New to bikes need advice

[Frozenthumbs]

I'm in Ireland and have taken my initial bike training,ibt.
Looking at fazer 2002 as first bike but has 39000 m on clock.i won't be doing a lot of miles .should I walk on from high miler.

[flesh]

If its been looked after properly (servicing/oil changes etc) then its not a problem (as with any bike really) but all depends upon the price .

[Fazerider]

Not at all. Provided there's evidence that the bike's been cared for (has had regular oil changes, valves clearances checked at some point and isn't making clattering noises) there is no need to regard that sort of mileage as a problem. Fazer engines should be good for at least twice that distance.
Most people do avoid higher mileage machines so you ought to be able to negotiate the seller down to a good price. 

[UG]

Look for a bike owner that has kept all the old MOT's,  the stamped service book etc. This shows that the owner is looking to get the best price when he/she sells it, but has spent money looking after it. Look at the bar ends, engine cases, levers and rear plastics for scratches. Ask if its the original shock, when was, if at all the fork oil was changed.

If you know someone that knows about bikes take them along to look at it. I've done 43k miles in two and a half years on one and it ran sweet as a nut. Got £2600 for a trade in. They are worth it if it's been looked after.

[AdieR]

Mileage in itself isn't a problem, what you want to know is how its been treated for those miles.

A cared-for high miler is probably a better bet than a neglected or hammered low mileage machine. My 4-year-old Fazer had 10,500 when I bought it and it were mint (new tyres / chain / sprockets, serviced at 3000m / 6000m) and put 2000 miles on in 4 months.

If there's aftermarket stuff on it (exhausts etc), check the original parts are present. If there's no service record, there should be at least a list of receipts for parts / materials.

[MadDogMcQ]

If you look around AutoTrader, Ebay and all the other arenas for selling used bikes, it's very clear that the majority of bikers do bugger-all mileage these days. There are so many low mileage bikes available, that you should be able to take your pick of a low-miler without having to pay a premium. To me, mileage is everything and I would prefer an older bike with low miles to a younger bike with high miles.

Modern bike engines seem perfectly capable of running forever if well maintained. But it's not just about the engine is it? It's about the fact that with high mileage bikes, every other part of it has also "gone the distance". I've had a few brand new bikes and a good few used bikes. Nothing beats the feeling of a new bike - everything's tight and precise, whereas used bikes can feel "baggy" if they've got lots of miles on them.

So take your time and find the lowest mileage bike you can for the money available, and like everyone else said, be sure to check out the service history (whether done by a dealer or a 3rd party).

Just my opinion  :rolleyes

Tom

[Andy FZS]

I bought mine with 36,000 miles and full service history, the general condition of the bike is as new and I have no worries about the milage. If an identical bike had been for sale with a lower milage at the same price (ish) then yes I would have probably bought the one with less miles but at what point does milage become high? If a bike has 16,000 miles is that high when some only have 6,000 miles or is 30,000 miles low when some have 50,000 miles? I would take the milage into account with the price as I would the age, condition, history, extras fitted etc but I feel all of these things are equally important and would not discount a bike just on it's milage.
Andy