I am the owner of a few Classic Bikes and have been involved with Classic Bikes for the last 40 years however I am still amazed by the values being paid for bikes.
Today on the site there is a C11 for £3000 , it looks a nice original bike however in its day it was a poor man's commuter for going to work at the steel works or the like!
Most people that remember these are now in the 60's and the Classic Bike owners of the future seem to be the one's who are looking to buy the bikes of the 70's that they drooled over but couldn't afford and I believe there will probably always be a healthy market for the likes of Vincent's / Manx Norton's and the like but will there be customers for the likes of C11's, C15's , James and Franny Barnet's in a few years or will those that remember them bee too old ?
There are a lot of these type of machines about and whilst there is nothing wrong with them they are not exciting , will the market continue to be there for them?
Some of these bikes were never nice to ride and I know that ' Rose Tinted Glasses ' can influence some purchasers and for others there is Nostalgia, I owned for a short spell a R45 I don't want another but perhaps other's would .
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as my wife tells me ' some women like ugly men '.
Whilst I may come across as very negative , I am going to look at another Norton on Monday just because I want to buy another bike and this is something a bit special and quite highly tuned.
What do you think ?
Today on the site there is a C11 for £3000 , it looks a nice original bike however in its day it was a poor man's commuter for going to work at the steel works or the like!
Most people that remember these are now in the 60's and the Classic Bike owners of the future seem to be the one's who are looking to buy the bikes of the 70's that they drooled over but couldn't afford and I believe there will probably always be a healthy market for the likes of Vincent's / Manx Norton's and the like but will there be customers for the likes of C11's, C15's , James and Franny Barnet's in a few years or will those that remember them bee too old ?
There are a lot of these type of machines about and whilst there is nothing wrong with them they are not exciting , will the market continue to be there for them?
Some of these bikes were never nice to ride and I know that ' Rose Tinted Glasses ' can influence some purchasers and for others there is Nostalgia, I owned for a short spell a R45 I don't want another but perhaps other's would .
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as my wife tells me ' some women like ugly men '.
Whilst I may come across as very negative , I am going to look at another Norton on Monday just because I want to buy another bike and this is something a bit special and quite highly tuned.
What do you think ?