Confirm Mileage

[gregblyde]

Hello! Thanks for letting me join.
  I'm looking at a 2004 Concours and the seller says 14,000 miles. How do I make sure it's not 114,000?? I'm afraid it seems too good to be true. He's was asking $3200, he went down to 2900, he says he'll take $2000. It's been on sale for a few weeks. Are there any telltale signs for high mileage?
 He's also selling an FJR so I'm thinking he's motivated to sell. The pictures show both dusty and on battery tenders in his garage.
Thanks everyone!
Greg

[Rick Hall]

No real way to tell, several clues though. Date stamp on a tire carcass may prove useful. Any maintenance records? Open up the valve cover take a careful look. Low mileage cams are pretty smooth, higher mileage cams often have pitting.

Are the exhaust pipes (at the heads) relatively clean? Do nuts, bolts, and screws look factory new? Pay attention to nuts/bolts that are frequently removed like the body panels and/or the oil drain screw and oil filter stud/bolt.

Though dusty, the hardware should look practically new.

Even with 114,000 miles, it should be a solid bike. Both the C-10's in my basement are over 114k miles... and they look it

Rick

[gregblyde]

Thanks Rick!
Bike seems ok. Probably actually 14k. The brake fluid is all rotten. I will change all fluids. My guess is it's been sitting for quite a while. At least 3 years since it was registered last and bought by the dealer.

[Boomer]

My favourite trick to gauge if the mileage is correct is to look at the condition of the stickers on the fork lowers but that only works on the 86-93 models.
If the fork lowers look relatively unmarked then it's a low mileage bike,... unless they have been repainted or re-powdercoated.
Additionally the front of the belly pan and fairing below the oil cooler take a battering from road debris on higher mileage bikes.

[cra-z1000]

That mileage would not shock me . There are plenty of low mileage c10's out there for sale 

[DC Concours]

Does it run at all?

Rick has a good list of stuff to look for. But it is generally hard to tell. You could do a VIN check. Many will have bikes and list the miles every time they had an interaction with the DMV or state.

Also check for rust in the tank and rubber degradation. Those should help you reduce the price some more. A replacement tank is not cheap.

[gregblyde]

Thanks everyone! Bike runs great. I'm certain 14k is the correct mileage.  I'm coming from a new 2016 KTM 1290 SA, to a 2015 FJR, to this Connie. She needs some work. Must have been sitting for quite a while. The Dunlop tires are from 2008. Probably only the second set? Front right caliper locked on during the test ride and had to ask some guy, Richard, for a 10mm to relieve the caliper. Limped it back to the lady selling it to me for her husband. Good thing I picked it up with my truck. They had said I could drive it back, haha. I've learned that lesson. I've disassembled and cleaned up the calipers, fresh fluid. All the other fluids were recent. Been going on some short rides around here. I have plugs, oil filter and air cleaner coming. Also lowering pegs. My foot hits the fairing when I shift.
  Are all the Concours center stands that manly? Dang, I was spoiled with the FJR.

[Boomer]

Sounds like ya got a good one, apart from the seized caliper. 

Yes, all of them require some effort & planning to center stand the fat Kaw.
I'm 6'4" and 400lbs so it's not too difficult for me, but some can even do it with bare feet 
My C14 center stand is so easy that the first time I did it, after 25 years of having C10s, I damned near threw the C14 out of the garage backwards
 

Your heel should be behind the footpeg so it sounds like you have your feet too far forwards.
I have size 16s and my foot doesn't hit the fairing.

Any pics ?

[gregblyde]

Dang, bare feet?? That's funny about your C14 launch!
 Let's see, pictures...

[cra-z1000]

Get rid of those old tires before riding it much more .

[m in sc]

yup. sounds right. all the issues you state sound like a low mileage bike that sat a long time. good score! change ALL fluids.