Used Bikes With Very Low Miles

[Skub]

A was speaking to a chap whose dealership has a 10 year old bike for sale with 900 miles on. He says it's very common for bikes a few years old and they've only travelled 4 or 5 hundred miles.

Who buys a brand new bike,does a few hundred miles,then sells it? Or who keeps something 10 years and never uses it?

Apparently it's fairly common behaviour. I get that we spend our money and enjoy our bikes in different ways and we don't have to conform to how others think we ought to use it,but I have to wonder how much enjoyment there is in buying something you really want,then seldom use it.

Good for the second hand market,though I suppose.

[weeksy]

Who buys a brand new bike,does a few hundred miles,then sells it?

errrrrrrm

[Yorick]

I don't use my GSXR so much. But I want to have it just in case I want a ride.
And I love to walk in the garage and see it there

[Skub]

I'm at home with the 'pride of ownership' thing and also 'having a bike there' for when the notion strikes for a ride. I need to like how a bike looks too,because I like looking at them! All part of the enjoyment.

The last couple of years I had my 10R I only did a couple of thousand miles and considered selling it many times because I used it so little. A change of bike really lit a fire under me and really only shit weather and the cost of fuel keep me from riding it all the time.

I guess I'm surprised so many seem to want to own a bike,but not to ride it.

[dern]

I guess it's no different to having a pair of skis that you love but only use once a year.... I don't ski but it's the only example I could think of.

Also if someone has multiple bikes they may have one they only do a few miles on. Now I don't commute my 1190 only gets used for infrequent big trips for weekends away and the run for an mot so I can see how it happens.

[Skub]

I guess it's no different to having a pair of skis that you love but only use once a year.... I don't ski but it's the only example I could think of.

Also if someone has multiple bikes they may have one they only do a few miles on. Now I don't commute my 1190 only gets used for infrequent big trips for weekends away and the run for an mot so I can see how it happens.

True dat. When I had my scoot it was often much easier to jump on that and go,so the 10R was used less than it may have been. Multiple bikes I can understand the use is spread thinner.

[Yorick]

I guess it's no different to having a pair of skis that you love but only use once a year.... I don't ski but it's the only example I could think of.

Also if someone has multiple bikes they may have one they only do a few miles on. Now I don't commute my 1190 only gets used for infrequent big trips for weekends away and the run for an mot so I can see how it happens.

True dat. When I had my scoot it was often much easier to jump on that and go,so the 10R was used less than it may have been. Multiple bikes I can understand the use is spread thinner.

If I'm nipping into town I take the Husky.
And it pulls better wheelies to impress the girlies

[Bustaspoke]

When I bought my 2014 Street Triple in 2018 the bike had only done 1800 miles.I asked the dealer if it was ex demo or something,he said no,we get a lot of bikes that are a few years old with hardly any mileage,people are keen when they buy them after a few rides they get overlooked & left in the garage.After a while they realise they aren't using them enough & sell them.With my Street Triple it had been taken as a PX against a car & the car trader moved it on to the bike dealer,he said they get a few bikes this way.
Ironically I bought it as my 'Sunny Sunday Princess' so in the 4 years I've had it I've only done 5000 miles & bought a cheap SV650 for daily use.

[Taff]

My wife's ER6 has done just over 3k miles in 16 years, she's owned it for 10 years.

It costs us about £200 a year to tax & insure so if she doesn't use it in any year it doesn't really matter too much, but having it there for when she does want to ride is priceless really.

[Count Steer]

When I bought my 2014 Street Triple in 2018 the bike had only done 1800 miles.I asked the dealer if it was ex demo or something,he said no,we get a lot of bikes that are a few years old with hardly any mileage,people are keen when they buy them after a few rides they get overlooked & left in the garage.After a while they realise they aren't using them enough & sell them.

Seemed to be the case at my old local bike dealer. I think the most extreme one was a bike, bought new then ridden home and parked in the garage for 10 years+. They'd just got it back to resell. They said that quite a few blokes reach a certain age and think they'd like a bike again, buy something 'silly' because they can. Then scare themselves witless. Or they get a big bike having never ridden one....before passing their test...and then fail and give up.

[Jody]

For several years I brought my Superduke to France then hardly rode it. I wasn't earning great money so €20 on fuel was a lot, plus it was often so hot that I didn't want to put leathers on.

Having the 690 has been very different and I was loving having it here to nip across town in shorts or to go for a spirited ride in proper gear. Unfortunately as you may have seen, the engine is fubarred so I won't be putting any more miles on it for a while !

[Skub]

For several years I brought my Superduke to France then hardly rode it. I wasn't earning great money so €20 on fuel was a lot, plus it was often so hot that I didn't want to put leathers on.

Having the 690 has been very different and I was loving having it here to nip across town in shorts or to go for a spirited ride in proper gear. Unfortunately as you may have seen, the engine is fubarred so I won't be putting any more miles on it for a while !

Any update on what went wrong?

[Dickyboy]

Bought my 15yo 1200GSA with just 2700miles on the clock, was bought as an executive toy then sold on to his brother who found it too big for him, still took me a few years to persuade him to let me have it.

I can just about understand people who have multiple old bikes and hardly use them, but to buy new and not put any miles on them is weird.

[Yorick]

My pal has 4 road bikes and 3 dirt bikes. He says summat like "If I sold them and put the money in the bank, it wouldn't make me any happier "

[Cousin Jack]

When I bought my VFR it was 3 years old with 1800 miles on it. It was bought new by a Met Police chap who planned a big tour of Europe. His leave was cancelled, so he planned to do it the following year. His leave was cancelled again, so he sold the bike.

I also knew more than a few old guys who bought Triumph Bonnevilles and polished them lovingly for 5 or 6 years, but did no more than a few hundred miles.

[Skub]

I know a man who has 2 bikes but no license and his Mrs wont let him get one

Now that's a whole other discussion right there.

[Bigjawa]

A was speaking to a chap whose dealership has a 10 year old bike for sale with 900 miles on. He says it's very common for bikes a few years old and they've only travelled 4 or 5 hundred miles.

Who buys a brand new bike,does a few hundred miles,then sells it? Or who keeps something 10 years and never uses it?

Apparently it's fairly common behaviour. I get that we spend our money and enjoy our bikes in different ways and we don't have to conform to how others think we ought to use it,but I have to wonder how much enjoyment there is in buying something you really want,then seldom use it.

Good for the second hand market,though I suppose.

Dunno if it's the same dealership, but apparently there's a V85 with less than 1000 miles on it but three or four owners for sale.

My GSXR1100 hasn't been on the road apart from a brief 8 mile blip, since 2004. It hasn't been started in 10 years.

My Bandit was last MOT'd in 2019.

I sold the car so I'm full time on the bike again. GS has 800 odd miles done in 3 weeks

[Horse]

I know a man who has 2 bikes but no license and his Mrs wont let him get one so he just tinkers with them and he's happy with that.

Sold my RT to a bloke who had no intention of ever riding (he had a bike a few years ago) and just wanted to fettle then shift it on.

Knew another bloke who was restoring a bike, building a model boat, a scale locomotive and a couple of other things. He mentioned to his wife that "I'm thinking about buying ... ". She ranted "Why don't you get on and finish ... ?" "Finish," he said "If i finish anything it won't be a hobby!".

[Jody]

For several years I brought my Superduke to France then hardly rode it. I wasn't earning great money so €20 on fuel was a lot, plus it was often so hot that I didn't want to put leathers on.

Having the 690 has been very different and I was loving having it here to nip across town in shorts or to go for a spirited ride in proper gear. Unfortunately as you may have seen, the engine is fubarred so I won't be putting any more miles on it for a while !

Any update on what went wrong?

The top bolt from the oil filter cover came out (threads and all) which is why/how it dumped it's oil. How much other damage has been done is yet to be discovered.
I emailed the local KTM dealer to ask when I could bring it in for diagnosis, they have yet to get back to me. But the alternator on my van died yesterday so need to fix that first