Are these bikes collectors items?

Just curious. I figured being my bike is 26 years old, with only 20,000 miles onthe clock, it would be concidered a classic, right? I don't mean to say that people are tripping over each other to go out and start collecting them by any means.
So has anyone concidered getting classic plates for their bike? I don't know what the criterie is for classic plates here, but I do know you can only ride for a pre-determined amount of miles, so it probably woudn't be feesable for most of us who ride on a regualr basis. Just curious on what your thoughts are. >PD<

 

Limit how much you can ride?

Are you MAD, man?!?

 

In order for something to truly be a collectors item, here are some guidelines from watching too much of Antiques roadshow:

Original unmolested condition
Highly valuable when new (no matter how old beanie babies get, they'll never have value)
Limited initial availability
Limited current availability combined with increased demand

Is my mint, showroom condition 650 Seca worth anything? Only what the market will bear. I think it will take many years before it anything more than an "old bike." I'll guess that the Krauser bags I own for it may be worth more than the rest of the bike.

Just my $.02

Marc the Librarian

 

I hear ya! I don't think these bikes will be collector items till we're long gone! Just wondering if anyone used classic plates on theirs yet?
No, I'm not mad. Just wondering if anyonw runs collector plates on their bikes (any bike for that matter)

 

Im gonna be checking on historic plates when I re-register my bike next month.

FYI...Theres a guy who drives an 83 Chevy S-10 with historic tags on it...so why not a bike?

 

Here In Nova Scotia, 25 years old qualifies for antique plates, they cost $28 (last time I remember) a year, however, you can only drive for a certain mileage, and i believe only certain times of day ( I could be thinking antique insurance for that though.). Back to costs though, its $28, probably more, and its only $38 for regular motorcycle plates with no restrictions like the antique plates - So here in NS anyway, its not at all worth it.

 

I have an "Antique" plate on my bike. Didn't cost anymore than a standard tag mainly because its so old that the book value was nil. (I think it was $11).
Yeah, its a collectors item but give it a few more years for people to really appreciate these models.

In the meantime invest in some oil and oil service companies... they are on sale right now!

 

I'm sure these XJs will never be collectibles...too many around.

I plan to put an "antique" plate on mine this year. In Quebec it costs $84 as compared to $350 for a regular plate. However you are limited to roads with a max speed limit of 70kph. I don't think there is a mileage limit tho.

The speed limit would virtually keep me a prisoner on the island of Montreal. Now that's a really uplifting thought.

At $350 a pop I can't afford 2 bikes on the road with regular plates.

 

I seem to be collecting them. I think its 25 years makes them a classic. And as far as I know only riding them 2000 miles a year can be a stipulation of companies offering classic insurance. I doubt that they actually check though. You could get another speedo , or disconnect the cable, If your worried about it. Just thrash it till its dead . I get the feeling these bikes are hard to kill, so have fun.

 

If you get the "Antique" Plates in Massachusetts ... you have a limited amount of riding time before you wind-up on the stiff end of a surcharge.

You are limited to driving the bike to and from events, shows and gatherings.
If you are just tooling around and get stopped ... when the Ticket is processed they add surcharges to everything and your Insurance Premium soars!

 

That sounds a bit extreme , I`m in sunny England , and it seems like they are easy about such things. I was quoted £120 per year to insure an xj650 (1981) and an mz250 also 1981 , both as classics.They might have said thats limited to 2000 miles per year for shows etc, but they don`t follow you about.So you ride when and where the f*** you want .They do also state that the bikes must be in original condition and not modified in any way.....Yeah right.

 

Yo Fatthebast

I was raised in Dunstable but been in Montreal the past 41 years.

 

Wow , hi , I`m in Hemel Hempstead just down the road from Dunstable.Hows Canada? I can understand why you left this place . I just spent 18 years in Europe , mostly Germany.Swore I`d never come back here , but here I am!!

 

sorry . messed that up a bit

 

All you have to do is look at Robert's signature to know that they are collectible :wink: Actually not sure "collectible" is the right word. They seem to "collect" by themselves.

I'm gaining on you Robert!

 

I'm not sure about the other bikes but i think the '85 xj700 maxim i own was only made for 2 years so they are a little harder to come by so they may be considered a collector someday.

 

Speaking of classics plates...

Here in Maryland you can get classic plates for a bike that's over 25 years old. That means very cheap registration and plates ($54 for two years), cheap insurance ($84 per year) and no inspection. (in my XJ650's case)

I ride mine around like it has regular plates and have never been hassled. In fact, a friend of mine rode an old Harley with classic plates on it back and forth to work for 5 years and was never stopped. I just think the police are not that interested - they're too busy making money with their speed traps.

 

By the sound of things we all colect them. Thay may not be well sot after but Im always happy 2 find 1 2 fix up and enjoy . I see alot of us doing custom stuff from choppers to cafe racers. I beleave in Ontaio after 20 years there are vintage but that doesnt mean alot here . Just a thought I know i like colecting them.

 

To me, whether or not a person qualifies for vintage/collector plates does little to signify a vehicles "collector" status. I believe it is a combination of the condition, custom-work, or unmolested originality.

However, I have changed my view dramatically about my bike since getting it in August. When I initially got the bike it was in great condition and had been restored/repaired to a good daily rider level. At this time I found myself answering questions about what kind of bike I rode with a humble "Oh, it's just an old Yamaha". Since that time I have put on over 8000 kilometers, done 4 oil changes, upgraded numerous parts, and have begun a complete stripdown custom resto. I now answer peoples questions about what kind of bike I ride with a proud, "It's a 1982 Yamaha XJ750". I figure that most people don't know what you are talking about anyway, and the ones who do usually respond with a good story about a Seca or Maxim that they or a friend had.

Again I must say. It doesn't matter what we ride. What matters is THAT we ride, and nothing else.

Sorry if I went off on a tangent, but I think it is easy to get into a train of thought that because a bike isn't new, or isn't as shiny as the latest thing, that it isn't "cool". Thanks to this site we all get to be let in on this little secret.

Remember these words the next time you pull in to a bike night parking lot riding "Just an old Yamaha"

 

My SR500 seems to be somewhat of a collectors item since they cost more now than they did when they were new.