high mileage road warriors

The recent thread about maintenance costs got me wondering.
How many high mileage bikes are really out there?
I've heard of 200000 mile Valkyries and Wings, and older BMW's. Actually saw a 2003 Wing (in 2010) with 203,000 miles on it.
These miles attained with zero engine work and rarely even a clutch.
So what about other makes, Triumph, Guzzi, HD, and ?, are getting ridden near that much?

My Aprilia Tuono is approaching 100K miles.

Here's a guy who did a legit million miles on his HD. Seems pretty high miles.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/46024032.html

Cool idea for a thread. I know of many Honda Nighthawk 750's with over 100k. I'm hoping to make it with mine.

http://www.stromtrooper.com/dl-1000-[-vee]/94906-276-000-mile-k3-dl1000-writeup.html

I have had 2 concours, `99& `06 with a combined total of 250K, both had about 125K on them when traded.
Other than oil & tires I bought 1 battery and 2 speedo cables.

I saw this a while back.
Only overhauled or refubished the engine 9 times plus 2 new engines.

I read the article posted about the million mile Harley. The chassis has a million miles on it, but the motor itself has been replaced several times. A cool feat no doubt but what I like to see is the motorcycles that haven't had an engine opened.

Exactly, I can replace shit all day to reach any mileage goal...lol.

When I owned my Concours (2000), there were any number of Owner's Group guys who had 150,000 mi. + bikes where the head had never been off. I remember one Canadian who had 350,000 + Kms who finally had to do his valves, but the big end was fine. I rode with a member down in Md. who had bought a new inst. cluster after a crash. When I met him he had 175,000 mi on the new one, not counting the 50,000 + on the old one. These guys had done some work, water pumps, shocks,brakes & such, after the first 100,000, but that old motor just kept on trucking.

Show me another one...That's 50,000 miles a year for 20 years. You will be excited when you get 50,000 total on a bike.

I try to find BMW K bikes with low miles and then run them over 100,000 miles. The BMW I have now has 128,000 +. 18 year old K bike. Plan on riding it until I see a good deal on craigslist or going for 200,000 miles.

Averaging over 18,000 miles per year in the tunrda of Minnesota.

I do most of the work on these machines. Some have told me I should change brands. Can't. I KNOW too much on how to fix K bikes.

Tim

True dat. Still impressive to rack up more than 50,000 a year in 18 years straight. Heck, if I were riding that much I'd give the engine a refurb every other winter just for piece of mind.

And can buy a new replacement engine for $2500 right out of the factory..Prob. something I'd do as well every 400,000 miles or so, if I were crazy enough to ride that much.

Plus, the dude's from Wisconsin. It snows a lot there.

cakeeater

my wife has a little yam xt250 and its used every day to go to work and its got over 90,000ks on it and it still starts first time every time,ive only had to replace tyres,pads etc

mickd

Before leaving on a 12k trip last year I took my ST1300 into the local dealer & asked if there is anything in particular I should keep an eye on. He said "just watch the fluids & check the tires". Apparently another one he services is now past 225,000 miles with nothing more than routeen maintance. ST's & Wings, I think people wear out long before they do.

64,129 and counting on 400cc scooter, a Piaggio MP3-400. Still going strong.

Nothing worse for a bike than not being ridden.

I put 170,000 miles on a 74 Vespa Rally 200 (2 stroke) with nothing engine wise but a couple sets of piston rings, 1 hour job.

Sold my last CX500 with 106,000 miles with only a cam chain replacement at 102,000.

Over 40,000 miles now on my Chinese Lifan 200 dual sport with only oil changes and valve adjustments on the engine.

These bikes were/are ridden almost every day.

85 BMW K100 that I used to own, 1st year model, too:

Here's some fella who put 200,000 on a Vrod. No engine work.

http://www.1130cc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189738

I have 72,000 on my 2007 Bonneville, but I live in a year-round riding climate. It surprises me to measure that as three times round the world.

The high mileage thing bothers me on a couple of fronts. One is where forums seem to attract a lot of advice from a lot of readers but there is rarely any discussion about how many actual miles they may have ridden the bike in question. "I have just done my first thousand miles with absolutely no problems..." Well, no shit, I don't rate that as much of an endorsement for any machine.

The other thing about high mileage questions is the re-sale value thing that some buyers get into. I'd buy gold if I were seeking a physical investment rather than second guessing the value of a motorcycle a few years down the road. That said I know my Bonneville has no value at all in a market with used Bonnevilles racking up a thousand miles a year if they are lucky. I have no idea how long it takes to ride a Hinckley Bonnevile into the ground, but I guess I'm going to find out.