£14.500 Commander !!!!

[nednortonrider]

Anyone spotted the white commander in a dealers advert in this months Classic Bike ??? £ 14.500 !!! a snip at the price 'gov'ner . On the theme of prices . Can I get the job of putting wildly low prices on the estimates the auction companies have in their adverts . Obviously its done to create interest in the auctions and then when the prices vastly exceed the estimate they can talk about the "vibrant" and "exciting" classic scene . Bring us your bike and we'll make you rich !!. Does anyone see the classic bike bubble bursting soon ?? As more enthusiasts ride off this mortal coil there are less buyers . there are few younger motorcyclists filling their places thanks to the ridiculously expensive and long motorcycle test . I've never bought a bike as an "investment" I buy to ride and enjoy . The market can only get flooded soon . I can't wait , I've always wanted a flat tanker to play with . Discuss !!!

[Dave]

Yes i see that one, and i must agree that at some point the prices must drop, however i've thought that for a few years and there's no sign of it happening, but as you say the buyers group in theory is getting smaller and some prices, particularly british bikes are getting silly.I have always run british bikes, but am now down to the one (rotary) and i cannot see me ever buying another one, due to the prices. I regularly look on E bay, and see Commandos and Trident " barn finds " going for around £4,500, and wanting that much spending again to get to good condition.I realised about 2 years ago that i would not pay the prices being asked for british bikes and started looking at BMW twins, you could pick a very good one up for under £2000, but even these in the past 6 months have started to rise in price, but compared to british bikes are a bargain. I would like to see prices drop, because at the end of the day bikes are a hobby, and i'm not in it to make money, but at the moment somebody somewhere is happy to pay these silly prices. Dave

[rustynuts]

I think it is partly driven by the lack of investment opportunities anywhere else; savings accounts pay bugger all, shares are performing poorly and look overpriced, you would have to have a screw loose to invest in bonds, the government has shown its intention is to tax buy to let landlords more heavily, so the money is pouring into alternative investments like classic vehicles. There will be a bust following the boom, that is the nature of markets, but what will trigger it I cannot say. The nostalgia effect has a lot do do with it; 70s jap bikes are going for silly money because those who were teenagers who dreaming of owning them back then are now middle aged with spare cash to spend. I don't think so many young people are interested in motorcycling today for various reasons, so I think prices will fall in the long term. As long as I can get a nice girder forked Inter or model 18 for a decent price before I am too old to ride it, I will be happy.

[johnbirchjar]

I often remark about the silly money that people will pay for old B.S.A and Norton sidevalve bikes that as teenagers in the late '50s we wouldn't be seen dead on!! but having said that,my first bike(in 1956) was a 1936,hand change,OHV,250 BSA,purchased from my brother(who was with the RAF,stationed in Hong Kong)for a Fiver!!( wish I still had it )still,I suppose that go's for all of us that rode British iron before the "Jap invasion" ,J.B.

[Joe]

Hello JB, I've still got my old 1947 BSA B31 ridgid frame and I love it. The oldest bike I've ever owned was a 1928 Gillett Herstal Tour Du Mond ( a what?) which I sold to my Dad a few years back and last week he sold it to a mate of mine. My RE5's (1974) are probably my oldest bikes now with my F1 Sport (1993) being the newest. Must get out more.Regards, Joe.

[Rotor 1]

There is a commander offered voor 10,000 on the nortonownersclubhttp://www.nortonownersclub.org/classifieds/fo ... -commander

[t140v]

Rare bikes, big money.