Sign of the Times OR WHAT?

[jpalamaro]

Out of boredom I started to look at the classifieds/sales on this forum. Saw this ad a while back, but never read it. HP2Sport, ABS, 500 miles, $21,000 or REASONABLE OFFER. Hmmmm, didn't think the doggone thing would plummet that quickly, and, not even a reply???? So much for rare and unobtainable.

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE: Anyone installed (Jeff?) the HP2S FRK?

[MaineRoads]

Saw one for $19900 elsewhere (650miles).

[Moybin]

I saw two (2) Smart cars within 15 minutes of each other in rural Iowa today. That's GOT to be one of the signs of the Apocalypse!

[jpalamaro]

Originally Posted by Moybin

I saw two (2) Smart cars within 15 minutes of each other in rural Iowa today. That's GOT to be one of the signs of the Apocalypse!

Rural IA, huh? As a sales manager in the '70's with IBM Western IA part of my territory. The banks of the mighty Nishnabotna River was always an impressive sight. Hell, two smart cars anywhere a sign of the apocalypse!


Perhaps the HP2S gonna take a bit of time like the orginal Shelby Cobra?

[ckcarr]

More reason to just ride it hard and forget about future resale. Picking a future collectable in anything is like winning the lottery. Especially when dealing with BMW. It's not the first time they have pulled the "limited edition" "limited production" scheme. Copper pennies, that's the way to go... Cause, the real ones are 97.5% zinc now.

If your penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc, with a thin copper coating, or "clad. For pennies minted in 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, the safest and best way to tell their composition is to weigh them. Copper pennies weigh 3.11 grams, whereas the zinc pennies weigh only 2.5 grams.>>

[Moybin]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

... Picking a future collectable in anything is like winning the lottery....

Pontiac Solstice Coupe is a sure win. Only 1 year, maybe 18 months of production if no one buys the rights to the kappa platform from GM. Looks most like a mini Astin-Martin DB4 with a little updating. Voted one of the 10 best looking cars for 2009. Most people will mistake any of the kappa platform cars for European.

If I had the cash to throw away I would buy one and put it up on blocks, in an air tight chamber, and flood it with nitrogen to stop all corrosion. Those are going to drop in value for about 4 years and then slowly but ever so steadily climb.

[jpalamaro]

[QUOTE=Moybin;4678387
If I had the cash to throw away I would buy one and put it up on blocks, in an air tight chamber, and flood it with nitrogen to stop all corrosion. Those are going to drop in value for about 4 years and then slowly but ever so steadily climb.[/QUOTE]


What is the ONE collectible you are talking about? Solstice? HP2S? Smartcar?

[Moybin]

Solstice. I'm not impressed with the direction BMW is taking with their cages or their bikes. Smartcars are little death traps for the greenie huggy-feely lemmings in life.

[SergioK]

I didn't bank on the HP2S being a 'collectible' bike in terms of value retention but I do like the rarity factor here in the States. Seems like they make 10X as many for the rest of the world though.

[SergioK]

Originally Posted by Moybin

Smartcars are little death traps for the greenie huggy-feely lemmings in life.

Traffic in some parts of Los Angeles would be greatly relieved if everyone ditched their 4 door family sedans/SUVs/minivans for Smartcars or motorcycles. If you deal with L.A. traffic on a daily basis, you wouldn't call a Smartcar a death trap - I mean, when it takes you 1 hour to cover 7 miles, it's more like playing bumper cars than high speed 'death trap'. In IA, yeah, I can see that 'definition'.

[shreddr]

collectibility and cash flow are 2 separate issues. in a different economy those would still be going for $26k+

[MykolG]

I once had a 1964 Corvette Stingray. I bought it from a couple who didn't have the time or money to finish restoring it. The guys wife hit a deer on the freeway. Not as bad as you might think. [This was in the '70's] I paid $900 for it and put another $1200 in for the parts and work [I couldn't do it all] to get it right again. A few years later I had to sell it [the 2nd on my house was due] and got $4,500 cash for it. Now, it is worth more than 10 or 15 times that. Probably even more. The guy who bought it put it in a collection. I wish I still had that car.

[turboflyer]

I had a new HP2S offered to me at invoice. As much as I love the dam thing I just do not think BMW priced it right to begin with. A market adjustment is in order and is showing up all over. Certainly the economy plays a role in demand for high dollar toys, but I am not convinced thats the whole of it. If we are patient the 130HP OHC engine is going to show up in a different mount. The motorcycle word has exploded with super bikes. Make it tough for them great for us.

[Dr. Curve]

The money I paid for my HP with was "easy money" compared to what things are now. The value of the dollar plummeted right before the HP2 sport was brought out and yet BMW still held on to their price. I got a great deal when looked at from long term viewpoint. It is the all out ultimate when it comes to a boxer twin....................and thats all some of us cared about when we paid for one in advance. Thrilled with the bike here even though I still am learning the suspension and will never be able to use what all is offered. Still.............after this first time in the mountains with it I got to really use the tires and feel the "get up and go" drive out of the corners. Bravo for these rare and wonderful bikes.

[tim22]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

More reason to just ride it hard and forget about future resale. Picking a future collectable in anything is like winning the lottery. Especially when dealing with BMW. It's not the first time they have pulled the "limited edition" "limited production" scheme. Copper pennies, that's the way to go... Cause, the real ones are 97.5% zinc now.

If your penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc, with a thin copper coating, or "clad. For pennies minted in 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, the safest and best way to tell their composition is to weigh them. Copper pennies weigh 3.11 grams, whereas the zinc pennies weigh only 2.5 grams.>>

...so, what are they worth?

[Moybin]

Originally Posted by SergioK

Traffic in some parts of Los Angeles would be greatly relieved if everyone ditched their 4 door family sedans/SUVs/minivans for Smartcars or motorcycles. If you deal with L.A. traffic on a daily basis, you wouldn't call a Smartcar a death trap - I mean, when it takes you 1 hour to cover 7 miles, it's more like playing bumper cars than high speed 'death trap'. In IA, yeah, I can see that 'definition'.

Gotta say if I were faced with covering 7 miles in under an hour, in the generally benign weather of LA, I'd be on a mountain bike, period. I live 32 miles from work, in a 4 season environment. I've been in LA, San Diego, Connecticut, South Carolina, Chicago and podunk Idaho. A portion of the problems in the LA basin are self-inflicted.

A brisk walk is 3 mph. A healthy person should be able to maintain 15 mph on a flat surface for hours on end on a bike. How many trophy wives would be caught dead or alive on a bike? Maybe if Ferrari made bikes...?

[Moybin]

And sorry to hijack the thread.

[SergioK]

This place wouldn't be the same if we stayed on topic... but hey, BMW does/did make a mountain bike!

[signit98]

Originally Posted by Moybin

Smartcars are little death traps for the greenie huggy-feely lemmings in life.

They actually work very well where they came from and were intended for... In Europe, where the level (education) of drivers is quite a bit higher than here where you can buy your license for 15 bucks.

I agree, they do not belong here in the land of cell-phone-babbling-not-looking-soccer-moms-in-SUV's.

The upside is that many of those can't afford to fill their SUV's up with gas anymore... has lightened traffic significantly here in CA! Gas is approaching $3.00/gallon again now that summer vacation is here... amazing how that always works out, isn't it?

[RBMann]

Originally Posted by Moybin

Solstice. I'm not impressed with the direction BMW is taking with their cages or their bikes. Smartcars are little death traps for the greenie huggy-feely lemmings in life.

Not picking on you and I don't really like the Smartcar but it is hard for me to think of any car as a death trap when I ride a motorcycle. Thinking of your Solstice with the window sill about equal to the bottom of an F350 bumper does not give me a warm fuzzy either but it is all relative and any car is safer than a motorcycle.