How many miles are considered ALOT for a used bike?

Question

I'm looking to buy a used bike. How many miles are considered ALOT for a bike?

I'm really looking for sport-bikes...
So how many miles are considered ALOT for a used sport-bike?

Answer 1

The average rider puts about 3k miles on in a season...depending on where you are can depend on how many miles are reasonable...I traded my '00 Katana in March of '04 for the Hayabusa with 10k on it, the Busa now has 6k on it but now I am in AZ and there is a longer season and I will soon be riding it to work to save miles on my car...so what are looking to get?
I wouldn't but anything more than five years old, and no more than 20k miles...it is at about half its life before you will need to start puttin money into it.

Answer 2

I have bought MANY used sport bikes and do not even look at new bikes. I have had very good luck buying 1-4 year old bikes with very little troubles. Things to watch out for are as follows.

I notice that around 12-15K miles you may start to hear a valve tap. This will require a sommewhat costly service although it is normal at that mileage. A good mileage to look for bikes used where the price has gone down enough but still has a long service life is about 4-6K miles. Be wary for bikes that have 4-5K but never had the chain,sprocket,tires,brakes serviced as you migt end up with about $1000 in maintainence. Make sure those items are in good order berfore proceeding. I would say alot of miles is 15K or more because you will need to do the valve shims at some point.

Answer 3

Depends on the maintenance. Most motorcycles have small engines, 2,3,4 cylinder, and they work pretty hard, harder than a car engine, typically, and depending on the rider, bearing wear can set in as early as 8k miles, if you're considering a used sportbike, ask for maintenance records and riding habits. If you're buying one from someone under say, 25, go ahead and have the bike checked out by a pro for signs of racing/abuse before agreeing to the purchase. You don't want a split transmission gear ruining your ride a month down the road...and what these kids do is exactly what they see done in the movies etc...buyer beware...go through a dealership and buy something they'll certify for 90 days or so. If you're determined to go it on your own, pay close attention to the underside of the fender wells for rubber marks, use your nose, inspect the tires, check the oil, look for metal shavings, that kind of thing...anything that would indicate the bike has been used hard. scrape marks are key, anything consistent with racing damage on something that doesn't have a race number decal on the front is a clue that you're being sold someone else's problem....that they're trying to get rid of before it breaks completely. As a final step, actually ride the bike. Do the controls operate smoothly, any unusual sounds/odors/vibrations/visible damage? Wheel bearings, engine bearings, clutch action, brake action, these are all really important, and that's why it's best to have a pro check out your new prospective machine for you. Kids say the darndest things, especially when they're trying to unload a piece of junk...

Answer 4

My brothers always took their motorcycles completely apart every winter, and would spend time each week cleaning and greasing and lubing. They each managed to put over 100,000 miles on their bikes, but since they were so well serviced the engines were just like new.

It all depends on the previous owner. If he is an obsessed nut like my brothers then it doesn't matter what mileage is on the bike. If it was owned by a teenager who didn't give a dam* except how fast he could go next, then I wouldn't go anywhere near that bike no matter how good it looks.

Answer 5

Depends on the bike.

Harley guys rejoice and throw a party when they can get 60,000 on a lower end.

BMWs go 400,000 without a hiccup.

Japanese bikes usually die of some design anomaly, you never really know if it's going to last 6,000 or 600,000 . . . craps anyone?

Italian bikes, well, if you're the kind to buy an Italian bike, there's nothing I can say that will talk you out of it. It's a passion thing.

British bikes: (see Japanese bikes above as there aren't any British bikes anymore).

Answer 6

thats a hard question. crotch rockets have a high turn over because much of there sale is driven on hype. So most of them arent' even broken in before the owner goes out and buys the newest version.

another factor is younger riders do stupid things, so 600 are typically abused doign wheelies and stopies etc. since liter bikes are reserved for older experienced riders (insurance reasons) they get treated alot better.

so that being said if it's a crotch rocket 750 or less I wouldn't buy a used one not unles sI knew the owner and it has never been dropped.

for a crotch rocket liter bike I would go up to 15,000 miles nice things about older bike owners is they religiously service the machines.

as for a cruiser same applies religious service records easy cruising.

Answer 7

Kawasaki police special isn't quite a sports bike, but police departments retire them at 60,000 or 70,000 miles -- and they do good servicing on them.

As far as Japanese bikes dying, ... I've done a lot of paging through Cycle Trader magazine over the years, and never seen a motorcycle of any kind for sale with more than 140K miles on it.

Answer 8

it depends if you are getting a cruiser or a pocket rocket. Cruisers engines run at low RPM and sports bikes are at their best in the 10,000 RPM range, which is high. If you are buying a cruiser, mileage in not much of an issue if service has been done properly, but I wouldn't buy a sport bike with more than 20,000 mls.

Answer 9

BMW and most Japanese multi-cylinder bikes last the longest. Italian, British and Harley are short-lived motors, maybe 40,000 before they begin to get really tired. A BMW motor will outlive you and Japanese engines are excellent in most respects.

Answer 10

I had a BMW with 129,000 miles on it and it STILL ran great.

I sold it to a guy who bought it sight unseen and was happy to have it.

My present BMW - a 1995 R1100GS has 42,000 miles on it and it runs as well as when I bought it 8 years ago. I haven't had any trouble at all with it.