What is High Mileage for Motorcycle?

If you’re in the market for a new motorcycle, knowing what high mileage is essential. To help with that, this blog post will answer what is High Mileage for Motorcycle and give some of the most common symptoms indicating high mileage.

High Mileage for Motorcycles

The definition of a high-mileage bike has always been a bit vague. For those who have never maintained their motorcycle correctly, it’s something like ‘you can tell when it happens. But we all know that to keep your bike in tip-top shape, you need to have it serviced. So, what is high mileage for a motorcycle?

In general, “High Mileage” applies to motorcycles with over 100k miles (approx 160.000km) on the odometer. When working on these bikes, especially maintenance and engine work, there are some unique considerations/problems you will run into.

But your motorcycle mileage is only one of the factors that determine when a machine qualifies as “High Mileage.” There are others to consider.

Common Symptoms Indicating High Mileage for Motorcycle

If you’re buying a used motorcycle for personal use, or even if you’re planning to restore one, knowing what high mileage is can be essential. 

Many high mileage motorcycles will exhibit some of the following symptoms:

• Oil leaks or excessive smoke from the engine 

• Poor throttle response (sagging, delayed) 

• There are chunks of broken plastic or rubber in your oil tank 

• Lots of rattles (the ones not caused by the wind as you speed through canyons.

• Accelerating uphill is also another common issue for high mileage motorcycles. 

These symptoms and all others are essentially the same as for a car engine with high mileage.

In the end, high mileage for a motorcycle is just that – it’s subjective. It depends on how you want to use your bike and the maintenance schedule you have in place. The most important thing about riding motorcycles is making sure they’re correctly maintained, no matter which type or model.