How Many Miles??

[CRAZY CAT LADY]

How many miles would you consider "safe" to buy when considering super sport bikes (CBR600RR, R6, etc...)

I want a super sport bike, but I am new to the market and don't know what to expect as far as maintenance problems, or how many miles are "high miles." Could someone please shed some light on this for me?? :3way:

[rod442]

depends on the bike and how it was maintained.

its kind of an old wives tale that motorcycle engine's dont last, or are used up in say 20, 30, 40k or whatever. there's a guy on the R1 forum that has over 100k on his 98 R1. after all, if honda can make a car motor last 250-300K, whats 50 on a bike?

if the maint was done I wouldn't worry too much.

in MI anything over 5-7K a year on a sportbike is a lot of miles, however; and most have less. my 03 only has 12K on it, or 3.5Kish a year since it was new. and I dont think it will be considered worn out for a LONG time.

another reason people think bikes are used up when 4-5 years old, or at more than XXX number of miles is because a lot of people buy it, especially sportbikes and think it doesn't need maint.

look the condition of EVERYTHING over, and price it accordingly for miles. they do need stuff as they age, even when ridden easy. fork maint, chains, brakes, tires, valve adjustments, etc can add up if they haven't been kept up with. but dont be scared of a cherry 20K mileage bike. or even more if its older.

I guess the answer that fits best about how many miles is too many is "it depends", lol.

[CRAZY CAT LADY]

depends on the bike and how it was maintained.

its kind of an old wives tale that motorcycle engine's dont last, or are used up in say 20, 30, 40k or whatever. there's a guy on the R1 forum that has over 100k on his 98 R1. after all, if honda can make a car motor last 250-300K, whats 50 on a bike?

if the maint was done I wouldn't worry too much.

in MI anything over 5-7K a year on a sportbike is a lot of miles, however; and most have less. my 03 only has 12K on it, or 3.5Kish a year since it was new. and I dont think it will be considered worn out for a LONG time.

another reason people think bikes are used up when 4-5 years old, or at more than XXX number of miles is because a lot of people buy it, especially sportbikes and think it doesn't need maint.

look the condition of EVERYTHING over, and price it accordingly for miles. they do need stuff as they age, even when ridden easy. fork maint, chains, brakes, tires, valve adjustments, etc can add up if they haven't been kept up with. but dont be scared of a cherry 20K mileage bike. or even more if its older.

I guess the answer that fits best about how many miles is too many is "it depends", lol.

I can honestly say that was one of the most informative non-answers I have ever heard. :omglol: ...No seriously, thanks for the reply. I think my problem would be that I don't know what to look for when it comes to bikes. I have no idea how to tell if it was maintained well or not. What are some of the signs, other than physical wear and tear?

[Becca_007]

Rod answered all of your questions as I would have but I'd also liek to address the issue of you wanting a SS bike to start off on.

If you haven't ridden it's always best to start off on something cheaper and with less power. It's difficult to push a bike to it's limits and one with lower limits will allow the rider to better develop riding skills at a quicker rate. Can you learn on something bigger and faster? Sure. But, why take the risk? Why pay more for the purchase and pay more for insurance. I think it's much wiser to buy a lesser bike, get some miles in the seat, then move up when you have experience.

Also make sure you have enough $ for proper riding gear. Don't be a SQUID!

[CRAZY CAT LADY]

Rod answered all of your questions as I would have but I'd also liek to address the issue of you wanting a SS bike to start off on.

If you haven't ridden it's always best to start off on something cheaper and with less power. It's difficult to push a bike to it's limits and one with lower limits will allow the rider to better develop riding skills at a quicker rate. Can you learn on something bigger and faster? Sure. But, why take the risk? Why pay more for the purchase and pay more for insurance. I think it's much wiser to buy a lesser bike, get some miles in the seat, then move up when you have experience.

Also make sure you have enough $ for proper riding gear. Don't be a SQUID!

Thanks for the reply, but I am not new to motorcycles. I have ridden dirtbikes since I was 6, and I also previously owned a 1981 Honda CB900. I just don't know much about newer bikes, especially sport bikes.

And yes, I have plenty of money to afford the right riding gear....:ninja:

[Becca_007]

As for physical wear: Sprockets and chains are a good place to look for wear. Helps to have a rear stand so you can spin the rear tire. Look for stuff like missing teeth, stretched chains, or just poor chain adjustment. This is assuming the bike you're looking at is chain and not belt or shaft :).

Other adjustments are such a personal preference it's tough to say whether it's a maintanance issue or not. For instance, I just adjusted my clutch because I wanted it to engage sooner when letting the lever out. It was fine the other way (normal cable stretching) but I wanted more fo a friction zone for slower creeping. I'm also debating about bringing my rear brake pedal up.

Let's see... In lots of crashes people will replace with aftermarket parts instead fo OEM. Lots of people mod with aftermarket parts too, but they will often have the stock parts around still. So, you can see they changed it out of want instead of need.

[Becca_007]

Glad to hear. I see so many people on the motorcycle forum I frequent want a supersport for a starter bike. They usually don't last long :). Many of the more experienced riders have dirt as well as street experience and they say it is a whole different world. Sound slike you have been in both already so i hope you find a good bike to fit your needs/wants. +1 for getting the gear too.

[cutlass454]

And yes, I have plenty of money to afford the right riding gear....:ninja:

It is good to hear someone that is interested in getting a sport bike talk about getting the right gear. When I had my R6, I religiously wore, at a minimum helmet, leather racing gloves with armour, leather jacket with armour, racing boots and jeans. If I was going out with the intent of tearing up the back roads, I would also put on my leather pants.

Seeing that you will probably get a sport bike, if you're interested in buying some used gear, send me a PM and I'll let you know what I have and in what sizes. I still have all my riding gear with an exception to my Sidi boots, which were sold when I got rid of my bike.

[CRAZY CAT LADY]

It is good to hear someone that is interested in getting a sport bike talk about getting the right gear. When I had my R6, I religiously wore, at a minimum helmet, leather racing gloves with armour, leather jacket with armour, racing boots and jeans. If I was going out with the intent of tearing up the back roads, I would also put on my leather pants.

Seeing that you will probably get a sport bike, if you're interested in buying some used gear, send me a PM and I'll let you know what I have and in what sizes. I still have all my riding gear with an exception to my Sidi boots, which were sold when I got rid of my bike.

Thanks for the tip. I agree on the whole riding gear thing. I see guys all day long around here wearing shorts and cut off T-shirts :nono:

[Timberwolf]

cut off T-shirts :nono:

like half shirts? are we in the 80s again? did they have mullets sticking out of the helmet? :)

[CRAZY CAT LADY]

like half shirts? are we in the 80s again? did they have mullets sticking out of the helmet? :)

Haha, no ... sleeveless T-shirts! :jiggy: