[NA] Why are 1970's Honda motorcycles so expensive?

[RussR]

I guess they've become collectible classics?

As purely an exercise in a strange type of nostalgia I was shopping for a 1970's Honda CB500. My dad bought one new in 1973 (sold a few years later) and I thought it would be fun to get one just to ride around. I don't know, pretend to be my dad I guess. Although there is a picture of me on it taken at some point, I was like 1 year old and have no memories of my own about him owning this bike. Also, I thought it would be fun to pull up to his house riding one, especially if it was the same model and color he owned.

But nevertheless, I thought it couldn't be that expensive. I mean, it's an almost-50-year old standard Japanese motorcycle. Might be hard to find one that's running, but if I could, I should be able to get it pretty cheap, right? This is the model he had, except his was painted brown. I do especially like the look of the 4-into-4 all-chrome exhaust.



Well, I was right that they're not too common, you search on the normal for sale websites and don't get much. Of course not, they're 50 years old.

But I did find one site that occasionally has them, bringatrailer.com, an auction site, and they've had recent sales ranging from $3300 to $9000! Dang, I was looking for some fun nostalgia, but apparently nostalgia is expensive.

I have to assume these bikes have become desirable collectibles. Is it the Hondas in particular? Or all Japanese brands from that era? My dad also owned a CB350 just before the 500, the search for these shows they're just as expensive.

And if you happen to know of one for sale, I'd love to hear about it. I am a decent mechanic and capable of repairing and refurbishing one to a moderate degree.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Not shrouded in plastic, just good solid fun commutes.

That said, ride a 1970 CB 350 and compare it with a modern bike of similar characteristics.

 

[asicer]

I guess for the same reason 1980's mini-trucks shot up?

 

[MauleSkinner]

Meeting the nicest people is never cheap.

 

[Brad Z]

I think the retro British bike trend started expanding into retro Japanese, and then raising the value of the originals. Everybody of a certain age has a memory about them.

My dad had several bikes. I have a pic of me riding on the tank as a four year old on his BMW R90/6 in the late 70s.

in the 90s, I always wanted a Honda CBX. Apparently you could still get them new in box into the mid 90s for like $2,000…they couldn’t give them away. That was still a grand more than I had to blow on a bike.

Years later, they’re collectors items and Leno proudly owns one in his garage.

 

[Brad Smith]

New bikes are better in every way. The only thing the classics offer is a nostalgic experience and retro styling.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Awesome!
We were just out in the garage looking at my CB750! one of the first ones...K-0 engine.
Glad to hear it.

 

[a572mike]

Because they're awesome!

 

[Warlock]

Based on this thread I looked around for my last Honda motorcycle, a 1982 Ascott 400 that I paid $950 for in 1983…and surprised that 3k is minimum for one…it was cheap transport but can’t say it was great…but aviation related I had to sell it at flight school as the Base Commander at Ft Rucker, MG Parker banned all flight school students from riding MC on base due to several incidents that left Lieutenants in the hospital…broken arms and legs…

 

[mondtster]

Pretty much anything old that was somewhat popular when new now has a group of enthusiasts. That drives the price up on the nice examples of any given machine.

Go price a sand cast CB750 (or even an early die cast one for that matter). Or price a bevel drive Ducati. Or just about any of the old homologation bikes. It will make the CB500s you’re looking at seem cheap.

 

[sourdough44]

I have a 2014 CB-1100, a bit retro, but fully modern and injected. Back in the day I had a 1971 CB-750. Mine is very simple with maintenance, reliable, 45 +/- MPG.

 

[Notrub]

1971 bought new by my Grand dad. Original seat fell apart frame rotted wish i had kept it. Donuts in the driveway alway make my soul smile.

 

[RyanB]

Is anything cheap nowadays?

 

[MauleSkinner]

Is anything cheap nowadays?

Most of the stuff made today is pretty cheap…ly made.

 

[FORANE]

Is anything cheap nowadays?

I know a few individuals who are.

 

[Bill]

Yes, 60s-80s UJMs are now collectible. Snap up those pristine 90s sportbikes now, I hear they will be the next hot thing.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I guess they've become collectible classics?

As purely an exercise in a strange type of nostalgia I was shopping for a 1970's Honda CB500. My dad bought one new in 1973 (sold a few years later) and I thought it would be fun to get one just to ride around. I don't know, pretend to be my dad I guess. Although there is a picture of me on it taken at some point, I was like 1 year old and have no memories of my own about him owning this bike. Also, I thought it would be fun to pull up to his house riding one, especially if it was the same model and color he owned.

But nevertheless, I thought it couldn't be that expensive. I mean, it's an almost-50-year old standard Japanese motorcycle. Might be hard to find one that's running, but if I could, I should be able to get it pretty cheap, right? This is the model he had, except his was painted brown. I do especially like the look of the 4-into-4 all-chrome exhaust.

View attachment 109641

Well, I was right that they're not too common, you search on the normal for sale websites and don't get much. Of course not, they're 50 years old.

But I did find one site that occasionally has them, bringatrailer.com, an auction site, and they've had recent sales ranging from $3300 to $9000! Dang, I was looking for some fun nostalgia, but apparently nostalgia is expensive.

I have to assume these bikes have become desirable collectibles. Is it the Hondas in particular? Or all Japanese brands from that era? My dad also owned a CB350 just before the 500, the search for these shows they're just as expensive.

And if you happen to know of one for sale, I'd love to hear about it. I am a decent mechanic and capable of repairing and refurbishing one to a moderate degree.

I went to the AMA's Vintage Motorcycle Days a few weeks ago. Thousands of flea market tables, with all kinds of stuff, and the prices are going in only one direction. Not just for the common UJMs, but for everything. (Worth attending if you are in the middle of Ohio in the middle of July. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, park-like.)

 

[Zeldman]

[NA] Why are 1970s Honda motorcycles so expensive?

Inflation.??

 

[mondtster]

Yes, 60s-80s UJMs are now collectible. Snap up those pristine 90s sportbikes now, I hear they will be the next hot thing.

You’re too late for that. Nice examples of the desirable sport bikes are already expensive. Especially if it is a 2 stroke or a limited production bike.

 

[mondtster]

Is anything cheap nowadays?

Compared to most people’s income, things are relatively cheap now compared to what they were 40ish years ago.

 

[SkyChaser]

Compared to most people’s income, things are relatively cheap now compared to what they were 40ish years ago.

According to government sites, the average income in 1980 was $21,000, the average car cost $7000, and the average house cost $47,000. Today, the average income is $60,000, the average car $45,000, and the average house $340,000.

 

[Zeldman]

the average income in 1980 was $21,000,

Wow... I was just a thousand bucks from being average in 1980.!!

 

[mondtster]

According to government sites, the average income in 1980 was $21,000, the average car cost $7000, and the average house cost $47,000. Today, the average income is $60,000, the average car $45,000, and the average house $340,000.

I feel like there is more to it than just what a house or car costs vs. income. At the same time in 1980, interest rates on loans was between 10-20%. Those numbers would make most people lose their minds today, in the era of extremely low rates. The low interest rates we enjoy right now have at least partially driven the cost increases on the big ticket items like cars and houses. Further, look at what consumer goods such as TVs cost back then. My parents bought a console TV for $1000 in 1980 dollars and a VCR for $600 in 1984 dollars. They practically give that stuff away now, because the cost to build the stuff overseas is so much cheaper. Gas in the 1980s was roughly the same price as what we’re paying right now. The cheap consumer goods we enjoy now also frees up money that often gets spent on a nicer house or car (or aircraft) than we really need.

The biggest problem people have is that they continue to spend all the money they make.

 

[O2 Birddog]

I guess they've become collectible classics?

As purely an exercise in a strange type of nostalgia I was shopping for a 1970's Honda CB500. My dad bought one new in 1973 (sold a few years later) and I thought it would be fun to get one just to ride around. I don't know, pretend to be my dad I guess. Although there is a picture of me on it taken at some point, I was like 1 year old and have no memories of my own about him owning this bike. Also, I thought it would be fun to pull up to his house riding one, especially if it was the same model and color he owned.

But nevertheless, I thought it couldn't be that expensive. I mean, it's an almost-50-year old standard Japanese motorcycle. Might be hard to find one that's running, but if I could, I should be able to get it pretty cheap, right? This is the model he had, except his was painted brown. I do especially like the look of the 4-into-4 all-chrome exhaust.

View attachment 109641

Well, I was right that they're not too common, you search on the normal for sale websites and don't get much. Of course not, they're 50 years old.

But I did find one site that occasionally has them, bringatrailer.com, an auction site, and they've had recent sales ranging from $3300 to $9000! Dang, I was looking for some fun nostalgia, but apparently nostalgia is expensive.

I have to assume these bikes have become desirable collectibles. Is it the Hondas in particular? Or all Japanese brands from that era? My dad also owned a CB350 just before the 500, the search for these shows they're just as expensive.

And if you happen to know of one for sale, I'd love to hear about it. I am a decent mechanic and capable of repairing and refurbishing one to a moderate degree.

Two reasons mainly, few survivors relative to the number of us who grew up in that era reaching retirement age and have the cash to spend reliving our misspent youths.

 

[steingar]

Not shrouded in plastic, just good solid fun commutes.

That said, ride a 1970 CB 350 and compare it with a modern bike of similar characteristics.

Your wish is the command of he who is Steingar:

Why are old UJMs (Universal Japanese Motorcycles) so gosh darned expensive? Lots of reasons. Collectors have run out of old cars, the survivors have all been restored and are in the hands of the wealthy or the apparently wealthy. Motorcycles are the next thing. The UJM's were built as cheap replaceable machines, and indeed they wore our easily. Machines built to be light really don't take much of a pounding. And of course many of these have undergone the sort of restoration needed for a 40 year old motorcycle to function as a daily driver. From experience I know that involves replacing just about anything made of rubber and lots of things made of plastic.

 

[Ghery]

That said, ride a 1970 CB 350 and compare it with a modern bike of similar characteristics.

Are modern bikes as rough running as the old Honda 350s? Those suckers fired the cylinders 180 degrees apart, then waited another 540 degrees of crankshaft rotation to start the cycle again. My old CL-175, on the other hand, fired its two cylinders 360 degrees apart and was comparatively smooth.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Are modern bikes as rough running as the old Honda 350s? Those suckers fired the cylinders 180 degrees apart, then waited another 540 degrees of crankshaft rotation to start the cycle again. My old CL-175, on the other hand, fired its two cylinders 360 degrees apart and was comparatively smooth.

In general new bikes run a lot more smoothly than the old bikes, but in the specific video posted by @steingar, the modern CB 300 R is a single cylinder bike, so it probably runs more roughly as the comparative CB 360T. But I don't know, I've never ridden either. I've ridden a (two cylinder) CB 350. It shook.

 

[O2 Birddog]

Are modern bikes as rough running as the old Honda 350s? Those suckers fired the cylinders 180 degrees apart, then waited another 540 degrees of crankshaft rotation to start the cycle again. My old CL-175, on the other hand, fired its two cylinders 360 degrees apart and was comparatively smooth.

My TT500, single cyl, 500cc 4 stroke was pretty darned smooth. I've thought frequently over the last decade or so of finding one.

I'd be much smarter though to find a good Trail Breaker in good condition. 125cc two wheel power hand shift mountain climber and trail bike.

I made the mistake of letting my dad give the YZ 465 a go just once. His only prior experience was with the Trail Breaker so you can imagine how that went.

I never saw that same look on his face again although he got close when I was about to buy an SS El Camino after convincing him it would be good to haul feed and stock trailers.

That "test drive" almost killed us both because he lost it right off the line but in truth it probably saved my life. No 16yo kid needs that kind of horse power at their disposal.