bike value

I have a '70 commando. I've done a lot of modifying and rebuilding to add updated bearings where the originals were known to fail. perhaps I should post the long list of stuff I have done which is everything from adding rear directionals to a bike that had none, adding a ammeter to the headlight shell, sleeving my amals, keegler mod, breathing mod, headsteady, boyer, dynacoil, total rebuild and on and on...

regardless of all the time and money I have put in to make the bike reliable and handle well, do you think that an original untouched bike in decent shape and no modifications is more valuable (for sale) than a bike like mine that has been used more and modified?

I'm just interested in what the consensus is, and why people think one way or the other... Thanks

The Commando market seems to accept good mods much more than other Classic bikes, all depends on the buyer and what he is aware of. CNW bikes have a premium over unmodified as a case in point.

Speaking for myself if in a buying mood, I prefer a Commando with improvement modifications to the drive train and steel gas tank in place of fiberglass. I don't like deviations from stock appearance or performance mods on the engine. A well set up and ridden machine is preferable to a "collector".

Hi o0norton0o.
When the chap assayed my bike to qualify it regarding historic registration he circled it at 5 paces. His rationale was that only the 'nut counters' would know the difference by getting on hands and knees. If the bike had mag wheels and plastic mudguards then 5 paces was close enough to tell for him. Apart from a now visible breather can, all my mods are discreetly hidden. Your mods would be hard to spot at 5 paces except perhaps for the indicator style.
Ta.

Anything's worth as much as some damn fool will pay for it. There are no set values for stock or modified machines. One look at the 60s=70s muscle car market will tell you that whoever has the money and wants something bad enough will pay way more than actual "worth" and savvy sellers take advantage. You can only place a value on your machine by what other similar bikes are selling for and inflating the price due to extra mods is a crapshoot. Not all buyers are knowledgeable or covet the same things. Some sellers are either ignorant or liars, but that's not to say someone won't give what they ask for things they misrepresent. If you were buying your machine, how much would you pay?

Is it only "dam fools" that buy Commandos?

Some people buy pieces of toast with images of Jesus on them. Some buy neutered $184,000 MotoGP replicas. The damn fool category is all-encompassing. Damn foolery depends on what you pay for what you get.

I was asking a similar question recently:
"How does one assess the "worth" or value of their vintage bike?". I was asking because I want to make certain my 74 Commando (also modded- motor mods, upgrades, & minor cosmetic changes) is adequately insured. Of course, my question was met with similar answers, as witnessed here.

Basically, a 19_ _ Norton Commando is worth X, based on recent sales, and asking prices. One could probably get an insurer to "assess" value, IE tell you what they'll allow by way of coverage with their company. One person responded to my query by saying that modifications make zero difference, that the base value of, say, my 74, remains what it is worth in its base form regardless of whatever mods have been done.

I get it, to some extent- after all a trailer home with a 25,000 dollar kitchen and a 10K bathroom is still a trailer home.

Having said that, my Commando is insured thru Progressive, for an "agreed value" of 10,000 USD. Considering what I've seen lately in terms of asking prices for dead stock, original machines... I'm probably pretty close, considering the mods add little or no $$ value.

BUT that's not to say I have "only" 10 grand invested!

Cheers.

I only ride old bikes I bring back to life. If I run 3 errands on a CB200 at least 1 old guy will stop me to say how cool it is and he had one and what size is mine. That's worth about $10. My RZ500 and Moto Guzzi 254 seem to intimidate people. They look from a distance and rarely do I get asked what the hell i'm riding. My Norton is close to running and it will get all the mods you did. The paint is original blue in good condition which is perfect to me. I'm thinking it will be perceived as friendly and attract a lot of conversation. Its already payed for itself with the excitement from my grandson and his friends streaching legs to show me they can ride it and probly start it if its on the stand. If I get 1 kid in a parking lot waiting to ask what it is and hear it run that will be worth about $1000

thanks for the comments.

Like ricochet, I sense that my rebuilding and modification have only made my bike more valuable to me as the rider. I can see how CNW bikes go for big money based on their track record and reputation. I don't think that sort of valuation applies to bikes restored and rebuilt by nameless individuals like myself. As Danno says, " It's worth what you can get someone to pay" I do go to a local car show every weekend and I see that there are a lot of muscle cars which have more money in them then they are valued at for sale,.... Maybe that hits home a little more because I see it first hand on my own bike

Duh Dudes all cyclling is a bit schizophrenic, one part of our minds believing we are lucky enough to survive and ride and waving at cluster of different brand riders as a stop light then see the dump truck mash most of them not even knowing what hit em. So must schizo apart this value vs investment question > into pure bankster cut throat economics vs what is worth doing for the love of it to share forever more. Pure economics, best part out immediately, period end of story. If only restoring to show room state could be cheap enough to maybe break even on a future sale, but if investing in anything beyond off the shelf numbered items then there is increasing cost for benefit payback ratio and must never expect to get much more for it than a plain jane runner. There is only one schizophrenic resolution when ya find something ya really like Get Two Or More of Them, in this case keep one essentially factory and another as Non Norton as ya can afford to loose your shirt on selling or crashing.

Boaters know its a hole in the water one pours money into to flush away - sheeze.

I have to agree with what others have said about a modded bike being trickier to value. It essentially comes down to a particular buyers preference. Owning a old Land Cruiser, I see it all the time. Some sellers will price their vehicle's sale based a tally of receipts of special doo-dads they put on the truck. Those ones don't normally sell very quick, or at all. I really think that eBay is the best indicator for what people will pay for something, as it is the largest audience/market these days. I usually see that an unmolested original in good condition is always worth more than a similar example that has been messed with in a good way.

For me I see a massive difference between modifying and updating.

If the changes do not deter from a stock appearance and serve to improve the function and usability of the bike then I think they add value. Or at the very least do not lower the value.
Yes some will only ever value a bike that is exactly as it rolled off the assembly line. There are plenty of bikes like that and people that restore for that market. Another market exists for people that still want to ride these bikes and enjoy them on the road.

Would you get the $200 back you spent on an electronic ignition? Maybe. But again, I cant think of many that would be turned off and not buy a bike because of that "mod"

Completely different tune of the person mods because they think some junk on pipeburn is something to look up to. Cutting up, or modifying a bike into a "cafe" or some other form of chopper will never "add value"
The one exception might be for a very high end race bike build, but even then the value is still a fraction of the investment.

For me, when I think about maximizing value or return on investment I tend to focus on having a well sorted rider that can appeal to a wide base.

Then again some want to do their own idea and upgrade versions so again what is fully fettered to one owner is extra clutter to another. Either way do no way do they ever bring what is invested and you are famous and died on it.