Classic Bike Values

Come on Clem, You're not 35.

Theo

 

Have Jap bikes changed that much? I thought they just changed the stickers.

 

The thing with "classics" of this sort, is that they're worth only what
someone will actually pay for them...

This sounds silly (and smart-arsish - is that a word? I think it is
now!) , but there's plenty of "classics" that have been lovingly
resto'd and have had their value estimated at 10+K, but will never see
a buyer prepared to fork over that sort of moolah.

What it's "worth" and what someone will acually part with, are often
two very different things, specifically where "classics" are concerned.

If I was going for something of that vintage, I'd look for something a
little more "defining".

 

A motorcycle or any other thing is only worth what the market is prepared to
pay for it.

I would be prepared to pay up to $5,000 for a "Cherry" CB750 Honda 1969.

How much a Project bike is worth is difficult to determine because the cost
to bring these thing to Pristine condition is difficult to estimate and many
parts are just not available.

Boxer

 

My dad wants to sell his old car. Motor rattles a bit and the wind blows
through it. If it rains you'll need a raincoat to drive it. He is only
asking $14,000 for it. It's a 1926 Overland Whippet. Probably cost $300 new.

Theo

 

I'll give him $400 for it.

33% profit is not a bad return on a motor vehicle.

 

He didn't buy it new. He was only 11 in 1926.

Theo

 

In aus.motorcycles on 29 Nov 2006 17:30:12 -0800

And with most, it has to be utterly original, especially the Japanese
ones.

A 750/4 first model SOHC is worth much less if it doesn't have the 4
pipes.

You usually have to wait for a buyer. I have had a waiting list for
some time of people interested in the Old Girl, but I expect if she
actually came on the market many would have done something else with
the money But if I waited then there'd be a buyer at my asking
price.

But rare Euro bikes have more chance than early Jappers, especially
something like the 750/4 which was fairly wow! in its day but there's
been a lot of them and it was overshadowed by the Kwaka 9.

Zebee

 

I have no recollection of WWI. I do remember the end of WWII.

Theo

 

And I'd be prepared to pay up to about $7500 for the same thing... the
trouble is I keep getting outbid by buggers prepared to pay up to
$10,000 for the same thing :-/


G-S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:54:04 +1000

Yeah, an immaculate properly restored first model 750/4 would be a
quite an item.

Of course most of the SOHCs about aren't the 69 ones And worth a
hell of a lot less.

Zebee

 

It's $450. That's less than the cost of a years registration, so in
other words its negligible. If someone said it was worth $200 would you
change your mind?

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:16:40 +1100

Considering that only the '69 would go for 10, and that with all the
expensive hard to get bits...

A set of pipes is probably $3k for example.

And redoing the instruments if they are faded would be expensive.

(Never bothered on the Devil, but as I'm not selling that it doesn't
matter. And now it's not 100% original (even for 70s italian values
of original) it would be pointless.)

Which is why the britbike market has dropped like the proveribal
stone.

The bikes that go for a lot of money went for a lot of money when
new.

An MV Agusta America might be a 20 grand bike now, but it was never
cheap....

Yeah, stories of Broughs going for peanuts abound but I dunno how real
those stories are. They always seem to be "father of a friend".

Yup. YOu won't make money on it, so make it a tidy nice bike to ride
and look at. Ride it and enjoy it for what it is, which is a 30yo
bike eligible for historic registration.

If it *is* a '69 and has the 4 pipes, then maybe spend money on it,
but if it's just a singlecam with a 4-1 then tidy it up and ride it.

There's a bod who parks behing the VC in North Sydney who rides a
400/4 to work. Leaves his modern sportbike at home. Reckons it's
cheap to run and fun to ride (if you are careful about stopping
distances) and does him for a commuter.

Zebee

 

Well the CONCEPT is the same.....

 

Am I the only one who read this and mentally responded "Whip it good...."

 

The first 750/4 was a shit of a bike with seperate throttle cables,
I had a K1 I bought from Peter Chiodo which was the fastest bike in Victoria
on the track and the road, it beat the Crawfords on their Kwaka 750's out at
Calder a few times
been trying to buy another K1 for yonks but cant find any

 

I have to pass all comments to be vetted first these days...

Hammo

 

Thats why the '66 Monza is still in a shed in Grafton. A quote of at least
$7k to restore it and have it worth less than half that doesn't make sense
to me. It can sit there a few more years

 

You might do the work your self at a fraction of the cost , I was quoted
4k to respray one of the jags , it cost me $320.00 and about 25 hours to
do it myself and it's a damned good job as I had instruction from a
retired beater , if you decide to let the monza go I would happy to
speak to you about it .
I think however you might find a clean Monza is gaining value in good
condition very quickly and making it good will be cheaper if you have a go.

 

Remeber it's not a Guzzi Monza. Tis an ugly duc