Valks Value Dropping?

[Valkahuna]

The real estate market is going to be down for a long time. Like others have said, it's that supply and demand thing. The market was so abused by everyone, treating it like a never ending money tree, using it to finance everything from cars to educations, to vacations and even frivolous things. It did not take a genious to figure out that it not keep going the way it was.

Now there are such a glut of houses that in some areas they are being torn down. Most of us will be dead before prices reach back to where they were. Not that they should ever be that high - it's not sustainable.

As for bikes, even though we consider our Valks to be "indispensible", they are not a necessary part of our lives. Tough to justify them even as "gas efficient", since many cars will haul 4 or 5 people and still get better than the mileage we get.

So, the value of everything is based upon what the market will bear. When people are out of work and worried about keeping a roof over their families heads, prices of non-essential items will drop.

If you are lucky enough to own a Valk, enjoy it, ride it, care for it, and your payment will be in smiles, not doillars. Isn't that why we bought them in the first place?

It is all how you look at it. Personally I think the Valk has done pretty well when you consider the economy.

I sell real estate, our market is down 25% in the last 4-5 years, and it is down 40-50% in some areas. Compare the Valk to that and it seems the interstates have come down 10-15%, and the standards and tourers maybe 15-20%.

If you look at it like that, they have held their prices quite well. Just like real estate, the stock market, and classic cars, they will come back up unless we have a total collapse of the economy. If that happens, we are all SOL, we will be waxing them in our garages with no fuel to run them.

Jim

[bludragon]

Another point to remember is that the Valk was chosen as motorcycle of the decade, this says alot
I still get offers to sell it but I would never sell her. I will ride her till she can take no more. As a a matter of fact I may give up before the valk lol !!!

[Walküre]

I would think they are getting more rare, so the price will be going up.

I would think so too unless parts become harder to find than they are now.

Personally, I think it's going to be a combination of things - WE "old farts" are the ones riding them, for the most part. And we're the ones maintaining them, as well, either through doing it ourselves, or community effort, with "wrenching parties" etc. The Valk was a unique motorcycle, when it came out - and pretty expensive, for the "average" rider at the time. Cheaper a bit than the Wing, but MUCH more than a lot of the HD-wannabe's. A LOT of non-Harley-Harley-looking bikes were introduced and sold, around that time. For a lot less money. You don't see too many of them still around, or at least bringing $5,000+ like a Valk. I would have to say, the majority of Valk owners I see/hear about, are dyed in the wool riders. VERY seldom do I see someone that talks about their bike spending all year in the comfort of the garage.

Again, MY opinion, as us "OF's" ride off into the sunset, we aren't going to see a NEW set of "OF's" taking up the reins, and running with them. The younger riders I ride with are much more interested in the ST1300 types, than the Valk. Plus, I see way too many of them that say "If I have to WORK on it, I don't want it!". I'm sure there are some here, that don't know which end of the wrench to put on a bolt, and there's NOthing wrong with that, but I feel they are in the serious minority. And even those here that ARE mechanically disadvantaged, still make attempts with all the help that is available.

And, I have to say that I've seen a somewhat serious decline in the HD prices lately, at least here. I would appear that the supply has surpassed the demand, to the point that a severely over-priced used scooter of 5 years ago, is now moderately priced, in reference to the market. Which might mean, that HD's will go even lower in price. Face the fact that the HD is heads above the rest, on the "desire" factor. That being said, if they do go lower, more will be buying the used ones, and taking even more potential Valk owners.

I don't feel like they'll EVER become "collector's items". There were way too many of them out there. And judging by places like Pinwall, there will be a somewhat ample supply of used parts, for a while yet.

Just being "old", and "rare" does not make anything "collectible"...case in point, the Yugo. How many times do you see THEM go across the block, at Barrett-Jackson??

I bought mine to ride. And I really enjoy doing that. And I've put WAY too much money into it. And if I were the kind of person, to buy chrome, for chrome's sake, I'd have a lot MORE into it. But, it's just about exactly how I want it. And I shall ride it, until I either tire of it, and get a different bike, it has an accident, or I just can't ride any more.

R

[BIG--T]

I would think they are getting more rare, so the price will be going up.

I would think so too unless parts become harder to find than they are now.

Personally, I think it's going to be a combination of things - WE "old farts" are the ones riding them, for the most part. And we're the ones maintaining them, as well, either through doing it ourselves, or community effort, with "wrenching parties" etc. The Valk was a unique motorcycle, when it came out - and pretty expensive, for the "average" rider at the time. Cheaper a bit than the Wing, but MUCH more than a lot of the HD-wannabe's. A LOT of non-Harley-Harley-looking bikes were introduced and sold, around that time. For a lot less money. You don't see too many of them still around, or at least bringing $5,000+ like a Valk. I would have to say, the majority of Valk owners I see/hear about, are dyed in the wool riders. VERY seldom do I see someone that talks about their bike spending all year in the comfort of the garage.

Again, MY opinion, as us "OF's" ride off into the sunset, we aren't going to see a NEW set of "OF's" taking up the reins, and running with them. The younger riders I ride with are much more interested in the ST1300 types, than the Valk. Plus, I see way too many of them that say "If I have to WORK on it, I don't want it!". I'm sure there are some here, that don't know which end of the wrench to put on a bolt, and there's NOthing wrong with that, but I feel they are in the serious minority. And even those here that ARE mechanically disadvantaged, still make attempts with all the help that is available.

And, I have to say that I've seen a somewhat serious decline in the HD prices lately, at least here. I would appear that the supply has surpassed the demand, to the point that a severely over-priced used scooter of 5 years ago, is now moderately priced, in reference to the market. Which might mean, that HD's will go even lower in price. Face the fact that the HD is heads above the rest, on the "desire" factor. That being said, if they do go lower, more will be buying the used ones, and taking even more potential Valk owners.

I don't feel like they'll EVER become "collector's items". There were way too many of them out there. And judging by places like Pinwall, there will be a somewhat ample supply of used parts, for a while yet.

Just being "old", and "rare" does not make anything "collectible"...case in point, the Yugo. How many times do you see THEM go across the block, at Barrett-Jackson??

I bought mine to ride. And I really enjoy doing that. And I've put WAY too much money into it. And if I were the kind of person, to buy chrome, for chrome's sake, I'd have a lot MORE into it. But, it's just about exactly how I want it. And I shall ride it, until I either tire of it, and get a different bike, it has an accident, or I just can't ride any more.

R

Well said Roger!

[Serk]

One side thought... Those youngens that prefer the ST1300's and the like are going to age, their bodies are going to stop being quite so agreeable to the riding position of the ST1300 kinda bike, and they're gonna start looking for something they can ride that's more comfortable...

Don't misunderestimate me, I love my Valk, but if it weren't for the fact that I've got a bad back and am just too fat for a ST1300, I'd be on it or something even sportier. (And yeah, I can say that somewhat authoriatively, as there is an ST1300 next to my Valk that I could take out. Every time I go for a ride I get to choose between a Valk and an ST1300, and the Valk wins 90% of the time.)

Not sure how much, if any of an effect that will have on value, and honestly not too worried about it, as others have said I bought mine for riding, and plan on riding the snot outta her. And, when or if I wear her out, it'd be kinda nice if I could pick up another one cheap, so no complaints outta me!

[bigguy]

Roger:

You make some well considered points, and I must admit, I'm not as sure about the idea of the Valk as a "classic" as I once was.
My blog on the Valk as an "Instant Classic.
I still think there's a chance it will eventually become a classic. There really weren't that many made. Just more than 52,000 including the Rune. When the last of us OFs stop patching them together, they'll start getting rare fast. We're getting a bit of a preview of that already, with parts like the universal joint becoming scarce.
The other thing is that it is such a unique bike. One of only two ever built with the flat-six, and tangentially related to what is arguably the most successful cruiser ever made.
I had hope that some aging squids would migrate to the Fat Ladies, but I think you are more on target than I was with you observation about them drifting toward the ST1300s. Even if the Valkyrie does eventually take it's hallowed place in halls of it's fathers, the short term future doesn't look very bright. As you pointed out, those following us don't seem to be enamored with wrenching. As we get too old to ride, our dragons may collect dust in a garage rather than be handed down to the next generation.
If this beautiful bike truly has only a short time on the road, I'm grateful that I was of age during that era.

[BradValk48237]

If you get worried about Valks not being on the road in 10-20-30 years, just look around at how many older Hondas are on the Road... In my area there are several older wings 1000, 1100, 1200...etc, that you see on a daily basis. There is a group of guys near here that have CBX's that they bring by on Royal Oak (MI) bike night..4-6 of them. All of them have a good amount of miles and look showroom ready....

I'm more worried about having GAS to run them in 20 years than I would about parts!!!!!!

I think that these bikes have enough new tech and old tech to be held together for MANY years....

I plan on mine to possibly be the last bike I own...... Unless you can turn a Rune into an Interstate...Hmmmmm.......

B

[oldtimer]

As many others have stated I did not buy mine for any other reason than I absolutely love it, and do not care if loses value. As a matter of fact I like my Valk so much I bought another one yesterday, (a 98 black standard for $5500.00) that had 30,000 miles on it. The Valk will be my last bike and when I told my son that I am going to let him use one of them when he wants to ride with me, you should have seen the smile on his face......priceless......

[BIG--T]

As many others have stated I did not buy mine for any other reason than I absolutely love it, and do not care if loses value. As a matter of fact I like my Valk so much I bought another one yesterday, (a 98 black standard for $5500.00) that had 30,000 miles on it. The Valk will be my last bike and when I told my son that I am going to let him use one of them when he wants to ride with me, you should have seen the smile on his face......priceless......

Me too, I bought mine to ride and ride some more! There a fellow on the board that has something like 440,000 miles on his and I've got 431,000 more miles to go if I last that long! Lol