Price rises in classic racing motorcycles were predicted by us in this article in 2019 that there is enormous value in racing motorcycles and time has proved us correct. Prices are rising because classic car investors are noticing how under-priced all classic motorcycles are in comparison to the cars. When I wrote that article two years ago I had just acquired Ron Haslam’s championship winning Honda CB1100RB for a customer and the price was surprisingly low. Although the CB1100RB offers incredible value for a homologation special, as you can see in this article about one I bought for myself in this article. Racing motorcycles also offer company owners great opportunities to invest in them through their company, as well as incredible tax efficiencies. As more investors seek greater value, they’re waking up to classic motorcycles being that next big thing. The classic racing motorcycles are vastly under-valued and classic racing cars cannot compete with the bikes for future uplift. Indeed, a championship winning Ducati 916 F4 sold in 2011 for £25,000. That same motorcycle sold in 2016 for £150,000 and then another identical sold last year for €650,000. Those Ducatis offer the most delightful story and will continue to offer great future profits.
Great stories
These motorcycles offer great stories, quite often more exciting than classic racing cars, and there is no left hand drive or hand drive drive. The British manufacturers dominated large capacity motorcycle racing until the 1970s when the Japanese and bijou Italian marques fought galant battles for supremacy. The rivalry between Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts is an iconic struggle between two heroes of two wheels. Mike Hailwood’s victory at the Isle of Man for Ducati was a giant slaying, epic story of mega proportions. The 1970-mid 2000s was an incredible time in motorcycle racing which will never be re-visited again. In my interviews with Ian Falloon which can be found in the right hand column of this link, we discuss how and why the era of Ducati manufacturing motorcycles until 1985, when they were bought by Cagiva, will never be repeated. Watch these videos and understand why this era of motorcycle manufacturing and racing was unique and so incredibly exciting. Once you understand the context of this era, you will understand the stories, the rarity of these motorcycles and why these classic motorcycles are so incredibly undervalued.
Provenance
There is a great difference between the price of a factory racer with provenance and a factory racer. However, factory racers without provenance, if they are genuine, still offer great value and will deliver incredible profits too. Due diligence is everything and any claims about provenance need to be backed up with hard evidence. The racing world is full of people trying to make a quick buck who will tell buyers anything to inflate the price of a rare machine. Proper machines with provenance sell off market, very quietly and the buyers know what they have bought. They have hard evidence and proof that their motorcycle is genuine which is irrefutable. Memorabilia with provenance is also becoming more and more valuable and it also offers a great price point for entry level classic motorcycle investment. Again, though, provenance, evidence and proof is key to motorcycle memorabilia.
Patience delivers profits
Patience delivers profits, as these are buy and hold investments, this is not a game of flipping for a quick shilling. We always make it clear to investors that in five years the investment usually doubles and that after ten years is where the serious money is made. At The Motorcycle Broker, we also add value to the machines our customers buy through us by raising awareness of that motorcycle’s existence to future investors. The more people who discover the joys of classic motorcycle investment, the more people who will want to take part. This creates more demand and there is only a limited number of machines available. As there is more demand for a limited number of motorcycles the prices will increase. Do be aware that this article only applies to investment grade examples, it does not apply in any way to old Bitsas that are not correct.
Which classic racing motorcycles to buy
People often ask me which classic racing motorcycles to buy, so I will try and give a short guide here. The Ducati NCR racers are really good news, as seven years ago one of them sold for US$175,000. At some point the machine that Mike Hailwood won the TT on in 1978 will come to market and it will make history for the price it will be sold for. Once that happens, the price of all NCRs goes up, but make sure it’s a genuine one as most in the market are fakes. Yamaha TZ700/750s, 500 and even 350s all offer incredible value right now and will increase in value over the coming decade. Factory Suzuki RG500s and TR750s offer great value and carry the Barry Sheene history with them. The “unrideable” two strokes of the 1980s-2000 are amazing for offering great value, but many are already into six figures, which includes the Honda RS500 and NSR500. In our own magazine, The Inside Line, we did an issue about the top ten racing motorcycles in which to to invest in 2020. At number ten was the Honda RS250 which has doubled in price since we wrote issue 2 of The Inside Line in September 2020. MV Agusta racing motorcycles from the 1970s are offering great value with plenty of headroom. There are more machines, but these are the ones that are sure fire winners, as they were on the race track.
Where to buy a genuine classic racing motorcycle
At The Motorcycle Broker we have really excellent contacts in racing and our due diligence processes have been beautifully honed through our classic motorcycle brokerage. If you want to buy a classic racing motorcycle raced by Barry Sheene, Wayne Gardner, Carl Fogarty or anything with or without provenance, then Call The Motorcycle Broker on 01803 865166 or 07971 497615, or Email us at [email protected] We are here to help you invest safely in classic motorcycles to ensure the best possible returns and we also have the platform to sell them on your behalf.
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