All of us who love motorcycles, especially old and beautiful motorcycles, are beginning to see a trend, and it’s definitely not our imaginations.
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People like to collect stuff. Investors are always looking for the next thing to invest in, the thing that will increase in value. Unfortunately collectible and valuable motorcycles are falling into the crosshairs. I’ve seen articles about how, for instance, airhead BMW motorcycles are a "best buy" in men’s magazines that otherwise have nothing to do with motorcycles. We’ve all seen rare and antique, sometimes barn-find motorcycles, sell at auction for preposterous amounts of money. And apparently the cat is out of the bag: old motorcycles are a good investment.
Not any old motorcycle is a great investment, mind you, but the famous ones and the ones that are just tipping from "old" to "collectible" are starting to garner the attention of rich people who aren’t necessarily gearheads. This trend makes it harder for those of us who are gearheads to acquire our dream bikes.
Cars have been collectible for some time, and you’ve probably watched those weekend car auctions scroll past your TV screens with well-restored beauties pushed onto, and then off of, the auction block having sold for amounts you’d never dream possible. Some folks have caught onto the fact that a car isn’t so easy to store if you’re not going to drive it, but you can park a motorcycle in your living room if you want to. Bikes take up so much less space. All the rich collectors who would previously have sunk money into a collectible car are now turning their attention to antique motorcycles. Heck, they can be displayed in a corner of a house, tucked into a dining room, propped into a window, or easily plopped into any kind of storage to be mothballed until the value rises sufficiently to make a sale worth it. And the prices are rising.
We at RideApart have covered motorcycle auctions and have seen these prices begin a slow, steady climb. The more recent ones have been a bit more eye-popping.
All this is to say, folks, if you’ve been lusting after a classic, yesterday was the best time to buy it, and today is the second best. I think the ship has sailed on my dream MH900e but I’ll still hold out hope.
Source: The Telegraph