Classic bike values

Robert Watson

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VOC Member
I exported an early B to Australia some 3+ years ago and had to sign an affidavit that there was no asbestos in the brakes. As I had had them relined here in town and knew exactly what was in them, I could do that easily. They didn't ask about the clutch, or the friction disks in the front suspension or steering damper.
Can you imagine having to deal with a car with an older automatic transmission when the customs guys twig that there are clutches in it!

On the subject of value, as some may know I do have a couple of more pricey Vincents, and frankly if they dropped in value it would bother me a bit BUT in some ways I would be fine with it. I remember having a wonderful tear up the Duffy Lake road a few years ago on one of those bikes, and really (no I mean REALLY) enjoying it and at one particularly tight corner with not much between me and eternity suddenly thought -- it would be foolish to bin it (and me) up this road. It did slow me down a bit, but as has been stated, the real value I have got from my Vincents (and perhaps my RC51) is riding them.

This picture is at the north end of the road just before Lillooet. Ask Arthur Farrow about this road........
2013-09-10 13.25.27.jpg
 

Sakura

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Magnetoman,
All your points are very valid. Regarding the last one about monetary value, that is also understandable. I too am a family man and would wish to pass on what I have accumulated. I have a very comprehensive workshop with machine tools, neither of my sons have any interest in things mechanical. So, when I shuffle off my mortal coil all will have to be sold or passed on to others. As most stuff is imperial it won't fetch a fraction of its initial cost but it has all earned its keep for me. I'm aware this doesn't completely address your last point but my point is I love my bikes purely for their value to me, I pay what I have to to possess them and sell them in order to buy something else. If their value was less, true enthusiasts could afford them. I have a close association with a big classic bike dealers and think prices are crazy. Just my views of course, I have no monopoly on vision for the future.
All the views expressed here are just what I expected from true enthusiasts.
 

Magnetoman

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had to sign an affidavit that there was no asbestos in the brakes.
I think things have changed since then. A 5-page document dated 2019 from their Border Force points out that "A 'face value' letter from the supplier, or the supplier's mechanic, merely stating there is no asbestos content is unlikely to provide sufficient assurance." Elsewhere in that document it says "This highlights the necessity for the owner to know the vehicle they are importing, to understand where asbestos is likely to be present, and to be able to provide evidence of having addressed that risk." This is an issue of no small concern to me at the present because of a major project I'm involved with.

As an aside, Border Force accepts asbestos tests "carried out to meeting Australian requirements for laboratory reporting." Those requirements accept analysis using a polarized microscopic technique called 'dispersion staining'. As an indication of my level of interest in this issue, I'm set up with the necessary polarized microscope, dispersion staining objective, and high dispersion refractive index liquids.
 

Magnetoman

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neither of my sons have any interest in things mechanical.
You've done things wrong. I got my younger daughter interested in motorcycles at a fairly early age. She's accompanied me on the past 3-4 Irish Rallies, as a rider not a pillion passenger, and she "owns" a Gold Star Catalina. I put that in quotes because I gave it to her with the condition I get to keep it myself until I no longer "need" it. I'm also working on the next generation. My Christmas shopping assignment this year is to find an electric motorcycle suitable for my 7-year old granddaughter.

We each have a "supply" of classic motorcycles but it's up to us to generate our own "demand" for them when we're gone.
 

vibrac

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My son Ben is very much into motorcycles and building them. But it is a two edged sword I only had to say "its getting harder to kick the twin in a rush nowadays" and he talks me into letting him have it to race. I dont think I encouraged him to much, (I cant stand 'side line shouters') but he always wanted to come to the racing with me and I found this picture from forty years ago....
1575221223887.png

Now he is suffering with Grandson Ruben (11) who is into British Mini Bike racing(BMB)
And believe me if you think you have seen all motorcycle sport that's an eye opener!
 

Whiteshadow15

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Non-VOC Member
I think there's another factor. Most of us are getting up in years. That seems to be true for owners of vintage bikes of all sorts. By and large younger folks, if they have any interest in motorcycles at all are into the new stuff. So as we age out, a glut of bikes will inevitably wind up on the market. I think that process is already playing out. It will only increase.

Gary


I think this will be more and more apparent as the years go on. I have been an avid bike-enthusiast and have been around like minded friends since I was a teenager. I am in my early-ish 30s and have been amazed at how the majority of my biker friends know next to nothing about Vincents, Brough Superiors, or anything of the sorts. We all grew up lusting over sport bikes early on and have noticed some shifted to the big cruisers and others to making cafe racers from old Hondas and Triumphs, yet I am the only one who ended up in the Vincent world after some sheer good fortune.

We have already begun to see the mid-80's-90's Japanese car market begin to go crazy and I suspect the motorcycles are not far behind.
 

Sakura

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Non-VOC Member
You've done things wrong. I got my younger daughter interested in motorcycles at a fairly early age. She's accompanied me on the past 3-4 Irish Rallies, as a rider not a pillion passenger, and she "owns" a Gold Star Catalina. I put that in quotes because I gave it to her with the condition I get to keep it myself until I no longer "need" it. I'm also working on the next generation. My Christmas shopping assignment this year is to find an electric motorcycle suitable for my 7-year old granddaughter.

We each have a "supply" of classic motorcycles but it's up to us to generate our own "demand" for them when we're gone.
I don't agree, I never wanted to influence my children regarding jobs, hobbies, politics, religion, etc. Their lives are theirs to lead. My job was to love, educate and support them. My parents never told me how to lead my life, my mistakes are mine alone. I wouldn't have it any other way. When my oldest son was about 18 I pointed to my two genuine Rocket Goldies and said "one day these will be yours". Quick as a flash he said "yes, but not for long!". Just as it should be.
 

Sakura

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Non-VOC Member
I think this will be more and more apparent as the years go on. I have been an avid bike-enthusiast and have been around like minded friends since I was a teenager. I am in my early-ish 30s and have been amazed at how the majority of my biker friends know next to nothing about Vincents, Brough Superiors, or anything of the sorts. We all grew up lusting over sport bikes early on and have noticed some shifted to the big cruisers and others to making cafe racers from old Hondas and Triumphs, yet I am the only one who ended up in the Vincent world after some sheer good fortune.

We have already begun to see the mid-80's-90's Japanese car market begin to go crazy and I suspect the motorcycles are not far behind.
There will always be people like you that buck the trend and follow a different road but you will/are in a minority. With luck, classic bikes will fall heavily in value in years to come and you will be able to expand your experience with other quality classic bikes. I know, from experience, that the upcoming interest is in Japanese, Italian etc bikes and prices for those bikes are rising.
 

Magnetoman

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I don't agree, I never wanted to influence my children regarding jobs, hobbies, politics, religion, etc.
I'm not sure we disagree by all that much. I'm sure you did try to influence your children in certain ways, like avoiding drugs. We tried to expose our two daughters to every experience we could as they grew up, never knowing which ones would "stick" and which wouldn't. Just the act of exposing them to things, as opposed to minimizing their exposure to the world, was an act of influencing them. But, what they wanted to pursue, or not pursue, was up to them.

My older daughter had zero interest in motorcycles, which was fine, and my younger daughter did have an interest, which also was fine. When I wrote "I got her interested," it actually was by accident. My wife already had left for work and my car wouldn't start one morning so I asked her if she wanted to ride to elementary school on a motorcycle. She jumped at that. At some time around then we took another ride, were going pretty fast when the road had an undulation in it, and she screamed "faster, daddy, faster!" So, since she liked motorcycles, when she was older the opportunities to attend two motorcycle road racing schools and a performance car driving school were offered to her , but it was up to her whether or not to take advantage of those opportunities (which she did).
 

Robert Watson

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Mine must have been a bit younger, she screamed "More speed full, more speed full" although I do remember she was siting on the gas tank at the time! Went on to horses (following her Mother) for the adrenaline rush but now she says when her children get a little older she will go get her m/c licence and has an eye on the GB500 (and the Comet!)
 
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