higher milage bikes

[AmaRu]

Hi,

I'm somewhat new to the forum, however, I have been browsing here for quite some time.

I just have a quick question about higher milage bikes. I'm in the market for a pre-2004 motorcycle which tend to have high milage 25k+

I understand that regular maintenance is important by the original owner, is there anything specific I should be looking for?

Is there a certain brand that would be a better choice for higher milage bikes? I am interested in an older honda cbr600 but open to other brands as well.

Thanks in advance!

[rbjeepthing]

With any bike over 15000km you should be looking for the general stuff brakes, steering bearings, chain, sprockets, tires, etc. Obviously the higher the mileage the more often this stuff would be replaced. Service records are always a plus Personally the wife rides a CB600F4 with 83,000km and it runs like a top.

CCT's (Cam Chain Tensioner) are common on the CBR's you can purchase an APE manual one for around $60.00. This will be determined by a rattle when the bike is warmed up on the right side of the bike and the sound of marbles when letting off the gas around 5-7k in the rpm range. The stock ones fail all the time every 5000-15000km.

However all this being said nothing beats taking it to a mechanic before purchasing. I normally have the person meet me at a local shop to look at the bike then pay to have the mechanic do the safety on it and ask for any recommendations. In my opinion it's cheap insurance if you are purchasing the bike.

[DemonPig]

25K from 2004 or before is LOW mileage. That's 3.5K a year... Chain, sprockets, brakes, tires, etc., you have to constantly change anyhow so mileage is of little importance here.

Just check for gas and oil leaks and listen to the engine running. Rev it up, see if it hangs, if it's a carbed bike, nothing to worry about, probably just needs a cleaning. See if it idles well. Look at exhaust fumes, check if it's burning anything and running too rich or lean.
Look for leaks on shocks, see if they rebound okay still. Start the bike when it's cold, see if it has any starting issues. Even if it does could be as simple as plugs or battery.

And once again, there's nothing wrong with buying a bike with 50,000km+ It all depends on how it's taken care off. Low mileage can be tricky - some bikes sit in the backyard for 10 years and accumulate internal corrosion and rust.

[silverbullet132]

What about a bike with over 150,000km?

[rbjeepthing]

What about a bike with over 150,000km?

Depends on the bike and the service records. By that time I would expect most of the wearable items to have been replaced at least once if not twice.

[Brian P]

What about a bike with over 150,000km?

I know of one ... moderator of this forum V-Tom has a V-Strom that is closing in on 200,000 ...

I don't own a low mileage bike.

[gcrouse]

ive got 70 k on my 2000 vfr and know guuys that have put on 200,000 MILES These bikes run forever

[jeero]

2005 with 53,000 and still counting.
Up from 36,000 when I bought it in March.

As others have mentioned, as long as the bike was well taken care of and parts replaced when they needed to, it should be fine.
Question is, are you able to look for these things?

[skip]

My old virago was right around the 200k mark when i sold it. I generally put aroun 30k on my bikes/year.

As other have said, check the wear items, which will include bearings at that point. Might be best to have a mechanic go over it for you, but there is nothing "wrong" with higher mileage bikes.

[silverbullet132]

Thanks. Bike is a 98 vfr. Owner says it starts and runs fine but has an electrical problem (kickstand or tipover switch he thinks) that causes it to shut off soon after.

[85zx600]

2005 with 53,000 and still counting.
Up from 36,000 when I bought it in March.

As others have mentioned, as long as the bike was well taken care of and parts replaced when they needed to, it should be fine.
Question is, are you able to look for these things?

+1 And if your ride it like an old woman like Mark does it will last twice as long