average milage for a used 01 GS500:

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/OtherVehicles/Mi ... ition.aspx

If the bike was properly maintained and never seriously abused, it's got a long life ahead of it by my standards. I expect 80-100k miles from an air cooled motorcycle with little or no trouble.

The 01-02 GS500s had significant updates and are the best used ones to buy. The 02 was the last naked model and all 04 and later GS500F sold in this country were fully faired.

I bought a 97 GS500E new in 99 and it's sitting in the garage with over 80k miles on it now unused for a couple years. Got to go get it running so my son can use it this summer. My current ride, a 02 GS500, has about 48k miles on it now and never ran better. I expect to get another3 years out of it at least since I'm only riding about 12k miles a year now.

I bought a like new 81 Honda CM400A Honda around 1990 that had 2k miles on it and gave it away a couple years ago with 98k miles on it. It now has over 100k miles on it and is still running. This was a good example of a bike that was used too little before I got it, the seals tend to dry out a bit from sitting around unused for many years. I had to put a head gasket on it at about 30k miles to fix an oil leak at it ran trouble free after that to over 100k miles.

[Nibblet99]

There are Goldwings on the road with over 300k on them. That's the upper end of the scale. Some would argue that bikes that haven't been ridden much are closer to the junkyard than those that have been ridden hard and maintained well. I tend to go with the latter.

I seem to remember reading about a courier who put 450k miles on a VFR, replaced the engine, then did another 400k

[Duane]

By whom? That would mean i have 3 years on my bike in just over 7 weeks! KBB gives double that for 350cc and under bikes, much less higher displacement.]

One of the instructors at my safety class told us when buying a used bike it should be around 600 miles a year anything more then that should lower the price. When I was looking around at the price difference most used bikes I found for sale were near this mileage marker. Several of the sellers who got back to me said they rode the heck out of it the first year and then only touched it a few times after that and that was why they were selling it.

I ended up going with a new bike; I'm a computer guy not a gear guy so I've had really bad luck buying used mechanicals in the past. New with warranty works best for me.

[Kal]

600 miles a year is less than 12 miles a week... Work and back alone puts me at 25 this week! Thats without going to see friends or taking the bike on a thrash for the hell of it!


Unless you are only riding a couple of times a year how the hell can you keep the mileage so low?

[Drunner611]

Thanks for all your help everyone. I see that it is in fact under the rated mileage by KBB for an 01. Like I said, I plan on thoroughly inspecting it and asking about maintenance.

2 quick questions. What would be a good indicator that the bike has been taken care of? Proof of regularly scheduled tuneups?

And #2, I plan on doing a bit of highway riding and this bike has no shield/fairing. Is it a good idea to go out and get one? Thanks a lot.

[celt]

And #2, I plan on doing a bit of highway riding and this bike has no shield/fairing. Is it a good idea to go out and get one? Thanks a lot.

define "bit"

[Flting Duck]

I was told that 600 miles a year is good, anything more then that should lower the value considerably.

Heck, I do that in a DAY when I'm touring.

[Drunner611]

And #2, I plan on doing a bit of highway riding and this bike has no shield/fairing. Is it a good idea to go out and get one? Thanks a lot.

define "bit"

A 500 mile round trip maybe 1x a month. Otherwise no more than 25 miles on the highway a few times a week.

[NightNurse]

600 a year! Plenty of people will ride that in a month...I plan to use mine to commute for work daily soon (heck gas is 3.20$). And will hit that a month just from work miles.

I saw an 87 Virago on Ebay yesterday with 1600 original miles! 20 years old...guess they hated it. Or perhaps bought it for the wife who never touched it