Retiring from Norton ownership

How dare you think like that, so you not a lifer, after 47 years of owning and building mine it will be with me forever, I am just a true sucker and I can still kick it to life, but the Joe Hunt maggie and the T160 kicker helps with first kick every time, couldn't live without it, its been my life since I was 17.
Kicking a bike to life is a dying art, everyone wants to take the easy way of life, not me I am still old school in everything I do even when I also own a modern Thruxton with push button start but I get more thrill going out on my old Norton and just love it so much even if its showing its age, just like me and the first day I rode it out the door of the dealership all them years ago, on a brand new 74 Norton Commando and a big grin on my face.
I will never get paroled as I am a true lifer.

Ashley
 
I guess everyone has a different point where they want to head in another direction, and good luck to you in whatever you take up next, but as I click over to 70 my plan is to fit an electric start to the "S" I'm building and finally get my finger out and finish my Mk3. I don't think there's a better mix of manageable weight, smoothness and power than you can get with a Commando and with the numerous disc brake upgrades available it's also possible to make them stop as well as any modern.
 
They are worth less every day. And selling isn't as easy as it was. Maybe some of us are getting younger but it ain't me!
Look at online auctions, there are lots of restored 50s and 60s bikes on offer. What will happen to them in ten years?
 
Onder said:
They are worth less every day. And selling isn't as easy as it was. Maybe some of us are getting younger but it ain't me!
Look at online auctions, there are lots of restored 50s and 60s bikes on offer. What will happen to them in ten years?
Click to expand...
Yep prices of our bikes are falling as the generations move on
This should sort out the "what's it worth" and the "matching numbers" people
 
Onder said:
They are worth less every day. And selling isn't as easy as it was. Maybe some of us are getting younger but it ain't me!
Look at online auctions, there are lots of restored 50s and 60s bikes on offer. What will happen to them in ten years?
Click to expand...
When I bought mine they were in the worthless class.
 
cash said:
When I bought mine they were in the worthless class.
Click to expand...
I started riding Brits in the early '80s because they were cheap, and the fashionable mindset was 'Jap is best'.

Classic bike prices - as with a lot of other 'luxury goods' are on a low at the moment, but having watched for the last 40 years, they fluctuate, but generally rise overall.
The last Commando I sold went for more than the previous one, and it was going in some guy's front room.

One thing I have noticed is - in the UK at least - restoration project prices are going up all the time.
I'm coming to the conclusion that I would do far better to offer my bikes in kit form!
 
B+Bogus said:
I started riding Brits in the early '80s because they were cheap, and the fashionable mindset was 'Jap is best'.

Classic bike prices - as with a lot of other 'luxury goods' are on a low at the moment, but having watched for the last 40 years, they fluctuate, but generally rise overall.
The last Commando I sold went for more than the previous one, and it was going in some guy's front room.

One thing I have noticed is - in the UK at least - restoration project prices are going up all the time.
I'm coming to the conclusion that I would do far better to offer my bikes in kit form!
Click to expand...
I agree, prices are in a dip currently, so it’s a bad time to sell… and a good time to buy ! So unless the money is needed now, I’d suggest holding on.

I don’t see the dip continuing. But I don’t see never ending increases continuing either, perhaps prices will ‘stabilise’.

I also think that it’s easy to think that cos all your mates are old, the customer base is ‘reducing’. But, they will be replaced by other old guys !

I was 17 in 1985. All of my classic bikes are older than that, so I do not believe that the only people who buy classic bikes are those trying to re live their youth by buying what was new at the time. As I’ve argued before, if that was the case there’d be no market for Bruffs and the youngest Vincent riders would be 85 !

So yes, I do think the market will change, perhaps prices will stabilise, perhaps the usage patterns will change, etc. But I believe the market will always be there and personally as the world moves to inter connected EVs that will become little more than I Phones on wheels, I believe this will actually help the market in quirky, interesting, classic / historic fossil burners.

I‘d suggest that Japan is a case in point. Japan is a very tech savvy culture and produces some of the most finely engineered motorcycles ever. Yet there is a very healthy classic bike scene there.

But… we shall have to wait and see.
 
Fast Eddie said:
I agree, prices are in a dip currently, so it’s a bad time to sell… and a good time to buy ! So unless the money is needed now, I’d suggest holding on.

I don’t see the dip continuing. But I don’t see never ending increases continuing either, perhaps prices will ‘stabilise’.

I also think that it’s easy to think that cos all your mates are old, the customer base is ‘reducing’. But, they will be replaced by other old guys !

I was 17 in 1985. All of my classic bikes are older than that, so I do not believe that the only people who buy classic bikes are those trying to re live their youth by buying what was new at the time. As I’ve argued before, if that was the case there’d be no market for Bruffs and the youngest Vincent riders would be 85 !

So yes, I do think the market will change, perhaps prices will stabilise, perhaps the usage patterns will change, etc. But I believe the market will always be there and personally as the world moves to inter connected EVs that will become little more than I Phones on wheels, I believe this will actually help the market in quirky, interesting, classic / historic fossil burners.

I‘d suggest that Japan is a case in point. Japan is a very tech savvy culture and produces some of the most finely engineered motorcycles ever. Yet there is a very healthy classic bike scene there.

But… we shall have to wait and see.
Click to expand...
I disagree on it being a dip
I believe it's a decline
The bruffs,Vinnie's and maybe a couple of others always seem to gain value or at least remain stable
But I believe the others will not
Take a look at the classic car market
The sale price for any car with running boards has plummeted
I bought my trident from a German collector in 2018
He was selling his classic bikes because of the fall in the market out there
There has been dips in the past due to recessions but I believe this is different
Time will tell
 
robs ss said:
Unless you need the money from the sale - don't do it.
Your frame of mind may change to where you'd regret selling.
Cheers and best wishes
Click to expand...
Exactly what happened to me when I was negotiating for a vintage Ducati a few years ago - when it came down to it, he couldn't let go, and while it was a bit frustrating (to put it mildly), I couldn't get mad with him, as I though he was daft for selling in the first place!
 
All the age of rider thing aside, what is going to put the nails in the coffin is the availability and price of petrol. If petrol gets to a point, and it will, that going electric is just too attractive, then it is game over. Price of fuel depends on supply and demand and also cost of production. At some point that critical mass will be lost and it will not be worth keeping the huge petrol supply machine alive.
Many of us here were alive in 1955. Think railways and coal. They went everywhere and steam and coal were part of daily life. Now railways are only viable in the highly populated areas, steam is what comes off the kettle and coal
makes oil look positively green.
I won't add any further examples such as sailing ships!
Time to go for a bike ride despite the fact that it is 52F at midday and they are still ploughing so the roads will be
less than attractive!
 
ashman said:
How dare you think like that, so you not a lifer, after 47 years of owning and building mine it will be with me forever, I am just a true sucker and I can still kick it to life, but the Joe Hunt maggie and the T160 kicker helps with first kick every time, couldn't live without it, its been my life since I was 17.
Kicking a bike to life is a dying art, everyone wants to take the easy way of life, not me I am still old school in everything I do even when I also own a modern Thruxton with push button start but I get more thrill going out on my old Norton and just love it so much even if its showing its age, just like me and the first day I rode it out the door of the dealership all them years ago, on a brand new 74 Norton Commando and a big grin on my face.
I will never get paroled as I am a true lifer.

Ashley
Click to expand...
What's this about a T160 kicker?
 
Just a note: that kicker will not fit if you are using a TTI box. Pisses me off as I could use that extra inch
of lever.
 
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