Why is an 81 GPz550 worth so much more than an 81 Seca 550?

This is crazy! I've never seen any low mile Seca 550 fetch more than $1800.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0802497355

I wonder why the Kawasaki gets the big bucks?

Will the Seca gets the appreciation it deserves, someday?

I'll admit that I own both. I can't understand why the GPz is so much more valuable. They're both so very similar.

 

I think if I was called before a Grand Jury and asked why; I'd say this.

The Motorcycle Press got freaking giddee when the GPz debuted.
Writers got brought to a test track and turned-loose on a sun-drenched three-day evaluation session; returning to the office with a whole list of buzz-words on Kawasaki letterhead wrapped around a stack of 6 X 15cm "Thank-you NOTES".

If that don't don't work; thy this one:

"God is Great
Beer is good, ...
People are Crazy"

 

Re: Why is an 81 GPz550 worth so much more than an 81 Seca 5

Interesting history there Rick. That's gorilla marketing in the early days huh?

It seems like the GPz benefits from some pretty cool design elements, which many people are gravitating back towards, a very respectable power to weight ratio for the era, and the unavoidable fact that because they were seen as "fast and fun" many people who rode them trashed them. So there aren't very many around any more. Also they seem to rust and bust faster than the Seca's-supply and not as good as advertised demand.

I looked at several Kawi's before buying my XJ550 and honestly they all (at one time) had cool styling, but they ALL felt tired, looked worn out, had more rust, and just plain issues that the Yamaha didn't have. Truly my 1981 could pass (mechanically) for an almost new bike and I didn't have to replace much to make it that way.

It should be noted that the 1981 Seca 750 did the QM in 11.99 to set the then world record for a 750cc bike. It produced more HP per pound than any other production 750. So while Yamaha was quietly banging the tuning fork, the other JMM's were busy cranking up their hydraulisized marketing machines. GO YICS BABY!!

 

I must admit I have always been a Kwaka fan and allways will be, just because thier bikes Look good when the yamaha's didnt appeal to me much . The only reason I have a Yammy now is to change it and make it into the bike I want . And at a £100 it was very cheap. Plus everyone wanted a GPZ after films like Mad Max and Top Gun

 

I won't claim to know all the ins and outs of the used bike industry but I'll simply add this to what's already been said.....Quantity kills value. Image is everything. Perception is fashioned not sold, what IS sold is the belief in that perception, be it right.....or wrong.

Those are my personal thoughts as to why older Kaw are "worth" twice what Yamaha's get save a few special models such as the RD's/RZ's.

It's a shame because Yamaha built some very nice, very capable bikes.

jeff

 

It's simply because there aren't very many of them left, AT ALL.

Yamaha sold more Secas, and the Kawasaki was more popular as a club-level racebike at the time than the Seca was. Popularity as a racebike eats up old bike "stock." That's one of the reasons a clean RD fetches such a high dollar these days-- the pool of used ones has long been ground up as racebikes; some are still being raced to this day. That expended popularity as a club level race bike didn't happen with the Seca 550, at least not on such a scale.

 

That's a very astute observation Fitz and you're dead on. The GPZ was used much more in club racing because it was a better bike for racing, hands down and I know that it took me years to find an all original 1974 purple RD350 because either someone had cafe'ed them or they had been modded to race. It's one of my all time favs to ride. I've been tempted so many times to give it the power that I've been paid to build into other guys RD's but I can't bear to change it from bone stock....it is such a fun little bike to ride and you can't hardly kill them with an axe! Yamaha hit the ball out of the park back in the 70's with it.

jeff

 

RD, Did i hear someone say RD, heres mine so far,sorry couldnt help it.

 

Re: Why is an 81 GPz550 worth so much more than an 81 Seca 5

There's a 85 GPz305 for sale in London Ontario for $300. Needs some work but its there.

 

actually its a bit more along than this.

 

Re: Why is an 81 GPz550 worth so much more than an 81 Seca 5

I could see maybe $2500 for a good example but that is crazy money!

 

That's cheating Ken...that's a LC....actually a better machine but not what I was thinking of...LOL. Side note; have you heard of the guy that water cooled a aircooled RD? I "met" hi on another forum and he showed me how he did it. The water cooling lets him get mad power out of the engine...pretty sick setup.


I went to the link to look at the 550.....something doesn't quite smell right about the "story", my spidy senses tingled when I read it telling me something wasn't quite right....it did fetch a pretty big sum but 1st year bikes with low miles and in good condition usually do and I'm pretty sure that 81 was the first year for the GPZ550
jeff

 

gday jeffk, no i havent, and i cant imagine how he did it either,do tell