How much mileage is a motorcycle past its prime?

Question

I'm wanting to buy a used motorcycle and I'm wondering how many miles is too many miles?

PS I'm looking for something like a Honda
Shadow VLX 600 cc.

PPS I don't know how to fix them or work on them.

PPPS I've taken the MSF class and recently rented a HYosung 250 for 24 hours and went 200 miles on it and had a lot of fun after I got over my nervousness. My plan is to rent a Honda 750 next since that's the next size up available to rent.

Answer 1

Mileage on a bike depends on how the previous owner has taken care of the maintenance. iv'e seen bikes running strong with 60 to 70 k on the odometer and bikes ready for the scrap heap at 20k. most larger cruiser style bikes are good for 60 to 100k if properly maintained and i have met people riding cruisers with over 150k that have never had major work done to the engine. smaller sport bikes can run just as long, but since they tend to be ridden harder (as in high speed, high rpm driving) the maintenance issue becomes crucial to the bikes longevity.
most used bikes with less than 20k on the odometer will be in good running condition mechanically speaking.

Answer 2

As others said, it's all about the previous owner. I had a Kaw KZ 550 that I bought used for 1000 bucks in 1990..it had 5349 miles on the odometer. When it was totalled years later I had over 170,000 miles on it - I just changed the oil, the tires, the clutch cable and some front and rear brake pads. Not at all expensive over the course of several years.

It's really all a matter of how well it was taken care of. Just beware of any bikes that look as if they've been raced or taken to the track.

Answer 3

Hmm. It depends on who owned previously. If you know the person and that person took care of it, you can have as much as 100k on it. But some crazy biker had it before and ran it into the gorund then 50k whould be a better bet. it also depends on the make. Hondas, Suzuki, Yahmaha and Kawasaki tend to last longer then there Euro and American Counterparts. BUT! They were most likely to have been run harder in the sport-bike variation. You'll be safe in the cruisers, unless it's in the harley. Harleys have an off-fire config, and if the previous owner ran it hard, there might be an oil leak. If I were a newbie looking for a good first time used bike... Suzuki GSX 750 with up to 100k (I started with a 600 with 65k, but you end up wanting more power) So it's a nice mix of durability, power, sportiness and economy that you'll be hard pressed to beat!

Answer 4

I suppose we are talking here about street bikes, 4 strokes.
first, you have to see if the bike is air or water cooled, if it is water cooled (it has a radiator behind the front wheel) it will last much longer. My bike has 75k on it, it' s a 2003. I have friends that have more than 100k on their bikes and one even has 200k on his Venture. But they' re all water cooled.

What kind of bike is it? If it' s a sports bike, and owned by a young person, chances are it's been beaten pretty good, in that case, 50k would be considered ready to fall apart, as would be an air cooled bike. If it's a cruiser, 2 cylinder bike, 75k would be about right.

Finally, was it well taken care of, most important, were the oil change done regularly and was a good oil used ( I use synthetic, protects much better mostly when the engine runs real hot)

P.S. This information is valid for Japanese bikes and German bikes.

Answer 5

Maintenance is the key. I have a 1939 Knuckle, a 1980 Shovel, a 1998 Fat Boy, and a 2003 Road King. Obviously the mileage on these bikes varies greatly. But I would ride anyone of them at anytime because they have been maintained.

I also have multiple offers to purchase the Knuckle and no one really cares about the "mileage", just how well they run.

Answer 6

Unlike cars that get driven well beyond their useful life, bikes generally don't get ridden that much. An 80 car may well have over 200000 miles on it while many an 80 bike may only have 25000 miles on it. The thing to consider, mainly in the case of "dressers" is parts replacement. I can't even get knobs for a Gold Wing 1500 any more. And the last one is a 2000 model!!!

Answer 7

One factor to consider is average rpm of the engine as it was used. Some well-made big bore Vtwin or boxer engine can last over 100k miles with just minor maintenance, so long as the parts are around. It's rare to see a midrange inline 4 last that long, cuz it operates at higher rpm. Pretend you travel 10 miles on a 600R bike and 10 miles on a 1000 V-twin;on the 600R, your engine may have cycled twice as many times, with the internals moving twice as fast.

Answer 8

70K miles is too many. By that time it's used up (and yes, I know I'll get a lot of thumbs down from Harley and Goldwing owners, who are willing to put in the money and care to keep their rides going for a couple hundred thousand miles).

Me, I wouldn't buy something with more than 40K miles on it.

Answer 9

Motorcycles are special. What kind of Motorcycle? What year? Are we talking an 841 out of '41 or '42 or a new Harley? No motorcyclye is really past its prime. It's just a matter of what you know and how you can work on them.

Answer 10

There's no such thing as past it's prime if it's a Japanese bike. You can ride them forever no matter how many miles and they never ever breakdown.