Mecum Vegas 1991 V40 Targa

[Rocket Rod]

Hammered at $1000.00 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Incredibly cheap!

[bigbikerrick]

What a cool looking little bike!   
Rick

[DoubleGuzzi]

Sweet! Made for Japanese market, methinks.
What a bargain.

[JJ]

 

[dsrdave]

I would have been all over it at that price. But, it wasn’t in Vegas. Supposedly the shipping was delayed and it would be available for pick up around feb 10 in LA. They had several bikes in the auction with the same situation. I anticipated possible additional issues down the road and I was leaving on the 13th and just didn’t trust the availability date …

[dsrdave]

The ladola sold for $13k. I assume a new high, it was nice!
Every bit as good as the two I restored to a high level. As for the nouveau Falcone, it sold for good money. I assume over the phone or internet as the paint was terrible and a number of things were cobbled on the bike. Someone’s going to be disappointed when they receive it, at least for the price paid

[Tkelly]

What they call an Ambassador 750 sure looks like a v700?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

What they call an Ambassador 750 sure looks like a v700?

'69 was an overlap year, could be a V700 or Ambassador, engine and frame numbers would tell for sure. The earliest Ambassadors were basically just V700s with 54 cc more displacement.

[Turin]

Charlie,

how many of the A-series ambo's do you reckon they cranked out? last I looked there were only 30 or so on the loop list. I love the look of the small tank.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Charlie,

how many of the A-series ambo's do you reckon they cranked out? last I looked there were only 30 or so on the loop list. I love the look of the small tank.

The numbers start with A12001 and end (on the Loop List at least) with A12455. so judging from that it would be 455.

[Moparnut72]

Carl Kiekhaefer, Mercury Marine, didn't do consecutive serial numbers. He didn't want Ole Evinrude to know what the production numbers were. He also in the early days called his motors something other than the actual horsepower. A Super 10 Hurricane was 16 to 18 HP depending on the year, they would clean a 15 HP Evinrude's clock and some 25 HP Big Twins.
kk

[LowRyter]

wow.  it looks like the bottom has fallen out of the vintage bike market except for the most rare collectables.

[Turin]

I wouldn't say that, some other vintage bikes did well. Both loop frames went for around $7,700 and they were what looked to be like very nice riders. If you create an account, you can log in and see all of the results.
It tells me there wasn't much interest in that Targa.

[JJ]

What I found interesting at this years MECUM auction is the 1970's Kawasaki 2-stroke triples, (500 & 750), going for $30K-$40K!!   Are they going to hold their value at that level for the next few years?

Also, restored Triumph Bonneville's, Norton Commando's, BSA 650's that 15 years ago were going for $15K-$18K are now going for $8K-$9K.

Then, there are those little mini Honda 50's and 70's going for $4K-$6K+ all day long! 

[Tkelly]

Folks buying those so-called collectibles will probably never ride them once they need repairs,where the nice Guzzis can be ridden forever.

[LowRyter]

What I found interesting at this years MECUM auction is the 1970's Kawasaki 2-stroke triples, (500 & 750), going for $30K-$40K!!   Are they going to hold their value at that level for the next few years?

Also, restored Triumph Bonneville's, Norton Commando's, BSA 650's that 15 years ago were going for $15K-$18K are now going for $8K-$9K.

Then, there are those little mini Honda 50's and 70's going for $4K-$6K+ all day long! 

  The Kaw Triples have gone nuts over the last 3 years.  I have a buddy (who hasn't owned a bike 55 years) who wanted a '69 Mach 3, he still has the poster.  The first year was always rare and expensive but watching the price rises have been nuts.   There are a local father and son team that restores bikes.  They started with Beemers and Ducs and last time were working Triples, I think they had every mode of 750.  One was restomodded with shiny chrome chambers and claimed 120hp.

[Perazzimx14]

What I found interesting at this years MECUM auction is the 1970's Kawasaki 2-stroke triples, (500 & 750), going for $30K-$40K!!   Are they going to hold their value at that level for the next few years?

Also, restored Triumph Bonneville's, Norton Commando's, BSA 650's that 15 years ago were going for $15K-$18K are now going for $8K-$9K.

Then, there are those little mini Honda 50's and 70's going for $4K-$6K+ all day long! 

It's dependent on what generation has he disposable income and health to buy back their youth.

[dsrdave]

For the past few years the kawi triples brought to mecum have been restored by the same guys doing absolutely fantastic restorations to the highest level. One thing remains constant at the mecum auction is that quality sells and commands a high price!

[cliffrod]

Prices on vintage bikes and parts are generally down or going up much more slowly than in the past.   For example, many of the vintage parts my friends have are no longer listed on eBay because they’re not selling and if they do sell they’re not bringing enough to warrant selling them. Last summer/fall was a crap market, so now their parts are put back into storage in hopes prices might improve later. 

There are only so many people out there who connect with the old bikes and only so many willing to overspend to have them.  vintage & classic bikes are growing ever more expensive and challenging to own in general, which changes the entire dynamic of interest and ownership.

Some bikes are still strong and appreciating, but not like the big-money quick-flip opportunities of the 2000-2020 period.  I think the big 2 stroke bikes will be an exception in terms of general appreciation because that entire concept of a large displacement 2 stroke street bike is NLA and even taboo in the modern age.

[Moparnut72]

I have had a major stash of vintage/classic Mercury Outboard parts. I have sold quite a few of them that I didn't need online. But that was a few years ago, there is not much demand anymore so I cleaned out my stash and gave all of it to another collector. I believe the reasons there are no longer much of a demand for these parts. Collectors for these motors have disappeared substantially due to aging out with younger generations not being interested in these old motors although they are some of the best motors ever built and can be had for little money. Used ones can be reconditioned with very little cost, carburetor reconditioning, fuel pump diaphragm replacement as well as a new water pump impeller. Finally shipping parts especially larger ones like power heads has gotten prohibitively expensive to say nothing of small parts. Sound familar?
kk