Vintage Motorcycle auction 1/15/22

these 70,80, and early 1990's cycles are making a comeback seen a ton of them past year or so on craigslist/facebook asking INSANE amounts. I talked to a shop guy I know buys old cycles and fixes them up and he has not bought any older cycles the past 1 year or so since the pricing is thru the roof.

I am in the midst of getting the carbs re-done (leaking gas when fired up) on a very nice shaped 1997 honda magna and although will cost me, the guy tearing apart the carbs seems to think once done can get near 5K for it. I told him NO way more like 3500 tops and would settle for 3K if need be, but have seen these cycles now going for 2K needing work to 3500 top end in very good shape. A few years ago they were going for 1500-2K on average. Much like used vehicles, the used cycle market has also been pricy.

I recently found what appears to be a well running 1983 honda v45 magna (silver paint job not original) with around 30K miles or so and asking price was 2400 bucks. NUTS. I sold my very similar 1984 honda magna back in 1998 26K miles in much better condition for 1500 bucks which much to my shame should have kept still worth 1500 bucks easily today.

My kid few years ago before this huge fluctuation in old used cycle pricing bought 2 older early 1980's honda's pretty cheap and put a few hundred bucks into them and sold at small few hundred bucks profit. 1982 honda 450 and in much better shape 1985 honda v30 500cc magna. I drove that v30 magna and although I was WAY WAY too big/heavy for it, was a GREAT first beginner cycle for someone smaller learning how to ride since handled well, very light, and pretty darn quick when got the REVS up near 10K rpms. I test drove 4-5 years ago a near new but used honda CTX700 chain drive cruiser and that thing, although comfy and nimble/light, had NO guts hit the rev limiter nearly every single shift was like only 4-5000 rpms or something like that had NO guts. Yah, it got near 65 mpg vs. only 50 mpg on the v30 magna, but was just a commuter cycle not able to rev it up much at all, no fun.