Forum

[ROCKER 59]

I TEND TO KEEP AN EYE ON CLASSIC AND ENFIELD BIKE PRICES AND i HAVE NOTICED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT CLASSIC BRITISH BIKE PRICES HAVE RISEN SLOWELY THAT CANNOT BE SAID FOR ROYAL ENFIELDS, THEY HAVE IN MY OPINION PLUMETED FOR EXAMPLE,    ITEM NO 290670034083   WHY WAS IT NOT SNAPPED UP AT THAT PRICE.  a COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IT WOULD HAVE SOLD IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES AND IT HAS ELECTRC START.  THEY ONLY SELL IF THEY ARE ALMOST GIVE AWAY.  A BRITISH 500 SINGLE IN BITS AND RUSTY SELL FOR ALOT MORE THAN THAT. i WOULD OF THOUGHT THAT THE IRON BARRELLED MODELS WOULD BE INCREASING IN PRICE AS THEY ARE NO LONGER BEING IMPORTED PLUS I THINK THEY ARE BETTER LOOKING AND SIMPLER TO FIX THAN THE ELECTRA OR THE NEW EFI AND HAVE THE CLASSIC APPEAL.

[rustygman]

Any enfield approx 10 years old is not in the true classic bracket so its prices are not inflated as any older brit bike manufactured say the 60s. For us fans of the enfield its great we can pick up bikes for a sensible amount of money. If you look at it the other way if you bought a 500 enfield 10 years ago the OTR price must have been roughly £2,000 so if you are selling it 10 years later your devaluation is around 25%. A rate that most bike owners would be glad of. It's all good in my book.

[ROCKER 59]

My ten year old electric start cost £3500 new from Haywards of Cambridge.

[rustygman]

Ooops there goes my depreciation theory then. I was basing the new price on my 5 year old 350 being £2000. I didn't realise the 500es was so much more. Still my depreciation is looking good.

[Alan R]

Hi there Rocker 59 ----------- I don't think Enfield prices are plummeting as such but, what we are seeing is that much used name "The Market Place" adjusting once again to a current financial situation ie we are still in the grip of a recession and times are hard. Jobs are scarce, and money is not easy to come by (excluding the loan sharks etc.) Notice just how easy it is to borrow money? Always a sign of hard times. Those that do have disposable income will be looking for the best deal they can get ----notice all the "extras" that are now being offered to tempt a customer OR they will pay the lowest UNIT price , then add on at leisure. Hence the popularity of the original Bullet design over the last 10 years and the assocciated success of our hosts type of business. Yes, that example you gave is "classic" in more ways than one. However----let's hope the Chinese factories don't catch on or we would see any value at all wiped out by millions of "clones" dumped on the world maket and diluting everything. Just ask Honda how they feel about the CG125 story.  Chicken. roosting etc.The Electra period was transitional whilst the EFi models are a brand new machine for to-days world market, equivalent in a way to the modern Triumph Bonneville or the MG car. All trading on the memories but a completely modern machine.  The old Brit. bike value is based on scarcity.  Apart from the Commando replicas nobody is building the same Cub, Bantam, Spitfire, Thunderbird, Dominator, etc, etc, etc . In time, the "Indian iron barrels" will become part of Enfields evolving history and, ultimately aquire scarcity value in their own right. The children have grown up and left home, I'm afraid

[Alan R]

Additional}-------------- There is always that "buying as a hedge against inflation" thing with all classics which tends to add an artificial, short term effect on value as well. SO------ snap-up as many "Iron barrels" as you can then bequethe them to the grandchildren. In 50 years they will be lost for words !!!!----------------.

[Mark M]

Might be true for Indian 500s (and I think it may well not help that there are a lot around,) but the better 250s (GTs and Sports,) are healthy and as for the Twins... Try picking up a Mk2 Interceptor for less that £9-10.000!


REgards, Mark 

[Craig]

 £1400 for a Reasonable Condition 500 sounds about right to Me,


+ a bit for Age & low Milage..But on a Modle thats Not alltered Much


Would 5 years Age either Side of 2004 Matter that much?


Flea-Bay is a Law to its self (Daft difference in Prices) But they are a Fair Few "Nice" One Owner,Sensible Mods,Polished(&Spoilt) Enfields Out there Beeing Sold By "old Git's" giveing up....


IF I had the Money I Would Buy one (More) but in this ressieson Moneys Tight & you would Be silly to buy an INDIA as an Investment.


Good Budget Commuter though.


Anyway "Low Prices" is why I got in to Enfields anyway..."Keep em Low"


 


Cheers all..Craig

[Chris Tindal]

Surely the price is the beauty of Enfields? As much as I like Brough Superiors, Vincents etc. who the hell wants to spend tens of thousands on other peoples dreams.

[Alan R]

Hi Chris---yes, exactly.