What Is Considered High Mileage for a Max?

[cjb600]

Hi, I am looking to buy a used V-Max, preferably 1993 or newer. Should the mileage be a deterring factor? What kind of miles can one expect from a V-Max? I have seen bikes with 35 or 40k miles and wondering if the bike still has a lot of left at this point? Thanks for your input.

 

[maleko89]

I would be more concerned with low miles on a bike 5 - 10 years old. My Vmax is about to hit 71,000. Tyler Pennock has over 80,000 on his and Bill Seward has over 120,000. The keys to longevity are warming the bike up properly and don't go over 9000 rpms. HP falls off around 9K so no worries.

 

[MONTREALMAX]

Correct oil change intervals as well

I agree with Mark 100% warming the motor (any motor) is critical before pounding on it

and short trips where the motor does not fully warm are considered severe service

My next door neighbor has a Ford Focus that she tromps on 10 seconds after getting her started the car is less than one year old with a engine knock I can now hear from across the street

I hope to see 60000 miles before anything major, every other bike I have owned has surpassed this mark without burning a drop of oil along the way

gotta love Japanese engines!

 

[one2dmax]

As noted with proper care and maintenance they will last as long as any other gas engine - car or bike.

I've seen them go bad in as little as 157 miles. I rebuilt my first vmax engine 4 times in 10,000 miles but it saw a really hard life.

Sean

 

[dannymax]

I agree with the above...I feel a bike should be ridden AT LEAST 2K a season! Warmer climates, prolly more. Otherwise you're buying a 'garage queen' with dry rot issues, carb issues...on & on!

Higher mileage bikes are no problem as long as they were properly maintained. Ask the seller for his records...I have 3 ring binders where I write down everything I do to my bikes, date & mileage...I expect most guys do the same. Who can remember all that stuff?

Just look it over carefully, there are lots of indicators that will tell you how a bike was treated.
-check under the rear fender for shredded rubber
-lift the seat, look for battery acid spills (this happens when a bike is laid down)
-check underneath carefully for scrapes on pipes and footpegs
-check newness of filters, battery, brake pads, color of fluids, etc.

Just to name a few.

 

[naughtyG]

my '86 now has almost 45,000 on its clock, I bought it with 37k last year.

It runs flawlessly, engine feels and sounds as good as new. I will be doing a valve adjustment soon tho, as I have no idea when it was done last. Fresh oil often is an important one, not trashing it when cold is obvious too.

 

[CaptainKyle]

I just sold my 99 with 86,000 on it. I changed the oil every 2500 & diff every 5,000 & coolant once a year & it still ran like new. I put it on the dyno right before I sold it & it pulled 117.9 horse with stock jetting & Marks Pipes

 

[cjb600]

Thanks for all your input. I am looking at an 89 model with 42k on it. I just have to sell my FZ6 first.

 

[sickmax]

my max has 90,000 kms for the first 70,000 (45000 miles) my bike was wide open for every mile 150 mph catwalking or burnouts , i have ran wide open to Sturgis 900 miles 3 times ! the bike does not burn any oil and is bullet proof never had any problems ! words cannot explain the quality of this Beast!!!!!!

 

[2stangs69-91]

lol calm down a little, you rode you max at 140 plus(or wot) for 900 miles 3 times. You are a animal :rocket bike:

 

[RaWarrior]

Motorcycle engines should really last as long as any other 4 stroke automobile. 100k+ isn't unusual, particularly on touring/2up bikes.

Overpowered things tend to last longer than underpowered, since in the Vmax, the engine is barely cracked off idle to cruise at 75. On a 250cc, 75 is WOT or nearly so. An engine working at only 25% throttle most of it's life will last a lot longer than one running at 100%. Slower revving motors also tend to last longer.

+1 to regular oil changes. Just because it looks clean doesn't mean it hasn't degraded and lost a lot of it's lubricating potential. I do it every 5000 miles, or roughly once a season.

+100 to warming up the motor. I let it run at fast idle with the choke on for at least 30 seconds before I even get on, and I go easy until the temp needle starts to rise. With fuel injected cars, I wait until the idle slows down to it's normal warm temperature, usually about 30 seconds in my 5.4L Ford, longer if it's cold out. Romping on a cold engine is probably the worst thing you can do next to dumping rocks down the intake.

 

[naughtyG]

Ya +1 on the warmup - I NEVER get on it hard until the coolant temp's got up at least to a third of the gauge.

Got mine with 37k on the clock, just checked the valves at 45k and they were hardly out of spec (2 out of 16). If ridden 'normally' I expect the Max engine to last well over 100k. Trashed and/or raced it could go at any time of course..

 

[gamorg02]

5k miles on an oil change? man i do mine 1200-2000 miles.

 

[tugla]

5k miles on an oil change? man i do mine 1200-2000 miles.

+1, cheap insurance to chg the oil, plus keeps you in zen with the bike :biglaugh:

 

[gamorg02]

i've gone like 1800 right now, and i'm stressin!

 

[naughtyG]

I've been going 3-4000, I think that's safe enough with modern oil and my riding.

 

[gamorg02]

mines either highway or stomping on back roads. figure its cheap insurance.

 

[Bill Seward]

"The Secret To Make Your V-Max Last Forever"

1. Change the oil often... 2000 miles has worked for me!
2. Change the oil filter EVERY TIME!
3. Keep the bike presentable. Amazing the stuff you find when washing the bike. I had a footpeg ready to fall off, and I never noticed it till I was down there scrubbing things.
4. Don't forget the rear end oil. 8-10K or before a long trip is when I do it.
5. Love the bike. Makes all the work worthwile.
6. Warmitup.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

42k isn't a big deal if it was well taken care of.

I've got 41,000 EXTREMELY hard miles on mine, bought it with 9,300. It's had the crap run out of it at the strip and has been generally abused as much as possible as far as how it's been ridden, short of over-revving or missed shifts. it's also had very pains taking maintenance to go with that abuse.

Age alone also contributes to a lot of problems you can have with a bike regardless of how many miles it has on it.

To me the bigger issue is the cosmetic condidtion of the bike as it relates to its age, it's tough and expensive to make an old looking bike look new when the rubber and engine paint is shot to hell. Or the wiring is rotted too.

I've got a friend here who bought an 85 Max and has been throught the whole bike completely replacing all the rubber and hoses and alot of the wiring, plastics and vinyl, replacing rusted chrome etc.
For what he has spent so far on the bike he could have bought a 3-4 yeard old Vmax

His engine still looks like crap tho, (Sorry Brian and it makes the whole bike look old.

Around here the vmax usually doesn't depreciate much under $3000 at any age as long as it's in good running condition, what buying a newer one gets you is a BETTER looking one......Plus bigger front forks and better front brakes.......

My advice is to but the newest bike you can afford, and try to get it with at least a good exhaust on it because that's a $800-1000 dollars you won't have to spend afterwards........

 

[sickmax]

I met a couple in Sturgis and the guy told me he had at least 300,000 miles that he was aware of ,since he was on his 6 th speedo. also i know a guy here in Winnipeg with the cruiser model of max ,no v-boost !he rebuilt the engine at 450,000 kilometers ,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that.s about 260,000 miles !!!!!