Okay, folks, let’s dive into something I’ve been messing around with lately – figuring out what’s considered “high mileage” for a motorcycle.
I started by, you know, just thinking about my own bike. How many miles have I put on it? When did I start feeling like it was getting “up there” in age? It’s all relative, right? A bike that’s been ridden hard and put away wet is going to show its age a lot faster than one that’s been babied.
My Little Experiment
So, I got on a few forums, did some Googling, nothing fancy. I just wanted to see what other riders considered high mileage. No scientific polls here, just a bunch of opinions.
I started to note some general ranges that most riders agreed on, these helped me form an idea of what to expect.
- 0-5,000 miles: Basically brand new. Some people said this is barely broken in.
- 5,000-20,000 miles: Still pretty fresh, especially if it’s been maintained. This is where most used bikes I see for sale seem to sit.
- 20,000-40,000 miles: Getting up there, but still plenty of life left if it’s been taken care of. Might need some bigger maintenance items around this point.
- 40,000+ miles: This is where people start saying “high mileage.” But, and this is a big BUT, it totally depends on the bike and how it’s been ridden.
Then I thought, It wasn’t enough, I need to really do some digging.
So I went out and checked out the bikes. I checked the odometers, and looked closely at the bikes overall condition. I put it all together.
It’s not just about the number on the odometer. A well-maintained bike with 50,000 miles could be in better shape than a neglected bike with 10,000. I’ve seen it myself!
Things I looked for include the obvious, like oil leaks, weird noises, and rusty bits. I checked out the tires, chain, sprockets – all that stuff that wears out. And I tried to get a feel for how the bike had been treated. Was it stored inside? Did it look like it had been dropped a bunch of times?
The main thing I looked for was Service records, if you can get those. Those tell the real story. Regular oil changes, valve adjustments, all that good stuff – that’s what keeps a bike running strong.
My conclusion, after all this poking around?
There’s no magic number. “High mileage” is more about the overall condition of the bike than just the miles. A bike with higher miles that’s been loved and maintained? That’s a way better bet than a low-mileage bike that’s been thrashed and ignored. Don’t be scared of higher miles, be aware of them, check everything, then go with your instinct. You can also consult with a professional mechanic.
