The best classic motorcycles to invest in 2023 Part 1 covers only the Ducati bevel drives, as there are too many to fit into one article. The British bikes of yesteryear are mostly dying on their feet and the Japanese and Italian classic motorcycles of the 1970s onwards are blazing a trail. We wrote an article Price Drivers of Italian and Japanese Classic Motorcycles predicting this back in 2015 and now that prediction has become the reality of the market and that article explains why. The focus is on safe bets as trying to predict, with only a few exceptions, is speculation. We are investment brokers, not speculation brokers. We’re often being asked about every single bike after 2000, but classics are classics. The latest we really go is the Ducati Desmosedici, except for in exceptional circumstances. Many of the machines we’re recommending are well known classics, but we know they have a lot of pressure under the prices. We are only recommending buying the top 8% which are investment grade classic motorcycles, anything less will languish at eBay prices. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
1974 Ducati 750SS green frame
Of course this is a very well-known and well preforming classic Italian motorcycle, but it is seriously under-valued. The 1974 Ducati 750SS green frame is heading towards, and well into, seven figures over the next decade. These are the Ferrari 250 GTO of classic motorcycles and records were broken in 2022 for an exceptional example when it sold off-market. It’s now a matter of time before records are broken at a public auction for an investment grade example and that will really start to move prices on. This article Buying a 1974 Ducati 750SS Green Frame clearly tells you more about these incredible classic motorcycles, but buyer beware! Green frames are often faked or one machine split into two identical motorcycles using the original frame for one and the original engine for the other. One is exported to one country and the other to another country and one becomes two. People are building replicas using the cheaper Ducati 750 GT frame and modifying the GT heads to convert them to Desmodromic valve operation. The 750SS was built for only one year in 1974 and is covered in unique parts. Without these unique parts the machine has little value to collectors, as it will be almost impossible to acquire those elusive parts. There are several hundred green frame owners all looking for the same parts and they only really made enough of those parts for the production run of 401 machines when they were being built. It’s great if the bike is on the registries, but it could be that the bike on the registry was split into two. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
Ducati 750 Sport
The round case Ducati 750 Sport is a diamond of a motorcycle, like the entire round case range of motorcycles are. You can read our Ducati 750 Sport Road Test how this motorcycle will make you feel like James Bond and, like the green frame, is a work of art in its own right. Like green frames, there are many converted GTs and for the very rare Z Stripe you will need professional help in acquiring a genuine investment grade example. The Z Stripe is quite like a green frame and so many are fakes. All of these machines require a great deal of work, especially as there are so few people who can work on these motorcycles. The time to do the work on these round case Ducatis is right now, as it is only going to become more expensive than it already is. In spite of green frame values, the 750 Sport is destined to substantially increase in value over the coming years because it is a work of art and an incredible motorcycle in its own right. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
Ducati 750GT
The round case Ducati 750GT is one of the best “sit up straight” road motorcycles ever built, as you can read in this Ducati 750 GT road test. The entire Ducati round case series will clearly offer incredible returns on investment and great joy of ownership. They are reliable once set up correctly and immense fun to ride, so they will offer so much in so many ways to prospective owners. Like the green frame and the 750 Sport, now is the time to do the work they undoubtedly need, regardless of how pretty they look in the showroom. These are like 1920s Bugatti bevel drives in so many ways. There will never be a time again when motorcycle engines are made like this, as Ducati made losses on every single motorcycle they made until 1985 when the bevel drives ceased production. They were a masterpiece of engineering and the entire round case series took one and a half days to build when new in the factory. Visually the motor itself is a work of art and I can’t think of many motors that inspire such guile when not running. Brough, Vincent, Crocker and some Harley engines are incredibly beautiful but none, other than the Crocker, deliver such outstanding performance. Prices of the 750 GT are destined to sky rocket and now is a great time to embark on 750GT ownership and to enjoy riding the wheels off them. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
1975 Ducati 750SS and 900SS
The 1975 Ducati 750SS and 900SS was the first year of production for the square case motor, which replaced the round case series. Ducati built 246 900SS and 249 750SSwhich, if you want one of each, makes them rarer than a green frame. These are first year of production of a race winning series of motors which are exceptionally rare, offers investors the ingredients of a pure classic. They are also stunning looking machines sharing the same frame as a green frame and covered in unique components. The 1975 had the fibreglass Imola style tank, like the green frame, and they were only produced for one year….like the green frame. Although prices are strong, they’re less than half the price of a green frame….for now. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
1976 Ducati 900SS and 750SS
Between 1976 and 1977 Ducati only made about 1300 of the 750 and 900SS square case. Although they changed the frame, switched to left hand gear change and homologated these machines, there were several unhomolgated examples the Bologna factory put out in these two years. Early chassis numbers command quite a premium and there is confusion about what defines them. These unhomologated and homologated examples are basically the same motor as the 1975 model and after 1978 Ducati tamed the motors and also made them less fragile. Finding a 1976 or 1977 Ducati 900SS or 750SS is a serious challenge. So many were raced or ridden so hard that they destroyed the original motor and just added another from another motorcycle sourced through the vast network of breakers yards of that era. These 1976 and 77 models are destined to chase hard on the heels of the 1975 750SS and 900SS and will seriously increase in value. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
Ducati 750SS and 900SS 1978 to 1982
The Ducati 750 and 900SS 1976 to 1982 really do offer great value and are iconic Italian classic motorcycles. These are stunning Italian classic motorcycles and vary wildly in price according to the year of manufacture and a few other factors. Like all of these classic motorcycles, only investment grade examples will deliver returns and machines which require work are destined to empty your pockets, it’s better to go for one that is investment grade already. This is pretty much true for all classic motorcycles, as restoration costs often outstrip present day values of an investment grade example. The 750GT round case will increase in value seriously over the coming years and finding investment grade examples is beyond challenging and restoring them is a very expensive process indeed. Now is the time to get into round case ownership as prices will go stratospheric in the coming years. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
Early Mike Hailwood Replicas
Early Mike Hailwood Replicas are touted as the next green frame, but this only applies to the first one hundred and fifty or so. The series ones after the first hundred and fifty do command a premium over the rest of the series, but they did make over 6,000 Hailwood Reps in total. These first one hundred and fifty are very much like prototypes with unique parts which set them apart. Many experts believe that these early examples will prove to be another green frame, prices are certainly much higher than for later examples. They certainly offer great value and will increase in value substantially. If you want to acquire an investment grade Ducati bevel drive, contact The Motorcycle Broker, you can email us on [email protected] or call 01364 649027 or 07971 497615. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
916 SP and 996 SPS
These have been performing so well for many reasons as we explained in the article Investing in a Ducati 916 SP or 996 SPS back in 2019. Since that article prices have increased substantially and for good reason, as explained, and they are now starting to take off. They do nearly always require quite a bit of work, due to age, as you can read about in Ducati 916 All Need Work Due to Age we wrote in 2021. In many of our blogs we have predicted 916 SP and 996 SPS price rises extremely accurately and highly recommend buying them now with the work done to stay ahead of the curve. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
Ducati 851 SP and 888 SP series
Although much rarer than the 916 Sp and 996 SPS series, these are yet to catch them up on price, but they will certainly do so in the coming years. Some of the more unicorn versions of these are already hitting six figures, which gives an indication of where prices for this series of machines will go. We pointed out what great value an 851 or 888 SP can offer in the article we wrote Investing in the Ducati 851 and 888 SP series back in 2020. Since then demand has risen and is becoming stronger as each week passes. Finding investment grade examples is much harder than finding investment grade 916 SPs, although that is seriously challenging. These bikes had a long period when they held little value and had very tough lives. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
Buy an investment grade Ducati
If you want to buy an investment grade Ducati, contact The Motorcycle Broker, you can email us on [email protected] or call 01364 649027 or 07971 497615. To read the full version of this article, click the link here and subscribe free to The Inside Line. Once logged in, go to market analysis and scroll to the end of the page where you can find a much more detailed and longer version of this article.
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