How significant is 20,000 miles on a second hand bike?

[Beans]

Two bikes of similar age and condition and service history, both second hand.

Bike A: £5999 at 20,000 miles on the clock

Bike B: £6999 at 6900 on the clock

Is bike B worth the extra money, are there mileage related things (saggy suspension, bits needing rebuilding) that just happen around 20k that will need doing?

[xMachina]

Hard to answer, a 20k miles bike that's been ridden gently and look after well is going to be better than one that's done 7k at the redline with a rider that didn't give a damn. Obviously more miles = more wear but without see either its impossible to say if the lower mileage bike is worth more.

[Stu]

What bike?

[Beans]

Zzr1400 both 2012 model. Its a bit academic now, the lower mileage one I had my eye on is sold

[Six30]

The lower mileage one all day long .

[BIKERDAD]

Naa I'd say the 20K one as it's been used and the not sat around .used one for me

[Six30]

Naa I'd say the 20K one as it's been used and the not sat around .used one for me

 

They’ve both been used , one not as much , less wear and tear etc

[fastbob]

On these very big cc multiple cylinder bikes it's difficult to say . Mileage and maintenance are two different things .

[potatobroxd]

Id take the one with lower mileage since factors of maintenance and abusive use is unknown for both

[JackieOWheels]

I would say it depends on how well each bike has been looked after, like will you have access to their full service history records which would show how well they has been maintained which in turn would aid you on your decision on which bike is a better choice (financially). On just mileage is not enough to see which one is better.

[Guest Richzx6r]

Tbh I'd have probably gone for the slightly higher mileage one as 20k miles on a zzr14 isn't really that high

[Bender]

It's too late as it's gone but the fact that it sold before you could decide tells you something.

I would take low miles if price is within reason.

[Stu]

It's too late as it's gone but the fact that it sold before you could decide tells you something.

I would take low miles if price is within reason.

 

That just means someone bought it

For all we know the buyer of that bike may have been faced with the same decision but he bought the higher mileage one out of his short list

I wouldn't be put off by the higher mileage its nothing on a bike really

[Bender]

It's too late as it's gone but the fact that it sold before you could decide tells you something.

I would take low miles if price is within reason.

 

That just means someone bought it

For all we know the buyer of that bike may have been faced with the same decision but he bought the higher mileage one out of his short list

I wouldn't be put off by the higher mileage its nothing on a bike really

 

Yes they did and they didn't buy the other

[DJP]

It's funny isn't it? 20,000 miles on a car and it would be considered practically new.

But on a bike it seems to be a psychological barrier. I guess it's some kind of folk memory going back to the days of small two strokes that were knackered by then.

But a ZZR1400 is a completely different animal and 20,000 miles is nothing.

Indeed, these are 6 or 7 year old bikes and so the low mileage one's spent a lot of time sitting around. At least the 20,000 miler has done a few thousand miles per year and potentially could be in better condition.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

For me it depends on the price, condition, service history rather than the mileage alone. I bought my commuter bike with 23k on it - it was cheap, had all the things I wanted fitted and was obviously well maintained. It's been fine. Given the difference of only £1,000 I'd had gone for the lower mileage one all other things being equal.

I wouldn't be put off by 20k on the bike, but you might want to haggle a bit harder on the price.

[Gerontious]

For me it depends on the price, condition, service history rather than the mileage alone. I bought my commuter bike with 23k on it - it was cheap, had all the things I wanted fitted and was obviously well maintained. It's been fine. Given the difference of only £1,000 I'd had gone for the lower mileage one all other things being equal.

I wouldn't be put off by 20k on the bike, but you might want to haggle a bit harder on the price.

 

I agree.. but I will add one other point. A bike can often be offered for sale.. with everything absolutely spot-on. No apparent problems at all. It all works as it should.

However there is something waiting in the wings, and thats a major service. A major service that is very expensive. Lets say for instance it involves a valve check... in addition to everything else. EVERYTHING. perhaps the brake fluid will need to be changed as well. This can involve a lot of labour time and because of that - can easily be very expensive. And who wants a big bill.. lets say £500 in labour charges alone, to be conservative. A bill like that soon after spending £1,000s

So that bargain bike might turn out to be less of a bargain, when within weeks you have to spend the greater part of a £1000 on it.

pay close attention to the service history and do some research on what might possibly be heading your way. sooner or (preferably) a lot later.

[DaveCBR600]

Mileage is nothing.

My 24,000 mile 2011 CBR600F is in immaculate condition with full comprehensive service history and has wanted for nothing.

It rides and looks the same as when it was new.

Machines are built to be used and only get better. Low mileage is not necessarily a good selling point.

[manxie49]

I wouldn't get to hung up on mileage, I bought a Kawasaki Z1100 some years ago with 47k on the clock, I never had a spot of trouble with it, it had been well looked after and serviced regularly, when I sold it it was up to 58k, still sound as a pound. Flip side of the coin I had a CBR600, 11k on the clock and it was nothing but trouble, one problem after another, it all depends on how the previous owner or owners have cared for the machine .... Hope you get yourself sorted

Just one thing to bear in mind I believe valve clearance check is due at 24k, racks the bill up by a few hundred quid..

[daveinlim]

I'm more clued up on cars than bikes but something I always looked for in addition to the mileage is the number of owners. If the bike has changed hands several times and had low mileage then I'd be more likely to to cautious.

[Beans]

Good catch on the valve service. Thats over 300 at a dealer just checking without adding on any work. The 20k bike is one owner, described as immaculate.

I bought the biffer at 20k on the clock so in itself it doesn't worry me. Kawasaki engine will be good for many more thousands of miles I would have thought. Its more what parts of the bike are coming to the end of their life. I often wonder if the biffers suspension is on the soft side, or if it's just past it's best

[Copycat73]

the price tagg for the 24 000 service on a ZZR1400 is gonna knock you £500 - £600 .. having just done one myself its the work involved getting to the top end that takes the time .. it wants a throttle body synchronization & steering head bearings re-grease too.

[Throttled]

A dealer told me his rule of thumb is the more torque and the larger the engine, the more miles expects a bike to survive with ease and that is due to engine stress.

[Pbassred]

I was talking to a guy about his Honda CB500 ( not a big bike). He had 80,000 miles on it until a car wrote it off for him. He reckoned it was still perfect. My own CBR500R has 9K on it now. I've been plotting the MPG since it was at 600 miles . Its still increasing, so its actually getting better. I think it will be properly run in at 15K.

[skyrider]

is that the cb 500 twin