Might be looking at a motorbike for my 14 mile commute ,currently looking at a honda varadero 125 cc (learner legal)
Whats the typical milage a bike will do a year ?
whats too many miles ??
some of looked at have got less than 10,000 on ….
I know most cars will do well over 100 k , but what about a bike ?

Thanks in advance

The trouble often with a lot of motorbikes, especially small ones is that they are built pretty crappy – and most don't get anywhere near 10k miles…

If buying secondhand, condition is all.

The Varadero is probably a pretty good choice for a 14m commute.

to get enough power out of a 125cc engine to actually propel a motorbike at real road speeds it needs to be comparatively tuned for performance rather than durability.
I recall the old Honda CG125 was reckoned to be very reliable but really struggled to even make the 12hp limit that was present when I was a learner.
You may have already done it but perhaps make a study from bike trader on typical mileages for 2nd hand bikes?

Honda's are genereally pretty well built and last well – some manufacturers smaller bikes are woeful.

Milage itself isn't crucial, more how the bike has been looked after.

Make sure suspension linkages, swing arm/wheel/steering head bearings have all been greased and replaced where necessary.

As with a pushbike, brakes seize and chains and sprockets wear out if not looked after, even on a 125.

If it's been used through the winter, has it been washed properly afterwards, or are all the alloy fastners corroded and furred up?
TBH, it WILL end up looking scruffy if used all year round.

Varadero's are lovely if you're a big chap, but a bit complicated and expensive if you're not that bothered about image.
If you just want something cheap to get about on, a Honda C90 or Honda CG125 (as per Marges' post) would deffo be the way to go IMO.
Both are ace, in an anti fashion sort of way!

my F650 has done 42K and thats considered a lot, as said though 125's tend to be thrashed on top of being quite tuned engines although the Varadero isnt an obvious choice for an 18 year old nutter so could be good. I do a 15mile communte on my bike and rarely go over 55mph but it is nice when you want some zip to avoid idiots in cars and my bike isnt fast. I'd suggest doing your test asap.

With a learner size bike, it's not the mileage that counts, but the number of metres it's been slid on its side…

Most motorbikes are nailed together very badly, Honda are known for their good quality but it's still substandard compared to cars, and very variable. It's a weird industry, my SV's almost worthless as it's got over 50000 miles on it but the engine's barely run in, and it'll outperform a brand new one.

But, the other side is that because low miles are typical there's no reason to buy a high miler, especially for a learner bike. Find a straight one without too many scratches and a decent length of MOT, ideally from someone who's just upgraded to a bigger bike- you don't want to get one that's been ridden for 6 months then thrown in the garden for years to go mouldy, low mileage isn't always a good thing. Don't be afraid of multiple owners either, 125s get handed around like sweeties for obvious reasons.

Varedero is not a bad choice btw, as long as you understand that you're paying extra just for the look of the thing. They're a little expensive to crash though but they work well. If you just want a workhorse then something like a CG125 would make more sense though, cheaper to buy and run.

A high mileage bike that's been looked won't be a big risk, my fazer1000 is on 40k, used for instructing and us immaculate. A colleague has an fz6 on 98k. Look for as much service history as possible.

look at the owner as much as the bike.