price of bikes

[jefft]

Anyone else ever astonished at the price you sometimes see on a custom XS? I know these bikes were priced at around the $2000 range brand new back in the day because I bought several off the showroom floor when they were still being produced. I have seen some chops, cafe, bobberized bikes priced at 4 times the original price and in the case of some of the cafe bikes I have seen, little was done other than a cafe seat added. Of course most don't sell for that much. I know some have spent a lot of time on a build but I just can see it. I have seen more than a few that looked fantastic and I surely would have liked to have owned myself. I have actually bought one of these bikes for $250.00 that required very little to get it back on the road. I guess beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.
jefft

 

[retiredgentleman]

Anyone else ever astonished at the price you sometimes see on a custom XS? I know these bikes were priced at around the $2000 range brand new back in the day because I bought several off the showroom floor when they were still being produced. I have seen some chops, cafe, bobberized bikes priced at 4 times the original price and in the case of some of the cafe bikes I have seen, little was done other than a cafe seat added. Of course most don't sell for that much. I know some have spent a lot of time on a build but I just can see it. I have seen more than a few that looked fantastic and I surely would have liked to have owned myself. I have actually bought one of these bikes for $250.00 that required very little to get it back on the road. I guess beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.
jefft

You can't compare prices from 35 years ago with prices of to-day. Something called inflation erodes the buying power of money. I bought a new Yamaha XS500C back in 1976, and it cost around $1800 Canadian loonies. If that equivalent bike was bought new at a dealer to-day, it would likely cost between $8000 and $9000.

So, the $2000 you mentioned is actually equivalent to about $9000 to-day.

You say you have seen modified bikes from the 1970's and 1980's priced at 4 times the original price. That means you have seen bikes priced at $8000. The key word is "priced", and is not the same as the "sold" price. You can list your jazzed up chopper/cafe for any amount you want, but what the market will pay is completely different.

One of the members on this site has a very nice, cafe type, XS650 bike for sale for $6500, but as far as I know he has no buyers. He said the build of his bike cost more than the $6500, and he would take a loss to sell it at that price.

These bikes are just like custom cars and trucks. You can pour a lot of money into them, and you will end up with a very nice vehicle. However, don't expect to recover every penny you put into them. A portion of the money put into these bikes is just for the enjoyment of the hobby. This is not a hobby to make a profit at, buying and selling whole bikes.

If you compare your $250 bike to the one I mentioned above listed at $6500, you will see a considerable difference.

 

[jefft]

Point taken but still remember the $2000 dollar new motorcycle you compare to back in the day that you say is equilivant to $8000 dollars today, is no longer new but 30-40 years old.
jefft

 

[jd750ace]

When I graduated high school, a 4 door car still cost around 10K, and cars cost more than pickup trucks. Today, a decent 4WD pickup is 40K and I can buy a "big" (there's really no such thing anymore) 4-door for under 30, but both will be disappointing for the money. Also, milk was 1.05 a gallon, and so was gas! Both are currently around $3.25 a gallon in Texas.

 

[avenue]

A portion of the money put into these bikes is just for the enjoyment of the hobby. This is not a hobby to make a profit at, buying and selling whole bikes.

the amount of money I've spent on my first project, while it's far more than I originally had thought, is still a lot less cash than most people spend on other hobbies. hunting, bicycles, gardening, yoga, model train building, beer drinking, guns, TV watching.

a few thousand dollars, maybe less maybe more, spread out over years of wrenching/riding enjoyment seems like a pretty good value to me.

 

[Paulrxs650]

Astonishing! - You should try the UK:

20% VAT (value added tax) on just about everything bar food
70 % tax on petrol at the pump which means our petrol costs the equivelent to $10 per gallon
My new BMW X5 cost the equivelent of $85,000
Road tax - Complimentery pot of vaseline required for an X5 $750 per year (non of which gets spent on the roads)

I used to live in Texas for a while, and do I hark to go back

 

[XSLeo]

You may have bought your bike for $250 and spent very little to get it to run well. A lot of those high priced very modified bikes may have cost less than you paid before a few years of work on them. Even at minimum wage three years of 8 hour days add up.
Even after just a year the cost can be over $15000.
You can never recoup that cost if you sell one, but getting back your money on the parts is pretty much impossible.
Leo

 

[tbrenan]

I just purchased a 1980 bike in Washington state, for $3000.00, frame powder coated, rebuilt front end, electrics sorted out, new harness, lights, tires, tank cleaned and interior coated, carbs rebuilt, rear shock springs replaced, new Ion battery, etc etc.

This bike has had all the picky things done to it that I am capable of doing but do not have the time, I work away from home and when home do not want to fiddle around with repairs, all that left for me is seat, and a smaller headlight.

I added up the price of the parts from MikesXS web and I figure I got a hell of a deal!!!!!