I'd imagine the riding style is a factor. I commute by and large on an r1200r at which I potter through traffic at about 2000 rpm and only hit 4000 rpm on straight blasts I'd reckon. My 1098 prefers to potter at 3-4000. Bound to have an effect on longevity I'd have thought.
As an observation - with my MV Agusta I rode it hard and often. I put 20,000 miles on her in 4 years (that's with owning 2 other bikes as well). She suffered comparatively fewer mechanical issues. So personally, I'd go for a bike that has been ridden a lot *but* has a really good service history. It shoes that it isn't a lemon because the owner has been riding her! A bike that has done 2000 miles in 10 years - I'd be cautious because all the fluids will need replacing, has the engine corroded internally, what about the coolant, what about the rubber seals? Mothballing a vehicle isn't straightforwards and few people do it correctly.
There is also the “image” thing, typified by your average BMW, in general but GS in particular, owner. Anything in less than pristine/pampered condition with more than 4 figure mileages showing would be considered “a bit 2nd rate”, or dare I say “pre-owned” as BMW owners would whisper, 2nd hand for the rest of us! Note that I said average and the above can be applicable to all owners regardless of make but it’s just so much more fun applying it to (yer average) BMW/GS owner because, let’s face it, it annoys the shit out of them and it’s fun! Just ask a GS owner why does he rides about, in between washing and full valet sessions, with all the luggage on, he will tell you that he hasn’t got around to taking it off yet. oK! ♂️
I disagree, both bikes will be designed to operate throughout a wide range of revs. So long as the factory service schedule (as a minimum) is followed both should be the same. I believe that what causes the greater problem re longevity can be one or more of the following: 1. Lack of use - leaving the poor thing at the back of the garage in the dark and the cold; 2. Misuse - thrashing the thing to death with no mechanical empathy will cause issues; 3. Lack of proper servicing.
Oh bugger, ..that’s me stuffed then, I’ve actually ridden my Panigale!! I bought my 899 new in September 2014, so I’m the only ( slightly immature 63 year old rider !) who’s ridden it, that must give a prospective buyer some peace of mind as it hasn’t had 4 or 5 owners who have ragged the arse off it until the novelty wears off? It’s been serviced on the dot by the dealership I bought it from, including the biggie at 15,000 miles and Now I’m retired, I probably spend more time maintaining and cleaning than I do riding it, ..only this year I’ve put on a full Supersprox chain and sprocket kit, a full set of Brembo pads and a new set of Bridgestone S22s ( great tyres! ) the bike wants for nothing and there’s not a mark on it as it’s got about £150 quids worth of paint protection film on it Chicken strip is long gone, before some clever dick makes comment! The bike has about £1,200 - £1,400 quids worth of extras on it, £900 quids worth of carbon fibre alone, MRA screen, Evotech rad guards and tail tidy, CNC racing footpegs etc, etc So, how much is it worth?......absolutely buttons !!, ...why??? Well God forbid I’m one of those weird bastards that have actually used it...the bikes got 25,000 miles on it now, and it’s been a fantastic bike, still goes like stink, most people who look at it think it’s done about 8,000 miles or so? I can’t for the life of me figure out these people who spend a fortune buying and insuring a nice bike and then don’t use it, ..what’s that all about ffs?? I’ve probably averaged about 5,000 miles per year on it, we do two long weekends away, one in Scotland and one in Wales, 4 days each and they are about 1,000 miles each, we normally have a European trip most years but I don’t always use the Panigale on them, so it’s only been around Europe twice, let’s say 5,000 miles in those two trips and the rest of it has been weekend hoons and when we have a ride out on a Sunday, it’s a full days ride..probably between 170 - 260 miles or so. So if I went to part-ex it on something, even though its an immaculate one owner bike with a shit-load of extras on it and a full dealer service history , I’d get bottom book on it.....and do you know what?..it doesn’t matter. Here’s why, Years ago one of my mates bought a new 1200 GS, had it about 6 years, never washed it from the day he got it and racked about 45,000 miles up on it. We all said when you sell/ part ex that you’ll get nowt for it and he said..” it doesn’t matter “ So we all said, well how do you make that out then?? Well when I take it back like this I’ll get bottom book for it, fair enough, he said But if I’d really looked after it and only done 10,000 miles on it , they might give me middle to top book on it, so the difference between bottom book and top book is probably a grand,....so the extra 30,000 miles of riding and tours and places I’ve been and laughs And good times I’ve had on it have cost me a grand.... BEST VALUE FOR MONEY YOU’LL EVER GET IN YOUR LIFE!! he said, ..absolutely bang on! Bikes are for riding and having good times with your mates on, “Ride them don’t hide them” comes to mind and you’re mad if you don’t use them as much as you possibly can, as the saying goes..” Your a long time dead”.. a few miles won’t hurt them as long as you look after them. Sermon over, sorry if I’ve bored the tits off you all
Being offered bottom book will also give you the right to say 'WTF' and negotiate a better deal on the trade to let the salesman get a bit of commission
My 900ss ie has done over 50,000 and feels tight as a drum and bumped into a guy last week on a garage forecourt with an 900ie and he has done over 60,000!! It's all relative.
That IS refreshing. Someone that's used and enjoyed their bike and haven't made it into a garage queen. That illustrates a better buy - to me - rather than the more typical 4000 mile and never seen rain deal that is now so common.
So did the the olden-days designer & engineers. They just didn't have the analysis tools to predict life like we have, so there was no choice but to err on the side of longevity. Further back than WW2, aircraft engines had strict hours-based servicing to ensure (albeit short-term) reliability at their high-performance ratings.
I don't wash it. The lad who services it always does. I keep my Ducati immaculate. My BMW is a shaft drive workhorse.
There seems to be well bedded in backstory that Ducati engines generally explode somewhere between 12 and 14k. Not sure quite where it came from?
The other thing is that the BMW is a great functional bike, but it ain't pretty, so I don't care if it's filthy. The Ducati on the other hand is a beautiful thing. I want to keep it that way, so I don't take it out in the rain. I can completely understand dry mile only ducats.
Agreed, but I wonder if it affects prices. Second hand pricing of anything is very odd. The second hand high end electric guitar market has gone mental since march. Noone is quite sure whether it's asking prices or selling prices but it makes no sense. I find by and large once you buy anything through a forum like this one, people are looking for a fair enough price.
