Value For Money?

For me I'm proper struggling as putting desirable and vfm in the same sentence doesn't quite work.
I like two strokes but probably following the norm here so anything " nice" is now silly priced and likely to be far in excess of what the new price was. I had a picture somewhere of a 1980's price list, it made an interesting read when comparing to current prices.

For me a real unsung hero was the Yamaha Thundercat yzf 600. As a previous owner, a restoration project of one of those I'd certainly consider.

Also howabout an early zzr1100?
You certainly get a lot of engine and performance with one of those.

 

My eldest dreaming

 

Here you go, I've found the 1983 price list in amongst my picture gallery that I mentioned above.

It makes very interesting reading, don't you think, when viewed against current asking prices?

 

I have a 1980 Motorcycle Show magazine and a strange attraction to owning a Lambretta (old mod that I am!) - comparing prices for a Lambretta SX/GP200....

Lambretta GP200 - £488 in the 1980 show guide

Taiwan built new model Lambretta 200 Special today - £3599

Chinese built Royal Alloy "replica" of original '60's Lambretta SX/GP - £5,500

About the same for a decent, running, original Italian Lambretta and around £7,000 or more for a fully restored one! I saw one in a recent magazine with matching numbers at £12,000, and Paul Weller's SX went for £32,200 at auction a couple of years ago!

Not that I was looking, or thinking of buying, but nostalgia is a powerful thing.

 

For a proper bike, I met a guy recently on a nice 80's Yamaha SR500 single, lots of traditional charm and he mentioned reasonable costs to buy and run.

That could be a nice old(ish) classic.

 

I was just looking at those earlier after reading @johne original post. I had one back in the day. Brilliant fun, embarrassed a few people around the TT circuit as I didn't have to shut off! It ended up in a skip unfortunately

 

Totally agree. That's why I won't sell my 2005 ST1050. It works very well, don't cost me a lot in insurance, so despite I just bought a new bike that one stay in the garage so far.
If I had to absolutely sell it will go for little money (1500-1700 Eur) I guess.

 

This video popped up on YouTube - forgotten classics.....

 

Any nineties Yamaha supersport
First choice because I had one the yzf 750 r best bike I have owned and ridden maybe except the Tiger 900
another foxeye the fzr 600 r in any of the cocktails
But for looks first of the post srad Suzuki's gsx 600r or the 750 in the Corona alstare paint
And the last of the 900 fire blades in the Teal ,red and orange paint scheme
And for pure underrated comfort and speed the RF 900 r
And for an afternoon as a hooligan a c3 twin headlight Kawasaki zx 900 r preferably in metallic blue

 

I agree with Mark TRG9, mid to late 90's FireBlades are still an absolute bargain. Around £2500 gets you a goodie. But even better is the CBR600. There are loads out there, so prices are relatively low and as we know they're solid bikes that do everything and go on forever if looked after.
The YZF750 (in good nick) is now disappearing up the money ladder, so not really great value anymore, with any decent FZR600's going the same way.
Susuki's SRAD is still a bargain. The RF900 is to be had for peanuts..unfortunately for me it's too ugly to grace my garage (aesthetics are important!).
Many 90's sports bikes are still affordable (if you like that sort of thing..and I do), just take a look at the regular on-line Manor Park Classics auctions (in Runcorn). Try to resist hitting the 'bid' button!

 

I totally agree but the cbr 600 as good as it is isn't a bike that has any rarity and can be picked up anywhere as for the RF 900 it is a matter of taste it has more practicality over looks but there are a lot uglier machines out there especially makes from the Eastern block to name a couple such as mz and cz all jawa look alikes
Yes the yzf's are getting a bit on the pricey side but I would certainly look down the back of the sofa to help buy another
I'd quite happily have an early Aprilia rsv again so much more reliable than any Ducati of the same era maybe not as pretty as a 916 But I'd buy a cagiva mito to look at and the Aprilia to ride

 

You'd be hard pressed to find a good YZF750. Two years ago a decent one at the Stafford show went for £3600. The last nice one I found online was up for £4500. There was one in the Manor Park auction earlier this year but it sold before the auction started (don't know how that can happen). They are now very popular and owners are upping the price accordingly, so if you find one snap it up, you won't lose money.
The question johne asked was which older bikes offer great value for money and you can't really beat the CBR600. It may not be a classic yet (although the earlier versions are getting scarce and a good one in Benetton colours is £4000+) but give it another 5 years or so...

 

As well as the nostalgia for Lambretta that I mentioned before, I also have a locked down desire to find an old Jawa 350 to take me back to the 70's when I resurrected a couple of these old 2-stroke twins..... ringdingdingding!!

I know..... I need councelling!!

 

I had 3 Fireblades in the 90's. A '93 RRP, a '95 RRS, both with the 893 engine and the last one, a'97 RRV with the later 918 engine. The first (92 + 93) models are holding their price well in good nick and are getting quite rare now. I also had one of the first R1's in '98 in the red and white colour which is one of the best looking R1 variants IMO. I have a video somewhere I shot with a SVHSC camera sat on a block of foam and taped to the tank touching 150 over the mountain at the MGP that year. I really rated the FZR1000RU EXUP I had in '91 but they seem to be largely forgotten about. Having said all that, it's a strange thing is nostalgia and I wouldn't consider buying any of them today. They were all about the performance back in their day but that was decades ago.

 

Those 90's FireBlades were, and still are, gorgeous, I had a '98 model. I'd happily buy another, if only to look at, but my garage is full atm. If it's in good nick you're always going to get your money back.
The first R1 was also stunning, although I've never ridden one.

 

I fully agree that. 750 FZR in decent shape can be found for very little money. But as you say, we still see them too often with the eyes of the 80s-90s.. Riding those now would be deceptive in all way.

Some bikes still get a "fashion" value. I think about the original Honda DAX.
My father had a ST72, all original, and when he decided to part with, he commissioned my cousin on "la Cote d'Azur (Nice)", and he get crazy money from it... I still regret I was not aware he parted with. And that has nothing to do with the money point.

 

I had a Thunderace in '96 which I reckon was just a stop gap machine prior to Yamaha launching the, then, ground breaking R1 in '98. The Ace was basically a tweaked FZR1000 with new bodywork and was certainly quick but not in the Fireblade class and if I'm completely honest, I regretted selling the Fireblade for. Here's the Ace at the TT in '96:


I don't have many photos of bikes I had back then in the pre-digital/smartphone era!

A BIG + with bikes back then of course is the absence of fancy electronics and a "dealer service" light on the dash.

 

Ironically, the Thundercat pictured broke down about where your picture is taken @Pegscraper 2010.
I had to pull into the layby at like 06.30 on a quick lap, having just landed on the morning ferry

It fired up after a wait and the prognosis was fuel starvation after running it on full chat.
We went down to the Yamaha dealer in Douglas ( Road and Track???).
Bike stripped outside the shop doorway before they even opened up
A new fuel filter fitted and magic

A great week was had.