Motorcycle longevity?

[Guest]

I know this has been discussed before but I apologize as I can't find the appropriate threads.

Using as an example an 80's one owner litre bike that has been pampered since new, had all appropriate service, very regular oil changes and fresh consumables as needed.....how many miles will it go before major surgery?

I have always only considered bikes with less than 30k miles as being a safe "investment" and shied away from high milers. Very recentley I have seen some 60K mile models (in what appears to be very good condition)come up for sale. I know BMWs, especially the big tourers can show up with close on 100K but what about Jap bikes?

As I don't do more than 2 or 3K miles in a good year I would suspect I'd get at least a few more years out of a high miler before major engine work wouldn't I?

I appreciate your thoughts.

cheers,
Spyug.

[drhach]

It seems like riding them is better for them than making them sit. Parking a bike leads to shrunken and rotted seals and gummed fuels systems. So, I guess if you find a "pampered" bike with 60K on it, it's probably alright. It may need clutch disks or something like that (maybe), but if the compression is good and there are no leaks, go for it. I don't think there's any reason these bikes shouldn't go any further than their European counterparts. People just tend not to put the miles on them. I think the best find is not necessarily a low mileage bike but a seller who actually maintains the bike no matter how many miles are on it. If you need an example of this, there are a host of low mileage stunt bike out there that I wouldn't expect to live past 30K miles.

[twistedwankel]

Using as an example an 80's one owner litre bike that has been pampered since new, had all appropriate service, very regular oil changes and fresh consumables as needed.....how many miles will it go before major surgery?

As I don't do more than 2 or 3K miles in a good year I would suspect I'd get at least a few more years out of a high miler before major engine work wouldn't I?

I appreciate your thoughts.

cheers,
Spyug.

Having lived in snow country most of my life I had access to low mileage bikes but the storing in cold concept always took it's toll on them. Now that I ride year round with no storage or icy cold in FL I ride 7-10k miles/year and the bike requires virtually no unusual care. I actually have had to replace brakes, clutches and tires in the last year!! My used North bikes with low miles had 10 year old tires on them with tread left when replaced and prematurely gummy/rusty carbs. Had to change things just because they were old and unsafe or rusty from sitting. Tires, carb sync and chain/sprocket replacement + stator costs about $500. Hopefully there won't be any mouse issues with wiring or the seat or the aircleaner?

You might want to consider a warmer climate frequently used bike with good maintainance and up to 5k miles/year instead of a "stored" one from a barn or shed. I have not had to change the spark plugs in 10k miles as they are perfect. That used to be a northern yearly ritual at 1-2k.

The engine/trans of the GS with oil changes and valve reset at 15-20k miles seems to be pretty bullet proof. The only weakness seems to be the electrical needing improved grounds after 3 decades.

Even if you find a bike a few hundred miles South of the northern border the climate is much more suitable for survival of a bike.

I have learned by doing that a "babied" Suzuki is like a spoiled child. Demands way too much attention/time/money and gives back little satisfaction. Better to ride it all the time than to museum it. It will actually run better being used regularly. Mine does!

[Nessism]

Some engines are more durable than others. The GS 8V engine valve train is particularly durable, more so than the 16V engines that can wear rockers, valve guides, and cams. Personally, I've always tried to find low mileage bikes. It's not a perfect strategy but for the most part it's worked for me. I'd rather replace worn seals and such as long as the hard parts are in good shape. For example, I'm currently trying to refurb a used cylinder head and things like valve guides and doing a valve job are very expensive - more than the bike deserves.

[Steve]

The last few Suzukis that have crossed into my garage have had 30-40,000 miles on the odometers. No major issues with any of them. My wife's bike is sitting in the garage right now with 62,473 miles on it. It leaks a little oil while running, but not enough to soil clothing or boots. Other than that, there are no major issues with it.

I know it's a horse of a VERY different color, but some motorcycles seem to last almost forever. I purchased my 2000 Wing when it was 6 years old. It had just a touch under 91,000 miles on it. I now shows 143,879 on the odometer. I will be doing some long-overdue maintenance on it shortly, but it's still running strong, and should continue to do so for a long time. I know several people that have over 400,000 miles on their Wings and they have never had the heads or the carbs off the bike.

.

[82Shafty]

I know this has been discussed before but I apologize as I can't find the appropriate threads.

Using as an example an 80's one owner litre bike that has been pampered since new, had all appropriate service, very regular oil changes and fresh consumables as needed.....how many miles will it go before major surgery?

I have always only considered bikes with less than 30k miles as being a safe "investment" and shied away from high milers. Very recentley I have seen some 60K mile models (in what appears to be very good condition)come up for sale. I know BMWs, especially the big tourers can show up with close on 100K but what about Jap bikes?

As I don't do more than 2 or 3K miles in a good year I would suspect I'd get at least a few more years out of a high miler before major engine work wouldn't I?

I appreciate your thoughts.

cheers,
Spyug.

Is this a garage convo that you've had with one of your BMW buddies, or do you have a particular bike in mind?

[tkent02]

My first GS 550, a 1977 I rode well over 100,000 miles, hard miles, a lot of abuse. It was still running very strong, no smoke but leaked oil everywhere. When we rebuilt it all the mechanical parts inside looked nearly new. Rebuilt it using original pistons etc. Sold it to my brother, he rode it quite a few years and sold it, never mentioned that it had been around once.... It had a very unique rattle can job, we saw it going down the road many years later. It may still be running around Seattle someplace.

[spyug]

Is this a garage convo that you've had with one of your BMW buddies, or do you have a particular bike in mind?

No purely my own question as I've been looking for either a big GS or a Yammie Fj11or1200. Some of these bikes seem to get some huge (IMHO) mileage on them and I've been wondering should I look at them or not.

As previously stated, I have shied away from higher mileage before and certainly a lot of bikes hereabouts don't get a lot each year so when you see something with 3 times what you'd expect, you wonder if you might be buying trouble.

Now what the guys are saying is that a well used bike is better than one that sits half of every year so that is reassuring and likely the answer I was looking for.

Thanks for all the input.
Cheers,
Spyug.

[nisom512]

The last few Suzukis that have crossed into my garage have had 30-40,000 miles on the odometers. No major issues with any of them. My wife's bike is sitting in the garage right now with 62,473 miles on it. It leaks a little oil while running, but not enough to soil clothing or boots. Other than that, there are no major issues with it.

I know it's a horse of a VERY different color, but some motorcycles seem to last almost forever. I purchased my 2000 Wing when it was 6 years old. It had just a touch under 91,000 miles on it. I now shows 143,879 on the odometer. I will be doing some long-overdue maintenance on it shortly, but it's still running strong, and should continue to do so for a long time. I know several people that have over 400,000 miles on their Wings and they have never had the heads or the carbs off the bike.

.

arnt gold wings V6?

I know this has been discussed before but I apologize as I can't find the appropriate threads.

Using as an example an 80's one owner litre bike that has been pampered since new, had all appropriate service, very regular oil changes and fresh consumables as needed.....how many miles will it go before major surgery?

I have always only considered bikes with less than 30k miles as being a safe "investment" and shied away from high milers. Very recentley I have seen some 60K mile models (in what appears to be very good condition)come up for sale. I know BMWs, especially the big tourers can show up with close on 100K but what about Jap bikes?

As I don't do more than 2 or 3K miles in a good year I would suspect I'd get at least a few more years out of a high miler before major engine work wouldn't I?

I appreciate your thoughts.

cheers,
Spyug.

There is a guy on here whos got like almost 100k on his gs850.

[Steve]

arnt gold wings V6?

Well, ... sorta ... but it's a 180-degree V. It's a flat boxer 6, like a Porsche.

.

[Grandpa]

I had an 84 GS1100GK, which I sold in late summer 2008 to a GSR forum regular. It had 132,500 miles when I delivered it to him in Ohio. All but 25,000 of those miles were mine, over 9 riding seasons of ownership.

The head was never removed. Original clutch and transmission, original stator, original regulator/rectifier.

Don't know how many miles the GK has on it by now, but I'm sure it keeps on running and running.

Only problems I had over my 9 years of owning this magnificent motorcycle:

1. Leaky exhaust gaskets. Easy fix.
2. Leaky oil seal at the clutch arm pivot point. Easy fix also.
3. Leaky fork seals. Easy fix.

The GK obviously thrived because I rode the hell out of it, and took care of it in the process. Nothing worse than an inactive motorcycle.

[dpep]

I have an '80 GS850 that I bought new in December 1979 that now has over 130,000 miles on it. Aside from that one I have another 80 850 that has 74,000 and runs great. It had around 60,000 when I bought it from another member on the forum a couple of years ago. I've ridden it on trips covering much of the Eastern U.S., Wisconsin to Boston to Florida and many locations in between.

As was mentioned, the 8 valve GSs such as the 850 are particularly durable. The key is the care the bike received in it's life. Mechanically there is no reason a GS can't turn over the speedometer at least two or three times.

[mustangflyr]

Longevity

Well I have an 80's vintage large GS (1000) one owner and still maintained fairly well and it is closing in on 110K miles. The head's never been removed, original paint, seat, mufflers, etc. It runs like new. I think it's hard to beat a Suzuki GS

[Mark whiz]

I have a '85 GS700ES bought new in '86 - it now has 109,000 miles on it and I think it has a lot more to go before it's ready to collect Social Security. Never had any major problems with it............replaced tires, chains/sprockets, bulbs, etc as one would expect, 2 stators and regulator/rectifiers, and the ignition module last year (which I replaced with a used one from E-Bay). Also replaced the intake manifold gaskets last year and I need to re-gasket the cam chain tensioner this spring now that things are thawing out.

I never dreamed I would get this kind of service from a bike of this kind back when I bought it - but I do believe it got my $3,000 worth out of it that I paid for it new.