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When Motus went belly up, the dealer who sold me mine tried to convince me "in 40 years it will be like a Vincent Black Shadow!"I hope he's right but I have my doubts. There will be very few gearheads around in 40 years. I know I won't be. A pristine 40 year old iPhone will sell for a million bucks. Some femsickle will have it in a glass case and throw parties to show it off to zir's friends.When I offered to put him on a dirt bike, my nephew said "No, they're too dangerous." He didn't even look up from his video game.Generational ennui.
I talked to a gentleman from England earlier this year who bought a 1979 Yamaha XT500 from the US and had it shipped to his home in England. I asked him on why in the world he would buy a XT500 from the US and then had to pay shipping and import fees, and he stated that the Yamaha XT500's available in Europe were on average 3X the cost of a US bike, and most European models were actually used, and were therefor high milage bikes and most were in need of a full restoration.
When Motus went belly up, the dealer who sold me mine tried to convince me "in 40 years it will be like a Vincent Black Shadow!"I hope he's right but I have my doubts. There will be very few gearheads around in 40 years. I know I won't be. ......When I offered to put him on a dirt bike, my nephew said "No, they're too dangerous." He didn't even look up from his video game.Generational ennui.
Over the last few years, I have sold a few low-miles refreshed/preserved Hondas, and five project Honda 305 Superhawks (ranging from 1965-1967) to Dave Silver Spares, who shipped them all to the UK, where they were promptly listed for sale for 2-3X what they paid me for them. The price they paid me was fair market value in the US too.
I was born in Germany and moved to the US back in 1984. My brother (in Germany) keeps on telling me jokingly to buy him a Harley over here in the US and send it to him as a Christmas gift, since like you already stated, the bikes here in the US are so much cheaper to buy then in Europe. Andy
Do European countries have the same Do European countries have the same rules about imports from the USA?Lannis
It’s probably not as difficult for in terms of regulations (Europe had no uniform vehicle regulations until recently, and there are still national differences between small countries, making flexibility necessary) But it is much more costly - for example you would pay roughly 20% VAT plus an my applicable duty on any import from outside the EU.
Wonder why either of these two amazing specimens haven't been mentioned yet?
Try finding a nice FZR 400..
Don't forget the little Guzzi cruiser, too. Actually I think they will be collectors, not worth a bank but unique.Just like that ugly Suzuki Madura, it's kinda cool now. Anything that wasn't sold in volume gets cool over time.My opinion is it's gotta be bone stock or at least keeps the parts to make it stock again. No sawing or drilling!
Madura?Kinda cool now? NOPE! Sorry, all those little fuel-tank pointed up at a 45 degree angle, tall spindly fork cruisers were ugly, no... make that UGLY!
I don't know, maybe it's just me but I liked them then and think they're kinda cool now. I even bought a brand new Suzuki GS450L for $1,400 in 1985!
I get it. My statements above are absolutely, MY tastes. But, hey, that's why there are lots of different styles of bikes (and most everything else for that matter). If they were all the same, the world would utile agreebe a boring place.
As I've said before, each generation (including ours) tends to think of itself as the last generation that are real men and that last that will do anything that's worth a toot.Come to the Potomac Riders show January 27th in York PA. There'll be hundreds if not thousands of young people among us old silverbacks, looking over old dirtbike parts boxes and carcasses and oohing and aahing over Bultacos and BSAs .... Nobody lying on sofas with an Xbox there!Lannis
Thanks for the invite, Lannis. I probably can't make it but it would do me good to get out of the office environment in which I'm presently toiling. Being surrounded by 30 year old gender-neutrals who can type 200 wpm with their thumbs and call their moms when they get a flat tire in their electric car is affecting my attitude.
Not for nothing, but why would we assume those demographics would be a hot-bed of gearheads?Though you might find one there, wouldn't you more likely find more in an engineering environment or technical trades? I know there are exceptions, and you may find a motorcycle enthusiast in any profession, but I would certainly expect fewer in some than others, a lot fewer in some.
Software development is a technical trade and is the environment in which I spend an inordinate amount of time. My current title is automation engineer. So, here's me, the technical engineer, surrounded by the demographic I described. I would expect to find more riders in a mechanical engineering sort of workplace. I never assumed IT would be a hotbed of gearheads but I will never be comfortable in an environment where most of the people can't wait for driverless cars to become predominant so they can watch videos all the way to work. Those people will definitely not be the market for future classic motorcycles. That's all I'm saying.