Truth in Mileage Claims

[indybobm]

We all know what a wonderful bike the Valkyrie is and how much fun it is to ride. It seems like every Valkyrie I see for sale on the internet (ebay, etc.) is a relatively low mileage bike. It does not seem likely to me that they are so many 9 to 14 year old Valkyries with under 20,000 miles. Some have less than 10,000 miles. My question is, what are the indicators of a high mileage bike when it has been taken care of throughout it's life and has been detailed for selling. It could be a 120,000 bike that of course has had tire replacements and maybe rotor replacements. If the bike has been sold multiple times and you can track the titles, then it would be obvious by the mileage box on the titles. What if it is a one or two owner bike that was initially sold with ~ 5,000 miles and the current owner has put 115,000 miles on it. I just cannot believe that a bike such as the Valkyrie could have such low mileage after 10 or so years. Besides the exhaust system, what are the indicators?

[RP#62]

Generally, the more miles on it, the more the lower ends of the front forks, the radiator end covers and the timing cover are going to look sandblasted from road grit.
-RP

[Ricky-D]

I doubt it's really that unusual to find low mileage cruisers.

My friend just bought a HD Fatboy, a 1999 model with only a thousand miles on it.

I feel that many people that buy big bikes tire of them very quickly and then keep them for a while until their good sense finally prevails and they sell them.

If a bike has been kept under cover there usually is only the more common problems associated with an old unused vehicle that has been neglected from non-use.

***

[hubcapsc]

My bike seemed kind of tired when I got it... the odometer read 24k... When I
take off my seat the frame and whatnot under there looks... old... compared to
other people's bikes I look at...
the motor down in there where the smog buster was is not quite as clean as most other
Valkyries I see... I wouldn't be surprised if mine has been around the clock
once... but also, I think the last owner kept it outside... who knows...

-Mike

[Kep]

Don't you know....you never ask a (fat) lady her age...just enjoy her beauty and grace !

[Daniel Meyer]

The vast majority of bikes out there are "butt jewelry". It's not hard to find low mileage bikes of any brand/size and almost any age.

Good indicators of "over the top" machines are pitting/chips/dings on frame/forks/wheels/pipes etc.

Most states record the mileage at inspections (those that have them) and sale, and that info can be gotten (carfax for a lot of 'em).

Once they are over about 15 years old, it really doesn't matter. Same things will need work whether it's 20,000 or 120,000.

[indybobm]

Thanks for all of the replies. I started this post because I thought it was curious that 95% of the Valkyries I see for sale have less than 20k miles on them. I agree with everyone that taken care of he bike should last a long, long time and many miles. I would not worry if any of those bikes had 20k + 100k miles on them as long as they were taken care of. I do wish that Honda had but a 6 digit odometer on them. Does the IS roll over at 99,999 or does it continue to display accurate mileage?

[hager the horrible]

Maybe because those who truly love to ride and put miles on a bike and have a valkyrie are not selling

[sugerbear]

it continues

[Rio Wil]

Take a look at the date code on the front and rear tires,  if it is a example 2001 bike with 8K and the tire date code is 2000 or 2001, its probably correct.  If its 8K and  tires date code of 2009.....its suspect. You get the idea, relate the date code to the mileage and see if it makes sense.

[Ricky-D]

If the suggestion of altering mileage on a bike is wafting through this thread you can consider it a non-issue I am sure.

Besides being illegal there are no real benefits from doing the practice and most bike owners wouldn't have a clue as to how to do it.

Replacing a speedometer would be the most practical way to alter the mileage and the cost would seem prohibitive to most owners wanting to sell their bike.

***

[R J]

Vell, "Sheet Fire Dixie," does that mean I can sell MGM for 42K when in fact it has 242K.

Damn, I'll have to keep that thought in mind if and when I sell the big boy.

Right now and for the past 2 years he has been 'Butt Candy' for me.   Kids ride him, buddy of mine rode him for about 3 or 4 months when we put the last CT on him,   Wanted the sidewalls broken in and Craig did a good job for me on that.

Son pitched a fit when he rode MGM the 1st time w/CT.    He said it was all over the road, tossing him here and there, like a few others on the board have commented on.      This time I knew MGM had almost enough breakin time on the CT.     He went down into Missouri to the grandparents grave(s) on  Saturday.   Beautiful weather.   Amber had a seat to set on this trip instead of a pad on the rear fender of the chopper.   So, dumb ass-ed me, I asked him when he got home how was the ride.    Good Lord almighty, he dug the ride and wanted to do more.  We chatted a while longer and I just had to ask, what did you think of the tires and ride.    He replied oh man, dat was the best ride he ever had on him.   So to dig some more, I asked if he liked the CT.      He turned, looked at me, and said there isn't a CT on the rear of that big boy.  I said 'go to the garage a have a look see.'     Shortly I heard MGM fire up and come down the driveway.   Amber wanted to go along but she got left on the curb.   LOL.

He was gone maybe 10 minutes, and on his way back I heard him rap the big boy up in 2nd and hit 3rd, he was like a 1/4 mile from the house.

He pulled in the drive on back to the garage, parked MGM, closed the door and walked up front....    1st thing out of his mouth was, dad, you have converted me to CT's.   He rode MGM several weekends after that till it started getting cold.

Now in conversations with his Hardley buddies, all I hear is dads got a CT on his bike and man does it ever ride nice...........   For those interested, it is a Good Year Triple Tread run at 36#.

[Pete]

Good thread, good thoughts.

It is not just Valkyries, for the last 45 years I have observed that there are low mileage bikes of all kinds out there in garages and basements. You just have to look to find them usually.

And it is not just a bike thing, it applies to other things as well.

[Jeff K]

Not to hard to believe.
I just bought a 1975 GL 1000 with 27,000 miles on it.
It's in a trailer right now headed for it's new home in sunny Florida.
It 36 years old! 

[art]

Generally, the more miles on it, the more the lower ends of the front forks, the radiator end covers and the timing cover are going to look sandblasted from road grit.
-RP

Your dead right ,my valk with 130000 mi. is just like that.Sandblasted.It still runs like new

[Daniel Meyer]

Replacing a speedometer would be the most practical way to alter the mileage and the cost would seem prohibitive to most owners wanting to sell their bike.

I just ride it till it rolls over

[Tropic traveler]

Yep, some high mile signs can be obvious.
The timing belt cover on my '97 has dulled out chrome except for the area directly behind the bottom hose. Dead giveaway. Also the fork lowers look like doo-doo, so bad I had to buy some of those chrome covers to hide them. Yuck! Factory footpegs show some wear too.
That's pretty much all that is obvious after 112,000 miles. A quick check at the DMV would tell any prospective buyer that I bought it in 2006 with 57,000 miles & odometers don't run backwards!!


 

[Hoser]

Thanks for all of the replies. I started this post because I thought it was curious that 95% of the Valkyries I see for sale have less than 20k miles on them. I agree with everyone that taken care of he bike should last a long, long time and many miles. I would not worry if any of those bikes had 20k + 100k miles on them as long as they were taken care of. I do wish that Honda had but a 6 digit odometer on them. Does the IS roll over at 99,999 or does it continue to display accurate mileage?

The IS does not turn over, at least until 999,999.     Hoser

[Davet261]

When I bought my '98 Valkyrie last March it had 7,700 miles on it.  I too was a bit skeptial  about the mileage when I saw it advertised on Craigslist, I thought to myself the speedometer must been changed.  I asked the man I bought it from about the low mileage and he told me his father bought it new in 2003 and it was still crated up until he paid for it.  The man I bought it from said his father was not able to ride it very well because he was older and could not handle the weight when made sense to me because the man I bought it from had to be in this late 40's. 

There is not a scratch on it and it looks like it just came off the showroom floor.

So I guess it really does not matter what year they are made, it's what year they are sold. 

[Davet261]

Take a look at the date code on the front and rear tires,  if it is a example 2001 bike with 8K and the tire date code is 2000 or 2001, its probably correct.  If its 8K and  tires date code of 2009.....its suspect. You get the idea, relate the date code to the mileage and see if it makes sense.

That may work, but my tires were new when I bought my motorcycle with under 8,000 miles.  The guy I bought it from told me the tires had dry rot cracks along the bead when he got it from his father and needed replaced even though the tires still had a lot of tread on them. 

[rdunbar123]

Many bikes are trailered places like rallies twice a year and that's all

[Rocketman]

If the suggestion of altering mileage on a bike is wafting through this thread you can consider it a non-issue I am sure.

Besides being illegal there are no real benefits from doing the practice and most bike owners wouldn't have a clue as to how to do it.

Replacing a speedometer would be the most practical way to alter the mileage and the cost would seem prohibitive to most owners wanting to sell their bike.

***

It's illegal??  In that case, I'm sure no one would do it.
How can there be no real benefits?  You don't think someone would pay more for a lower mileage bike than a higher mileage one?  Most of us here know that Valkyries will run well over 100k, but not everyone knows that, and even with that knowledge, most folks would be more interested in one at 30k than 90k. 

Mark

[Davet261]

There are some honest people out there selling motorcycles.  The first Valkyrie I looked at had a replacement speedometer, the motorcycle was advertised as having 36,000 miles on it.  Both speedometers were being sold with it.  One had like 16k on it and the other had 20k.  I am also betting he was a VRCC member too......

[fudgie]

"butt jewelry