Commando prices surprising....

Hmmm...I'm now wondering where the interest (age group-wise) is generated in the current retro-style bikes that most manufacturers offer. Is it older riders? If so, must be a lot of them to cause all the major manufacturers to offer retro bikes.

Along those lines I just read that cassette decks are making a comeback (WTF?) and that used cassette decks that sold for X two years ago are selling for 5x that price now. So...whose buying those? Young people? Doesn't make sense to me. Also, reel to reel tape decks are now available new at stunning prices that SOMEBODY must be paying. Again, surely all this can't be older (mostly) guys that wanted one when they were younger... We won't even talk about records/turntables. All seems very strange.
 
MexicoMike said:
Hmmm...I'm now wondering where the interest (age group-wise) is generated in the current retro-style bikes that most manufacturers offer. Is it older riders? If so, must be a lot of them to cause all the major manufacturers to offer retro bikes.
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I think it's because they look like a motorcycle. Think of cars, at least sedans and coupes. There is very little different in their look from the 70s and beyond. Many enhancements, but the look is little changed.

Every time I take a Norton or Triumph out and stop somewhere I get people asking about them. These are people who don't ride, and you can bet they don't approach the modern non-classic bikes. They are even more fascinated when I tell them how old the bike is and that I built it. I related a story a while back about a man and his little girl - you can bet that for her, a Red Norton is what a motorcycle is supposed to be from now on.
 
MexicoMike said:
Hmmm...I'm now wondering where the interest (age group-wise) is generated in the current retro-style bikes that most manufacturers offer. Is it older riders? If so, must be a lot of them to cause all the major manufacturers to offer retro bikes.

Along those lines I just read that cassette decks are making a comeback (WTF?) and that used cassette decks that sold for X two years ago are selling for 5x that price now. So...whose buying those? Young people? Doesn't make sense to me. Also, reel to reel tape decks are now available new at stunning prices that SOMEBODY must be paying. Again, surely all this can't be older (mostly) guys that wanted one when they were younger... We won't even talk about records/turntables. All seems very strange.
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I still have the original Clarion 900E , single knob one , i bought in 85, i fitted it into my 86 F150 with the clarion 300 eqb equalizer booster , Talking about tapes i was cleaning out my late dads shed , and i could probably let you have a 8 track adapter with instruction booklet , for, Hmm lets say ....... $ 400 :) :) :) , found two reel to reels as well , i could be in the money !
 
MexicoMike said:
Hmmm...I'm now wondering where the interest (age group-wise) is generated in the current retro-style bikes that most manufacturers offer. Is it older riders? If so, must be a lot of them to cause all the major manufacturers to offer retro bikes.

Along those lines I just read that cassette decks are making a comeback (WTF?) and that used cassette decks that sold for X two years ago are selling for 5x that price now. So...whose buying those? Young people? Doesn't make sense to me. Also, reel to reel tape decks are now available new at stunning prices that SOMEBODY must be paying. Again, surely all this can't be older (mostly) guys that wanted one when they were younger... We won't even talk about records/turntables. All seems very strange.
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Exotica will always have a market, I guess. On the cassette front, early Nakamichi decks were held in high esteem and would probably make good money now on aesthetics alone. Though any pre recorded tapes from back in the day will probably shed oxide over the heads....
Reel to reel? I had two from Ferrograph machines back in the day, a very early one where the instruction manual was a hardback book, and a late Logic 7. To duplicate that build quality these days must cost a fortune given the limited market?
 
I always understood the reasons why vinyl has regained popularity - The Velvet Underground's 'What goes on' just doesn't sound right at all on digital media! But cassettes???!!!
Maybe pencils will also go up in value as the essential tool to sort out those unfortunate de-spooling incidents?
That said, I still have a cassette deck in the workshop, and it's staying. I can watch it go up in value as my Commandos go down :)
 
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Hopefully the price of all classic British bikes will fall through the floor keeping the investors out and that will leave only the true enthusiast's
 
B+Bogus said:
I always understood the reasons why vinyl has regained popularity - The Velvet Underground's 'What goes on' just doesn't sound right at all on digital media! But cassettes???!!!
Maybe pencils will also go up in value as the essential tool to sort out those unfortunate de-spooling incidents?
That said, I still have a cassette deck in the workshop, and it's staying. I can watch it go up in value as my Commandos go down :)
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Capstan rollers and drive belts are rubber and need a spray shot of rubber care .
 
Speaking of cassette tapes, the owner of the local record store I‘ve been going to for years asked me if I had old cassettes laying around and I said yes. I asked how those were selling and he told me young folks are buying the Schlitz out of these things! Well, I said I have about 100-150 and will trade for nice vinyl which works for me.
If this is what it takes to get young people into good music so be it. I see the modern Triumphs, BSA and RE introducing young folks to old marques then good!!, it will also spark interest in the vintage bikes as long as “ hoarders” that are eighty years old are willing to come off a few and some parts to boot.
 
B+Bogus said:
Popcorn at the ready, as they say.
It's a very high spec, so the price is reflective, I guess.
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I'm not in the market for a mk3 but will watch this one and will post sale price once the auction has concluded
 
KiwiShane said:
I'm not in the market for a mk3 but will watch this one and will post sale price once the auction has concluded
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That’s just a bit over $ 15 k USD if I did the math correctly. I have mine insured for $ 15 k and the insurance actuary was fine with that number .
 
baz said:
Hopefully the price of all classic British bikes will fall through the floor keeping the investors out and that will leave only the true enthusiast's
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Agreed - until it’s time to sell mine . LOL
 
KiwiShane said:
This just got listed in New Zealand
Start bid 25K

Trade Me

www.trademe.co.nz www.trademe.co.nz
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Assuming that it's NDZ and it doesn't go much higher, it not out of range. That's about $15200 USD. It has a lot of expensive upgrades. Little confused about a cNw e-start on a MKIII, especially since it's not a cNw e-start. Still, I sold a rebuilt 74 with the upgrades listed for a bit more a few months which was too little for my effort.
 
Lots of high priced Nortons around but are they getting the money they are asking for them, but prices for any bikes are all going up same as everything, as fuel prices go up people are looking at things that are cheap to run but paying a lot for a classic bike who knows, maybe a collector with to much money, or someone who has always wanted one but didn't want to do the work on it, when I use to look at the prices of Norton's some kept being readvertised over and over again without any bids, plenty of lookers and prob a lot of offers but still readvertised, sometime taken off but readvertise a few weeks or months later.
We all love to get high prices for our bikes when its time to sell, but sometimes it just don't happen and have to rethink the high price, then you get the unrealistic offers from fools or dreamers and tyre kickers.

Ashley
 
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marshg246 said:
Assuming that it's NDZ and it doesn't go much higher, it not out of range. That's about $15200 USD. It has a lot of expensive upgrades. Little confused about a cNw e-start on a MKIII, especially since it's not a cNw e-start. Still, I sold a rebuilt 74 with the upgrades listed for a bit more a few months which was too little for my effort.
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There is a upgrade kit for the original starter.
 
If I were buying, and I'm not, I'd like to know a bit more about what's inside the engine. Nothing mentioned in the advertisement. I thought I heard a bit of piston slap in the walk around video. And the camshafts on those bikes can be an issue.

But it sure looks nice and the quality of the upgrades suggests the owner knows enough to sort the engine/ gearbox too.
 
marshg246 said:
Assuming that it's NDZ and it doesn't go much higher, it not out of range. That's about $15200 USD. It has a lot of expensive upgrades. Little confused about a cNw e-start on a MKIII, especially since it's not a cNw e-start. Still, I sold a rebuilt 74 with the upgrades listed for a bit more a few months which was too little for my effort.
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The last mk3 sold on "trade me" a month ago in NZ for 25K and was basically stock except for a CNW starter kit..it also had a new drive side bottom end engine casing for some reason....I expect the red one will go for 27K plus...watching with interest
 
johnm said:
If I were buying, and I'm not, I'd like to know a bit more about what's inside the engine. Nothing mentioned in the advertisement. I thought I heard a bit of piston slap in the walk around video. And the camshafts on those bikes can be an issue.

But it sure looks nice and the quality of the upgrades suggests the owner knows enough to sort the engine/ gearbox too.
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I thought i heard piston slap as well..lol
They will throw that in for free :)
 
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