Signs of a lwered milage

Selling and Buying Forum

Signs of a lwered milage

Anonymous 07-24-2008, 7:27 PM
Howdy all
I am considering buying an old bike of someone who had it for only 1 year. The millage is not a lot (37000) which I find doubtful for a 1980 bike of this type (GL /CX bikes gets used a lot I guess).
Question is:
What are the signs of lowered milage?
Are there any ?
How can one figure out if the millage is real or not?
Cheers

Re: Signs of a lwered milage

Blindstitch2002 07-24-2008, 7:42 PM
37,000 isn't really lower mileage. Yeah it is lower than 100,000 but it's more like middle mileage.
Low mileage would be under 14,000. If you do the math 37,000/ 28 years 1,321 miles per year. Yeah that seems like a small amount but if you are in a state where you can only use your bike 3 months a year it's easy to keep the miles lower. Lots of these bikes spend time not being used too. Mine wasn't used for 18 years. The previous owner put on around 10,000 miles a year for 4 to 5 years. Bike still runs like a champ.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: Signs of a lwered milage

Blindstitch2002 07-24-2008, 7:47 PM
Do a search on You tube for the sound of theses bikes with cam chains that need to be replace and valve tapping. The bike tends to make a little noise from the valves but if you hear the cam chain noise. It needs to be replaced.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

??

Anonymous 07-24-2008, 8:09 PM
Is valve noise sign of high millage? How high? At what millage does it usually start?

Would looking ar other parts give a sign as to how used the bike really is?

Re: ??

Blindstitch2002 07-24-2008, 10:03 PM
valve noise is pretty common and not really a sign of high mileage. You just need to know the differeance between what a good running bike sounds like and a horible running one.

I think the basic rule was that a cam chain should be replaced around 40,000 miles due to stretch.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: ??

Timothy_D 07-24-2008, 10:11 PM
I think his question was more in tune with how would someone lowere the odometer mileage, and what are the signs that it might have happened.

First off, it's really simple to "lower apparent mileage." Replace the speedometer with a lower mileage model, boom, instant reduction in mileage.

Finding signs of higher mileage. . . more difficult.
My 23,000 mile engine looked just like my best friend's 70,000 mile engine due to overspray and rust.
Garaged bikes with 50,000 miles will often look better than their outdoor counterparts with 1/4 the mileage.

Best bet, listen to the engine.
If it has 80,000 miles and runs like a top, go for it.
If it has 20,000 miles and sounds like there's a bowling ball crashing around inside of the engine,
run away.

The sound of these engines really tells their story.

Two CX500 Turbos, GL650I, CX650C, CX650E.

Why do I own five bikes? Because I'm not married. DUH! (and I haven't taken a vacation in two years. . . . )

Re: ??

gregoryjewell 08-01-2008, 2:27 PM
i doubt it has been messed with i just bought my 79 cx 500c a couple of months ago and it only has 14,000 miles on it and from other posts it doesnt seem unussual

79 cx500 custom (sonofabitch)
any day there not shoveling dirt on your face is a good one

Re: ??

makenzie71 08-01-2008, 7:33 PM
don't base a purchase on mileage. To buy, or not to buy, is determined by the quality of the bike, and the quality of the bike has nothing to do with mielage. I've seen pristine-looking bikes with 1500 miles on them that were crap and garbage looking bikes with 100k on them that were gold.

Available from EssGlass ATV/Motorcycle Fabrication
~Preload adjusters (CX5/applicable): $55 + core caps
~310mm big brake kits (CX5/applicable): starting at $125
~Left exit divorced exhaust: $225

for info email me!

Re: ??

AgWing 08-03-2008, 6:22 PM
I bought my 81 Silver Wing with 5300 miles on it. The darn thing is hardly broken in :-) Just make sure it hasn't got low miles because it's been sitting for 20 years, that can cause more harm than if it was run (provided it is cared for).

Re: ??

mcreviver 08-03-2008, 7:39 PM
One indication of mileage is the wear on the rubber footpegs.

Ron in PA