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[Twolanerider]

Had something of an interesting (albeit minor) revelation a little bit ago.  A buddy from Albuquerque (sic?) called to chat about bikes.  He's decided he's interested in an SE Road Glide.  Just to start things off and satisfy the basic curiousities we looked on eBay to see if anything was there.

Four bikes listed.  Didn't find that especially surprising.  What was the surprise was that they all had between 8,000 and 15,000 miles.  So here's four touring bikes, four or five years old, the only four we saw listings for, bikes supposedly decked out to cover the road; and they were averaging anywhere from 2000 to just less than 4000 miles per year.  What's up with that  [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

By this fall my red bike will have as many miles as the highest miles of those that we looked at on eBay tonight.  It won't even be quite a year old?  From the conversations here it certainly seems like I ride less than many others do.  Certainly didn't think that a back tire and a half every year was extreme.  

So which is more "normal?"  Are we the oddity and most folks are like those listing the bikes for sale?  Do most really not ride them much?  Anybody I know covers more than two or three thousand miles a year.......  So which group is more normal; us or the pansies?

[naitram]

dont go by me, i rode 2300 miles just to hang with you guys for a couple of days

[hdnut]

I avg. about 5000 miles a year. [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[naitram]

if i do less than 7k then ive had a bad year

[70_GTX]

7000 is about average for me. That was before I retired. I think this year may be higher.

[Twolanerider]

I avg. about 5000 miles a year. [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

But your 5K and Naitram's 7K have to be put in the context of shorter riding seasons too.  New England sometimes has about 7 months of winter, followed by 4 months of poor sledding and then a few nice days.  But even so, 5 to 7 thousand is still enough time to get out and know you've enjoyed the machine and the roads some.  It's the guys that have a bike that's a year old with 1200 miles on it or four of five years old with only as many miles as either of you ride in a year.  I guess what I don't understand is if that's all a guy or gal is going to do; why have the bike?  With property tax and other interest payments (if financed) it's not like it's not costing you anything just setting there.  I just don't get it....   Purely a status symbol rather than a machine to go riding on ?  [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[110tHunDer]

It's hard to know just why the low-mileage stuff is out there.  Maybe they are simply pansies, but maybe there are other reasons, too.  Typically, I am in the 5,000 - 7,500 miles per year range.  This year, though, I anticipate that I will be well off that pace due to circumstances both at work and at home.  The bike is sitting with about 8,600 miles on it right now, and if it gets to 12,000 by the time I put it away for the winter (a little under 5,000 miles for the season), I will be shocked.

[shovelhead71]

it will have at least 14,000 by end of year - seeing as i only got it end of march - leaving tomorrow - ride overnight and be in Amble mich by morning  thur for a cancer run  sun - now that kind of run is no big deal and will do it again on return trip - rain/shine/night don;t matter - be there for breakfast and pics to follow next week - never had anyone want to ride it with me - so what is up with that  [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[WFP]

per year:
5000-7500 on the SEEG or my past RK
2500          on the SED

/Bill

If I go to Maggie Valley again this year, add another 3K to the SEEG.

[hd2003-se2005]

about 10 to 12 per year on a couple different bikes.

I gave Nancy the Lowrider in late March and she has already put on 3000.
So probably a 10k year for her also.

[JCZ]

Up until my accident a year ago, I never put less than 10,000 and often more than 15,000, depending on the distance trips that I'd take.

I know that AK rides a lot, too.......but then he's got three different bikes to do it on and rotates all the time.

But I do think that generally speaking, the people on this site are going to be the exception, rather than the rule.  This site seems to have a lot of what I call "riders" where there are a lot of people out there, who ride very infrequently.  My neighbor would be one of those.

[lugnut]

If your looking for a road glide with lots of miles check out my old road glide at stans. 45,000 in little less than 4 riding seasons. http://www.stanshd.com/used.html 13,000 on the new crashed up [smiley=oops.gif] new one in less than a year.

[Twolanerider]

If your looking for a road glide with lots of miles check out my old road glide at stans. 45,000 in little less than 4 riding seasons. http://www.stanshd.com/used.html 13,000 on the new crashed up [smiley=oops.gif] new one in less than a year.

Will pass it along Lug.  I know he's hoping to find something closer to home.  But some choices aren't always your own to finally make.

[ccr]

I ride considerably less than my husband. He takes lone, long distance rides and he rides his bike to work for fun, and to just generally make me jealous.  I kinda have a work appearance to keep up that precludes an easy adjustment from riding gear to office gear, and since I am very geographically challenged, a loner ride for me is out of the current scope.  I have traditionally put about 10,000 - 14,000 miles on each of my bikes each year.  This year I have 4000 miles on now, and my bike was in the HD shop from Jan 9 - Mar 1 of this year.  I have been very conservative with my driving as my personal gps was out of town for almost 8 weeks.  Since he has returned we have met a few of you in Maggie Valley, been to Myrtle Beach and will go to Rolling Thunder this weekend...... and the summer is yet to arrive.  Yeah!  We both love our SEEGs.   [smiley=laugh.gif]

[Twolanerider]

Lots of these numbers are about what I expected from a group of folks like this.  Seems "normal" enough.  I'm expecting 15k or so on the red bike before cold weather.  Perhaps a bit more than that; but certainly not doubling it or anything.  

Some years I've been on the bike more than that.  Some years a lot more I guess.  Some several years ago I remember counting up miles on different bikes I could remember and realizing I was a fair bit beyond 300k two wheeled miles.  

Must have signed up for something that HOG or the dealerships used to keep track of because for awhile these cute little patches and pins kept showing up that displayed mileage driven.  They seemed a bit silly but I ought to see if they're still around someplace and sew or stick them on something I guess  [smiley=7.gif]

Stopped getting those some time ago though so whatever the program was probably ended.  Since then really don't have a clue what any lifetime total might be.  Could probably come up with a guesstimate if I thought of the bikes between then and now.  But I'd rather go get a soda  [smiley=drink.gif]