motorcycle reliablity, high mileage? Options

[Hanyo]

Whats consider to be high mileage on a sport bike? At what mileage should you expect a sport bike to get to?

[razor7]

Hey,
When it comes to motorcycles, keeping up on maintenance is absolutely key. Most bikes require valve timing checks every 16k, along with various other replacements at other intervals. Usually the bikes that break down are ones that were driven by a younger person when first purchased. They don't know how crucial the break-in period is, so within the first 500 miles (you aren't supposed to go over 4-5K I believe... every bike is somewhat different for break-in) they roll on the throttle and cause irreparable damage to the engine.

Now, not all young people are like that (I'm only 19, and I've always broken in engines properly), but it's usually a sure indicator later on.

So my recommendation would be to buy from an older person. They are more apt to understand how crucial this period is, and are more likely to follow the instructions.

I would also say to take it to a motorcycle mechanic before you buy. I wish I had with the GSXR (less than a year later, need new rods, rod bearings, pistons, and piston clips... FML). They will be able to tell you if there are any issues with it, and what might need to be done in order for it to run perfectly. Most of us know enough about our celicas to get by, but bikes are a whole other story.

That being said, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha are all reliable bikes (notice the absence of Aprilia, Kawasaki, Ducati, Triumph, etc.) You can't really go wrong with any of those three. I've seen VFRs last up to 100K, along with CBRs, Shadows, Nighthawks (not the 250s), along with other models. However, a rule of thumb that I use is to go double on the valve checks and call that "high mileage." So, 16,000x2=32,000. The reasoning behind this is that most people don't bother with valve timing jobs till they utterly need them. Since it's a roughly $4-500 job (any I4 16v) most people skip on it till it's too late, then decide to sell their bikes.

Just make sure that you do research on the bike itself, read tons of reviews from people online (make sure to include the bad ones, and take their opinions into account), and talk it over with a bike mechanic. If all goes well, you should be riding in no time. :-D

-TC