Future classic bikes.

[Steve_M]

A friend is looking for a car in the hope that he can find a “future classic”. Which got me thinking about the bike dealership I was in yesterday which had bikes that are already classics (eg RC30) or seem to be suitable candidates. 
 

A hypothetical question. Which bike would you buy as a potential classic for, say, under £5k?

I think I’d go for something low production, and a bit different. A Buell Firebolt, for example. 

 

[Stu]

Something exotic and low production numbers are a good bet as are design flops that no one wants! It's surprising how some of the crap motors from back in the day are now worth a few Bob 

[onesea]

Wait long enough and anything will become classic or atleast old and desirable.  Austin Allegro anyone?

 

Unfettered bandit?  There are less and less of them out there. Think ford Cortina, Sierra.  

 

Or I would go for desirable but low production, inherently unreliable.

 

However with the end of the ICE  will they gain in value?

Is the gain in value real when considered with the money invested in service, storage and interest?

[husoi]

1 minute ago, onesea said:

Wait long enough and anything will become classic or atleast old and desirable.  Austin Allegro anyone?

 

Unfettered bandit?  There are less and less of them out there. Think ford Cortina, Sierra.  

 

Or I would go for desirable but low production, inherently unreliable.

 

However with the end of the ICE  will they gain in value?

Is the gain in value real when considered with the money invested in service, storage and interest?

There are companies getting specialized in converting old cars into EV

[onesea]

5 minutes ago, husoi said:

There are companies getting specialized in converting old cars into EV

You have to be a yachtie to appreciate the expression, nothing naffer than a plastic gaffer.

[Steve_M]

22 minutes ago, onesea said:

 

 

However with the end of the ICE  will they gain in value?

Is the gain in value real when considered with the money invested in service, storage and interest?

Perhaps an early electric bike as a curio?

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

43 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

A friend is looking for a car in the hope that he can find a “future classic”. Which got me thinking about the bike dealership I was in yesterday which had bikes that are already classics (eg RC30) or seem to be suitable candidates. 
 

A hypothetical question. Which bike would you buy as a potential classic for, say, under £5k?

I think I’d go for something low production, and a bit different. A Buell Firebolt, for example. 

 

It's a bit of a gamble. Take two bog standard family saloons from the early 1970's.

 

In the early 1990's I rebuilt a 1971 Mk1 Ford Escort from the floorpan up. I ran it for a few years, got bored of it, sold to our window cleaner for £350. It's now worth over £10k. Not my wisest decision. I seam welded it and many years later discovered still being driven in rallies and the guy was chuffed that the bodyshell didn't flex at all.

 

I then rebuilt a 1971 Vauxhall Viva, very similar spec to the Escort. I was lucky to get £2500 for it when it was finished.

 

 

[Gerontious]

A bike Ive already owned, Bought new in 1995. The original Speed Triple.

 

A time when Triumphs entire range consisted of 10 models.

 

 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Gerontious

[Davidtav]

2 hours ago, onesea said:

You have to be a yachtie to appreciate the expression, nothing naffer than a plastic gaffer.

Yeah. But the thing is would you really want the maintenance involved with an old wooden boat? … it’s exactly the same dilemma as whether you buy a classic motorbike or a modern retro version that looks the part. But probably has fuel injection etc. 

[onesea]

56 minutes ago, Davidtav said:

Yeah. But the thing is would you really want the maintenance involved with an old wooden boat? … it’s exactly the same dilemma as whether you buy a classic motorbike or a modern retro version that looks the part. But probably has fuel injection etc. 

Fully agree...  it’s also doing the Maintenon whilst it becomes a classic.

[fastbob]

An utter waste of time . This is the End of Days for the motorcycle . 

[Mickly]

19 minutes ago, fastbob said:

An utter waste of time . This is the End of Days for the motorcycle . 

You surprise me @fastbob

I’d have had you down to advocate a Sportster as they have stopped making them & the 2nd hand prices might rise on the back of the shortage.

Maybe just a short term opportunity or are you trying to keep it to yourself

[fastbob]

3 hours ago, Mickly said:

You surprise me @fastbob

I’d have had you down to advocate a Sportster as they have stopped making them & the 2nd hand prices might rise on the back of the shortage.

Maybe just a short term opportunity or are you trying to keep it to yourself

Oh , they are rising already but in the long term I can't see any market for old bikes as static exhibits . 

[iangaryprice]

Almost any vehicle from the seventies is worth a lot of money these days.

I think this is because those of us in our fifties/sixties either had these vehicles or wanted them when were teenagers.

Now we have disposable income to buy them, even at inflated classic vehicle price tags.

Some are more sought after, the big headline bikes, Kawasaki Z900, Honda 750 for example.

 

It's difficult to say which current bikes will become valuable classics. The bike market is very different now to when I was a teenager. Most bikes now are sunday toys, low mileage clean bikes (of which there are plenty) hold thier value well compared to cars, owners are older as well.

 

[skyrider]

10 hours ago, Stu said:

Something exotic and low production numbers are a good bet as are design flops that no one wants! It's surprising how some of the crap motors from back in the day are now worth a few Bob 

have you seen the price of superdreams recently ?

[Stu]

4 minutes ago, skyrider said:

have you seen the price of superdreams recently ?

 

Yes! 

 

A guy at work restored one and it was mint then flogged it for a killing 

[Davidtav]

I wish I still had my first bike. It was a gold FS1e … actually it was called an SS50. Yamaha had to change the name due to a conflict with Honda. Anyway I paid £50 for my bike. And hated that it said SS50 on the side rather than FS1e like all my mates. So I remember going to the dealers in Westgate Road, Newcastle for the FS1 e decals … of course nowadays it is the restored SS50 models which are worth megabucks because they are rare … I really wish I had kept that bike as it would be a great restoration project for me now. 

[Bianco2564]

Any 70s two strokes fetch good money,, I'd buy a 70s Kawasaki triple if I had the space.

 

 

[skyrider]

40 minutes ago, Davidtav said:

I wish I still had my first bike. It was a gold FS1e … actually it was called an SS50. Yamaha had to change the name due to a conflict with Honda. Anyway I paid £50 for my bike. And hated that it said SS50 on the side rather than FS1e like all my mates. So I remember going to the dealers in Westgate Road, Newcastle for the FS1 e decals … of course nowadays it is the restored SS50 models which are worth megabucks because they are rare … I really wish I had kept that bike as it would be a great restoration project for me now. 

i bought an fs1e in 1976 it was in baja brown with the speed blocks 

[NeilM]

23 hours ago, skyrider said:

have you seen the price of superdreams recently ?

Used to have to cling on to the back of my fathers superdream.

Happy days.

And thinking about it, probably the reason I'm a biker.

[Ian Frog]

I think I got this one !

Cheers

Iam

[skyrider]

5 hours ago, Ian Frog said:

I think I got this one !

Cheers

Iam

that zrx has got some sticky tyres 

[Mickly]

1 hour ago, skyrider said:

that zrx has got some sticky tyres 

 Nope, it’s an Australian spec

[Fozzie]

10 years ago I turned down a mint condition Aprilia RS250 for £1500 because “loads of them are about”. I absolutely hate that I didn’t buy every one in sight 🥲

 

At the moment, I’d say some cheap bikes that will go up in value are

 

Suzuki SV1000 - Wasn’t as good as the TL but their value is creeping up as they were actually good all round bikes.

 

Honda Firestorm 1000 - Cheap at the moment but I think when more rare they will appreciate

Any 600cc sports bike - Now the class is dead, a good condition one will be good value 

 

Don’t think anything I’ve listed will go to a mega high value, but I don’t think you could go far wrong 

[Bianco2564]

20 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

10 years ago I turned down a mint condition Aprilia RS250 for £1500 because “loads of them are about”. I absolutely hate that I didn’t buy every one in sight 🥲

 

At the moment, I’d say some cheap bikes that will go up in value are

 

Suzuki SV1000 - Wasn’t as good as the TL but their value is creeping up as they were actually good all round bikes.

 

Honda Firestorm 1000 - Cheap at the moment but I think when more rare they will appreciate

Any 600cc sports bike - Now the class is dead, a good condition one will be good value 

 

Don’t think anything I’ve listed will go to a mega high value, but I don’t think you could go far wrong 

Glad I bought my RGV when I did, paid £1300 for a non runner in 2013, spent around £3k on it over the years, it would probably cost me £7k to buy it now.