Before I go any further, this isn't meant to be contentious in any way, rather a genuine query about the 1150 GSA.
I've got one, always loved them since they came out and especially since I bought my first one in 2005. I think they are such an iconic bike and re-defined the big adventure bike category so in some ways are arguably a more important bike than the airhead predecessors.
Having recently aquired another as a 'keeper' which sits in the garage alongside an R100GS it seems that values are hovering around the "bottomed out" for average bikes to "appreciating" for nice ones.
What prompted this thread was when an older mate came round the other day, a guy with a few classic bikes, sat on both GS's and said of one of them "feck me, this is huge. I don't think I'd be wanting to manhandle that around for much longer" you can guess which bike he was sat on at the time...
When I picked the 100 gs up, a guy in his 70's asked me if I'd sell it as he wanted one. It was straight forward to load it in the van and is so much lighter and easier to move around than the 1150.
So, this leads me on to - Will the 1150GSA have as much classic appeal as an airhead taking into account that it's a such a big lump of bike, an older guy may find it too much to handle compared to an airhead? In another 10 years time, will 1150's be as sought after taking into account those of us who love them now will be, well a bit older and possibly not as strong.
Will they then have the same appeal to younger riders or will they just be a clunky old lump when compared to a modern bike for them (my first GSA replaced an R100GS in my twenties for that exact reason as I didn't have garage space or spare cash for a second bike).
With cars it's simpler, people hit there 40's or 50's (generalisation but seems to be the main age group), family done bit of spare cash and want the car they lusted after when they were younger. That drives the classic car market trends. But then as those buyers shuffle off, the market adjusts. Some of the classic cars my dad had have now plummeted as there's no-one left who finds them desirable. Whilst similar with bikes, as they are more physical to ride than a car is to drive, I'm guessing it's not quite as straight forward???
I'm now in my 40's, I love both my GS's and if I could only have one at the moment it would be the 1150 BUT my gut feeling is that if I'm still riding in 25 to 30 years time, it's the airhead I would be on (or the R nine T 40th I'm hankering after
)
Whaddaya reckon? Post you thoughts now then re-visit in 10 years and see whats happened
I've got one, always loved them since they came out and especially since I bought my first one in 2005. I think they are such an iconic bike and re-defined the big adventure bike category so in some ways are arguably a more important bike than the airhead predecessors.
Having recently aquired another as a 'keeper' which sits in the garage alongside an R100GS it seems that values are hovering around the "bottomed out" for average bikes to "appreciating" for nice ones.
What prompted this thread was when an older mate came round the other day, a guy with a few classic bikes, sat on both GS's and said of one of them "feck me, this is huge. I don't think I'd be wanting to manhandle that around for much longer" you can guess which bike he was sat on at the time...
When I picked the 100 gs up, a guy in his 70's asked me if I'd sell it as he wanted one. It was straight forward to load it in the van and is so much lighter and easier to move around than the 1150.
So, this leads me on to - Will the 1150GSA have as much classic appeal as an airhead taking into account that it's a such a big lump of bike, an older guy may find it too much to handle compared to an airhead? In another 10 years time, will 1150's be as sought after taking into account those of us who love them now will be, well a bit older and possibly not as strong.
Will they then have the same appeal to younger riders or will they just be a clunky old lump when compared to a modern bike for them (my first GSA replaced an R100GS in my twenties for that exact reason as I didn't have garage space or spare cash for a second bike).
With cars it's simpler, people hit there 40's or 50's (generalisation but seems to be the main age group), family done bit of spare cash and want the car they lusted after when they were younger. That drives the classic car market trends. But then as those buyers shuffle off, the market adjusts. Some of the classic cars my dad had have now plummeted as there's no-one left who finds them desirable. Whilst similar with bikes, as they are more physical to ride than a car is to drive, I'm guessing it's not quite as straight forward???
I'm now in my 40's, I love both my GS's and if I could only have one at the moment it would be the 1150 BUT my gut feeling is that if I'm still riding in 25 to 30 years time, it's the airhead I would be on (or the R nine T 40th I'm hankering after
) Whaddaya reckon? Post you thoughts now then re-visit in 10 years and see whats happened
