No meat left on the bone

[dontwantapickle]

I have been buying, fixing and selling bikes for over 40 years, but the game has obviously changed.

Now.... it seem that everyone thinks that their junkers are worth their weight in gold.
( Thanks stupid american pickers TV show).

Craigslist has decent condition . running Goldwings for around $2500.
However, all of the project / fixer upper Wings that I see are over $1000.

These old bikes always need the same thing to bring them back to life:
carbs, battery, tires, brakes, fluids, belts, water pump, cosmetics, etc....

The investment in getting these old motorcycles back on the road is just too high to be able to quickly "flip" one for a profit.
Bummer, because they are great bikes, just no resale value.

Where is the money in these things? it's not in parting them out because there are zillions of them out there,
and it definitely isn't in restoration.

Rant Complete.

[CYBORG]

They are harder to find at a price that allows flipping for a profit. But often a conversation with the seller, making him aware of what you are trying to do, and the cost involved, a deal can sometimes be reached. But I agree, it has become much harder

[desertrefugee]

The funny thing is, the game changes that you refer to really only happened in the last 10 years or so. It happened very quickly. And it is not just American pickers. Them and others like them.

[wingrider]

There is an 80 or 81 covered in cobwebs on our local Marketplace for $500...but I do agree, most project bikes are going for a lot more money than they ever had before.

[flyin900]

The same thing has happened in Canada too. In the area known as the GTA where I live and home to the greatest concentration of people in Canada it has really gotten silly in the past 5 years. I have been doing this for 12 years as a hobby. I see it as an opportunity to learn new skills and enjoy riding a variety of the vintage Honda bikes I have restored.

Just too many hours are put into my restorations to recover any profit. I won't lose any invested capital. Yet based on buying a bike and the parts needed, I normally make about $1000.00 if/when I sell a bike and I usually have hundreds of hours of work in the restoration.

I have recently found a few deals on kijiji, yet I am constantly looking and find if one comes up for sale you need to act fast. Even that quick response isn't any guarantee, as many potential buyers will tell the seller they have under priced the bike and are willing to pay way more than the asking price.

I have walked away more than once if a seller gets greedy based on feedback that they have received from potential buyers. The demand for some models is driven as Mr Pickles (Arlo?) noted take on the marketplace with some models really detached from reality. There is a quite nice very clean low mileage 1978 CB750K with a asking price of $12K just been posted on Kijiji. Sandcast 1969 CB750's were selling less than that not too long ago, so how does a 1978 command such a price now???

[CYBORG]

Asking price, and selling price, are often different. Another phrase comes to mind, "a fool and his money are soon parted". oh ya, I know it happens, but not to me. In 1980 I paid $600 for my 78....and I still have it. A few years back I went thru an 85 for a guy charging him $600 plus parts,....and bought it from him a few months later , after he had a fight with his girlfriend, for $500. I didn't buy these bikes to flip. I bought them to ride and enjoy. I have also passed on a good number of bikes. It is not a business for me. Everything in this world should not be about making money. Somethings should be left to enjoying the time we all have on this earth. (I guess this is a little bit of a rant as well)

[Oldewing]

I have a large stack of "bones" at my place.


I agree with the above. Market price is so soft, you can't do a "full" redo of a bike and make it worthwhile. I just try to make my work pay me enough to pay for my play with bikes..

[SnoBrdr]

Asking price, and selling price, are often different. Another phrase comes to mind, "a fool and his money are soon parted". oh ya, I know it happens, but not to me. In 1980 I paid $600 for my 78....and I still have it. A few years back I went thru an 85 for a guy charging him $600 plus parts,....and bought it from him a few months later , after he had a fight with his girlfriend, for $500. I didn't buy these bikes to flip. I bought them to ride and enjoy. I have also passed on a good number of bikes. It is not a business for me. Everything in this world should not be about making money. Somethings should be left to enjoying the time we all have on this earth. (I guess this is a little bit of a rant as well)

Agreed.

Too many are just trying to make a killing on a bike they paid little for.

Around here there was a breaker who bought every bike he could find and charged as much as he could for the few parts that most people wanted.

He's now long gone and you can't find an older bike for parts or repair.

So I have no sympathy for the quick flip artists.

[Whiskerfish]

I have 2 in the shop I picked up last summer but have not touched yet. Starting price was right but even with that it will be a challenge to make anything on them. What makes it even harder is that the rebuild kits for stuff have not matched the market. I think Front wheel Master Cylinder rebuild kits have doubled in the 15 years I have been playing with this stuff.

[5speed]

I don't plan on selling the 3 wings I own. My 82 is going to remain stock but I do plan to semi restore it.
My 76 is going to be my longer ride bike with hard bags and a corbin seat, backrest and batwing fairing.
My 76 is going to be my really custom cafe build. And by really custom I mean for me. lol I'm not doing anything to either bike that can't be undone to bring them back to stock.
I've had my 02 shadow ace for sale for over a month..a few tie kickers but no one has come ride it and I dropped the priced from $3200 to $2800.

[Liam]

Hmmmm. I see this getting more common. People are looking for top money for project bikes that need a lot of work.

Here is a bike for sale over here for 1800 Euros. The 3 main components that can be seen from the picture as wrong are the seat, exhaust system and the carbs.
There is way too much work and money to be spent to make it worthwhile.

1000 yellow 01.jpeg (63.01 KiB) Viewed 314 times

[SnoBrdr]

Hmmmm. I see this getting more common. People are looking for top money for project bikes that need a lot of work.

Here is a bike for sale over here for 1800 Euros. The 3 main components that can be seen from the picture as wrong are the seat, exhaust system and the carbs.
There is way too much work and money to be spent to make it worthwhile.

1000 yellow 01.jpeg

Altho if it runs well, seems like a decent price for being in Europe.

[pidjones]

Recently, so many bikes that I've looked at had tires old enough to vote, but advertised with "good rubber). That's about $250 right there. Minimum $100 in carb parts, another $100 - $200 for caliper and MC rebuild kits and new brake lines and pistons. $75 battery, $35 plug wires and caps, $15 air filter, $15 petcock. The $500 project now has $1140 in it not counting paint, plugs, cleaning supplies, new fluids, etc. And saddle prices are really unrealistic! I'm just getting started in this, and only as a hobby because I love working on them. But I don't expect to make a profit or even anything for my labor. If you want to make money flipping bikes, buy up small displacement bikes that can be turned into "cafe racers" and sell them to wanna be hipsters. Low investment, and they won't put over 200 miles on it before a new fad (already electric scooters) comes along.

[calif wingnut]

I have No Comment 8^

[dontwantapickle]

I've had my 02 shadow ace for sale for over a month..a few tie kickers but no one has come ride it and I dropped the priced from $3200 to $2800.

i just saw this one.
1998 Honda Shadow ACE 750 - $1500
https://westslope.craiglist.org/mcy/d/c ... 23127.html
and this one:
1973 Honda CB750 CB 750 K3 motorbike AND parts bike - $1600
https://westslope.craigslist.org/mcy/d/ ... 93058.html

A running honda 750 for $1500. or a project for $1600.
I think a normal person would pick the ACE.