When looking at a classic motorcycle for investment, the first year of production is usually the most expensive and most sought after. For example, the Honda CB750 took the world, and Kawasaki, by surprise, in 1969. The first year of Honda’s CB750 was known as the Honda CB750K0. The model ran for seven years, culminating with the Honda CB750K6. There was a K7, but although reasonable looking, is nowhere near as valuable as the K0-K6 models.
aki and release their four cylinder four stroke, just weeks ahead of their rival, if they sandcast the engine cases, head and barrel. Most British motorcycles used to sandcast their cases, which was one of the reasons why they leaked oil. Honda produced 7,400 sandcast CB750K0s and later in 1970, they managed to die cast their entire motors adding a further 37,000 die cast K0 models to the first year of production to the CB750.
The most sought after Honda CB750 is the sandcast, they are far more expensive and valuable than any other of these models, due to their rarity and place in history. However, the sandcast engines are very fragile which is exacerbated with age. Many already have crank case damage which has been well covered up, but not properly repaired, and this can lead to a total loss of the motor if not dealt with correctly. So, if you want to ride your classic Honda CB750K0, then the sandcast is not for you, unless it has been stripped and built by Sandcast experts. Also, it has been reported that, the mains bearings were rather rubbish and gave up on these early engines. Although we have had no personal experience of this.
If you are lucky enough to find one of the 37,000, or so, CB750K0s which are die cast engines, such as the one on this website at then this is a great ride-able, oil-tight classic CB750K0. I did have a beautiful Honda CB750K6 (1976) in gold, which was immaculate and cost me €1,500 in 2008 (I was told I was crazy paying that much for one at that time but it was just splendid), or a third of the price of a sand cast (in 2006). I loved that bike, rode it, enjoyed it and it was just as much fun as my CB750K0. In fact it was more pleasurable to ride, because parts cost less and were more freely available. Also, it drew crowds everywhere I went and the differences were so minor to the K0. The K0 had a silver front brake calliper, the K6 has a black one. The K1 had a colour coded air box, the K1-K6 has a black one. There were slight differences in the petrol tank, petrol tank graphics, the exhausts, the seat, the front mudguard, mirrors and other barely noticeable points of interest. But they are just points of interest, the bikes themselves are barely indistinguishable by the untrained eye.
Because of the value and cost of parts of the K0 was so much higher and parts so much harder to come by, riding the motorcycle was quite worrying. Every time I went into a corner on Dartmoor, I would back off, just in case I hit some animal droppings, or something else that could cause me to drop the bike. Riding it has become quite a tense process, rather than a grin a minute like my old CB750K6. I have found that very high value motorcycles are hard work to ride, compared to lower value machines whereby parts are less expensive and easier to source. It’s just the trauma of damage to the machine is always there lurking in the back of my mind. But that is just a personal problem for me, as I love riding my classic motorcycles. I did have some wonderful journeys on my old Honda CB750K0 die cast. One from South Devon to the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum https://sammymiller.co.uk in Hampshire, was incredible, on what was probably the only hot, sunny weekend in 2012. Many people are happy just to own these machines, but I do love to ride them. In another piece on this site, Kawasaki Z900A5. Original or Updated? you can read about my joy in riding this stunning Kawasaki Z900A5.
What is clear is that the Honda CB750 K0 Sandcast will match the Vincent Black Shadow, or Brough Superior for price in the coming decades. So too will the Kawasaki Z1 900, as both machines hold an unmatched place in motorcycle history and will prove to be immense investments. The 1972 Kawasaki Z1 900 is always just ahead of the Honda Sandcast in terms of price, probably because it was just a little more iconic in terms of design and much rarer. Just watch prices of Honda CB750 Sandcasts and 1972 Kawasaki Z1 900s move from £16,000 to over £30,000 within ten years of writing this article. The market, at the moment is somewhat confusing, as investment grade examples are often not much more expensive than some very pretty looking non-investment grade examples. Over time this will change and the market will divide and split with the cream rising to the surface and the investment grade motorcycles will command far higher prices than the other machines on offer. This will play out over the coming decade and will then accelerate as more money flows into the market.
At the moment Triumph T120s, Nortons and a whole host of British motorcycles can command whatever owners wish price wise. But the market is aggressively changing and they made a lot of British motorcycles which were exported worldwide, so there is a great supply of restored examples. The Japanese made far fewer of their super bikes and investment grade examples are almost impossible to find. The owners of these British motorcycles are reaching the ends of their lives and there are less and less buyers each day for the vast numbers of machines available globally. But these Japanese machines are much rarer and there are more and more buyers for them daily. Over the next thirty years as the people who grew up with them find their children leaving home and offering such motorcyclists a new life of freedom. Another area of the market, which will eventually get noticed, is classic racing motorcycles. They have been so overlooked and offer incredible value. With Yamaha TZ750s now selling for £20,000 these will triple in value over the coming decade as people do not understand how few original machines are left worldwide. They also have a fantastic history. Carl Fogarty’s championship winning 916 sold for less than £30,000 and this will rocket to several hundred thousand before the end of the decade. These machines are so undervalued.
Whatever your reason for owning any of these stunning machines, whether as an alternative investment, a source of nostalgia, to protect your money from impending bank collapse, or just because you love them and want to ride your classic motorcycle for as many miles as possible. All of these bikes, whatever your classic motorcycle budget, an emerging market Japanese classic motorcycle is a solid investment, fantastic value for money and great fun.
For investment grade classic motorcycles that will appreciate in value, call The Motorcycle Broker, as we have the data to predict the upcoming trends of the classic motorcycle investment market.
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