£10k original R1?
Discussion
Was chatting with someone last week. Got onto the topic of bikes. Said he had a red and white 1998 R1 with 9000 miles. Kept in a cocoon in his garage. Doesn’t ride it any more. Waiting for prices to hit £10k before he sells it.
How much is it worth now and how long do you reckon he will have to wait to get his £10k?
How much is it worth now and how long do you reckon he will have to wait to get his £10k?
There’s one on eBay now for £16,750.
There’s even a blue one up for £9,999.
The ‘sensible’ ones seem to be around £6k.
It’s difficult because bikes didn’t change massively until electronics started coming in and you have other iconic bikes like the original Fireblade, 916, 2004 zx10, K5 gsxr 1000, SP2 competing for what must be quite a small nostalgia market.
I think new top of the range bikes costing £16k+ helps the ‘classic’ market and mid 2000 sports bikes haven’t fallen in price even with use for years.
I think a normal £10k selling price for a ‘98 r1 is a good few years away.
There’s even a blue one up for £9,999.
The ‘sensible’ ones seem to be around £6k.
It’s difficult because bikes didn’t change massively until electronics started coming in and you have other iconic bikes like the original Fireblade, 916, 2004 zx10, K5 gsxr 1000, SP2 competing for what must be quite a small nostalgia market.
I think new top of the range bikes costing £16k+ helps the ‘classic’ market and mid 2000 sports bikes haven’t fallen in price even with use for years.
I think a normal £10k selling price for a ‘98 r1 is a good few years away.
Having got a 98 red & white bike (albeit with 52k miles) I tend to watch the market and the figures people are asking for dross at the bottom of the market is ridiculous. That £16k 600 mile one has sat there forever, I'm guessing it would go at £12k if he did it as an auction.
That said the whole market is odd at the moment. As mentioned in the above post those using the 10 year old bikes is depreciation free.
The tipping point seems to be £5-6k - anything below that is going up / staying still and stuff above figure that is losing money in the normal money. The new £16k superbikes when being sold secondhand struggle to sell until they're down to £10-11k when people buying them with real money (rather than finance) can justify it.
That said the whole market is odd at the moment. As mentioned in the above post those using the 10 year old bikes is depreciation free.
The tipping point seems to be £5-6k - anything below that is going up / staying still and stuff above figure that is losing money in the normal money. The new £16k superbikes when being sold secondhand struggle to sell until they're down to £10-11k when people buying them with real money (rather than finance) can justify it.
There is a huge difference between people asking silly money for bikes, and bikes being sold for silly money.
Plenty of people ask north of £2k for 893 and 918 fireblades, Doesn't mean they are always worth it! Check what 4XV R1's have actually sold for and the majority on ebay sell for between £1700 and £3000 depending on condition.
If prices keep going up I might consider keeping my R1 although it isn't standard so nowhere near worth as much from a nostalgia point of view.
Plenty of people ask north of £2k for 893 and 918 fireblades, Doesn't mean they are always worth it! Check what 4XV R1's have actually sold for and the majority on ebay sell for between £1700 and £3000 depending on condition.
If prices keep going up I might consider keeping my R1 although it isn't standard so nowhere near worth as much from a nostalgia point of view.
Esceptico said:
Was chatting with someone last week. Got onto the topic of bikes. Said he had a red and white 1998 R1 with 9000 miles. Kept in a cocoon in his garage. Doesn’t ride it any more. Waiting for prices to hit £10k before he sells it.
How much is it worth now and how long do you reckon he will have to wait to get his £10k?
£10k might take a while, 20k mile examples for around 5k on eBay are available. How much is it worth now and how long do you reckon he will have to wait to get his £10k?
Funny this thread popped up because last week a friend from Upstate New York sent me this: https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/1998-Yamaha-YZ.... If I buy via a US friend who works at an airbase in the UK he can get it shipped here at a lower price than I could. Might be worth it prices for similar bikes sold around 6k.
redback911 said:
£10k might take a while, 20k mile examples for around 5k on eBay are available.
Funny this thread popped up because last week a friend from Upstate New York sent me this: https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/1998-Yamaha-YZ.... If I buy via a US friend who works at an airbase in the UK he can get it shipped here at a lower price than I could. Might be worth it prices for similar bikes sold around 6k.
Yeah but that would be left hand drive, wouldn't work as well over here Funny this thread popped up because last week a friend from Upstate New York sent me this: https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/1998-Yamaha-YZ.... If I buy via a US friend who works at an airbase in the UK he can get it shipped here at a lower price than I could. Might be worth it prices for similar bikes sold around 6k.
Mac. said:
Yeah but that would be left hand drive, wouldn't work as well over here
No idea what miles are on it either. By the time you've shipped it, collected, paid duty, 20% VAT, reg fee, refinished and found all the original parts needed, you'd be quids out.
It's probably a crap example like most of them too
Good red / white examples do fetch a big premium due to all the chaff out there.
I'd be surprised if R1 went silly pricewise like 350LCs, RD/RG500s & early 'blades.
Nothing to do with the bikes but more to do with where they fit in the original owners lives.
RDs were many people's first bikes, RD/RGs are held with legendary status, likewise early 'blades. Also early 'blades were on the market in better times and many were bought as 1st bikes (or immediately after running a CBR600 for a short time).
I think R1s came in as the best at the time & were bought as being 'this years best bike' between someone owning a Fireblade and GSXR1000K1, ZX10, K5 etc. All of these bikes being good until the next best thing came along. K5/6 may be an exception as they were the last 'analogue' bikes.
Nothing to do with the bikes but more to do with where they fit in the original owners lives.
RDs were many people's first bikes, RD/RGs are held with legendary status, likewise early 'blades. Also early 'blades were on the market in better times and many were bought as 1st bikes (or immediately after running a CBR600 for a short time).
I think R1s came in as the best at the time & were bought as being 'this years best bike' between someone owning a Fireblade and GSXR1000K1, ZX10, K5 etc. All of these bikes being good until the next best thing came along. K5/6 may be an exception as they were the last 'analogue' bikes.
PTF said:
Interesting. Picked this up the other day. 9k miles. 2 owners. W-plate.
Aha! Complete with the obligatory shot of the rear shock I see.Not as collectable as the earlier bike but better looking IMHO. Put us out of our misery and tell us what you paid (ish) if that's not too cheeky.
My guess is £3750 btw.
For me it comes down to the bikes i lusted over in my late teens/early 20s that i couldn't afford to buy or insure.
So that's the era of late 90s and early 2000s. Bikes and cars from that era really do it for me.
I (and i guess a fair few people judging by prices rising) am now in a position where i can afford to have a few bikes, and being able to pick up what was a poster bike for me previously for £2k-£4k is fantastic! When i look at bikes like the 929/954 blade, early R1, K3 GSXR-1000 i picture how i felt reading about group tests and how i couldn't afford to buy one!
So i think it's less about certain models being hailed as "the best" or "the last analogue" or whatever. It's whatever were key bikes that stirred your interest at an impressionable age.
RDs and two strokes do nothing for me really because they were before my time. Not interested in vintage stuff either. And not interested in anything beyond about 2006.
So that's the era of late 90s and early 2000s. Bikes and cars from that era really do it for me.
I (and i guess a fair few people judging by prices rising) am now in a position where i can afford to have a few bikes, and being able to pick up what was a poster bike for me previously for £2k-£4k is fantastic! When i look at bikes like the 929/954 blade, early R1, K3 GSXR-1000 i picture how i felt reading about group tests and how i couldn't afford to buy one!
So i think it's less about certain models being hailed as "the best" or "the last analogue" or whatever. It's whatever were key bikes that stirred your interest at an impressionable age.
RDs and two strokes do nothing for me really because they were before my time. Not interested in vintage stuff either. And not interested in anything beyond about 2006.
PTF said:
For me it comes down to the bikes i lusted over in my late teens/early 20s that i couldn't afford to buy or insure.
So that's the era of late 90s and early 2000s. Bikes and cars from that era really do it for me.
RDs and two strokes do nothing for me really because they were before my time.
I think these comments go some way to pointing where modern classics values will go - sort of Mexican wave of increase values?So that's the era of late 90s and early 2000s. Bikes and cars from that era really do it for me.
RDs and two strokes do nothing for me really because they were before my time.
PTF said:
So i think it's less about certain models being hailed as "the best" or "the last analogue" or whatever.
My thoughts too where my money is concerned, but collectors or factors that make prices buoyant will milk these points. The one that always gets me are Vincents - quirky looking, no better reliability than anything else and sound like a bag of nails but, blimey, look at the values. Ditto Broughs, ditto CB750s Z1s etc. Not where my money would go and I certainly wouldn't imagine your money too.At least you have a modern classic which still out performs most riders and takes up to date tyres etc - enjoy.
Edited by graham22 on Monday 26th February 13:03
graham22 said:
I think these comments go some way to pointing where modern classics values will go - sort of Mexican wave of increase values?
I guess so. I didn't really like the red / white 4XV paint scheme when it came out, but looking at them now. They looks stunning. The fact that Massimo Tamburini admired the design, one of the few Japanese that he liked, does no harm.graham22 said:
My thoughts too where my money is concerned, but collectors or factors that make prices buoyant will milk these points. The one that always gets me are Vincents - quirky looking, no better reliability than anything else and sound like a bag of nails but, blimey, look at the values. Ditto Broughs, ditto CB750s Z1s etc. Not where my money would go and I certainly wouldn't imagine your money too.
At least you have a modern classic which still out performs most riders and takes up to date tyres etc - enjoy.
Bit harsh on Vincents, the ones I’ve ridden have been beautiful. Ditto the Brough...At least you have a modern classic which still out performs most riders and takes up to date tyres etc - enjoy.
Edited by graham22 on Monday 26th February 13:03
srob said:
Bit harsh on Vincents, the ones I’ve ridden have been beautiful. Ditto the Brough...
Yes, I was being overly critical - but to someone like you who has a genuine interest and knowledge in older bikes, you appreciate such things which I respect.To me, I don't appreciate the appeal against a (more) modern bike, trying to stop the old man's A10 with drum brakes makes me cringe & that's just moving it in the garage!!
Like the OP said, his wish list is bikes he desired in his youth. My late teens/early 20s was in the mid to late 80s where things improved fairly drastically each year, I was lucky to have owned the desirable bikes albeit when they were 2-3 years old as I went on (350LC, 350YPVS, RG500, FZR1000, EXUP, Blades, GSXR1000, Hayabusa), none of these I'd want to revisit given what I have now, any spare money goes into competition machines.
Maybe when I stop competing I'll want that something else but at the moment I honestly can't think what. Given a lottery win, a big list would be easier to make!!
graham22 said:
Yes, I was being overly critical - but to someone like you who has a genuine interest and knowledge in older bikes, you appreciate such things which I respect.
To me, I don't appreciate the appeal against a (more) modern bike, trying to stop the old man's A10 with drum brakes makes me cringe & that's just moving it in the garage!!
Like the OP said, his wish list is bikes he desired in his youth. My late teens/early 20s was in the mid to late 80s where things improved fairly drastically each year, I was lucky to have owned the desirable bikes albeit when they were 2-3 years old as I went on (350LC, 350YPVS, RG500, FZR1000, EXUP, Blades, GSXR1000, Hayabusa), none of these I'd want to revisit given what I have now, any spare money goes into competition machines.
Maybe when I stop competing I'll want that something else but at the moment I honestly can't think what. Given a lottery win, a big list would be easier to make!!
That’s fair enough, but comparing old bikes (or old anything!) to new isn’t going to work or be any indication of market value. I suspect a modern 3-series bmw would show a Type 35 Bugatti a clean pair of heels...! To me, I don't appreciate the appeal against a (more) modern bike, trying to stop the old man's A10 with drum brakes makes me cringe & that's just moving it in the garage!!
Like the OP said, his wish list is bikes he desired in his youth. My late teens/early 20s was in the mid to late 80s where things improved fairly drastically each year, I was lucky to have owned the desirable bikes albeit when they were 2-3 years old as I went on (350LC, 350YPVS, RG500, FZR1000, EXUP, Blades, GSXR1000, Hayabusa), none of these I'd want to revisit given what I have now, any spare money goes into competition machines.
Maybe when I stop competing I'll want that something else but at the moment I honestly can't think what. Given a lottery win, a big list would be easier to make!!
My opinion is that nostalgia causes a ripple of value and adds a little but historical interest, rarity and desirability will always be the proper valuable bikes. Hence all of the worlds most expensive vehicles of all types are old, not new/nostalgic
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff