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Lifespan of a Sportbike?

34K views 20 replies 20 participants last post by  Süsser Tod 
#1 ·
How long on average in miles is the life of a sportbike used primarily for commuting but riden for pleasure, Mild riding never raced and professionally maintained with regular service and care? This is a curiosity question. I never race or stunt but I do enjoy a nice canyon ride about 1 or 2 times per month. Commute daily on the bike and have it serviced regularly at the recommended intervals. I have always been this type of rider but usually trade in and get a new bike right around 10-12K and have never traded because of problems with the bike...So what are the experiences of other riders as far as how long thier sportbikes last?
 
#2 ·
My bike

I have a 93' Suzuki RF600R from Germany. I brought it to the states about 4 years ago. I ride it every day and I have been known to race it and run the track on occasion. And lets not leave out the occasional wheelie :) My bike has 34k miles on it and still running strong.
 
#4 ·
I've seen several sportbikes go over 100k miles.

The sad truth is that most people never ride them that much, or wreck them before they get decent mileage on them.

I am trying to sell an 03 ZX-6R with 19k on it, and people keep saying it is "high mileage". :rolleyes

Seriously- take care of them, and they will last pretty much until you get bored and want something else.
 
#8 ·
Seriously- take care of them, and they will last pretty much until you get bored and want something else.
That's always been my problem. I always see something newer and faster or newer and shinier depending on my moods. I go from Sport Bike to cruiser and back again evry few years. Gettin old and stiff joints from too much abuse and am thinking a nice road glide sounds good about now.
 
#9 ·
I had an '00 sv650 for over 5 years and 47K miles. Still ran great and got a decent price for it when I sold it. Full maintenance records helped.

My '05 sv1000s recently turned over 30K miles. 100K miles with proper care should not be an issue.
 
#12 ·
I had 40K on my 02 R1 and it was in perfect condition - never dropped and ran awesome. And then my friend took it for a spin and .... I don't want to think about it... After I fixed it, I sold it
 
#13 ·
XracerX has a 92 GSXR 1100 with over 200K on it and he was out with us for a 220 mile ride on Sunday. Jared, on this forum, has an '04 F4i with over 160K on it and he posted pics of a 3500 mile 13 day trip he took in July. If you take care of them, they will last
 
#15 ·
I recently reached 15,500+ miles on my 2k8 Hayabusa. Next oil-change, I will be changing the spark-plugs to see if I notice any improvement in power. So far, I have only had to change a few tires, and I have been changing the oil roughly every 4000 miles...
 
#18 ·
Proper maintenance and the bike will outlast its first owner. These things are built for the street. They have been designed not to blow up in the first 10K miles. I honestly think that if your not bouncing the tack off the rev limiter and you take care of the bike it should go at least 100,000 miles. Have fun with your bike and dont worry about the miles. I should be putting another thousand miles on my bike this week when going up north to visit my g/f & college friends.

The most expensive part to owning a sportbike for me are the tires. Seems I'm replacing them every 3 months! Should be buying a tire changer in the next couple of months... that is once I start working again! Spending $750 on a tire changing machine to save on labor... seems like a lot of upfront cost but it will pay for itself in the first 12-14 tire changes! For me thats ~ 2 years worth of riding.
 
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