Yesterday, 06:00 AM
Been wrenching on bikes for 15+ years and I keep seeing the same question pop up. Guy finds a deal on a bike with 60k on the clock and panics. Honestly mileage alone doesn't scare me much. What matters is how it was maintained and what kind of miles those were. Highway commuter miles at 60k can be way healthier than 15k of track days and clutch dumps. First thing I check is the valve clearance history, then compression, then listen to the cam chain. If the owner kept receipts and did oil changes on time, high mileage is fine. What kills used bikes is neglect and sitting, not the number on the odometer. So what's your cutoff? Do you walk away at a certain mileage or do you judge each bike on its own? Curious what you all look for when you're kicking tires on a private sale.