Interesting times ahead, prices have been absolutely crazy for a while, but a mate of mine was looking to offload his 748R and he spoke to a few dealers who said the prices are really softening specifically because they are such a luxury thing to have and that's getting hit first in terms of what people spend money on. I thought this might be crap, like dealers trying to pull a fast one, but I found a really clean 748R slab side recently sold on one of the classic auction sites and it sold for £10500, and about 12 months ago dealers were advertising some of them at silly figures like £13500
These were the official prices (VAT inclusive) for the 2001 superbike range, as per the official UK Ducati catalogue as at 15/1/2001:
Does anyone know what that would be now? Just interested to see how the price of a 748S @ £9,550 would compare to the current price of the Panigale V2 which I believe is over £16k now
748 £17,636 748S £19,699 748R/996 Biposto £22,484 996S £24,856 996R £35,066 I used the same RPI based inflation calculator as for the 916 SPS - so if I got the right original price for that then that would make the 996R a little cheaper. If Anyone has accurate pricing information from other years then I will run them through that same process - I found it hard to find pricing for the original 916.
Here’s the price list I got with my SP3. This is from Sept. 1995 (1996 model year) and in Francs, but based on my research, you can use a December 1995 exchange rate of 8 Frs for 1 GBP. Which gives: 916 bip = £12.500 916 Senna = £14.500 916 SP3 = £16.000 Give or take.
Now you know you have good history with a bike when you get things like that with it! 1996 RRP - Inflation adjusted using UK RPI to today’s equivalent prices. 916 Biposto £12,500 - £29,379 916 Senna £14,500 - £34,080 916 SP3 £16,000 - £37,605 So based on that the Base model was quite a bit more in real terms than it is now! - The more premium models a little more too.
Yeah, I think after being able to buy them for scrap in the early 2010’s, most people have completely forgotten how awfully expensive these SBKs were, when they came up new in the mid 90’s. Rich people bikes.
maybe, although it would make you think it’s worth holding on for 3 months to wait for price to soften even more. Especially over winter
This little exercise is highlighting the fact that buying new motorcycles as an investment isn’t a good choice if you are looking at it from a purely monetary perspective. Those that bought at the low prices have certainly made money - depending on cost of ownership during that time. But unless they cash in at the right time after a rapid rise then in the long term inflation will erode the gains they have made once values plateau. £17k invested in a FTSE 100 stocks and shares ISA in 1996 (with dividends reinvested - this is key) would have resulted in that sum growing to £69,429.45 by the end of 2021 (2022 data hasn’t been added to the calculator I found.) And the FTSE has performed very badly over that period - to the point that without reinvesting dividends you would have been lucky to break even over that time when inflation is taken into account. Gold over the same period would have become £95,801.00. Investment into the big tech stocks over that time period would have seen far greater growth. Nasdaq £207,281.00. Obviously there’s a lot more nuance and detail that these calculators might have missed but they give you an idea. Buying a bike brand new and keeping it as an unused ornament for 25 years might seem like a good investment. But if you take in costs of ownership - such as insurance over that time and the steady march of inflation then you would be very lucky to break even. Moral of the story - Bikes are there to be enjoyed - not speculated on - if you make a bit to fund the hobby while you are enjoying it then all good.
True, although the economy may be better by then... Oh, hang on, the general election isn't due until 2024!
It would be interesting to see some statistics on spending the money instead on a manageable sized mortage in that period throughout the country and what the returns would be collected.
If you mean investing in residential property between 1996 and 2021 you have probably chosen the trough to the peak with 2001 and 2009 wobbles. Leveraged and tax free, it is hard to find a better performing asset that is available to the masses. As mentioned before, if owning these bikes is about the riding fun, you don't bother too much about their value. Let others obsess about it and burn some rubber
Residential is the first choice for the common people, but don't dismiss the commerical sector as well, a little example back in that period my mother was offered a block of flats in Eastbourne for £17,000, of course she didn't take that offer up..............silly girl in my opinon based on the current values in todays market. As for the bikes, for me it's easy ride them before it's too late, if you lose a bit or balance the books that's fine, and if you make a profit on sale day......well that's the cherry on the cake. Merry Christmas.
Probably our biggest worry for fun and values is we get outlawed by the green folk. It has started already with ULEZ and recently noise cameras, although bizarrely every time I ask Ducati for an emissions certification letter, the bike in question complies . I am hedging my bets with a forty year old classic, if I ever get it working. Then there is track days.... gratuitous consumption of fuel and probably most offensive, TYRES Get your biker kicks now, the future looks bleak.
Far too time consuming! Depends on so many factors, different areas of the country have seen vastly different changes in the the property market over that time period. Equally different types of property have appreciated at different rates in different areas. If you take the ‘Average’ uk house price increase over that time and postulated that you had managed to find a property at 17k to buy outright then the result would be around £73,000.00. Of course over 25 years there would be quite a bit of maintenance and refurbishment required on a property so that would have to be taken into account. If the property was purchased purely as an investment and rented out then that changes the overall return drastically. But as the uk average house price was around 53k in 1996, depending on the region you would probably have needed a mortgage. So those scenarios would bring interest payments and income tax into the equation. As an investment property it would usually be a 2nd home so to realise your investment you would have to pay capital gains. There’s a reason index linked stocks & shares ISA’s are so popular - they are simple and tax efficient, no hassle with tenants or maintenance costs. Not to mention some of the government contributions that are available to add free money to investments for younger investors. SIPP offer similar benefits with higher yearly investment limits. Lot’s of people make good money with buy to let - but for the hassle then there are better long term investments. If you are looking for a regular income on a safe investment then a short term holiday let gives a higher return. It also removes the risk of non paying problem tenants and the risk of damages can be limited by sticking to the couples only market. Of course there’s more work to deal with cleaning and laundry but you can pay someone to do that. You are still going to end up with a tax bill of course - both income and capital gains when you sell the property.
Bought at 1700 miles, now nearly 20 years later on 29k miles, many of which are treasured memories. Didn't buy the 998 as an investment at the time, bought it to ride and enjoy, that's what it's all about IMHO, if the value goes up its a welcome bonus............... not one I usually get. If I look back at the cars and bikes I have owned, what I paid for them at the time, what they sold for, usually a lot less than I paid, and what they would sell for in todays market I'd be making this post from my Swiss ski chalet.
As for the value being dictated by middle-agers who couldn't afford the 916 et al when they came out (but now can).... I think the design of the bike outlasts the emotional/sentimental connection we had for it in our youth. For example, I recently chucked up a photo of my old Strada on Reddit with a title along the lines of "27 Years Old, But Still A Lot Of Fun". Now although Reddit has a wide range of users, it definitely skews young. Many of these kids weren't even born in 1995, let alone ever saw one in a dealer's window. But many responded with "... just found out about these, it's now my dream bike." Or, "Imagine seeing a bike in '95 that was 27 years old... and here 27 years later this bike still looks current." It's similar to the first generation Ford Mustang; a timeless design will transcend generations and always be desirable.
