I've given up!!

[bluestone]

So I joined this forum (and what a great forum it is with awesome and very knowledgeable people) to achieve my dream of getting another 31K - specifically a '83 U matching numbers version. Actually a lovely example came up on eBay recently which sold very quickly for £7995. I was very tempted but then thought 'why'? I know why, but I honestly think they're too much money now, I'm a firm believer that things are worth what people are prepared to pay, but at the prices LC's are going for now I personally don't think it's sustainable and I feel the bubble will burst at some point. Bikes seem to have become collectors items rather than being used everyday and I don't want that. 

So I've given up getting one, I'll always be a two stroke power band lover at heart (actually my 4LO was more fun power band wise!!), but (and I feel almost dirty saying it) I've just gone and bought a brand new Kawasaki Z900RS Performance in Candytone green. I've always been a Yamaha guy but didn't like any of their new models.

So to say thanks, I've not posted much, I was hoping to buy one (LC2) and post loads to tinker with one and update, restore, rebuild one, but it's not to be (well not in the current climate of silly prices for bikes), and it's clearly not because I can't afford one, I don't want to afford one. Thanks guys for being so friendly and helpful and maybe I'll be back on here (I'll remain a member) one day with my dream LC2, who knows.

Cheers

Paul

[julianboolean]

So you bought a bike you didn't really want for £10K rather than the bike you do want for £8K?
I think you could get a tatty LC2 and rebuild it yourself but you'd need to budget on spending £5K, yeah this is silly money for an LC and you can buy much better bikes for £1500, but it's supply and demand.

[shaunthe2nd]

Sorry you didn't get what you want, but I'm with Julian too, life too short and all that.
If the numbers concern you, your 10k bike will be worth 8k next year, and the 8k one 10k!

Hope to see you back on here soon and enjoy the summer.

[veg]

It’s a quandary, a few of us on here have owned lc’s pretty much for 30-40 years now, I thought selling my 2 owner 15000 mile
Lc2 in the mid noughties for £1500 was pushing it and when I got £3500? Ish for my hybrid I was blown away.
We’ve seen a very steady rise in prices both parts and bikes and recently they’ve rocketed in value.
Some of that is down to demand some to supply (no longer financially viable importing from Europe).
It’s been a constant thread and it is frustrating. Yes they’ll probably come down in value at some time, however that may be a few years off yet.
You need to reset your mind set, you’re not buying 2 wheels but the fun and memories that come with it. I always have a modern bike but I’m getting disillusioned with newer bikes they don’t make me smile like my strokers.
I understand your rationale and me I’d rather have what makes me happy and grin.
It’s a real shame you didn’t find what you wanted or felt you couldn’t buy what you wanted.
Enjoy your new bike, and remember you’re here for a good time not a long time. 👍

[midlifecrisisrd]

I can see both sides

I love the bikes and build quite a few but it's gone out with the realms of what I am comfortable spending on a hobby now

I'll keep my 385, I'll build the TR and see how I get on with it and I have enough parts for another 31k hybrid

I know the last one was my "leftovers" build but I had to buy some more bits while they were still reasonable and possible to get hold of. When ypvs barrels get like LC ones it will be nigh impossible to build one

After that lot and the LC hybrid for a mate I'll take stock of the market and make a decision on which way I go then

Maybe I'm daft for selling my last to hybrids shorter than I'd have got on ebay but I know they have went to enthusiasts who appreciate them

I've sold too many that either are not used as in collections or just end up for sale a few weeks/months later at a massive mark up

£8k for an LC2 just seems mad to me, they ain't even rare

Same for LC's, lovely as they are I couldn't bring myself to blow £10k on one and again they are not a rare bike

Steve

[Chewie01]

I have to agree, in my opinion the smiles per £ is way higher on an old RD than a new bike, and I've test ridden a few of them. I also expect the prices to settle down a bit, but I can't see them falling any time soon. Not at least until us 50+ riders are no longer around and petrol isn't available to the general public.
Having said that, I'm so glad I bought my F2 2.5 years ago. I paid £3100 for it and was offered £7000 by a random guy in a petrol station yesterday.

[Yogi]

Well I can see both sides but maybe you’ve given up to easily
When you go to any meets your bike will be lost in the crowd
Where as an Rd will always draw a crowd,
I’ve just got home and my new plate is here


Can’t wait to get out on it now 👌

That said,I do keep a close eye on the market just in case they start losing favour with us old codgers 👍

[steve h]

I don't blame you!! I would not pay the mad prices. As for the bubble bursting...well that's as likely as the rip off racket/housing market collapsing.
Enjoy your big Kwak..they look a bloody bargain against a 30yr old unknown quantity. Good job you weren't after a 4l0.....if you were, you've just saved best part of five grand.

[jam911]

I turned down an air cooled late 70's Porsche 911 a few years back as it was £5k and I didn't have that sort of cash spare...If I had brought it and parked it and left it in a garage today it would be £150,000

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I just brought an LC and probably paid a bit over the odds, but not way over for it....but I have always wanted one and I love it !!

[veg]

993? Or 964? Or earlier? Man I’d love an ac porker, only ever had a 997.
Saw a rat early 70’s 911 about 6 months ago it was so cool.

Just seen a late 70’s man alive they are so so cool.

[julianboolean]

May 4, 2021 16:32:46 GMT 1 veg said:

993? Or 964? Or earlier? Man I’d love an ac porker, only ever had a 997.
Saw a rat early 70’s 911 about 6 months ago it was so cool.

Just seen a late 70’s man alive they are so so cool.

In the mid 80s I vaguely knew someone who had a road legal 934 that was 2nd in class at Le Mans, top speed was around 190mph, it would leave a GPZ900R for dead (he owned a Kawasaki dealership)

[Robbieben]

Its a funny old world really, I've been looking to buy a 31K YPVS and a Suzuki GT750 for the last few years but refused to pay silly prices to buy something I knew I would then plough lots more into, in the last 6 months I've bought both bikes at reasonable prices, both will get a fortune spent on them, the GT is not far off restored now and I will have £12k invested in it but it's what I wanted to do, restore a GT750. The 31K was cheap as its a bit of a bitsa but in my mind I wasn't too bothered as I knew what I had in mind for it and the basis is there at the right price, it will likely cost me £16k once its finished but hopefully it should turn out to be exactly what I want it to be come the time it is finished.

keep looking, you will find that 31K restoration project at the right price, patience is sometimes the most important factor.

[bare]

Hmmmm had both a Porsche 356a (coupe) and a Speedster for a while.
They were Fun.. but Fairly Shite as actual cars.
No real go plus they handled like milk trucks (Heresy!) and smelled of unburnt fuel.
Had I kept the Speedster I until now.. I could have traded it for a House.
Still.. no real regrets as it was in a time when 'vehicles' were owned/bought for use, not 'investment'.

By My myopic observation.. 350's are vaguely similar.
Yama 350's are machines with considerable 'selective memory' component. Old youth territory.
Now saddled with let's make $$$ with them issues. Curiously ground Zero of this foolishness seems to be the UK.
Fun-ish to ride. But I still keep my now aging 600RR for serious hi perf riding. I'll lose the 350 before the Honda.

[29davyt]

You can always keep your eye out for a bargain , you never know ? Many people ( self included) don’t only own an LC but also have a big (or biggish) diesel anyway, the diesel for long runs with relative comfort,reliability and of course the outright pace, the thing is with these bikes you tend to ride em wash em and then put them away till next time, LC ownership is totally different I mean you can have the bloody thing stripped down in a few hours ready to restore again or fix what’s gone wrong this time 😂 all part of the fun though, enjoy your Z mate but I’m sure you’ll be back..

[jam911]

May 4, 2021 16:32:46 GMT 1 veg said:

993? Or 964? Or earlier? Man I’d love an ac porker, only ever had a 997.
Saw a rat early 70’s 911 about 6 months ago it was so cool.

Just seen a late 70’s man alive they are so so cool.

It was a 1976 2.7 S ... A handful to drive, almost impossible to get 2nd without a crunch and if you were going quick and lifted off you could feel the back lift !!

[reedpete]

Paul, you do seem to have a few contradictory comments going on there...the dream is the matching numbers uk thing....everyone chasing that particular rainbow is part of the cause of the price trajectory....what wrong with german non matching numbers ? Plus your worried about future prices...but this should be about what you want not an investment decision....as said earlier ...most things depreciated...particularly brand new bikes 🙈.....so is the real issue a bit more internal...can’t reconcile the reality of not having purchased something sooner....leaving you with buying nothing or something else as it happens, a solution that will quickly be seen to be unsatisfactory!

If you still want one...just buy one....your situation is only going to get worse for as long as folks our age can still ride....certainly, for as long as I can just about balance I’ll be on my LC.

There’s old codgers around here in their eighties still riding their Brit iron ....with favourable wind we all might have another 20 years riding....so, Prices aren’t going down any time soon.....

Think I said before about anyone worried about bike values in 5 years time.....buy something now and I’m happy to buy it off you in 5 years time at what you paid today or split the upside at that term date .....want to sign a contract ? 😂

[Norbo]

They are crazy money I agree . But think of it like this ,its not what you pay its what they worth . so even though the cost a lot thats what they are worth so your not loosing out at any time. Al so conciser this a new bike or modern bike will loos money over time but a ypvs will hold its value so in years to come you will still get back what you paid for it unlike the modern bike that will depreciate in money.

If you keep an eye open you can pick them up at a good price a bloke came round my house just yesterday with a lovely ypvs in his van new paint and sprayed engine it looks excellent just needed mirrors and he poped in on the way home with it think he said he paid 7K for it and it wanted for nothing .

Ive seen fix up bikes going for £2500 as well if you have the time , People have ben telling me the bubble will burst ever since they wee fetching the ridicules prices of £2K double what they were new?

[JonW]

I reckon thats a good point norbo, there are always those who cite a bubble will burst and yes they are right, even more so when its not happened yet... yet so far even after many years there seems no sign of this happening.

[Dave B]

Just think, In thirty years time, middle aged men will be searching the Hyperweb for mint condition matching numbers 125 Four stroke Hondas. That is what they rode when they were young, and they will be amongst the only internal combustion bikes left. Carpe diem! Yam twins are magnificent fun, don't miss the chance to have that fun while you can.

[mark69]

I know how u feel, ideally I wanted a 31k but couldn’t find anything road legal for my budget (already got an lc project) but found an f2 locally. After owning an R6 for the last 10 years and not been on a two stroke for a while, I’m more than happy with it.

[samdog]

I feel your pain mate.
I was passed the other day by a F plate 500ypvs!
The wisps of blue smoke and noise as he? Shoved it down 2 gears and took off was a haze of blue glory.. you don’t get that with a 4stroke.. well unless it’s got knackered oil seals😂😂
Keep looking for your dream mate
Will make others smile aswell as you 👍

[julianboolean]

I've owned at least 5 LCs, only one of them (my first LC2) had matching numbers, it rode exactly the same as one without matching numbers, matching numbers only matters if you're interested in making money out of it.

I haven't ridden any form of LC since 1991, that was my matching numbers LC2 (Stan Stephens Stage 2 and Lomas pipes) and my memory of it was that it wasn't great to ride, I've no idea why I've bought another one that's now in a large number of parts as I very gradually get it how I want it - I'm not going to think about how much it will cost.

[jon]

It’s like I said in this thread:

rdlccrazy.proboards.com/post/518542/thread

It’s a shame as I suspect some are bought for an investment, which means less on the roads for those that wish to ride them.

Jon

[ahthud]

I think I was really lucky, as I bought an ok F2 middle of last year for £2600. Wasn't pristine, but was all there and came with a few spare fairings etc. Bought it to build into a hybrid, which once I'm done will probably owe me no more than £4K (sold off a fair bit of the original bike).

[fubars]

I know how you feel but I think you will regret it. I've had bikes in the past that were a substitute for the actual one I wanted. I've been happy with them but there's always a nagging feeling that you should have bought the one you REALLY wanted.

I know that because your Kawasaki Z900RS to me at least is a LC lookalike, I wager this time next year you will have got rid and bought the real McCoy 😉.

[spondon440]

I'm in the middle of contemplating getting rid of all my bikes except the KTM, not really blowing my skirt up at the moment so that'll be a gpz550h, Buell M1, Rd250lc and an Rd350lc hybrid, what I would say to anyone considering trying to restore an LC is that parts are harder to find than they used to be, real shit bits like back light bracket £150 - £200, Clocks £300 /£500 and actually quite hard to find, so buy a full bike, in reasonable condition and don't worry to much if you pay decent money because you won't lose as much as it will cost waiting to buy one.

Andy

[chrisk]

Get one that you are not afraid of riding.

That's what they were about.


They can still do distance, probably more so than the aged lot that own them.

Once you get to the age where a limited amount of miles is enough...start starting it up a bit, and go to places where two strokes meet etc.

Of course if you have multiple bikes, you can have a rider and a queen.

[JonW]

I agree with what Andy has said about parts, you really need to buy as complete a project as you can and jump on one when you see it, even if it is a bit more than you think its worth as in a rising market waiting 6 months means you will wish you had as what seemed too much now is a bargain etc.

[dusty350]

This has just popped up on Facebook for £4750

182937328_10222364229008353_8101763594977615593_n by dusty miller, on Flickr

Probably sold already, at that price.

Dusty

[Yogi]

May 6, 2021 7:31:51 GMT 1 dusty350 said:

This has just popped up on Facebook for £4750

182937328_10222364229008353_8101763594977615593_n by dusty miller, on Flickr

Probably sold already, at that price.

Dusty

I read that,it’s got a few problems 🤫