Collectable Sport Bikes

jorian · 03-21-2012, 02:44 PM

I'm new to Ducati but very enthusiastic. I can see my Duc waiting in the parking lot at the office. Sweet rig.

So I'm thinking of maybe collecting some interesting Ducs and the 2006 Paul Smart LE has my attention. Paul Smart has a great history with the marque and this tribute bike looks great. Very cafe yet very modern.

1000 cc, Trellis frame, sweet parts kit, adjustable Ohlins etc.

Is it going to appreciate?

jorian · 03-21-2012, 03:54 PM

Here's the original

Good looking guage package

Business end

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

A friend just sold his within the last month for $13.5K. He bought it for $14K. It had 600 miles on it. That's an exception, though. They seem to go for about $8-10K with normal miles on them. As they only built 1500 of them, I think they're going to appreciate...eventually.

Motion's building up a little musuem's worth of sportbikes. Maybe he'll chime in on his collection.

jorian · 03-21-2012, 04:35 PM

Thanks for the comp. The one I'm looking at is $12.5K with 5000 miles on it. Clearly not such a good deal.

Why did your friend sell?

HardDrive · 03-21-2012, 05:43 PM

For the most part, motorcycles do not appreciate. If you are going to collect them, buy bikes that you think are beautiful, and display them. But don't have any notion that that your going to make $$$.

My suggestion? MH900. My favorite Duc of all time.

varmint · 06:10 PM

most things made to be collectible are never very collectible.

beautiful bikes, but not as good looking as the original. no race history. not very fast.

on the other hand, the original 750ss is unobtainable for 99.999% of the people who want it. this is as close as you can come. so you won't lose money. as long as you enjoy riding it, it's worth buying.

you should see what 80s ninjas and gixxers are going for. there's a generation of guys who had them in high school hitting forty with disposable income. and non mangled examples are very hard to find.

motion · 03-21-2012, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorian

Thanks for the comp. The one I'm looking at is $12.5K with 5000 miles on it. Clearly not such a good deal.

Why did your friend sell?

Unless a bike is uber-rare, 5,000 miles is really too much. To be really collectible, it needs to have maybe 1500 or less. Higher mileage bikes will eventually be worth good $$$, but just not as much and not as easy to sell. Once bikes get to be around 30-35 years old, they start going through the roof. Look at all the 60s BMWs, Ducatis, and Brit bikes.... they are going insane right now. I have a Bostrom 998S, only 155 made and 10 years old.... they are selling for 11-14 right now, and were 24 new. Its going to be a long time before its worth 24 again, but that day will come

LakeCleElum · 03-21-2012, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varmint

you should see what 80s ninjas and gixxers are going for. there's a generation of guys who had them in high school hitting forty with disposable income. and non mangled examples are very hard to find.

Good advise.....Find out what guys in the their 50's and 60's couldn't afford when they were young. Buy that to store for 10 yrs....

My collection includes a 73 Kawasaki Z1 I paid $600 for about 10 years ago. They sell for $9 to $11 K now.....

My '62 BMW R27 single is worth a lot more than the $500 I paid for it.

I have Serial # 15 of the 1st year Honda 250 Scrambler (CL72) ..Got it for $200....Just examples

varmint · 03-21-2012, 07:36 PM

Ten years ago you'd see early CBR750s abandoned like couches on the corner.

Then the cafe racer fad hit, and everyone wanted one. Wish I'd thought to grab a few

MMARSH · MMARSH's Garage

I love my Paul Smart.

Makes a great touring bike as well.
If you find one with the lowers, whether you like them or not that's a bonus. Ducati doesn't make them anymore and used not perfect sets are going for 2000 bucks.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorian

Why did your friend sell?

He's getting older (not old, but older) and wanted to thin out the stable. I think he's sold his Ural w/sidecar, KTM dirtbike, a 750 Monster, and the Paul Smart replica within the past month. He offered the PS to me a bunch of times at special friend pricing, but I don't have $10K or so to blow on garage art.

He's also got a 993tt with about 27K miles on it he's thinking of selling...

Like someone else mentioned, I think early GSX-Rs and Ninjas (and Hurricanes) are going to be collectable. They defined the genre of the modern race-replica sportbike. And grey-market/limited edition stuff, also, like Suzuki Gammas, CBR 400s, YZF750s, OW01s, RC30s, etc. Oh, and Brittens too.

For Ducatis, I think 851s and 888s are undervalued. You can get them all day long for about $6-8K. Those were part of the original World Superbike series, and really made Ducati such an almost-household name. Early 916s (1994) ushered in a new era. And with later superbikes (916/996/998, as well as the 999), whatever the highest specification bike at that time was should also be somewhat desirable. Whether that was an SPS designation, or something special like Motion's Bostrom or the Bayliss replicas, or an R-model like the 999. Supermono is collectable already, as is the sexy Hailwood Replica pictured above. The only 2-valver that seems to be collectable is the 900 SS Superlight of 1993. Maybe the 900 SS Final Edition from 1998. Of course, there's the Desmosedici. They go for low 40's now? Ducati is still the only company to produce a street-legal MotoGP bike; not even mighty Honda has done that.

Adam · Adam's Garage

Buells would be getting rarer nowadays...

I just sold my '09 XB12Ss (identical to below), got more for it than I paid here in Aus, but I hear they were heavily discounted in the USA.

A great ride, too - I really regret selling it.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

I don't think Buells get much respect here in the States. There's some brilliant engineering in them, but they're not really sportbike mainstream, nor do they do anything for the Harley crowd.

MMARSH · MMARSH's Garage

I would love to get a RC30 or a Gamma....that being said, i feel about bikes the same way i feel about cars. They were made to be used and i would want to ride them more then i would want to look at them.

Low mile Paul Smarts come up for sale alot. So you should be able to find one for a good price. From what ive seen recently they are starting to go back up some. They had dropped to the 8-9k range awhile bike.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

kawasaki triple 900

dienstuhr · dienstuhr's Garage

Want a collectible modern sportbike? Buy a Honda RC30. $25K should get it done for a decent one, and they are going nowhere but up in value.

BlueSkyJaunte · 03-22-2012, 11:55 AM

I know a guy with an RC30...he flogs the daylights out of it. More power to him! If I owned one I would probably sell it and get a v-twin powered bike of some kind. The Buells were at firesale prices when HD announced they were canning the brand. Now the prices have crept back up a bit but still well below MSRP. WELL below.

A shame, too....I really have been considering one for some years.