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+--- Thread: Buying a used bike with high mileage, how many km is too many? (/showthread.php?tid=651559)
Buying a used bike with high mileage, how many km is too many? - moto Expert - 10-11-2026
Been wrenching on bikes for 15+ years and I still get this question from friends all the time. Saw a 2018 CB500X for sale with 78k km on it and the guy wants top dollar. Got me thinking about what I actually tell people.
Honestly mileage alone means nothing. I've torn down 40k km engines that were toast because the owner never changed oil, and I've seen 120k km motors that still had crosshatching visible on the bores. Service history is everything.
That said, there are thresholds. Under 30k you're usually fine. 30 to 60k expect to do valve checks, fork seals, maybe a clutch. Past 80k you're looking at suspension rebuilds, wheel bearings, possibly a timing chain depending on the model.
The CB500X specifically is a bulletproof motor, so 78k wouldn't scare me if the records are there. But I'd want to see receipts, not just "yeah I maintained it."
What's everyone's cutoff? Do you walk away at a certain number or is it all about condition?