Last Updated on: September 19, 2025

High mileage of a motorcycle has evolved into a form of hysteria. A (unfounded?) conviction that a bike with low mileage is the better choice.

1968 BSA A65 Thunderbolt & 1994 Honda Transalp. Which one has the highest mileage?

But what is high mileage? I presume people see this differently. What I can say with certainty is that in Norway many people are almost hysterically obsessed with it. As if low mileage is a guarantee against mechanical problems, wear and tear.

Lower better than higher?

When two similar motorcycles are compared, many believe the one with lower mileage is the better choice. You could be tempted to think that, from a mechanical point of view, low or lower mileage warrants the belief that the motorcycle will last longer. And have less (potential) problems than a similar motorcycle with high mileage.

But such a conclusion neglects the fact of how a motorcycle, or an engine, has been used and maintained. I know of quite a few high mileage motorcycles and their respective owners. Some with very high mileage, yet they run, sound and feels like they are almost new. Good service history, well maintained, and mostly used for long distance touring.

Certain brands and models carry their age with more grace than others. Or they have, historically. BMW, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha motorcycles are well known for their durability and reliability. But some of their models also have appealed to buyers with no interest in racing, or urge to push the the engine to its limits, frequently.

2019 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S at Col d’Agnell, France.

Even high performance bikes can, if you don’t subscribe to ” ready to race”, last for long. Cause you little, few or no problems at all. When my former 2019 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S had its 60/61k kilometers service, I asked them to perform a particularly thorough check. I even paid extra for a series of tests, as I wanted to know of any signs of wear.

There were none. In fact, the statement from the workshop was that the engine looked and behaved like a new one.

Value depreciation vs mileage

There is one thing that fuels the ” mileage hysteria”. Monetary value. Especially in high price markets, like ours (Norway). Especially if the motorcycle is, relatively speaking, new. Value depreciation can be painful, and it happens fast. So as a result, the expectations in the market and the evolution of the “mileage hysteria” is self-amplifying.

On a whim I decided to put my BMW 1250 GS in the classifieds this fall. See if there was any interest at all. BMW 1250 GS/GSAs are among the most sold, most popular bikes in the Norwegian market. Considered to be easy to sell.

July 2024: a 2022 BMW 1250 GS, packed and ready for an euro-adventure.

With 61.000 kilometers on the odometer to date, the bike is in higher end of the mileage spectrum whilst compared to its age. Which would mean an average of, give or take, 20.000 kilometers per season. Not extreme by any sensible standards.

The 1250 GS Triple Black version came equipped with all bells and whistles. Primarily used for long distance touring, with 1.5 yrs of warranty left (five years of warranty in Norway by law). Priced it comparably similar bikes for sale. Only one showed any interest. I suspected he wasn’t serious, and indeed he wasn’t. Not very surprised though. The market is very slow in September/October in Norway.

So the GS is going to a dealer for winter storage. Don’t have room for three in my garage. Maybe I’ll trade it in during winter, or maybe not. I have my eyes on an alternative long distance tourer. But not at any costs. The best solution from a financial perspective is to keep it.

I might just do that, time will tell.