How To Determine High Mileage When Buying A Used Dirt Bike


Dirt bikes work in tough conditions. Although some of them can be ridden on the road, the general idea is to take them down tracks and across rough terrain. It’s fun and popular, but it is stressful for the engine and other components.

That’s why most people prefer to choose well-known and respected dirt bike manufacturers, such as these Kawasaki dirt bikes Sydney.

While the engine on these bikes is built to the same standard as a road bike, the conditions they operate in mean that what would be considered low mileage for a road bike is probably high mileage for a dirt bike.

In general, 20,000 is considered high mileage for a dirt bike and you should approach it with caution. However, if you’re buying a used dirt bike, you shouldn’t just be looking at the mileage it’s covered.

Average Mileage

The average dirt bike covers three thousand miles a year. That means if you’re buying a three-year-old dirt bike you can expect it to have covered 9,000 miles.

In short, look at how old the bike is and times its age in years by 3,000. If the figure you get is roughly the same or more than the mileage of the bike you’re doing okay. Anything over this figure suggests excessive use, you’ll need to investigate further.

Level Of Care

The level of care given to a dirt bike is probably more important than the number of miles it has covered. Dirt bikes are constantly exposed to dust and debris, these dry out the seals on bikes and remove the oil from the chain. If the bike isn’t regularly maintained it will start to suffer from issues due to the environment it operates in.

In short, a 3,000-mile dirt bike that has never been serviced is likely to be in worse shape than one with 10,000 miles which is serviced after every ride.

Think carefully about how well the current owner has looked after the bike, it will help you to decide if it’s a good purchase or not.

It’s also worth looking at the overall condition of the bike. Dirt bikes will be dropped and some damage may be noticeable. But, a rider that cares for their bike will take the time to sort out these issues. The better the condition of your bike the more likely it is that it has been looked after.

Ride It

If you’re still not sure regarding the mileage and the condition of the bike then it’s time to ride it. If you’re a genuine buyer the seller won’t mind you riding it. When you ride it you should be able to hear any strange sounds or tell if it is handling differently from what you would expect.

If that’s the case then you need to look for a different bike.

Your Intent

If you are good at fixing dirt bikes then you can consider bikes with higher mileage, even if they haven’t been taken care of. That’s because you are likely to strip it down and rebuild it to your own specs. In this case, you simply need a high-quality frame and you’ll handle the rest. Almost any dirt bike will do.


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