how many miles is to many?

[fzsixx]

been seeing alot of fazers on CL lately most of them have 15,000+ miles on them and there owners are all on crack and want five hundo more than there worth according to KBB so i know im not paying what there asking but i am wondering how many miles is to many? when do fazers start running into problems? Buying a used bike with 25,000 on it is it a smart/safe (monetarily) thanks for any input guys......

 

[adberns]

How many miles is too much really depends upon (i) how much you are going to ride it, and (ii) how much they are charging. Many on this forum have taken their FZ6s to 50k miles, some 75+, even a few 100k+, I believe. They are solid reliable motors.

More importantly, though, is probably your "owners are all on crack" comment, and I don't mean the price. If the owner looks like somebody who doesn't know what "routine maintenance" means, then 5k miles may be too much. If the owner has done all the maintenance and seems like they know what they are talking about, 50k is no problem (again, all relative to price).

Ask questions like "When do you lube the chain? What do you use to lube the chain? What kind of oil do you use? Does it burn oil? How old are the tires?" I ask these questions like I don't really have a clue - "Gee, do you even have to lube the chain on these?" If somebody doesn't know what oil, or how to lube the chain, or when, etc., this sets off warning signs for me.

Of course, I'm not much into confrontation, so that's why I play the "stupid sheep" role. Easier to get them to be honest if they don't think "I've never lubed the chain" won't set off alarms in your head.

 

[mayassa]

Sheep, is probably a good approach. The guy I bought mine from told me he never changed the coolant and it was due for an oil change it had one at 600 miles but he didn't change it since then (Under 3K on the odo) My chain wasn't lubed for a while but had a thick coat of wax on it just missing in some spots. Checked the coolant and the oil to make sure no problems there. Then noticed the tires where five years old so I spent the 300 and replaced them.

You can always subtract new tires from your offer if they are old (5 years) even if they have a ton of tread left.

I think if you look around you can find a lot of FZ's around with less than 7K miles on them. for around 3-5K depending on the season. I picked mine up in Feb.

I'l buy my next bike 2013 FJR when the dealers are hungry enough this winter.

 

[FIZZER6]

I'd a rather pay the same price for a bike that has been well maintained with 20K miles than one that has questionable history with low miles from an owner who doesn't even know that the chain needs to be lubricated.

These engines are build just like high performance car engines. There is reason why they can't go 100,000 miles with the proper maintenance and a few minor repairs just like most cars.

 

[nivag]

Personally I'd always look for a low mileage bike with service history. If budgets were tight then I'd still want a bike with documenting proof that it's been well looked after regardless of the miles on the clock.
Mine has 34k on a 4year old bike. It's serviced when required and hopefully it shows if I was to sell it. Though its too good of a all rounder to do that

 

[iSteve]

I once talked to a guy with a 04 that 121k miles on it. He said the only thing he does is change the oil and replace parts when they break. The engines are built for racing but with a milder tune, if your not on the track all the time they should last a very long time.