454000 miles

[Davey B]

Met a few others in Thirsk marketplace for a cafe ride today. A feller rolled up on a nice looking 05 plate 1150GSA. Briefly spoke before he walked off to do whatever he had come to do...when he returned, one of group commented on how nice his GSA looked. The owner said that it still looks good despite having over 450k miles on the clock, and him being the only owner....I initially thought he must have been having a laugh but his mileometer does indeed show c454k miles. Gobsmacked !

 

[jetjock]

Wow . I initially read that as 45k

 

[Udders]

Impressive!

 

[Hairnet600]

@MikeO didnt sell his bike that time?

 

[Neil W]

Met a few others in Thirsk marketplace for a cafe ride today. A feller rolled up on a nice looking 05 plate 1150GSA. Briefly spoke before he walked off to do whatever he had come to do...when he returned, one of group commented on how nice his GSA looked. The owner said that it still looks good despite having over 450k miles on the clock, and him being the only owner....I initially thought he must have been having a laugh but his mileometer does indeed show c454k miles. Gobsmacked !

There was a lad who used to be head of security at a large holiday park near us and I remember he had a silver R1150GSA which at the time was probably 5 years old and had covered almost 100,000 miles , sure he kept it for a number of more years and continued to clock up the miles .
Mine is only 430,000 shy of his mileage

 

[Paul Young]

I remember Steptoe posting a picture from Advrider, showing 400k miles on an 1150 and that must approaching 10yrs ago, now… Very impressive - I’ve had mine for 25yrs and still only have 78k on the odo. Must do better

 

[Dave T]

Wasn't Vern's 1100 around that milage?
Regardless - If that's on the original engine and box, mines not even run in at 25k....

 

[Pepsi]

Met a few others in Thirsk marketplace for a cafe ride today. A feller rolled up on a nice looking 05 plate 1150GSA. Briefly spoke before he walked off to do whatever he had come to do...when he returned, one of group commented on how nice his GSA looked. The owner said that it still looks good despite having over 450k miles on the clock, and him being the only owner....I initially thought he must have been having a laugh but his mileometer does indeed show c454k miles. Gobsmacked !

Never in a million years will it have done that much mileage!

 

[Arsey]

Never in a million years will it have done that much mileage!

Well that’s a stupid statement as in a million years he’d be doing less than half a mile a year to achieve such mileage !
That’s even just about achievable for those on here who only nip to Starbucks and then SORN their steed for many months

 

[jetjock]

Never in a million years will it have done that much mileage!

Was it you ?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Met a few others in Thirsk marketplace for a cafe ride today. A feller rolled up on a nice looking 05 plate 1150GSA. Briefly spoke before he walked off to do whatever he had come to do...when he returned, one of group commented on how nice his GSA looked. The owner said that it still looks good despite having over 450k miles on the clock, and him being the only owner....I initially thought he must have been having a laugh but his mileometer does indeed show c454k miles. Gobsmacked !

Yep
Seen him before
He used to be a fireman
Rainbow bike
He’s aiming for 500,000

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Never in a million years will it have done that much mileage!

It has
I have seen and talked to the chap earlier in 2026

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Thread 'How many miles ……'

Jun 22, 2025

Can a 20 year old 1150 do?
…..and still look amazing

• JohnnyBoxer
• Replies: 33
• Forum: 850/1100/1150 GS Oilheads

• 
• 

I knew I had posted a thread about the same bike last year, with pictures

 

[Davey B]

It was an odd one...I was deep in conversation with someone when the chap returned to his bike and another mate spoke with him...he was obviously in a hurry as he was donning his kit and swinging his leg over as he spoke. I'd only glanced at his speedo from 5 yards away and saw 45...as the first two digits in the 'row'. I initially thought he was bullshitting and was perhaps a little slow, andmaybe he thought that the 1/10 digit was actually full miles ?...so it was really 45k...but one of our 4 bikes was a 2000 1150 and sure enough, has a 6 digit milo and his showed 055863...so the GSA was certainly showing 450k miles. Triggers broom? Maybe. I did ponder the mileage and as simple as a once a week traipse down to London would put you 450 miles on the clock...so 22k a year. (Our MotoGuzzi test pilot in Spain seems to put big miles on bikes...25k a year...thats 525k miles in 21 years...do-able? certainly)

 

[Paul Young]

Thread 'How many miles ……'

Jun 22, 2025

Can a 20 year old 1150 do?
…..and still look amazing

• JohnnyBoxer
• Replies: 33
• Forum: 850/1100/1150 GS Oilheads

• 
• 

I knew I had posted a thread about the same bike last year, with pictures

That looks stunning for a 21yr old bike and puts mine to shame…

I knew I’d seen something on advrider and it was Hank in 2009 who started a milestone mileage thread with a shot of his 1100 (not 1150) odo at 400k. It hit the half mil in 2014 but I doubt it would have looked that good.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/milestone-for-my-gs.278021/page-12

 

[Wrigsby1]

85 mile round trip for you working commute for 21 years... Or very muchly pleasure biking... The main surprise is he's stayed with the same bike all this time if he has... The rest of us play biking fruit machine bingo roulette...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

It was an odd one...I was deep in conversation with someone when the chap returned to his bike and another mate spoke with him...he was obviously in a hurry as he was donning his kit and swinging his leg over as he spoke. I'd only glanced at his speedo from 5 yards away and saw 45...as the first two digits in the 'row'. I initially thought he was bullshitting and was perhaps a little slow, andmaybe he thought that the 1/10 digit was actually full miles ?...so it was really 45k...but one of our 4 bikes was a 2000 1150 and sure enough, has a 6 digit milo and his showed 055863...so the GSA was certainly showing 450k miles. Triggers broom? Maybe. I did ponder the mileage and as simple as a once a week traipse down to London would put you 450 miles on the clock...so 22k a year. (Our MotoGuzzi test pilot in Spain seems to put big miles on bikes...25k a year...thats 525k miles in 21 years...do-able? certainly)

Read my posts Dave

He was a fireman

I have spoken to him a few times over the years

He bought it from Rainbow BMW in Spring 2005, at a similar time I bought mine in April of that year (mine has only done 10% of his mileage at 42k)

When he was on the job doing his 30 year stint if there was a good forecast on his roster days he would take off to north of Scotland or Orkneys (if he had a longer break) in January or February and when he came back he would thoroughly wash his bike and dry it - then he would get it up on a bike lift and clean everything or strip it down to clean it (wheels off/forks out)

He was fastidious with cleaning and maintaining it

Engine is pretty original - don’t think he’s been into the engine and it’s only on its second starter!

However the gearbox has been fully overhauled as the bearings collapsed at about 300k - I think he does all his own work

The bike is 100% at 450,000 miles

I saw it in 2025 at 430,000
(See my linked thread pics)

He’s a nice chap and I have had many chats with him at Masham

 

[Davey B]

Read my posts Dave

He was a fireman

I have spoken to him a few times over the years

He bought it from Rainbow BMW in Spring 2005, at a similar time I bought mine in April of that year (mine has only done 10% of his mileage at 42k)

When he was on the job doing his 30 year stint if there was a good forecast on his roster days he would take off to north of Scotland or Orkneys (if he had a longer break) in January or February and when he came back he would thoroughly wash his bike and dry it - then he would get it up on a bike lift and clean everything or strip it down to clean it (wheels off/forks out)

He was fastidious with cleaning and maintaining it

Engine is pretty original - don’t think he’s been into the engine and it’s only on its second starter!

However the gearbox has been fully overhauled as the bearings collapsed at about 300k - I think he does all his own work

The bike is 100% at 450,000 miles

I saw it in 2025 at 430,000
(See my linked thread pics)

He’s a nice chap and I have had many chats with him at Masham

I did JB....just pointing out to those who disbelieve it, how easy it can be to rack up 454k miles....I used to do 12k a year on the first GS bck in 2001/2...so looking at my total mileage across 4 GSs,a Bandit, an AT and this current RT...my original GS would be sat at c 200k miles

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I did JB....just pointing out to those who disbelieve it, how easy it can be to rack up 454k miles....I used to do 12k a year on the first GS bck in 2001/2...so looking at my total mileage across 4 GSs,a Bandit, an AT and this current RT...my original GS would be sat at c 200k miles

Ok
Misunderstood that was all
He’s a nice chap to talk to

Jim’s old 1150 is now at 78k