This is a great question and one that I’ve often pondered myself.
Based on my research, I agree with WeaponZero that modern motorcycles can easily run to 100,000+ miles if they are not abused or badly crashed, and are regularly maintained.
Because of a number of factors however, the inexperienced often get the impression that bikes are worn-out when they get to around 50K because they don’t see many higher mileage bikes for sale.
The reasons for this are, I think:
1. Many motorcyclists, want to try out other bikes and expense be damned, so they buy a new bike, ride it for a bit and then want to try something else; resulting in many low mileage, newish motorcycles for sale.
2. Motorcycles are generally looked upon as toys in the U.S.A. rather than as transport, hence we very often also see bikes for sale that are years old with very few miles on them (especially Harleys).
3. Unscrupulous sellers may replace the odometer (or wind it back on mechanical ones) making it look like the bike has done a lot less miles than it actually has (I don’t know how common this is, but it happens).
4. Many bikes get smashed-up or damaged so as to be not worth repairing before they get to 50,000 miles as parts are *very* expensive to replace with new ones.
5. Owners of high mileage motorcycles may decide that it’s better to hang on to old faithful as a second bike versus what they would get for it in terms of cash.
The generally accepted myth (that bikes are clapped-out by 50K), is also perpetuated by some dealers who want to sell you a new bike (of course).
So! Given the fact that there seems to be a plethora of used motorcycles on the market at the moment, I would say that for a “quick” sale, sell before 20K miles, otherwise, use it some more and be prepared for it to maybe take longer to sell. Alternatively, if your bike is still serving its purpose and you have no real desire to get something else, regularly maintain it and hang on to it. In terms of buying a new(er) bike, you either take the depreciation hit on your current bike now, or later.
As CBBaron said, “each year and 1000 miles causes less depreciation than the previous”.
Keeping the bike longer is probably the most cost-effective method, although you’ll have to find more money to buy your next bike when you do eventually sell it.
For buyers, the age of a bike can be much more of a safety factor than high miles though. The older a bike is, the more likelihood there is that seals will have dried out, rubber perished, and that metal fatigue and/or rust will have taken their toll. The more owners a bike has had, the more chance there is that it has been abused or neglected at some point in its life.
There is no simple answer that fits all, and the decision regarding when to sell your bike is one you’ll have to tailor to your own circumstances and wants.
All of that said, a GS500, being a popular beginner’s bike and a very worthy commuter, should still sell pretty easily regardless I would have thought.
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