Mileage on a Bike

[Ellyt247]

What are people classing as the average mileage for a bike of its age?

 

I am constantly on the lookout for a different bike but I want to make sure the next bike I get, has decent miles for its age. For example, would a Honda CBR1000RR 2013 that has just over 20,000 miles be classed as having high miles? How do you determine what is high mileage for a bike?

[S-Westerly]

Well I do over 5k a year so a bike that old with a genuine 20k I'd class as low mileage. 

 

[RideWithStyles]

Get different answers for different bikes.

But for that reference you’re saying? That isn’t high mileage thats low mileage with little use throughout its life time.

Road engines generally “bedded in/run in” till 7-10 thousand miles, its still a spring chicken if it’s been looked after properly.

 

The main thing is go its condition, solid history with plenty of Reciepts.

 

Edited September 23, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[rob m]

 

Francesco Loreti is famous among the BMW K bike community. He has travelled far and wide on his K1200S, surpassing 500,000km on the original engine. To be fair, his bike had an engine rebuild at 320,000km 

 

I don't worry about mileage too much. Bikes don't suddenly explode when they reach a certain age. My 2011 K1300S is at 48k and runs like a dream. That said, I am on top of the maintenance. Motorcycle engines are engineered to far tighter tolerances and use far higher spec components than cars so should last longer. As mentioned earlier, it is far more important how the bike has been treated during it's lifetime. Bikes at 25k and below will break down if they've been treated like crap in my experience.

 

A controversial view, but I think the worst thing for a bike is lack of use. Things seize up if not used. It was a classic cause of ABS failures on BMWs in the early/mid 2000s. I know, I had two K1200S bikes that had the servos removed. BMW cottoned onto this and removed the servos from 2008 onwards. The Bosch servos were crap to start with but lack of use made the matter worse. Bikes sitting in garages are not always a good thing. There are moving parts that need to be...moving. 

 

Anyway, apart from my annoyance with BMW, I'd go for low mileage bikes if I was looking for one to buy but wouldn't be too bothered if it were around 50k or above as long I felt confident it had been looked after. As with everything, it's a gamble. The bike you have mentioned has done an average of 1,800 miles a years since 2013. Very low mileage.

 

 

[Capt Sisko]

It's a historic perception, but based on some truth. When I was getting into biking in the late 70, yeah 20k would have been considered a high milage. Compared to current stuff they were far from relaiable and few made it to old age. Even now a 125 that's had it's neck wrung by several inept learners in succession ain't going to last long, but bigger stuff 30k is nothing as modern engines are just built so much better than before and do last. The problem is the historic perection is still out there.

Edited September 23, 2024 by Capt Sisko

[JRH]

My bike, 2008 Bandit1250, has 62000 miles. Bought in 2016 at 32000. It has regular oil and filter changes as specified in the manual. Small dealer service with MOT. And issues are resolved as necessary. 
So mileage is not an issue, it’s the maintenance that counts and regular runs.

[Stu]

The average mileage for a bike is apparently 3k a year! 

 

My R1200RT had 14k on it when I bought it 3 years ago and now has over 35k on the clocks so 21k in 3 years of just fun riding and no commuting  

 

As @JRH says it's all about maintenance 

[Fiddlesticks]

The Explorer is edging towards 66k, bought it a couple of years ago at 42.5k.

 

It has had its share of issues, but it gets plenty of use. The next job is going to be trying to disassemble the rear diff to replace an officially non-serviceable oil seal.

On the plus side, insurance isn't so expensive. And it beats paying the pcp on a new bike if you're happy to do some of the work yourself. There's probably a sweet spot somewhere a bit lower mileage/age that I'll go for next time around.

[Gerontious]

6 hours ago, Ellyt247 said:

What are people classing as the average mileage for a bike of its age?

 

I am constantly on the lookout for a different bike but I want to make sure the next bike I get, has decent miles for its age. For example, would a Honda CBR1000RR 2013 that has just over 20,000 miles be classed as having high miles? How do you determine what is high mileage for a bike?

The easiest way to look at it is from an insurance point of view - where insurers usually assume 3,000 miles per year. So by that standard an 11 year old bike should have a maximum 33,000 miles and you can consider anything above that being high mileage (higher than average) what becomes important isn’t so much the miles its the service history. Especially the more onerous tasks like valve checks and adjustments. Coupled with visible signs of wear like a Smokey exhaust and high oil consumption on a bike where this isn’t considered normal.

 

so, in the scheme of things a bike that has managed 1,800 miles on average per year is not high mileage.

 

with older bikes I wouldn’t worry so much about how many miles it’s done but rather its condition and service history. One thing to always bear in mind is - is the bike due a major service? This can often be a reason for it being sold. Especially if this service is an expensive one - usually due to the labour costs. If an owner is facing a big service bill in the near future then that can often be an impetus to sell and for the buyer this can be problematic as it’s never nice buying a bike and then discovering it needs a big service very soon.

[Saul]

Funnily enough I bought an 07 Honda CBF600S in June with 31,000 miles on it, sounded as sweet as a nut, good condition for its age and service history.  I bought it as a commuter to save my new bike for fun miles, plus it has a fairing which my Hornet doesn't.  Thought I could live without a fairing for my commute but decided I didn't want to.      I have done 2600 miles on it so far without issue.  I have bought tyres and have new brake pads on the way but the CBF has just passed it's MoT with flying colours.     I think it's better to have something that has been regularly used and properly serviced than something with low miles that has been sat around doing nothing for years with no regular servicing.  

[ChrisBiggsUK]

I've just bought a 2006 Honda CG125 with only a tad over 5000 miles on it (an a near as makes no difference spotless MOT) which, I have been reliably informed, is very low to the point of being almost like new and still needing running in.

My purchase may be an outlier though.

[Hairsy]

My personal view is that mileage up to 60,000 is a non issue in itself.

 

However, a bike with 60,000 miles has had twice as many opportunities for poor maintenance / mechanical errors / etc. than a bike with 30,000 miles.

 

The higher the mileage, the more important it is to satisfy yourself that the bike has been loved. But if it HAS been loved, then a higher mileage bike should be better value.

Edited September 25, 2024 by Hairsy

[rob m]

Thread resurrection. I saw this BMW K1300S advertised on EBay earlier, mileage is a mere 218,402 miles. Not bad for a 2016 bike, an average of about 24k a year!

 

 

 

Obviously well maintained but goes to show that bikes don’t fall to pieces when they have a fair few miles under their tyres. 

[Throttled]

A 1000cc bike, will be a high miler with 50k plus, a 125cc, with as little as 10k, going by the bikes I have bought and sold and what dealers have said.

[bud]

4 hours ago, Throttled said:

A 1000cc bike, will be a high miler with 50k plus, a 125cc, with as little as 10k, going by the bikes I have bought and sold and what dealers have said.

There was an article by the AA a few years ago showing the average mileage a bike rides in its lifetime. The average 125 gets to 20,000 miles.  A 50cc was half that. It's not surprising with most being run on a tight budget.

 

It's always surprising to me how few miles some bikes do. The hornet was only doing about 300 miles a year for the three years before I brought it.

Then when I sold it it did a couple of hundred miles the first year. Then 160 the next.

Bikers seem to fall into mainly two categories. Those that ride a  lot. And those that just do a few summer rides.

The amount of people on Twitter who said I can now ride my bike again as it's taxed in April for six months is always surprising to me.

Edited Friday at 22:30 by bud

[Throttled]

My YBR125 was four years old with 4k miles and I sold it as a five year old bike, with 8k miles on it. I so took care of it, I only lost a few hundred pounds in depreciation. My Versys 650, sold at near 4 years old, with 16k on it, was described as a higher miler for its engine size and type of bike. The two Versys 1000s at 19k and 13k, are considered low milers.

 

Now dealers (or buyers) can see the annual miles from the online MOTs, they can see if a low miler bike has become a high miler, or vice versa.

[Fender1515]

For me Mileage is a consideration, but not No 1 on my check list, as said by Throttled, always check on the MOT certificates to corroborate.

Overall condition of the bike will tell you a lot.

Feel of the gearbox, condition of fork seals, sprocket/chain condition and shocks

Do all the electrickery bits work are they tidy/stock

What accessories have been added,  if after market alarm, they can be a whole world of pain

Does it look strait, fork alignment

How do the breaks feel

Is there troublesome vibrations, engine / transmission, normally noticed over  mid rev range

 

[V650]

1 hour ago, Throttled said:

 My Versys 650, sold at near 4 years old, with 16k on it, was described as a higher miler for its engine size and type of bike.

I sold my 08 Versys 650 with 97000 KM ( 60000 Miles )and it was still running well  Great bikes paid 2700 for it and sold it for 2000 about 2 years ago

Edited Saturday at 09:13 by V650

[bud]

My mates just been given a Honda AN 125 scooter. He was going to repair it as it's had a front end collision. But it's not looking good. 

I just had a look at the old MOT history. And the last test it had covered 64,700 miles! Good going I think. Registration LR16KBF. 

Edited Saturday at 21:08 by bud

[V650]

8 hours ago, bud said:

My mates just been given a Honda AN 125 scooter. He was going to repair it as it's had a front end collision. But it's not looking good. 

I just had a look at the old MOT history. And the last test it had covered 64,700 miles! Good going I think. Registration LR16KBF. 

I would expect that is good going for a 125 Must have been well looked after or could have been used for food deliveries but that mileage and front end damage prob make it not worth while

what do you think?

[bud]

25 minutes ago, V650 said:

I would expect that is good going for a 125 Must have been well looked after or could have been used for food deliveries but that mileage and front end damage prob make it not worth while

what do you think?

It came from London. So I'm guessing a food delivery driver. 

The front forks are pushed into the frame. So if the frame is damaged. It's not

Edited Sunday at 06:29 by bud

[Mold]

I'd be more concerned with the condition of the bike and it's service history, you don't need garage service history receipts (but they would be better) but if the seller can show receipts for everything they've bought, oil, filters etc. that should show the bike has been looked after and obviously use your common sense and experience from what the bike looks like right now as a high milage bike that's been looked after is better than a low milage bike that's been abused since new.

[RideWithStyles]

Realistically speaking going by a 1000 doorerling does more stress than a 125 under load.

our 125 was 6years old with 4k, my gsf was 16yrs old and only 4k when we bought them.

[DJP]

As above, condition is more important than mileage.

 

On any modern bike over about 400cc, the chassis bits will wear out long before the engine and gearbox do.

 

I’d be paying more attention to tyres, brakes, fork seals, chain, wheel & steering bearings than to the mileage on the clock.

[vstromming]

Anyone who thinks 20k is high mileage is a moron.  

 

The only reason these myths propogate is due to riders who do about 1500 miles between cafes in the summer. 

 

Go and read some of the accounts of dispatch riders in the 80s and 90s.  2,3,400,000 miles + on bikes.  One VFR800 had 800,000miles (he had to replace the engine at 400k as the head gasket went and he took too long to fix it).  

 

My CBF500 has 81k on it.  I know of multiple people who have done in excess of 200k on them without issue.

 

I've just done 9.5k in a year on my V Strom 1050 without any commuting.  When I mention this to some people they look at me like I've got a second head. 

 

There was a thread on the V Strom forum where a guy had done 435,000 miles on his.  The ONLY things to "fail" were a stator and a waterpump impellar.  Everything else was just consumables. 

 

On the majority of bikes the engines and gearboxes will not be a problem.  You just need to take into account any corrosion and cycle parts.  A "high" miler may seem cheap but once you've replaced wheel, head, swingarm and suspension bearings, changed the fork oil, serviced or replaced the shock and had various parts painted or powdercoated the price may not seem so good!