Predictions for future classics
Discussion
In that era I reckon a lot of the last of the carbed bikes will become classics. Fireblades, ZX's, GSXR's, etc. I also think as the 600 class seems to have diminished a lot, some of the older 600s will become classics from a time where manufacturers were putting a lot of focus into them.
Ho Lee Kau said:
srob said:
Ho Lee Kau said:
There will be no future classics.
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
Either ride them or sell them, I say.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art.
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
Either ride them or sell them, I say.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art.
What a load of rubbish
mak said:
Cracking thread to resurrect and fascinating to fast forward into the future, did anyone buy 10 rgv 250's and a few rd and rg 500's 
I sometimes google the value of the cars I went through from 2003 through 2006
I have had an SRAD 750 99 plate, (minter stock one) and a T595, 1999, again mint. Wanted the "launch" yellow but ended up with a (my fave) silver one. Both cheap as chips £4600 the pair!! Gotta be worth more going forward, plus the Suzook particularly is BRILLIANT to ride. I sometimes google the value of the cars I went through from 2003 through 2006
poo at Paul's said:
mak said:
Cracking thread to resurrect and fascinating to fast forward into the future, did anyone buy 10 rgv 250's and a few rd and rg 500's
I sometimes google the value of the cars I went through from 2003 through 2006
I have had an SRAD 750 99 plate, (minter stock one) and a T595, 1999, again mint. Wanted the "launch" yellow but ended up with a (my fave) silver one. Both cheap as chips £4600 the pair!! Gotta be worth more going forward, plus the Suzook particularly is BRILLIANT to ride. I sometimes google the value of the cars I went through from 2003 through 2006
Ho Lee Kau said:
srob said:
Ho Lee Kau said:
There will be no future classics.
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
Either ride them or sell them, I say.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art.
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
Either ride them or sell them, I say.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art.
What a load of rubbish
Yes there will. I don’t understand what makes you think there won’t be?
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
I assume you’re taking about all ICE vehicles and all non-autonomous vehicles? If so, how’s that going to work? Granted there may be some roads/highways that are autonomous only but that’s a long, long way off happening and won’t be every road. The bikes I ride (classics) are most often used on B/C roads, and they won’t ever be autonomous only as it wouldnt be practical. Plus you have people at very high levels of power who are interested in classic vehicles and so have a vested interest in them not being banned.
Either ride them or sell them, I say
No idea what relevance this has to the price of fish? The only people who assume all the valuable bikes are locked away and not used are those that don’t ever go to any classic bike events.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art
See above.
srob said:
Ho Lee Kau said:
srob said:
Ho Lee Kau said:
There will be no future classics.
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
Either ride them or sell them, I say.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art.
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
Either ride them or sell them, I say.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art.
What a load of rubbish
Yes there will. I don’t understand what makes you think there won’t be?
Everything will be banned from the roads soon enough.
I assume you’re taking about all ICE vehicles and all non-autonomous vehicles? If so, how’s that going to work? Granted there may be some roads/highways that are autonomous only but that’s a long, long way off happening and won’t be every road. The bikes I ride (classics) are most often used on B/C roads, and they won’t ever be autonomous only as it wouldnt be practical. Plus you have people at very high levels of power who are interested in classic vehicles and so have a vested interest in them not being banned.
Either ride them or sell them, I say
No idea what relevance this has to the price of fish? The only people who assume all the valuable bikes are locked away and not used are those that don’t ever go to any classic bike events.
Alternative - put one on the wall as art
See above.
It is in this respect I ment there will be no future classics, they will all be banned from roads, but you will be able to put one on the wall as art.
Maybe I am a bit too pessimistic.
In the next 10 years I am sure I will be able to ride my IC bikes, that's good enough for me already.
If I can jump in here with an observation.
It's really interesting to see this thread resurrected some years after the question was first asked about which bikes have potential to increase in value. Well, as we move towards ICE bans and automation, shouldn't we consider the number of enthusiasts that are A) alive now to know which of these bikes have potential and will therefore pay strong money to own them, and B) how many younger riders even know, or rather *want* to know about these models in years to come who will actually pay the higher prices that we see now in the classifieds for the rarer models? Will these people even know to look for them when they can get huge performance for the same money for new or nearly new bikes?
Modern bikes do away with quite a lot of the mechanical know-how and enthusiasm for maintenance and skill with tools as days gone by. I, for one, *wish* I had been taught these things by someone with experience from the era of biking where you had to learn these skills in order to keep your bike solid and also, of course, for personal pride. Ownership of a classic motorbike, whether it's a pre-war legend or like mentioned earlier, an 80's VFR, will involve knowledge, time, storage, patience, research. These are things that my generation (I am 29) mostly lack, and the fact you can own a modern supersports bike for less than £150 per month with a service plan on a PCP deal is hugely tempting, over a classic.
I genuinely think that bikes that will hold value well will be those with an aesthetic charm. A design quirk, an unusual new technology (for the time) or otherwise an iconic image. The observations earlier in the thread about performance between classic Kawasakis demonstrates that debate exists for those enthusiasts who care for the significance of CC, but honestly, in the nearer future - let's say inside the next two decades - bikes that have design cues that trigger nostalgia for a 'retro' age ought to hold value well. The current trend for 'cafe racer' styled modern bikes, ie R9T, and appetite for these, demonstrates that buyers want that snapshot into a past decade.
As a side note, there's a lot of music about at the moment that deliberately evokes 80s/90s aesthetic nostalgia (Japanese culture, neon, low-fi, vaporwave etc) and in quite a few iconic movies from that time, motorcycles are a common feature, pretty much iconic. This music will probably fuel an interest in bikes from 1985-2000, but as ICE comes into play and as younger generations lose sight of the charm of even older bikes, I think only motos from the 1980's onward will hold value or boom. Anything older is too complex to maintain (ironic as mechanically they're simpler!) But then again I could be completely and utterly wrong on this.
From 1991 - Akira:
(Someone mentioned Hayabusas earlier. I'd take a gamble and say those are a good shout to hold value well... especially bronze ones)...
It's really interesting to see this thread resurrected some years after the question was first asked about which bikes have potential to increase in value. Well, as we move towards ICE bans and automation, shouldn't we consider the number of enthusiasts that are A) alive now to know which of these bikes have potential and will therefore pay strong money to own them, and B) how many younger riders even know, or rather *want* to know about these models in years to come who will actually pay the higher prices that we see now in the classifieds for the rarer models? Will these people even know to look for them when they can get huge performance for the same money for new or nearly new bikes?
Modern bikes do away with quite a lot of the mechanical know-how and enthusiasm for maintenance and skill with tools as days gone by. I, for one, *wish* I had been taught these things by someone with experience from the era of biking where you had to learn these skills in order to keep your bike solid and also, of course, for personal pride. Ownership of a classic motorbike, whether it's a pre-war legend or like mentioned earlier, an 80's VFR, will involve knowledge, time, storage, patience, research. These are things that my generation (I am 29) mostly lack, and the fact you can own a modern supersports bike for less than £150 per month with a service plan on a PCP deal is hugely tempting, over a classic.
I genuinely think that bikes that will hold value well will be those with an aesthetic charm. A design quirk, an unusual new technology (for the time) or otherwise an iconic image. The observations earlier in the thread about performance between classic Kawasakis demonstrates that debate exists for those enthusiasts who care for the significance of CC, but honestly, in the nearer future - let's say inside the next two decades - bikes that have design cues that trigger nostalgia for a 'retro' age ought to hold value well. The current trend for 'cafe racer' styled modern bikes, ie R9T, and appetite for these, demonstrates that buyers want that snapshot into a past decade.
As a side note, there's a lot of music about at the moment that deliberately evokes 80s/90s aesthetic nostalgia (Japanese culture, neon, low-fi, vaporwave etc) and in quite a few iconic movies from that time, motorcycles are a common feature, pretty much iconic. This music will probably fuel an interest in bikes from 1985-2000, but as ICE comes into play and as younger generations lose sight of the charm of even older bikes, I think only motos from the 1980's onward will hold value or boom. Anything older is too complex to maintain (ironic as mechanically they're simpler!) But then again I could be completely and utterly wrong on this.
From 1991 - Akira:
(Someone mentioned Hayabusas earlier. I'd take a gamble and say those are a good shout to hold value well... especially bronze ones)...
NorthernSky said:
Modern bikes do away with quite a lot of the mechanical know-how and enthusiasm for maintenance and skill with tools as days gone by. I, for one, *wish* I had been taught these things by someone with experience from the era of biking where you had to learn these skills in order to keep your bike solid and also, of course, for personal pride. Ownership of a classic motorbike, whether it's a pre-war legend or like mentioned earlier, an 80's VFR, will involve knowledge, time, storage, patience, research. These are things that my generation (I am 29) mostly lack, and the fact you can own a modern supersports bike for less than £150 per month with a service plan on a PCP deal is hugely tempting, over a classic.
People might realise that everything on PCP/rent/the cloud is consigning themselves to the precariate and want to own 'something'. It's strange that as information is more available than ever and 3D printing improves it should become easier to run something old. Electronics might be the downfall of current bikes and those of recent years, if the become too bespoke and not able to be replicated.NorthernSky said:
If I can jump in here with an observation.
It's really interesting to see this thread resurrected some years after the question was first asked about which bikes have potential to increase in value. Well, as we move towards ICE bans and automation, shouldn't we consider the number of enthusiasts that are A) alive now to know which of these bikes have potential and will therefore pay strong money to own them, and B) how many younger riders even know, or rather *want* to know about these models in years to come who will actually pay the higher prices that we see now in the classifieds for the rarer models? Will these people even know to look for them when they can get huge performance for the same money for new or nearly new bikes?
Modern bikes do away with quite a lot of the mechanical know-how and enthusiasm for maintenance and skill with tools as days gone by. I, for one, *wish* I had been taught these things by someone with experience from the era of biking where you had to learn these skills in order to keep your bike solid and also, of course, for personal pride. Ownership of a classic motorbike, whether it's a pre-war legend or like mentioned earlier, an 80's VFR, will involve knowledge, time, storage, patience, research. These are things that my generation (I am 29) mostly lack, and the fact you can own a modern supersports bike for less than £150 per month with a service plan on a PCP deal is hugely tempting, over a classic.
I genuinely think that bikes that will hold value well will be those with an aesthetic charm. A design quirk, an unusual new technology (for the time) or otherwise an iconic image. The observations earlier in the thread about performance between classic Kawasakis demonstrates that debate exists for those enthusiasts who care for the significance of CC, but honestly, in the nearer future - let's say inside the next two decades - bikes that have design cues that trigger nostalgia for a 'retro' age ought to hold value well. The current trend for 'cafe racer' styled modern bikes, ie R9T, and appetite for these, demonstrates that buyers want that snapshot into a past decade.
As a side note, there's a lot of music about at the moment that deliberately evokes 80s/90s aesthetic nostalgia (Japanese culture, neon, low-fi, vaporwave etc) and in quite a few iconic movies from that time, motorcycles are a common feature, pretty much iconic. This music will probably fuel an interest in bikes from 1985-2000, but as ICE comes into play and as younger generations lose sight of the charm of even older bikes, I think only motos from the 1980's onward will hold value or boom. Anything older is too complex to maintain (ironic as mechanically they're simpler!) But then again I could be completely and utterly wrong on this.
From 1991 - Akira:
(Someone mentioned Hayabusas earlier. I'd take a gamble and say those are a good shout to hold value well... especially bronze ones)...
Nostalgia always comes into play, but only to an extent. Watch almost any 'classic' and it'll rise as interest in them for nostalgia rises, then it plateaus. It's really interesting to see this thread resurrected some years after the question was first asked about which bikes have potential to increase in value. Well, as we move towards ICE bans and automation, shouldn't we consider the number of enthusiasts that are A) alive now to know which of these bikes have potential and will therefore pay strong money to own them, and B) how many younger riders even know, or rather *want* to know about these models in years to come who will actually pay the higher prices that we see now in the classifieds for the rarer models? Will these people even know to look for them when they can get huge performance for the same money for new or nearly new bikes?
Modern bikes do away with quite a lot of the mechanical know-how and enthusiasm for maintenance and skill with tools as days gone by. I, for one, *wish* I had been taught these things by someone with experience from the era of biking where you had to learn these skills in order to keep your bike solid and also, of course, for personal pride. Ownership of a classic motorbike, whether it's a pre-war legend or like mentioned earlier, an 80's VFR, will involve knowledge, time, storage, patience, research. These are things that my generation (I am 29) mostly lack, and the fact you can own a modern supersports bike for less than £150 per month with a service plan on a PCP deal is hugely tempting, over a classic.
I genuinely think that bikes that will hold value well will be those with an aesthetic charm. A design quirk, an unusual new technology (for the time) or otherwise an iconic image. The observations earlier in the thread about performance between classic Kawasakis demonstrates that debate exists for those enthusiasts who care for the significance of CC, but honestly, in the nearer future - let's say inside the next two decades - bikes that have design cues that trigger nostalgia for a 'retro' age ought to hold value well. The current trend for 'cafe racer' styled modern bikes, ie R9T, and appetite for these, demonstrates that buyers want that snapshot into a past decade.
As a side note, there's a lot of music about at the moment that deliberately evokes 80s/90s aesthetic nostalgia (Japanese culture, neon, low-fi, vaporwave etc) and in quite a few iconic movies from that time, motorcycles are a common feature, pretty much iconic. This music will probably fuel an interest in bikes from 1985-2000, but as ICE comes into play and as younger generations lose sight of the charm of even older bikes, I think only motos from the 1980's onward will hold value or boom. Anything older is too complex to maintain (ironic as mechanically they're simpler!) But then again I could be completely and utterly wrong on this.
From 1991 - Akira:
(Someone mentioned Hayabusas earlier. I'd take a gamble and say those are a good shout to hold value well... especially bronze ones)...
The very high end/expensive stuff is almost entirely too old to be considered of interest for nostalgia. The world's most expensive production (old) bikes are almost entirely 1930s or earlier; Brough Superiors, Crockers, Indians, Harleys etc.
This also holds true of events; the largest old motorcycle event for road bikes is (as far as I know) the Banbury Run, which is exclusively for pre-1931 motorcycle. Again, nothing to do with nostalgia, unless there's 600+ very agile 104+ year olds
From what I've seen, the typical pattern is that people buy a nostalgic bike, start going to classic bike events, realise the earlier bikes look like fun/interesting and get something older. I can't see that changing, and if anything as technology marches on people will want something with a magneto and drum brakes (so pre-60s) for interest, and simplicity.
Ho Lee Kau said:
it's nice to dream, isn't it
What, nice to dream they will be worth more than the £2200 I paid for the Triumph or £2400 for the SRAD? SRAD is bog standard and had only 4,500 miles on it and it came with a brand new fuel tank in its Suzook box for that.
.
Triumph only 11,000 miles and stock except for the triumph race can and map, utterly mint.
I'm happy that this will go in the direction I hope, price wise. Also seem to be reasonably running costs for the pair, cheap insurance service parts seem cheap.
The secret is to buy them with mint original bodywork as that is hard to come by now and potentially expensive. The triumph T595 is hard to buy with good bodywork in some colours as even from new, the yellow had some horrific colour matches between the panels, most noticeably the tank cover by the headstock vs the main tank colour. So you may get one that is "as new", but it looks awful and like its been painted etc. Silver was much better match black pretty good too.
My next prediction is the CH2 ZX10R. Bog stock ones of them, or v tidy non tracked ones are making top dollar now and potentially will go up even more. Same goes for the 2009 /10 models, great bikes, super quick and relatively cheap as in the UK, they could be had for £8k new back in 2009, so dire was the market. So some about for 4.5k to 5.5k now. Lot of bike for the money.
Well there seems an unending supply of old Honda's from the USA . I was led to believe that the typical US owner rides their bike till something minor goes wrong,buys something else and slings the old bike in the dry shed forevermore. This seems to be why there is plenty of supply from the USA.
The rest of the world does bodge upon bodge till the thing finally dies for good then sling it somewhere cold and wet to fester and rot.
My idea of a classic is something old enough to invoke nostalgia and in original condition without any mods. The earliest spindly frame and wheels gsxr's seem to have that classic sheen now even though I bet we all ignored them as the later GSXR's had a fatter rear tyre.
Who knows when it will gradually creep forward to newer models.
The rest of the world does bodge upon bodge till the thing finally dies for good then sling it somewhere cold and wet to fester and rot.
My idea of a classic is something old enough to invoke nostalgia and in original condition without any mods. The earliest spindly frame and wheels gsxr's seem to have that classic sheen now even though I bet we all ignored them as the later GSXR's had a fatter rear tyre.
Who knows when it will gradually creep forward to newer models.
So, it’s another 5 years, thread resurrection time..
I think some of the predictions have been fairly accurate, decent 2T 250s, RGV’s, NSR’s, KR1’s have all shot up!
I have a few older (classic?) bikes.. bought as they’re bikes I always had a thing for and enjoy simply looking at them
None of them purchased as potential money makers. Tbh, other then my Mk2 Focus RS, I have never made money on any vehicle I have owned..
My favourite bike is my 1990 ZXR 750 H2.. but, I also love my TLR…and SRAD, SC33 Blade & ZX12R, and even my latest purchase….a ‘91 ‘Benetton’ paint scheme CBR1000F
I think some of the predictions have been fairly accurate, decent 2T 250s, RGV’s, NSR’s, KR1’s have all shot up!
I have a few older (classic?) bikes.. bought as they’re bikes I always had a thing for and enjoy simply looking at them
None of them purchased as potential money makers. Tbh, other then my Mk2 Focus RS, I have never made money on any vehicle I have owned.. My favourite bike is my 1990 ZXR 750 H2.. but, I also love my TLR…and SRAD, SC33 Blade & ZX12R, and even my latest purchase….a ‘91 ‘Benetton’ paint scheme CBR1000F
Edited by Waynester on Thursday 4th April 10:22
moto_traxport said:
yammyfan said:
5 Years on. What are we thinking?
I am still thinking the 1998 R1 in an unmolested condition is up there.
5 years on and I am still riding the same 1998 R1 I was then.I am still thinking the 1998 R1 in an unmolested condition is up there.
Jesus, I fancy a new bike.
It’s now (mostly) retired from trackdays and I’m busy thrashing slightly newer R1’s although not new enough to be fitted with anti-crash technology!
The arse has completely fallen out of the 1950s and 1960s market, which nobody predicted. My theory is they're about the hardest of all the classics to start and the old boys are struggling, so they're all selling up. And as there's so many of them it's a buyers market. Luckily we sold our DBD34 just before the bubble burst as they've been hit super-hard.
I suspect the rise in interest rates has also had an effect. Where people used to think they may as well have a bike in the shed as have money in the bank as it wasn't getting anything, now they're selling up as money in the bank is worth having.
Good things are still making good money, and vintage bikes seem less affected than 50s-60s bikes, which blows the theory about people only being interested in what they remember out the water!
I suspect the rise in interest rates has also had an effect. Where people used to think they may as well have a bike in the shed as have money in the bank as it wasn't getting anything, now they're selling up as money in the bank is worth having.
Good things are still making good money, and vintage bikes seem less affected than 50s-60s bikes, which blows the theory about people only being interested in what they remember out the water!
srob said:
The arse has completely fallen out of the 1950s and 1960s market, which nobody predicted. My theory is they're about the hardest of all the classics to start and the old boys are struggling, so they're all selling up. And as there's so many of them it's a buyers market. Luckily we sold our DBD34 just before the bubble burst as they've been hit super-hard.
I suspect the rise in interest rates has also had an effect. Where people used to think they may as well have a bike in the shed as have money in the bank as it wasn't getting anything, now they're selling up as money in the bank is worth having.
Good things are still making good money, and vintage bikes seem less affected than 50s-60s bikes, which blows the theory about people only being interested in what they remember out the water!
Isn't it just the target demographic dying off? All those old boys who had one as a first bike or lusted after them while at school were born 1935 onwards - the oldest are hitting 90... I've seen and heard about quite a few interesting bikes popping out as part of deceased estates from this group - my BIL bought a Comet that was last on the road in 1972 from such recently. If scarcity is value then relative availability will depress that value...I suspect the rise in interest rates has also had an effect. Where people used to think they may as well have a bike in the shed as have money in the bank as it wasn't getting anything, now they're selling up as money in the bank is worth having.
Good things are still making good money, and vintage bikes seem less affected than 50s-60s bikes, which blows the theory about people only being interested in what they remember out the water!
The next lot will be the ones who bought or lusted after the first proper Jap bikes - late 60's to late 70's. Booooooomers! A huge demographic that bought LOADS of bikes as it coincided with a biking boom and a relatively affluent period.
Those bikes have been climbing in value over the past 20 years but I think they will plateau shortly if not now. A lot of them have electric starts though which might muddy the stats if you're right. They'll start to come out of the woodwork from deceased estates etc from round about now I guess...
cwis said:
Isn't it just the target demographic dying off? ......
This is exactly what's happening. I was helping my 84 year old neighbour who has a Triumph TR3 which he has been restoring which is immaculate and he said it's not worth much and the values are declining as the people who remember these things from their youth are dying out. I have no interest in the TR and cars/bike of that era but I love anything from the 70s and 80s and there are clearly many more like me as values are climbing fast for these "modern classics".Will be interesting to see what the next wave is.
TuonoPants said:
cwis said:
Isn't it just the target demographic dying off? ......
This is exactly what's happening. I was helping my 84 year old neighbour who has a Triumph TR3 which he has been restoring which is immaculate and he said it's not worth much and the values are declining as the people who remember these things from their youth are dying out. I have no interest in the TR and cars/bike of that era but I love anything from the 70s and 80s and there are clearly many more like me as values are climbing fast for these "modern classics".Will be interesting to see what the next wave is.
I've got a couple of bikes from the late 70's and 80's and I'm thinking of flogging them to get earlier stuff.
When I got my first one (CB400/4) in the mid 90's it was a cheap old bike but I loved the design and looks - even though I should have been be lusting after Urban Tiger Fireblades and the like the earlier bikes got me instead...
cwis said:
srob said:
The arse has completely fallen out of the 1950s and 1960s market, which nobody predicted. My theory is they're about the hardest of all the classics to start and the old boys are struggling, so they're all selling up. And as there's so many of them it's a buyers market. Luckily we sold our DBD34 just before the bubble burst as they've been hit super-hard.
I suspect the rise in interest rates has also had an effect. Where people used to think they may as well have a bike in the shed as have money in the bank as it wasn't getting anything, now they're selling up as money in the bank is worth having.
Good things are still making good money, and vintage bikes seem less affected than 50s-60s bikes, which blows the theory about people only being interested in what they remember out the water!
Isn't it just the target demographic dying off? All those old boys who had one as a first bike or lusted after them while at school were born 1935 onwards - the oldest are hitting 90... I've seen and heard about quite a few interesting bikes popping out as part of deceased estates from this group - my BIL bought a Comet that was last on the road in 1972 from such recently. If scarcity is value then relative availability will depress that value...I suspect the rise in interest rates has also had an effect. Where people used to think they may as well have a bike in the shed as have money in the bank as it wasn't getting anything, now they're selling up as money in the bank is worth having.
Good things are still making good money, and vintage bikes seem less affected than 50s-60s bikes, which blows the theory about people only being interested in what they remember out the water!
The next lot will be the ones who bought or lusted after the first proper Jap bikes - late 60's to late 70's. Booooooomers! A huge demographic that bought LOADS of bikes as it coincided with a biking boom and a relatively affluent period.
Those bikes have been climbing in value over the past 20 years but I think they will plateau shortly if not now. A lot of them have electric starts though which might muddy the stats if you're right. They'll start to come out of the woodwork from deceased estates etc from round about now I guess...
The demographic for the really good old stuff is certainly changing to a younger collector than ever I'd say, which is why really good stuff is still commanding a good price but the 'porridge' isn't.
There's just so much 50s and 60s stuff has survived that there's way more of them than there is buyers now, which isn't the case for the earlier stuff as less survived I guess.
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