Low mileage bikes

[Tio Loco]

I’ve been helping a friend try and find a nice used busa. I’m finding these really low mileage bikes like an 01 with 7k miles, 02 with 5.5k, and a 00 with 12k. Now my bike is an 01 with 32k and is cleaner underneath than any of them? I spotted a extra gauge cluster on one guys shelf ask him what that was about he was a.. a.. stutter.. its off a friends bike. Yea right we left. So is this gauge cluster swap a big problem?

BTW my friend is going to buy new for a few grand more he feels better.

 

[rob t]

a gauge swap is as easier than changing the dam face plates.i watched a guy with a 02 h d change the digital read of a fat boy in 10 minutes.just have to be careful. and have your spider senses working!!!!!

 

[MidnightBusainSD]

The only place i don't think i would worry about low milage is living here in the midwest where the bikes have to get parked more of the year but as for the souther states and such i would be a bit skeptical

 

[MrHans]

Would be worth more to check condition of bike than actual mileage. Do a leak down test, compression check look over the mechanicals and a test ride. Like rob t said, if your spidey senses are all tingley, take a hike.

 

[BusaWhipped]

The average bike gets ridden 3000 miles per year. I do 12,000 miles per year. So that means that there are 3 bikes that don't get ridden at all every year

It doesn't work exactly like that, but you get the point. Alot of people buy bikes because they think they will ride them if they have them. But if it's not in your blood, the bike only comes out for posing.

 

[Charlesbusa]

Clusters could be swapped, but I really don't give mileage to much concern.

More about maintenace records, overall condition and year of the model.

Yeah, a 200,000 mile busa is gonna need a few parts lookd after.
But so is a '99 model that's done nothing but sit.

 

[MET]

Always worth checking but don't forget many people on ride on the weekend 1 hundred miles per weekend.

 

[TIMMYDUCK]

Records are the key.
Reciepts off all purchases related to the bike should be kept in a folder somewhere and be ready to be turned over to the new owner upon purchase.

 

[Turbo-Torch]

Legit low mileage bikes are dirt common. Best friend has owned 5 bikes over the past 20 years and I doubt he's accumulated more than 10K miles total. He currently has an '02 XX and I bet it has less than 2500 miles. He'll talk big about wanting to go on trips or how bad winter sucks because he can't ride blah blah blah....When summer rolls around:

He WILL NOT ride during the work week.
When saturday rolls around he has to check 10 different weather reports and check live radar to make sure there are no clouds within 500 miles.
Temperature should be between 78º and 83º with low humidity.
If it's too windy he won't ride.
Needs to be home before the sun begins to set.
If he's going more than 20 miles, he needs a definite destination along with a dozen Mapquest print outs on how to get there.

And this is my favorite...you know how after Labor Day beaches and pools close and women aren't supposed to wear white? Day after Labor Day he puts the bike in the garage and doesn't ride it again until the official start of spring!

He also has National Guard one weekend a month so that narrows him down to 3 weekends a month provided all the above conditions are met and his wife doesn't have something planned.

 

[kkattan]

7K miles on mine.. 2002.. hope to start using it more.. but DEC through March.. no can ride.. sometimes even in November..

bought in Oct 2002.. so really only one month of ridind season..

about 2000 miles in 2003
another 2000 in 2004..
2000 in 2005...

etc..
maintenance is the key.. how long did the bike sit? proper winter/spring maintenance.

 

[TheAtomicAss]

I saw a K5 gixx 1k at the dealership, used...

8 miles on the clock.

I'm willing to bet it made the previous owner VERY nervous!

 

[hionbusa]

I bought mine with 3700 miles but witht he help of few fellow board member . I was able to spot if it was original miles or not.
There are some low mile bike outhere. Not everybody commutes on bike . You figure most will just take their bikes every other week end or so for 100 to 200 miles .

Best way to find out . if it has LESS THEN 4k miles. IT must have STOCK tires.
less then 10k :STOCK CHAIN
Less then 15k : STOCK SPROCKETS
: The stock brake pads are black not copper color like the after market ones.

Last but not least. If you have any doubt . Just walk away or cut on the price .

 

[Cykill]

It totally depends, Lots of people buy bikes scare the sh*t out of them selves and fire sell them. tough call...

 

[E-RACER]

Also depends on the state you live in..Bikes aroud here people think 10k is high..were in Florida Ive seen them listed with 50k miles!!

Also very low miles can be a 1/4 mile at a time!!

You can usually see whats mods verses what kinda of riding had been done to it..if He has bar risers and saddlebags miles were most likely easy..if He has a lowering clamp and a air shifter..drag racing and a bad tranny are possible!!

But on the other hand..I race My bike alot and take stupid care of it..change the oil after ever race ect..and I would say it could possbly look and run better than most..its all about the up-keep!!

When you meet the owner You can sometimes tell what kinda of person he or She is..most busa owners are not racers and just tour with them..

Just My $00.02

 

[crepitus]

it does depend on the people. i picked up an 01 last year with 600 miles on it. i went over everything. the bike just sat in the guys garage. he was in a bad car accident a few months after he got the bike and hadnt touched it since. the chicken strips were huge. i think he was just scared of it. but the bike looked like it just rolled off the floor.

 

[Vic_E55_2001]

Best way to find out . if it has LESS THEN 4k miles. IT must have STOCK tires.
less then 10k :STOCK CHAIN
Less then 15k : STOCK SPROCKETS
                   : The stock brake pads are black not copper color like the after      market ones.
                 
Last but not least. If you have any doubt . Just walk away or cut on  the price .

I changed my tires at 2700 miles.
I changed my chain because I wanted to have the best and extended my swingarm at 2K.
Stock sprockets could be bought stock cheap off ebay.
Brake pads are copper on 2005 and also HH compound. I changed mine immediately to EBC HH...

If You have any doubt.... Go buy new bike... The ONLY relible way to be 100% sure.

Look how many instrument clusters sold on Ebay and think about it.....

Stock tires could be identified by date of production.
For example 2605 means that tire was made at 26th week of 2005.

 

[pward76]

I bought mine with 3700 miles but witht he help of few fellow board member . I was able to spot if it was original miles or not.
There are some low mile bike outhere. Not everybody commutes on bike . You figure most will just take their bikes every other week end or so for 100 to 200 miles .

Best way to find out . if it has LESS THEN 4k miles. IT must have STOCK tires.
less then 10k :STOCK CHAIN
Less then 15k : STOCK SPROCKETS
                   : The stock brake pads are black not copper color like the after      market ones.
                 
Last but not least. If you have any doubt . Just walk away or cut on  the price .

Lots of guys ditch the stock stuff early. I had an aftermarket chain on mine at 5000, just because it is stronger than the stock chain. Some guys swap sprockets early for lots of reasons.

You are right, need to check that stuff, but there are legitimate reasons for having new stuff early...

My $0.02..

 

[pward76]

For what it's worth, I had 5k on mine the first year (04), and I bought it in July. I've got over 11K on it now in 1.5 seasons. I live in Iowa - I shudder to think about how many miles I would have if I lived somewhere warm....

 

[Cykill]

I bought mine with 3700 miles but witht he help of few fellow board member . I was able to spot if it was original miles or not.
There are some low mile bike outhere. Not everybody commutes on bike . You figure most will just take their bikes every other week end or so for 100 to 200 miles .

Best way to find out . if it has LESS THEN 4k miles. IT must have STOCK tires.
less then 10k :STOCK CHAIN
Less then 15k : STOCK SPROCKETS
                   : The stock brake pads are black not copper color like the after      market ones.
                 
Last but not least. If you have any doubt . Just walk away or cut on  the price .

Lots of guys ditch the stock stuff early.  I had an aftermarket chain on mine at 5000, just because it is stronger than the stock chain.  Some guys swap sprockets early for lots of reasons.  

You are right, need to check that stuff, but there are legitimate reasons for having new stuff early...

My $0.02..

My Bike had ZERO miles on it when Pipes, Small Air box mod, Pair valve removal, ATRE, Muzzy Fan, PCIII, Roters, Lumi-glow gauges, Undertail, paint job, Double Bouble, and a few other minor things we're put on it. I mean i literally never rode it stock. I bought this bike in June of '05 Found a leftover '04 LE had is shipped to me. and have 6k miles on it. Ride it alot, BUT take wicked care of it. the only thing i added after i had it a bit was SS lines.



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[GSXcite]

The condition of the bike means more to me than miles. I saw a busa just like my 05 red/black last summer that had 1200 miles on it and it looked like it had just ran the Baja 1000!