Alright, let’s talk about motorcycle mileage. I got thinking about this the other day, wondering what’s considered ‘normal’ for a year’s worth of riding. You see these numbers thrown around, but I wanted to figure it out based on what I actually do, you know, real-world stuff.
So, first thing I did was go out to my own bike in the garage. Had to dust it off a bit, ha! I checked the odometer reading. Then I grabbed the little notepad I keep stuffed in my jacket pocket – yeah, I still use pen and paper sometimes. I jot down my starting mileage at the beginning of the riding season, usually around spring when the weather gets decent, and then check it again when I’m putting it away for the winter, or just around the end of the year.
I flipped back through my notes for the last couple of years. Let’s see… one year looked like I did about 4,500 miles. The year before that was closer to 3,800. Felt about right, considering my weekend trips and commuting sometimes.
Comparing Notes
Then I started chatting with some buddies I ride with. This is where it gets interesting.
- My friend Dave: He commutes almost daily on his bike, rain or shine, unless there’s ice. His mileage? Easily hitting 7,000, maybe 8,000 miles a year. He burns through tires like crazy.
- Another pal, Sarah: She mostly just uses her bike for weekend fun rides, maybe a longer trip once a summer. She reckons she does maybe 2,000 miles, tops.
- Then there’s old Tom: Has a beautiful classic bike. Polishes it more than he rides it! He probably puts less than 1,000 miles on it a year, just short trips to shows or local meetups.
So right there, you see a huge difference. It really depends on why you have the bike and how you use it.
What About Those “Average” Numbers?
After checking my own logs and talking to friends, I did a quick search online, just out of curiosity. Saw numbers like 3,000 miles per year popping up as an “average”. Honestly, based on what I saw just within my small group of friends, that number feels kinda meaningless.
Here’s my take on it:
Calling 3,000 miles an “average” might be technically true if you crunch all the numbers from everyone, the daily commuters and the weekend-only folks and the collectors. But it doesn’t really tell you much about any specific rider.
If you’re using your bike as your main transport, you’ll blow past 3,000 miles easily. If it’s just a sunny Sunday toy, you might be way under. Things like where you live (longer riding season?), how far your commute is, and how much you enjoy long-distance touring change everything.
So, yeah. I went through the process, checked my own riding, talked to others. The conclusion? There isn’t really a useful ‘average’ mileage. It just comes down to how much you ride. Don’t worry if your number is higher or lower than some random stat you find online. Just get out there and enjoy the ride, however many miles that ends up being for you.
