What is acceptable Mileage for a GS???

[ejwrea]

Hi all,

I am new to the site and joined so to get expert advice on buying a GS as an ex Triumph Daytona rider looking for something a bit more comfortable to ride.

A very simple question; I have seen a lot of second hand 1150 and 1200 with what I would assume to be high mileage 40k +. Am I right that this should be seen as high mileage of will there be loads of life left in the bike? I only ask as for most sports bike anything over 20K I would walk away from.

Thanks.

 

[Balders1450]

Hi all,

I am new to the site and joined so to get expert advice on buying a GS as an ex Triumph Daytona rider looking for something a bit more comfortable to ride.

A very simple question; I have seen a lot of second hand 1150 and 1200 with what I would assume to be high mileage 40k +. Am I right that this should be seen as high mileage of will there be loads of life left in the bike? I only ask as for most sports bike anything over 20K I would walk away from.

Thanks.

I'm selling an 08 GS1200 with loads of extras, only 3240 miles.....

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273484

 

[Rasher]

What I have gathered since buying a 1200 is that you are entering a bit of a lottery, some seem to have loads of problems and can blow several final drives in 50k and have all sorts of problems, whilst others sail past 50k with little or no problems.

You don't see as many 1100 / 1150's reporting problems, there are less of them - but they are also older.

I don't think GS's have the stigma of high mileage sportsbikes and you do see larger mileages on these types of bike far more often, I don't think 40k is all that high one one, then again neither is it high enough a GSXR / ZZR / Blade to worry me, just nobody will buy a high mileage sportsbike when they have oh so many low mileage ones to choose from - my 3 year old ZZR1400 was considered high mileage with 15k on the clock!

My best guess would be the 11xx's are more reliable and generally wear with age, where as with the 1200's age and mileage is less of an indicator.

Even if getting a low mileage 1200 I would suggest get one with a 12 month warranty in case it is a lemon. If it has got to 40k+ it is probably a good one

One other thing to watch though is that when buying from a BMW dealer they will claim mileage does not mean much on these bikes as they all go around the world if your trying to sell it back or trade it in then all of a sudden more than 50 miles per year is unussually high and your bike is worthless (until it appears on their forecourt at double what they gave you)

There is also a larger number of low mileage GS's about since they became tendy, so the same issues as with sportsbikes is creeping in whereby mileage does have a bigger affect on re-sale.

Lastly main dealer servicing is expensive, and probably seems more so when the bike is older and of lower value and services are costing £300 - £400 a go, if your not doing this yourself check servicing prices near you and when looking at a bike make sure on of the £400 ones is not looming.

 

[Keith Chapman]

40k on the clock, barely run in.

 

[judge]

73k on mine and it's the peachiest yet of all I've owned engine-wise. Independent servicing and an oil sight glass the only expense in 3 years, and 28k. Could sell now for less than a grand less than I paid for it. Cheap, smart GS ownership.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

In a nutshell, don't worry about the mileage and to be honest, if the bike has a good mileage on, you can be sure the owner has probably looked ater it and it causes few issues.

The boxer engine is good for a huge mileage if looked after and there are a few 11**'s on here with way over 100,000k.

Look for a bike in the price range you have and don't worry too much about mileage. Look for condition and a fastidiuos owner and you won't be far wrong. You will pay loads more at a dealer and private sales are much more realistic even though they aren't warrantied. You'll see plenty of good one's in the FS&W section on here.

Both 11**'s and 1200"s have their problems but most bikes have and they are well documented. The great thing about GS's is you can do the jobs yourself or get them fixed cheaply. I wouldn't bother with dealer servicing either if your bike is out of manufacturers warranty. There are some fantastic independants out there like Steptoe, Adventure Bike Warehouse and Motoscot who will look after your bike much better and at a fraction of the price.

As an example, mine is a 56 plate 1200ADV with 67k on the clock and is smooth and trouble free. I'm expecting to do at least double that on this bike and don't foresee too many problems

 

[paintman]

In a nutshell, don't worry about the mileage and to be honest, if the bike has a good mileage on, you can be sure the owner has probably looked ater it and it causes few issues.

The boxer engine is good for a huge mileage if looked after and there are a few 11**'s on here with way over 100,000k.

Look for a bike in the price range you have and don't worry too much about mileage. Look for condition and a fastidiuos owner and you won't be far wrong. You will pay loads more at a dealer and private sales are much more realistic even though they aren't warrantied. You'll see plenty of good one's in the FS&W section on here.

Both 11**'s and 1200"s have their problems but most bikes have and they are well documented. The great thing about GS's is you can do the jobs yourself or get them fixed cheaply. I wouldn't bother with dealer servicing either if your bike is out of manufacturers warranty. There are some fantastic independants out there like Steptoe, Adventure Bike Warehouse and Motoscot who will look after your bike much better and at a fraction of the price.

As an example, mine is a 56 plate 1200ADV with 67k on the clock and is smooth and trouble free. I'm expecting to do at least double that on this bike and don't foresee too many problems

Excellent post.

 

[Yonkyo]

I've clocked up over 65k miles over the three 1200GS's i've owned.
I only had problems with my first one, an 04 plate with a dodgy brake servo and FPC.

I'd avoid the early ones fitted with servo brakes 04 - 06 models i think.
However, thats just my advice, i'm sure others on here have perfectly reliable Servo GS's.

Done over 20k on my 09 GSA now, with not so much as a blown light bulb.

 

[jimbo]

just over 60k on mine and few problems.
I am determined its to be the first bike I take through the 100k

 

[ejwrea]

Guys, Thanks very much and I had a fair idea that mileage is not a major issue, but it is nice to have it confirm by some experienced hands!

 

[Stretchamus]

In a nutshell, don't worry about the mileage and to be honest, if the bike has a good mileage on, you can be sure the owner has probably looked ater it and it causes few issues.

The boxer engine is good for a huge mileage if looked after and there are a few 11**'s on here with way over 100,000k.

Look for a bike in the price range you have and don't worry too much about mileage. Look for condition and a fastidiuos owner and you won't be far wrong. You will pay loads more at a dealer and private sales are much more realistic even though they aren't warrantied. You'll see plenty of good one's in the FS&W section on here.

Both 11**'s and 1200"s have their problems but most bikes have and they are well documented. The great thing about GS's is you can do the jobs yourself or get them fixed cheaply. I wouldn't bother with dealer servicing either if your bike is out of manufacturers warranty. There are some fantastic independants out there like Steptoe, Adventure Bike Warehouse and Motoscot who will look after your bike much better and at a fraction of the price.

As an example, mine is a 56 plate 1200ADV with 67k on the clock and is smooth and trouble free. I'm expecting to do at least double that on this bike and don't foresee too many problems

Excellent post.

+2

 

[The smudger]

I have a 1200RT (same engine as GS) and its at 55,100 as of today. I used to belong to the company bike scheme at work (BMW UK) and have had plenty of bikes i had to give back at 4k mls.

Lots of people said they get better with age/mileage but till now i didnt know Have to agree now, mine sounds like a bloody sewing machine!!!!

I have no reason not to expect at least 100k, in fact i'll be surprised if it doesn't reach 200k.....

 

[pistonbrokescooby]

miles

hi
my old gs 1150 adv 05 plate done 22 thou and i sold ,then wish i never ,only then had it stopped using oil , now use a gs 1200 ,9000 on clock so far ,won't be selling this one .many on the forum with more than 60+thou on the clock, i would not go by the mileage to much as long as its been serviced and looks great .
piston .

 

[ejwrea]

Sounds like mileage is not the problem as long as it has a good solid service history. Thanks for the advice guys. That said I am still undecided between a solid 1150 and a newer 800. What does the jury think?

 

[Myke Rocks]

Bugger the mileage, bugger the service history.

Sounds like mileage is not the problem as long as it has a good solid service history. Thanks for the advice guys. That said I am still undecided between a solid 1150 and a newer 800. What does the jury think?

All that counts is the price in relation to condition.
I, for one, couldn't give a tuppeny damn for a service history.
All that counts is the price.
I am aware there are those who insist service history is vital, but any idiot can change the oil occasionally, and that is all that counts in respect of prospective life.
Service history will not stop the occasional valve dropping, fuel pump controller failure, or even final drive failure.
If you have a problem, are not the original owner, and the bike is out of warranty, they will, in all probability, tell you to take a couple of fuck off tablets and go away.
Anyway, it is far cheaper to buy a bike privately without service history and take a hit if it breaks. For repairs, as long as you do not go to a main dealer & get screwed, it will be the least expensive route.
Myke

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Sounds like mileage is not the problem as long as it has a good solid service history. Thanks for the advice guys. That said I am still undecided between a solid 1150 and a newer 800. What does the jury think?

You need to try both as they are very different bikes. Early 1200's are good bets because they are generally well sorted.

 

[ejwrea]

Thanks I will keep it mind. Just need to start sourcing bikes.

 

[BBB61]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, usual Rasher gloom and doom bollocks

I've had the 1100GS which was sold with 38000 miles on the clock and still had plenty of life in it. My 1150GS had 40500 on the clock when I sold it and it was still good for loads more. My current 1200GS has 36500 on the clock and is good for loads more. I will be keeping this one for a lot longer and have no fears at all about what the future holds.

 

[Giles]

I have just spent a day training some LAM observers. One of the guys pitched up on a 1977 R100. (Oh feck me, I thought, this is going to be painful...)

What a hoot!! This 34 year old bike hammered round the lanes of kent without a care in the world. I was laughing inside my lid following this knackered looking bag of nails bombing along at 80+

It was really great to see - other people normally pitch up on their new, gleaming, showroom condition bikes, and this guy just rolled in like father Ted.

Good on him!!

 

[David Nimrod]

One of the guys pitched up on a 1977 R100...

I've just done 3050 miles (Nottingham to eastern Hungary & back) in 7 days, on my 1980 R100RT...

Apart from a crankcase breather valve that self destructed, it was just fine

Who needs a new bike..?