Classic Jap bikes are increasing greatly in value

akaniva, Jan 30, 8:53am
Just look here on TM, what is going on here:

Kawasaki H2 750 bidding already at $16,000 with 4 days to go.
Suzuki T500 $5,500 sold
Honda XR500Z sold for $4,150
Hinda SL125 $3,210 sold
Honda CBX bidding at $9,500
Suzuki TS185 bidding at $1,210 already

When a '59 Triumph Bonneville timewarp sells for $39,000 or so, it makes a nice original '72 Z1 look like good value at $15,000. I know which I'd rather have - the 'King of the Road' of course, wobbles and all.

It wasn't that long ago that a mint H2 would get $10,000 and a very nice Titan $4,000.

I'd better hurry up and find an H2 before they start selling for $20,000. The blue '72 are the best I reckon. The first time I rode one was my friend's and a cop pulled me up after about the first minute after I fanged away in a cloud of smoke to 60mph in second.he was OK though as he understood that I was just clearing it out. Went on to do 19 miles in 15 minutes around Remuera and the motorway.and it would pull strongly from 30 in top too. I didn't want to give it back.

sifty, Jan 30, 9:12am
it's an age thing. People are now at an age where they have some cash and are hankering after the bikes they wanted in their youth. Sad thing is I am seeing bikes in classic bike mags now that I have owned.

Makes one feel a tad ancient.

sifty, Jan 30, 9:12am
it's an age thing. People are now at a stage where they have some cash and are hankering after the bikes they wanted in their youth. Sad thing is I am seeing bikes in classic bike mags now that I have owned.

Didn't think I was that old, but it makes one feel a tad ancient.

slarty45, Jan 30, 10:15am
bought a low k mint Titan in 1980 $900
long legs in its day for a 500

mm12345, Feb 1, 4:47am
$18,500 - and still not at reserve.
This should scale up quite nicely, but assuming reserve is $20k, at $6666 per cylinder, then it would be a bit expensive:
http://jalopnik.com/5294379/48+cylinder-kawasaki-pushes-boundaries-of-sanity.
I'm an old ex Kawasaki triple owner (from the '70s).The tinnitus in my ears these days has a 3 cylinder induction howl to it, and the arthriticky wrists from having my bones smashed from trying to hold on to one of these beasts when it got into a 100mph tankslapper on a country road gives me gyp.

akaniva, Feb 1, 5:58am
Yes induction howl is definitely a good thing. My ZZR1100 had a really loud induction throb, sadly engineered out now on the new bikes from what I've heard. It was too loud and penalising the sound tests.

countrypete, Feb 1, 8:39am
akaniva wrote:
Just look here on TM, what is going on here:

Kawasaki H2 750 bidding already at $16,000 with 4 days to go.

People are apt to bid up to within 15% of reserve just to see what the reserve is, and knowing that if they are the leading bidder thay have no obligation to buy.Doesn't mean that they would actually pay that for it.

countrypete, Feb 1, 8:41am
I had two GT750s a few years back with consecutive frame numbers. Both runners in good original condition.Sold them at the Hamilton swap meet about six years ago for $4500 the pair.Hmmmm , hindsight.

countrypete, Feb 1, 8:42am
And they were the original "J" model too.

cocabowla, Feb 1, 9:21am
some of the cbx 1000's having been fetching $15k plus.

the big suzuki's are still surprisingly cheap , ie gs1000,gsx1100 though dare say a sweet gs1000sn or gsx1100xx black piper would start pushing the prices up

oliver6, Feb 1, 9:39am
I owned 2 of the J models from new, and an H2, a Mac 3, an S2, an A7 Avenger, a T350, and a Titan. My brother had a 69 CB750. Between us my brothers and I now own 18 bikes and have had many in between over the last 40 years.

crosis_nz, Feb 1, 10:33am
Ah the old triples! I know it has been too long since I had my Kamikaze Kwacker as the other day I remembered fondly how it tried to kill me on every corner until I had a steering damper fitted. After fitting this of course it became only every other corner! Luckily i wasnt the one riding it through the parapara when the middle cylinder melted at speed and locked everything solid.

Yes now I think about it I have decided to miss my old Z1-R instead.

specialk11, Feb 1, 8:27pm
Try buying a RG500.very rare and expensive, definitely a collectors item

mark.52, Feb 2, 1:36am
I bought a H1E, in about '82, and it cost $1500. Very good condition, nice runner, until I killed it.

That was one fun bike to ride. Horrendous fuel consumption, though.

specialk11, Feb 2, 4:01am
That's a pretty tidy example mate.That bike could only appreciate in value.

jmma, Feb 2, 5:59am
I will keep my GB 400tt then (o:

gunhand, Feb 2, 6:39am
Awesome bike in there day those things, When your not used to strokers and power bands it can give you a we fright lol.
Mate of mine has had one since new. They wear out pistons and things all to often and some parts now are nigh on impossable to source although the webby has made things slighty easier.

satanschill, Feb 5, 10:19am
Well i have a RG 400 1985 In pieces to rebuild its going to be much fun when it goes

specialk11, Feb 5, 11:55pm
The exhilaration of hitting power band on a large 2 stroke is better than sex.

akaniva, Feb 6, 1:18am
I had a '73 Yamaha SC500 MX bike, with a massive powerband that made it exhilarating to nail again and again. Nice power wheelies too even in top. Best place is the beach for these beasts, smooth wide open spaces.

mtrsport, Feb 6, 6:06am
My mates got a very sad [ But complete ] old RZ 350that was left behind by the old home owner 10 years ago.whats that worth , and yes it runs , cough cough ahhh smoke scared chidren

cocabowla, Feb 6, 8:11am
theyre capable of getting good money now, think i've seen a few sell of late so check expired auctions

mm12345, Feb 7, 6:06am
Not if you do it right.Perhaps you should take riding lessons.