XX600 how many miles/km's is too many?
 

Sorry to ask a "rubber question" like this, but I know very little of mechanics and in looking for a used XT600 I wonder what I should go for in terms of miles/Km's?

As a rule of thumb how many miles/Km's would be acceptable for a used bike that I plan to take 20-30.000 km's (12.000-18.000 miles) further?

Will e.g. 45.000 km's (28.000 miles) be too much?


[This message has been edited by AnderZen (edited 15 February 2006).]

abit of a loaded question really, every bike and its history are different, but i know someone who recntly bought an 89 XT with approx 35,000 miles and within 2 months he had it in bits cause the oil pump went. Now that may be due too its history but i personally wouldnt buy anything with over 15-20k on it.
all you can do is give it a proper going over before you buy it.

good luck

Yeah, these bikes are soft! Me, I wouldnt buy one with much over 200.000km...

200000km XT600
http://www.xt-foren.de/dcforum/DCForumID15/924.html#

200000km XT550
http://www.ring-carlsen.dk/index.htm

200000km tenere
http://www.tenere.ch/english/eh200k.html

------------------
Harry Teicher
XT600 43F

How long is a piece of string? It's not the miles clocked, but the care it has been given in doing those miles. If you read loads of motorcycle magazines, you will build up a picture of what to look for when buying second hand.
I bought an Africa Twin which had done 64000 miles - now I've taken it to 94000 mls and it hasnt missed a beat. I expect it to continue that way too for some time to come. So dont fear miles clocked, but investigate what happened to it before you see it.

Well, I used to have 3TB XT600E, 1991, sold bike with 79.000 km on tacho, no major problems, engine still fresh. Now riding XTZ 660 with huge over 100.000 km, one rebore, no problems at all. What do you need more? If properly maintaned, every XT/XTZ durate up to 100.000 km without reboring, then you do rebore for cheap money and continue abusing! Life is so beautiful !
Regards,
AnteK, XTZ 660

and I wouldnt sell my XT600Z 1VJ, now at 270.000km nearly retired in our living room

www.weltreise-motorrad.de

mika

Thanks a lot for the replies! I really love the links. I gues they say a lot about this bike (and the people riding them). I went to check out an older XT600 and the new XT660 at a store this weekend - cool bikes!

[This message has been edited by AnderZen (edited 19 February 2006).]

Hej Anders

Where are you in Denmark? I live in Thyborøn and have an 85 XT600, a friend has a 97 ditto - you are welcome to try them if you are in the vicinity.

hi, i bought an 89 3aj for a trip from uk to oz,like knobbly saids it lasted 2 months but thats only cause the monkey who had it before me tried to make to bikes out of one and didn't know what he was doing.
My advise to you mate is, if your gonna do high miles on a bike you can pritty much by any xt regardless of the miles it's done, for one simple reason, no matter how old your bike is, the engine still needs to come out and be opened up so you can see the state it is in,you dont know the history of the bike and you are basicaly gambling wether shes gonna make it or not if you dont.
a little effort doing this can mean the difference between alot of effort pushing your bike across some vast plain when it brakes. if i hadn't had problems with my bike, she was gonna get stripped anyway, there are manuals for them, not haynes but just as good. my manuals for a 1vj but the engines the same as the 3aj but with out the kick start.
the parts are easy and cheap to come by, if you dont want to buy brand new parts i recomend german ebay cause there is loads of cheap bits on there.
i now have piece of mind cause i know shes good to go.

Thanks a lot, unfortunately I'm in Copenhagen!

Just to add to the debate, my 3AJ Tenere has 86000 MILES, has not had a rebore, does not burn oil and has been overland to India and Timbuctou (two up). Next trip - South America. I have owned it from 17000 miles and I firmly believe that the secret of long life is mechanical empathy!