GS 800 Price - we have never had it so cheap!

I think we forget how cheap things are these days........living over here in the US for the lasy few years I still get Bike & TWO magazine and was just reading about the 800 GS and then noticed the list price as published in Bike July 08 at 6,695 pounds.........and I got to thinking about my first GS, also an 800 that I bought new from Andy Lees in Cambridge ( still have the receipts of all my bikes).......I ordered the bike with heated grips and panniers and had to wait a month or so for delivery. I picked the bike up on the 20th June 1992 and paid 6,302 (which included a bit of discount). That's just less than 400 less than a new 800 today! Four hundred quid in 18 years......what's going on here???

Something about build quality I should think.

£6,695 for the base model though. By the time you add the extras you want to it, you're probably looking at around £7, 500 minimum. Luggage being the big expense.

Jon P said:

I think we forget how cheap things are these days........living over here in the US for the lasy few years I still get Bike & TWO magazine and was just reading about the 800 GS and then noticed the list price as published in Bike July 08 at 6,695 pounds.........and I got to thinking about my first GS, also an 800 that I bought new from Andy Lees in Cambridge ( still have the receipts of all my bikes).......I ordered the bike with heated grips and panniers and had to wait a month or so for delivery. I picked the bike up on the 20th June 1992 and paid 6,302 (which included a bit of discount). That's just less than 400 less than a new 800 today! Four hundred quid in 18 years......what's going on here???

Click to expand...

May I say, shut the BUFF up. Really it is about the production line and computers. NATURAL inflation of 2-3% should increase the price BUT... Seeing as the production line has been revolutionised by computer aided design and machining, just in time stock, less unions, asia/3rd/2nd/ world production. Also i would like to metion more competitiion. COnsumers are open to more brand names as wells as being more receptive to better service. Being on both side of the service table I now truely understand it improtance.
Look the average price of a car has gone up, JUST AS LITTLE (inflation adjusted) but consider the about of kit that you get these days?

(there is a top gear episode that mentions this, meybe season 3-6ish)

Let me put it another way.......the price of the bikes have remained constant, or indeed gone down in real terms beacuse when I bought my first GS I only earned about 15k, now all thesse years later I earn a load more. So it is cheaper.