The Bikeshite Thread

[strangeangel]

What's the general view on high mileage bikes? I'm still hypothesising about bikes after my Mod 2 so have been day dreaming on auto trader and ebay, for something as common as an SV650 is it best to walk on by a 60k example given a couple of hundred quid more would get you one with a third of the milage? Car wise I'd always go on condition instead, given we're talking 10 year old vehicles and this example looks surprisingly tidy, but are there likely to be lots of things about to wear out at that age on a bike, headset bearings etc...?

 

I wouldn't necessarily be put off by a high mileage on its own. As you say, overall condition is more important IMO, and other factors, e,g,

• Has it had 15 owners in 10 years?
• Is there evidence of work done/regular servicing?
• Is the current owner a nob?

will tell you more about whether you could hope to have a long and happy relationship with the machine you're looking at.

 

As long as I could ascertain that it's been cared for, there are no noises suggesting imminent and expensive demise, and the price reflects that it's been round the block a few times I'd be happy.

[Eddie Honda]

Basically , I want to build a bobber style

Fookin' pineappling for motorcycles.

[Guest Hooli]

I wouldn't necessarily be put off by a high mileage on its own. As you say, overall condition is more important IMO, and other factors, e,g,

• Has it had 15 owners in 10 years?
• Is there evidence of work done/regular servicing?
• Is the current owner a nob?

will tell you more about whether you could hope to have a long and happy relationship with the machine you're looking at.

 

As long as I could ascertain that it's been cared for, there are no noises suggesting imminent and expensive demise, and the price reflects that it's been round the block a few times I'd be happy.

 

That really.

 

Chances are a 20k bike is just as likely to need head bearings as a 60k bike, mine is on it's 5th set of them & I fitted those at 108k for example.

 

Fork bushes are likely to be worn on a high miler though & those cost me about £80 for all four. Anything over 50k & I'd suspect them. If you can see the forks 'bend' as you push it against the front brake that's a sure sign they are worn out.

 

Mind you, unless the bike is cheap why buy extra wear, as you say a low miler isn't much more. Bikes are hardly ever used daily so will all suffer the same dried up seals etc if you start to use them.

[LostnotFound]

I wouldn't necessarily be put off by a high mileage on its own. As you say, overall condition is more important IMO, and other factors, e,g,

• Has it had 15 owners in 10 years?
• Is there evidence of work done/regular servicing?
• Is the current owner a nob?

will tell you more about whether you could hope to have a long and happy relationship with the machine you're looking at.

 

As long as I could ascertain that it's been cared for, there are no noises suggesting imminent and expensive demise, and the price reflects that it's been round the block a few times I'd be happy.

 

 

Cheers, I'm still getting ahead of myself. This one is a part ex at the main dealer that is connected to the riding school I'm with which is the only reason I noticed it, the price does reflect the mileage to an extent and is the ball park for what it would be private. I am struggling to get excited by the idea of an SV but it would be a sensible option.

 

Anyway, hopefully when the time comes, someone here on autoshite will have a something available.

 

 

 

Fookin' pineappling for motorcycles.

 

Patina - Check, Lowered - Check. Now if only they did euro style rims for bikes....

 

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

SVs are meant to be good bikes & sound great with a decent can.

 

I've never ridden one, but the ones I've ridden with seem to move rather well when asked.

[srad34]

Yes then, but I can't remember if they called them the Dulville? (can't recall the exact name) before or after NT700, probably before as I think the Dullville was 650.

 

From what I know, they are dull, reliable & like a baby Pan with less power. Loved by couriers I think as unkillabley Honda

....and ridden by Geoff's and Terry's usual seen wearing at bike meets in a Polite vest 'advising' riders using their vast motorcycling experi...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[srad34]

Picked up ths shite on Sunday. Its a project '02 Ducati Monster with oh so predictable electrical issue preventing it starting (probs immobiliser related fun)

Then tank repaint, overall strip clean and tidy plus race cans and new bars before MOT so at least it will look easier on the eye!

 

Its on the ramp now slowly being taken into pieces so I can go through the wiring, connectors and earth points goddamit!

[LostnotFound]

That looks a cracking project and you'll have a nice bike at the end of it. Are you keeping it or flipping it when it's done?

[srad34]

That looks a cracking project and you'll have a nice bike at the end of it. Are you keeping it or flipping it when it's done?

Hi, normally I would flip it to help pay for trackdays, but I usually use them for few weeks first.

 

Its perfect fodder for the roads round us and less likely to cartwheel through a hedge than on my old Fireblade. Lets see how much enthusiasm is drained by the time I get it running and take it from there!

[LostnotFound]

It's not too early for a small beer to celebrate passing module 2 and having a full licence is it? No, good I thought not.

 

[PiperCub]

I wouldn't necessarily be put off by a high mileage on its own. As you say, overall condition is more important IMO, and other factors, e,g,

• Has it had 15 owners in 10 years?
• Is there evidence of work done/regular servicing?
• Is the current owner a nob?

will tell you more about whether you could hope to have a long and happy relationship with the machine you're looking at.

 

As long as I could ascertain that it's been cared for, there are no noises suggesting imminent and expensive demise, and the price reflects that it's been round the block a few times I'd be happy.

 

Pretty much sums it up. It's less the bit of machinery - more the level of general bell-endery of the previous owners that matter far more. Also, the number of owner changes in a recent short period is another issue for me as it indicates underlying problem(s) that no-one wanted to sort out for time/cost reasons. Also, even if the latter isn't the case, a turnover of owners in a short time will mean that no-one will have bothered with much (if any) in the way of maintenance so there's another raft of problems on the horizon, as they've probably bought it, thrashed it, got bored, punted it on, repeat. 

 

Anything that's had around half the number of owners than it is years old is always a red flag moment for me. ie: if it's say 15 years old but has more than say six owners and many have been short termers too will mean I'll almost certainly not be interested unless it's a giveaway price. 

[DodgeRover]

Blimey I've never even looked at the number of owners a bike has had before buying, I think one of the 125s I had was in the high 20s though..

[Guest Hooli]

125s are special though, almost nobody owns them for longer than it takes to pass their test.

 

I had mine for 13 days and doubled the mileage on it, passed my test and put it up for sale. Lost £50 compared to what I paid for it & sold the lid, gloves & boots it came with for £80...

[RayMK]

I saw a nice looking bike in Culworth today but did a double take on the tank badge: 'Tempter.'  I was driving so no photos.  I assumed it was a Chinese import, but no, it's a Jap market Suzuki.  Never heard of it.  

 

http://oi68.tinypic.com/qxkhs3.jpg

[PiperCub]

125s are special though, almost nobody owns them for longer than it takes to pass their test.

 

I had mine for 13 days and doubled the mileage on it, passed my test and put it up for sale. Lost £50 compared to what I paid for it & sold the lid, gloves & boots it came with for £80...

 

Similar thing here, bought it, knocked it straight and tidied it, passed test ('Part 2' in those 1987 days), sold it after for a small profit that paid for the work and test! Think you'd be pushed to do that now sadly. 

 

The most owners I've seen on a V5 was, I think 18, on a Fiesta Mk1. 

[Bfg]

.

Totally frk'n inexcusable self-promotion but ..  ( I need the money)

 

 

..not typical budget Autoshite sort of money @ £1850 ..but now advertised on Car&Classic

 

 

1956  Sunbeam  S8  ' Bumble'   969 UXF  - with V5 log book  ..dismantled / incomplete / basket case project / bobber or special ?

 

Here we have a 1956  Sunbeam S8 (dismantled/basket case / project)  registration # : 969 UXF which I know as 'Bumble', together with its V5. 

 

I bought the bike as an incomplete basket case ..entertaining thoughts of building a Sunbeam special.  In effect replacing the engine ..being 1956 registered she would be MOT and tax free.  One of the Sunbeam Owners (SOF)  club members built one with Suzuki Hayabusa power (!)  but I was thinking more along the lines of a 650cc single or twin cylinder power unit, perhaps from an older Yamaha.  That said I've always fancied an in line V-twin (but not a Harley). 

 

I would then have re-built the beautiful in-line twin 500cc all alloy engine & gearbox as a free-standing show piece.  Another club member did a very nice cut away engine before I got around to anything with this bike, but still it would have been nice.  But I have too many projects and neither enough time nor money to do them all.. so 'Bumble' is up for sale.  

 

Most of the nuts and bolts were missing, but being mainly BSF threads for the cycle parts - they are readily available to buy off the shelf.   The frame / cycle parts were completely stripped down / taken apart (not by myself)  ..I presume to be restored.  I have very loosely assembled it back together for ease of handling (rolling and steering being easier than carrying).  And in this state you can see more clearly what is there. 

Here's a link to 60 or more photos : < Bumble For Sale >

NB. I've used  Dropbox  to store the photos online.   Ignore any pop-up telling you to register - just click on the cross in the right hand corner of the pop up to get rid of it.

 

Sunbeam bike bits photographed in those is all that's for sale.  

 

         So what is missing ? 

 

As stated I had intended to build a Sunbeam Special ..and so what was original but not there wasn't an issue to me, but if you plan to restore the bike back to Sunbeam original then here's a link to the country's foremost Sunbeam parts suppliers (..since the 1960's  and I believe still the owners of the Sunbeam marque) : < Stewart Engineering Exploded Parts Diagrams > . 

 

I understand that every part you'd need is available from them, either new or in good used condition.   Otherwise new and used parts are always coming up on Ebay with one company still specialising in breaking these exceptionally fine motorcycles.  And then there's auto-jumbles, and the active & excellent owners club - The Sunbeam Owners Fellowship.   It's quite surprising how readily available these bike's parts still are. 

 

This bike's frame number matches the log book,  but its engine case does not, however it is the correct engine for this year of Sunbeam S8.   Although from the photos.. there appears to be two gearboxes - one is just a good condition casing, because the other's bell-housing had been butchered.  

 

The mudguards are the original steel items (rather than fibreglass replacements) and are a little battered, but I'm sure they would restore very nicely.  The fit of the rear mudguard into its lower section (the mudguard is designed to hinge up for q.d. wheel removal) is actually better than on the Sunbeam S8  I do ride.  

 

This bike's original fuel tank is in pretty good shape but for the filler neck, the flange of which was badly corroded ..very strange.   For my special - I would have fitted a locking fuel cap.  By the way the forks are from the BSA (A65 I think) so are commonplace and cheap to restore.  And the BSA's twin leading brake is frequently used to up-rate the Sumbeam's brakes. 

Likewise the engine is all apart - the photographs give you a good indication as to its condition.  The rear drive ratio is for solo gearing rather than sidecar. 

 

In short ; this bike is probably 80% complete, and as a project would be a really great base to build a beautiful Sunbeam special from or to restore to original S8 500cc in-line Twin cylinder over-head-cam, with shaft drive specification.

Pretty well everything will require restoration.  Price is open to very near offers.  These bikes in decent running condition are now selling for £3-4000 more than I am asking, and that'll buy the missing parts several times over ! 

 

You are invited to view before purchase.  Drop me a text first if you are calling from a withheld number line, as I generally don't bother answering those.  My text is : 0  ¬  7 9  -  5 8  -  1 0 0  -  6 3 3.  My home is : 0  ¬  1 - 4  -  7 3 -  7 8 - 5 0 - 7 0.  and the bike is located near IP6 9JA.   Thanks, Pete.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

< Car& Classics ad >

 

Bfg

86,090 views

[cort1977]

What's the general view on high mileage bikes? I'm still hypothesising about bikes after my Mod 2 so have been day dreaming on auto trader and ebay, for something as common as an SV650 is it best to walk on by a 60k example given a couple of hundred quid more would get you one with a third of the milage? Car wise I'd always go on condition instead, given we're talking 10 year old vehicles and this example looks surprisingly tidy, but are there likely to be lots of things about to wear out at that age on a bike, headset bearings etc...?

 

This one I'm not sure is quite cheap enough, but I thought I'd ask you gents for a general idea.

 

Good advice on previous owners here.   I would say that the manufacturer will make some difference too, a high miles BMW worries me a lot less than an Italian.   Got my R1150 from the previous owner who had it for eleven years, two massive folders of information and receipts.   It's done 140k but you wouldn't know it really.

[Bfg]

.

 

I'm terribly sorry     ..in the above advert I missed saying . .

 

 

Rare !

or with an abundance of !!!!

 

Absolutely Unique ..as it now looks

 

not a Barn Find - it was in my shed

 

Incredible BARGAIN if this is what you are looking for ..and are happy with the price.

 

Only a finite number made !

 

 

 

FIRST to SEE will Buy !  ..surely ? / perhaps ? /  if they have prepaid a deposit.  (..No guarantee given nor implied)

 

Was running before parked  but was that in 1957 ?

 

MUST BE SEEN  if you hope to sensibly evaluate it

 

 

You Bid to Buy - Not to Kick the Tyres  ..there's no plural tyre with this pile of bike bits

 

NEVER LET ME DOWN !!  and I've pushed it around the garage at least a dozen times

 

**  BID NOW  **  DON'T MISS THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

 

Absolutely Original + + +  to how it looked two minutes ago   Never Restored   ..clearly !

 

 

Easy Restoration   ..if you have unlimited budget and farm everything out to honest and capable professionals

 

Genuine Seller  even though I might look like a dummy

 

 

I've tried to be honest in my description  but if I have lied ..then why should you believe this statement ?

 

 

 

Bereavement Sale   ..a couple of earwigs were stomped upon ...and spiders were heartlessly displaced

 

Genuine reason for this sale   yep, I need the money

 

>>> FREE DELIVERY  <<<  to my gate

 

Trust Me when I say "you'll not find better at the price"  sorry what were we talking about ?

 

Never raced nor rallied  ..since I bought it.

 

 

* ONLY ONE LEFT  ..and only one right

 

 

Engine does not smoke ..nor drip oil  .'cause it don't run & there's no oil in it 

 

From a Pet Free home  .but I live on a farm and the neighbour's dog pisses up everything !

 

 

Have I missed anything ?

[John F]

Yep!

 

I'm not a mechanic but... I am actually a mechanic and I know for an absolute fact that this thing is fucked beyond redemption

 

 

[Jerzy Woking]

I have an SV 650 that I bought very cheaply so I could clean it and sell it on. Always thought they were a "gurls bike" but it rides really well, and has plenty of poke. I sold it to a mate but missed it and managed to buy it back. Great bike with 60,000 plus miles on it.

 

I like high mileage bikes as no one wants them - lots of riders think a bike is worn out after 20,000 miles. My CBR600 has 73,000 on it now, the Xevo 50,000 and the SV 60,000. They will only be doing about 7,000 miles per year each now as they are my 3 commuters I use in rotation. The SV was the most expensive at £625

 

I had a 1985 GSX-R750 I ran up to 180,000 miles before it was written off in a crash. My last Fireblade had 120, 000 miles on the clock.

 

My advice - treat a bike gently until it is warm, then you can really rev it. Long journies boil off condensation (my GSX-R was still wearing it's original end can, and oil changes don't have to be so frequent 6000 between changes on this one)

[srad34]

I was offered a ZZR1100 with high miles (80k), I was considering until I saw images, it had been sprayed it matt black all over and fitted a longer swingarm for no apparent reason....Never used on a drag strip, honest....'real mans bike' allegedly....

 

Needless to say, I still have my GSXR1100! 

[Guest Hooli]

I have an SV 650 that I bought very cheaply so I could clean it and sell it on. Always thought they were a "gurls bike" but it rides really well, and has plenty of poke. I sold it to a mate but missed it and managed to buy it back. Great bike with 60,000 plus miles on it.

 

I believe the reason those & RF600s became thought of as girls bikes is that they are narrow with a low seat height. Making it easier for dwarfs petite ladies to get their feet on the floor.

[PiperCub]

I was offered a ZZR1100 with high miles (80k), I was considering until I saw images, it had been sprayed it matt black all over and fitted a longer swingarm for no apparent reason....Never used on a drag strip, honest....'real mans bike' allegedly....

 

Needless to say, I still have a GSXR1100! 

 

Long swing arm - drag strip abuse alert. End of. That'll kill even a ZZR11 motor/trans. 

[Jerzy Woking]

I believe the reason those & RF600s became thought of as girls bikes is that they are narrow with a low seat height. Making it easier for dwarfs petite ladies to get their feet on the floor.

And thus they get ignored by geezers.

[twosmoke300]

I had an sv brad new and put 30 k on it . Commuted - toured - track day (5) it did everything . Great bikes - well the original carbed ones were . Shocking paint quality mind

[Guest Hooli]

I've realised that this October I'll have had my GSX14 ten years!

 

I'll have to actually wash it & do before/after abuse photos.

[PiperCub]

I had an sv brad new and put 30 k on it . Commuted - toured - track day (5) it did everything . Great bikes - well the original carbed ones were . Shocking paint quality mind

 That's pretty much the experience of a chap I used to know. Loved his SV but hated the way it literally dissolved in front of his eyes.

 

When he complained to the Suzuki dealer about the shit quality of finish (paint & alloy), believe it or not, the response was: "You need to wash it every time you use it" - Seriously, that was their 'Solution'.

[Guest Hooli]

Suzuki, paint, dissolve, rust?

 

TADTS.

[PiperCub]

I know, hard to believe isn't it!!!

[Eddie Honda]

I had an sv brad new and put 30 k on it . ... Great bikes - well the original carbed ones were . Shocking paint quality mind

Same here, but 27k done in first 9 months and last 3k took another 9 months.

 

With a Scotoiler Touring fitted, an ideal despatch tool.