Why do bikes have such low milage?

smoc

I have been driving bikes for the past 5 years. 2 years on a Hairdryer, 2 years on a 125 and now the last year on a 250. Each year i do an average of 10,000 miles or 16,000 kms. Which in actual fact is below the average for cars (12,000 miles). In saying this how come when I compare my bike to other bikes milage it proves to be very high. I've seen 96/97 bikes with only 25,000km on them! I mean like how is this possible? Do you never use your bikes or what??

At present i only travel 28 miles a day on average and i've never even go on any trips with it. I found it funny when i sold my old 125 Varadero last year. It only!! had 44,000km on it and it took me ages to sell because of that fact. I was bemused I must say.

Wishbone Ash

Many people use their bikes for commuting only and have a car for most other journeys.

smoc

I had a car as well although prefered the bike so sold the car after 3 months (for a profit ).

I use mine to commute as well so hows that an excuse????

MrPudding

A lot of people only ride occasionally. Enjoyment at the weekends, only in good weather etc. A lad in work has just bought a 98 diversion with only 27k miles on it.

Another guy in work bought an aprila rsv last summer, he has done less than 700 miles on it.

Shameful I say.

MrP

smoc

Its such a waist. To be honest i did the right thing with the last bike - drive the ****e out of it (not ruin the engine but you know i mean) and i'm doing the same with this one. Why buy something if your afraid to use it or wont use it no matter what resale value you get from it?

I dunno, some people.. :cool: :rolleyes:

MrPudding

smoc wrote:

Why buy something if your afraid to use it or wont use it no matter what resale value you get from it?

I dunno, some people.. :cool: :rolleyes:

You are preaching to the choir here. When I bought the bike at the beginning of march I told the insurance company I would do 10000 miles. I had to call them the other day and get it increased to 20000.

MrP

bbbbb

I'm a low mileage biker, 1-2K miles a year. Only ride at weekends, usually when the weather is good, though I make sure to get out a bit in the winter as well so as not to get rusty. My mileage would be pure enjoyment, short runs at weekends, a few trips a year down to Galway. Have also been to Wales & Norway. I have a car & a 15 min walk to work. If I changed job & public transport wasn't a good option, I would probably use the bike ahead of the car.

Odysseus

Does it not depend on the lenght of your commute and if its your only means of transport, mine will be 3 years old in November and its currently got 75,000km on it.

smoc

Odysseus wrote:

Does it not depend on the lenght of your commute and if its your only means of transport, mine will be 3 years old in November and its currently got 75,000km on it.

Fair play to ya. Man (or Woman ) after my own heart

yayamark

i'm a fairweather biker most of the time.
Do about 5k a year but that always includes a foreign trip

I would do a lot more if the weather was better, like California

smoc

yayamark wrote:

i'm a fairweather biker most of the time.
Do about 5k a year but that always includes a foreign trip

I would do a lot more if the weather was better, like California

Bhaaa... You wanna be Bikers :cool: Us daily drivers even drive outside when theres 90mph winds and the rain is hailing in your face and you cant see a thing and you find balancing your bike extremely difficult

j@utis

Odysseus wrote:

Does it not depend on the lenght of your commute and if its your only means of transport, mine will be 3 years old in November and its currently got 75,000km on it.

Damn, and I was kinda proud of over 80k km on my bike which is... 17years old :rolleyes:

Owen

I'm your stereotypical Duke rider. It's been sitting in the Garage now for about 3 months languishing under a cover, and siphoning electricity from it's optimate. Of course, I do have to drive my car to work 6 days, so the bike is more of a plaything. Oh, and on nights 6&7 during the week, I gig. Try getting all your amps and guitars onto a bike! My Duke 916 is 10 years old, and has 9000 Miles on it.

gsxr1

got a brand new bike last sat. ready for it first service already. 550 miles.
if it was not so hard on the ass i would have more on it.
never ride to work myself. drive a van. live for getting home, getting the spuds and putting on the leathers.

thank godd for all these low milage bikes. when your in the market for a second hand bike you can appreciate low miles.

egan007

Are you complaining about that dam maths?

If you use your bike 10K per year - 28 Miles a day
that means you use it 357 days of the year....
*That's a lot.*

you have it 2 years meaning you put 20K mile on it.
*That's a lot.*

You said it totaled 44000Km - that's 27000M

So when you got it it only had 7000M on it.

That tells you that it was not a commuter bike when you go it....
Maybe the previous owner had more than one bike and a car?
Ther is a million explanations but it make s no sence to complain that you are clocking up mileage by using it for 28 miles every day....

smoc

28 miles a day is nothing and yes 357 days a year sounds about right. You wanna see what i did with my last one. I used to travel further. About 35/40 miles a day at least. I feel like i dont use it enough to be honest. I'm always taking lifts with mates where ever we go and they use their cars alot more. I mean like why the difference between a bike and car? i really cant understand why people like spending 3/4 hours in a car to work and back. I get car sick myself so couldn stand that. I like my 1 hour a day thank you very much.

Besides, is it not better for an engine to use it more??

digweed

I got mine two weeks ago and I have 1600 miles put up on it since (it's a 99 K1200LT with 33,000 on it). The best decision I ever made, should've done it years ago!!! (praticularly since the price of the feul is about a third what it would've cost in the car).

D.

saobh_ie

Leave the summer bikers alone FFS.

I average about 15 miles a day minimun commuting, 200-500 on a Saturday and 150-300 on a Sunday. It'll probaly increase over the summer with the addition of evening spins, although confidence is down recently, I'm not loving the summer, never had a bike during one.

I bought my bike at the end of the summer from a fairweather biker out in Lusk, dogey as f*** but I didn't realise/care to much at the time. 2001 bike, had never been out in the rain with 2?000 miles on it. Immaculate condition, spotlessly clean.

Initally I wasn't able to tell anyone I had it so I stashed it at work and only used it at weekends and racked up 10000 between September and February. =]

galwaytt

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Many people use their bikes for commuting only and have a car for most other journeys.

Actually, I'd say these days, it's the other way around..........bikes are no longer 'transport', and certainly not cheap transport..........

Owen

smoc wrote:

i really cant understand why people like spending 3/4 hours in a car to work and back. I get car sick myself so couldn stand that. I like my 1 hour a day thank you very much.

Well, if you live in Cork, it only takes 20 mins to get across the City. It takes me a whopping 10 mins to get to work in the morning, in 4 wheels.

smoc

galwaytt wrote:

Actually, I'd say these days, it's the other way around..........bikes are no longer 'transport', and certainly not cheap transport..........

what planet are you on? i went from car to bike because i couldn stand the traffic and to look at my mates do it every day i think their mad. plus bikes are fun to drive. you get bored in a car. 10 Euro for 350kms is pretty dam good i must say. 3,300 for a spotless 2002 bike with very low mileage and 61 Euro on tax and oh yes 491 on insurance compared to 30 Euro for same amount of distance in a car, 6,000 Euro for the same year (2002), 250 Euro for tax and 3,800 Euro for insurance. Yeah i think cars are cheaper alright.