Could do better.

[Nurse Julie]

Or you can just ride and enjoy 😊😊😊

[Sesman]

Oh, yes. Definitely the best option and what I understand to be the primary reason behind ownership….Just saying.

[Trigger]

I think the classic bike/car bubble is about to burst very shortly and all the chancers selling their 'ground up restorations' will get burnt. The extremely low historical interest rates are now on the rise with another 0.25% rise only today. 'investors' have been putting their money into tangible assets such as cars and motorcycles which unlike art are not subject to gains tax when sold on so a bit of a winner if you have a shed load of cash and getting next to no interest from the banks. Inflation is now raging virtually out of control worldwide and wages can't keep up. The way it's shaping up the investors will soon be offloading their tangible assets to pay their increasing bills, the rest of it will be invested in the bank's now the interest rates are creeping up.
I witnessed as probably many others did on the forum the same in the late 80’s, late 90’s and 2008.
Hold on and grab a bargain!

Are you saying that, i have just spent £6K restoring a UK CB500K0 and i will have to sell if for £3k  :'( Where did i go wrong 

[Laverda Dave]

I think the classic bike/car bubble is about to burst very shortly and all the chancers selling their 'ground up restorations' will get burnt. The extremely low historical interest rates are now on the rise with another 0.25% rise only today. 'investors' have been putting their money into tangible assets such as cars and motorcycles which unlike art are not subject to gains tax when sold on so a bit of a winner if you have a shed load of cash and getting next to no interest from the banks. Inflation is now raging virtually out of control worldwide and wages can't keep up. The way it's shaping up the investors will soon be offloading their tangible assets to pay their increasing bills, the rest of it will be invested in the bank's now the interest rates are creeping up.
I witnessed as probably many others did on the forum the same in the late 80’s, late 90’s and 2008.
Hold on and grab a bargain!

Are you saying that, i have just spent £6K restoring a UK CB500K0 and i will have to sell if for £3k  :'( Where did i go wrong 

Sorry Trig you have, I'll give you 99p

[Lobo]

I’d agree (ie to declining values), but for different reasons.

Specifically… demographics. Most of us on here are in the 60-80yr old bracket, and recapturing a bit of our youth. But alas, we’ll soon begin to drop off our perches, leaving these lovely old bikes behind.

My 34yo son-in-law enjoys bikes, but has no appreciation of 1970 machines; and why should he? I suspect this is the norm.

Finally I recently bought a Sandcast - tho’ definitely not as an investment. I offered 25% below the asking prices, (viewed 2 bikes) and was successful. They had been advertised for months….
A look at the Sandcast Only forum’s statistics suggest that the peak-time was 2010-2012 or so; nowadays the forum is rather quiet.

Old SOHC Hondas are generally not rocking horse poo, there’s actually a lot of good machines about. For sure thought, the odd stand-out ones may continue to increase in value.

I hope I’m wrong, but more for the reason that I’d like to see these bikes continue to be cherished.

[Laverda Dave]

Exactly right Lobo. Look at British bikes as a prime example, they reached their peak about 10years ago apart from the blue chip machines such as Brough's, Vincent's, early Bonneville's and the like. Why, because like us the guys who wanted to ride the bikes of their youth such as BSA 650's etc are now in their 70's and 80’s and likely to have retired from biking. The same bikes are now decreasing or have become stagnant in value because the 'younger' generation as in us, were brought up on 70’s Japanese and Italian bikes.

[Johnny4428]

My first restoration was a 1961 Matchless G3 I would have been three when it was new on the road! I just fancied a bit old British motorcycling nostalgia. I get what you guys are saying about value because of the average age of us guys at the moment. Personally whether my bikes are worth £10 or £10,000 makes not one bit of difference to me. It’s my passion, interest and hobby and quite simply they are not going on the market any time soon.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Interesting post & comments on the subject of Classic Bikes and values V buyer age / value demographics.

My stance on cars has always been not just reliving my youth or wanting to buy something I could not afford when they were new & fashionable but were they great to drive back in the day?

There are lots of vehicles that have great styling but are a camel to drive - for me it's the same with buying my 400 I wanted a bike that had a certain period look that I liked plus it had to have some modernity like a disc brake rather than drums all round.
Although my early bikes were mostly British I was bowled over when I bought my first Japanes 4 cylinder a Suzuki 750GS I liked the grunt but it is the smoothness of 4 cylinders that I love.
Like many others here my bike is a long term keeper.

[philward]

I agree with all the previous comments. My bikes are about the pleasure of ownership as well as building/riding.

[Lobo]

I’m a bit of a slow learner, in that I’m embarking upon a complete restoration of my ‘750 K2, despite 2 previous restorations on a CB400F & Fizzy FS1-E setting me back more than just privately buying said models in showroom conditions 😂. Honestly James, I don’t know how you make a buck… given all the OEM & NOS parts you use.

Locally (I’m in Oz) we’ve 2 respected restorers, and the one who did my Sandcast is winding down as it’s all becoming, ‘too hard’. Trades are pushing up their prices significantly, ie Chroming, blasting, painting, plating: let alone the cost of OEM / NOS parts (when you can source them) rocketing. Bob (restorer) was lamenting to me how over the years he’s been collecting NOS SOHC stock whenever he came across it, eg long ago he bought a few new SETS of Sandcast gauges at $200 each. (Now, a single such gauge comes in at $1000). And when folk come to buy…. they mentally tot up a value nearer to their memory of said parts, or have an inkling what Bob paid in the long past…. and expect those savings to be passed on. Consequently, selling restored bikes for a price that reflects their true modern value is becoming harder, if not impossible. (Note… I did NOT buy my Sandcast from Bob, tho’ he did indeed restore it a few years back)

Closer to home, I reckon my K2 was worth $15000 in its current state, and yet I’m splashing out $12k+ on new body set, complete engine rebuild, having bits chromed, plated, blasted, load of DSS / Yamiya / Cruizin parts.
Madness…. because I know where I can go and buy a beautifully restored (OEM grade) 1969 Gold Diecast K0 for $25K tomorrow, or a similarly restored Green 1970 K1.

But as mentioned, we’re all here for the love of it versus any financial figurings.
Ho hum.
Simon

[royhall]

I have always managed to restore my bikes for less than their value at the time. But looking at the figures for the 750K5 I'm doing at the moment, it's not looking too promising. I may just about get there if I manage to sell all the spare bits at a reasonable price. It's mainly been the price of the NOS bits, along with the need for more parts than expected. I have also been stung for import since the B word. I think this will be my last restoration project.

[AshimotoK0]

A look at the Sandcast Only forum’s statistics suggest that the peak-time was 2010-2012 or so; nowadays the forum is rather quiet.

Try looking at the Facebook sites for the 750 & sandcast Simon ... you will find most contributors from SOOC have deserted to there but basically quoting stuff that Steve Swan (who founded it) amassed over the years. A lot of forums have gone that way but this one seems to survive and thrive....probably because we are generally a friendly lot. HondaTwins seemed to die a death but an alternative sprang up called VintageHondaTwins  and again seems to be thriving because of the friendly atmosphere and banter going on there.  Must admit that some FB 'closed'  groups like the UK CB72 one are excellent.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Having grown up in the car trade I am only too aware of depreciation when buying new or close to new vehicles.
I have always viewed the classic car market with the exception of very high end models as a hobby where instead of annual depreciation you have similar or greater annual maintainance with the hope of finding a buyer when you finally part with your motor.
I have advised Wendy to seek her brothers advice when I have gone to meet my maker as he is an avid bike collector, he will have some idea of my 400's worth.

BiL has recently bought an early Fireblade - his first Honda!

[Lobo]

Thanks Ash… tho’ sadly the profound dinosaur in me prohibits joining FB. And totally accepted - my loss.
(My missus has FB, the targeted advertising is both annoying and very creepy…😂)