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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 7 Dec 2005
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High mileage bikes Club
Here's a good German link of 100,000km 200,000km 300,000km and even 600,000km so called "Clubs", depending how much mileage you got then how respected club you are in. Surprisingly - BMWs dominate the scene there. Also surprisingly many Moto Guzzis in the list.

One guy put his 1100GS 141,000km in 2.5 years and that in german conditions not somewhere warm wintered Mexico or Spain or record-beating purpose of RTW travel.

Hardcore mile eaters, what else can i say

Cheers, Margus
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  #2  
Old 8 Dec 2005
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Maybe we should start a horizons high milers?

I've got an F650 I 've hadfrom new - done 70,000 miles (about 110,000km?) in just under 2.5 years. I'm not sure it will make it to its first MOT though!

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Richb
http://www.postmaster.co.uk/~richardbeaumont/60684/
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  #3  
Old 8 Dec 2005
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Good idea!

Those who are having more than 100,000km on the clock would be good to post here how they did it, how much work the bike needed and what condition-riding style it was ridden. This could be good information for people confused choosing the bike for RTW or very long trips where reliability (or known faults you can improve or take into account) is important factor.

Every bike brokes down sooner or later anyway, so this might be good idea to hear storys from people having lot of experience what or when something may broke down on long term riding-travelling.

Cheers, Margus

[This message has been edited by Margus (edited 08 December 2005).]
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  #4  
Old 8 Dec 2005
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Couple of storys from UKGSer.com site:

"I'm told, Williams in manchester have just serviced an R1150GS Adventure that has done 100,000 miles in 2 years."

"My R1100GS has now got 172000miles on it,it's a '94,and I bought it in '97 with 3000miles on it,and I haven't done to much on it in the last year,so it's done most of those miles in the last seven years.The short engine has never been touched,the gearbox was rebuilt about 50000 miles ago,which was just new bearings,everything else was fine.Apart from "accident"(ahem)damage,nothing much has been changed.both cams have minced themselves,and a huge list of silly things have broken,but apart from that,I'd jump on it today and go RTW.

Just as a matter of interest,when I had the head off doing the cams(at about 140000miles),you could still see the honing marks in the bores,and there was not enough slack in the pistons/rods to worry about either."
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  #5  
Old 9 Dec 2005
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OK, I'll bite

1989 BMW R100GS with 175,000 km. Engine hasn't been apart yet though I would do that before the next big trip just as a precautionary measure. Driveshaft failure at 130,000 km and a stator failure at about 80,000 km are the only two items that have left me stranded.

------------------
Ekke Kok
Redwood Meadows, AB
'89 R100GS
'03 R1150GS Adventure
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Ekke Kok

'84 R100RT 141,000 km (Dad's!)
'89 R100GS 250,000 km (and ready for another continent)
'07 R1200GS Adventure 100,000 km (just finished Circumnavigating Asia)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

www.ekke-audrey.ca
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  #6  
Old 12 Dec 2005
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1994 F650 Funduro. Originally a hire company bike, which I bought in 2000 with 70,000km on it. Now shows 141,000km. I have just replaced the waterpump which is the first time I have put a spanner to it for repairs. Clutch is getting a little draggy, and the shock needs replacing! I have just bought a later model injected F650 and can't believe the difference. What a civilised motor compared to the old one, but I do miss the rawness a bit.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

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  #7  
Old 12 Dec 2005
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Honda Transalp 116,000 miles. I sold it to a friend with about 87,000 mles on the clock and he changed the clutch plates. He ran it for three years before a truck backed over it. The only parts changed were service items; steering head bearings, tyres, brake pads, chain and sprockets and cables. LB.
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  #8  
Old 13 Dec 2005
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honda transalp 650: around 40k miles in 10 months, nothing went really wrong yet (fingers crossed!)
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  #9  
Old 13 Dec 2005
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And in the Honda theme...

Africa Twin (2001) bought last year with 8,000 miles, now 70,000 (I do around 40,000 miles a year).

Replaced:
Front wheel bearings (~40,000 miles)
Head bearings x 2 (roughly a set every 30,000 miles)
Speedo nylon drive x 2
Speedo gearbox
Rear wheel bearings (last weekend)

Usual tyres, brake pads, chain and sprockets etc. Battery is original but now starting to show signs of age. Adjusted the valves once in the 62,000 miles since I got it; never balanced the carbs. Changed the fork oil last month; rear shock still seems Ok for what I do (mostly commuting). Put a BSM Future Extreme exhaust on, but although the original was tatty it was still sound.

Major gripes concern the build quality (the legendary Honda build quality is just that on some models - a legend!) which includes primerless frame paint and a general propensity to rust at the first lick of salt (but that's what most metal does). I expect to go around the clock on it if I don't first hit a patch of ice at 4.00 am on the way to work!

My respect to everyone else out there with leather for bum skin - bikes where meant to be used, not played with!

Stig
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  #10  
Old 14 Dec 2005
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My 1986 R65 is getting a bit long in the tooth, but after 225,000 km it's still going strong. Nothing done to the engine, it had new gearbox bearings at 120,000 and that's about it.
Note: 30,000 of these kilometers were Asian kilometres. 1 Asian kilometre does not equal 1 European/Australian kilometre.
Sean
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  #11  
Old 14 Dec 2005
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regarding the last post;
you might want to upgrade the rear suspension on a guzzi, they tend to have problems on a heavy (over)loaded bike on the potholed roads in costa rica.
serious, moto guzzi's are o.k. if you want that flashy italian look, and want to carry a lot of stuff with you( including your personal showerhead.
safe travels,
Mark
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  #12  
Old 29 Dec 2005
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Honda CBR600FX (1999) - my first and only bike (only been riding 6 years) - currently 82,000 miles.

Last major trip was 6,500miles in europe this summer.

Had new steering head bearings around 75000 miles, clutch cable at about 50,000 - and apart from that its just been usual consumables.

Awesome bike, and a fantastic tourer.
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