AllMoto's Motorcycle Investor mag

Motorcycle Investor mag

News Sep-Oct 2025

Flashback: Radio Rider and newspaper classifieds, Oct 2

We tripped over this during a recent attempt to clean out the shed – an exercise that was an utter failure. It's a clip of the 13 February, 1993, edition of the motorcycle section of The Age newspaper (Melbourne, Australia), which featured every Saturday.

By this time the famous rivers of gold (the classifieds) were dwindling thanks to a tough economy and competition from specialist classified magazines such as Just Bikes and then Motorcycle Trader. Then they got hit with the popular uptake of internet use and a tsunami of digital competition.

Motorcycle columnist Damien Kingsbury (now Professor K) wrote a piece on 3RRR's Radio Rider, while there were plenty of tasty offerings in the ads.

See the full version of the pics, here.

Vincent auction gets buoyant prices, Oct 1

Good identification and condition underpin values in a market that's more robust than many thought...see the story.

See the series C Rapide in our shed

Keith Campbell bio coming soon, Sep 30

The first Australian to win a Grand Prix World Championship on two wheels or four is to be celebrated in a much-awaited biography written by renowned motorcycle racing historian Don Cox. See the story here.

Boxer bliss – today's random bike ad, Sep 29

We love the happy glamour in this BMW ad featuring the Americanised R75/5 in 'toaster' form.

Back in 1970-74, this was the king of the boxer twin heap. While it wasn't as powerful as many of its rivals, BMW highlighted it was lighter than pretty much all of them and argued it was a better ride.

However pricing was steep. In this era it was typically 40-50 per cent higher than an equivalent Honda.

See the contemporary road test – and some sidebars – at Classic Two Wheels.

See the BMW R75/6 in our shed.

Yamaha XT225 and a compelling six, Sep 28

Sunday shed wrap: simple trail bikes and misdirection.

See the story here.

Le Dan's home-made V4 – video of the week, Sep 27

This week's video features the very clever Le Dan – Vietnam's answer to the creative British engineer Allen Millyard.

Here he scratch-builds a V4 engine from a host of small capacity Honda parts and it sounds as though it runs beautifully. See the video here.

See his YouTube channel here.

And Allen Millyard's channel here.

Vincent auction underway, Sep 25

Donington Auctions in Australia has a Vincent auction underway with three motorcycles: a 1954 Series C Black Shadow (pictured), a 1948 Series B Rapide and 1952 Series C Comet.

There is also a wealth of literature and paraphernalia on offer.

Bidding for the bikes seems pretty strong, with the Comet reaching reserve several days ahead of deadline. The sale closes on September 30.

See it here.

See the Series C Touring Rapide in our shed.

VicRoads club plate survey, Sep 25

VicRoads (the vehicle registration and licensing authority in Victoria, Australia) is testing the market for allowing custom plate on club permit vehicles, instead of the current maroon and white offering.

The scheme allows vehicles aged 25 years and over limited use at a greatly reduced registration cost.

See the survey here.

Suzuki GS1000G – retro brochure for the day, Sep 24

They were tough, they were heavy, they handled pretty well for the day, they performed, had what was the most comfortable seat in motorcycling and could trace their roots to some very successful racers – meet the Suzuki GS850/1000/1100G series of the 1980s.

See our profile.

Does it smell like a bike shop? Sep 23

Coffee and air-freshener seem to be the scents of a modern motorcycle dealership. Shouldn't it be oil and sweaty leather? See the story, here.

Rare Kawasaki stroker, Sep 22

You don't see examples of Kawasaki KR-1 and KR-1S series pop up very often. Wickedly fast, they had a reputation for being a little fragile, though the issues can be fixed.

See the Bennetts buyer guide.

This one is with Brad's Vintage Cycle Sales in Queensland, priced at Au$17,500 (US$11,500, GB£8500, €9800).

See the Kawasaki reviews on our features page.

Recalls and breakdowns and the T160 – Sunday shed wrap, Sep 21

Chewed-out bearings and a big job list

In-demand Ducatis – auction action, Sep 20

We were a little surprised to see the result for this 2004 Matrix edition Ducati 998 with 11,000km (7000 miles) on the odo, sold by Bring a Trailer for Au$44,000 (US$29,000, GB£21,500, €24,700).

The bike is a standard 998 Biposto under the paint and was created as a replica of the 996 that starred in a key chase scene in the 2003 movie Matrix Reloaded.

Meanwhile we were intrigued to see what may be a record result for a 1993 Ducati 900 Superlight with 2100km (1300 miles). It went for Au$42,300 (US$27,900, GB£20,700, €23,800).

The 900 series of this era has really struggled in the market. See Ian Falloon's model profile.

The end of the road – Luxo Tour day 3, Sep 19

Well, that wasn't meant to happen!

The trip was going swimmingly, as we crossed into Queensland via Goondiwindi. Then, before long there was oil escaping from the rear of the shaft drive and a nasty rumbling sound. And so ended the trip...more here.

Flashback: that seventies show, Sep 19

"And then, finally, the proverbial penny dropped with a giant clang...I was in fact travelling in a little time bubble – circa 1975. Of course, the Kingswood and the Triumph T160 - all we needed was Captain and Tennille blaring from the eight-track stereo to complete the picture."

See the story

Just a little bit lost – Luxo Tour day 2, Sep 18

Okay, so I got distracted. As anyone who has followed the Newell Highway over the years will know, there is no great mystery to it. Follow the sodding signs! And then someone shut the road...see the story.

Honda VF1000R – random brochure for the day, Sep 17

Top-shelf finish, gear-driven cams and a serious sporting stance meant the 1984 VF1000R added up to an exotic machine that cost 50 per cent more than the 'cooking model' VF1000F.

If had the misfortune to get tainted by the camshaft and camchain issues that plagued the F-series V-fours of the day and didn't last long in the market.

Nevertheless, a good one today still counts as an interesting and exciting ride.

See the data and a contemporary review at Motorcycle Specs.

Luxo Tour Day 1 – Mechanics Institute and turtle rescue, Sep 17

It was one of those days when I got away to a late start, but we still managed to trip over one or two interesting sights and rescue a freaked out turtle. See the story here.

Luxo Tour preview, Sep 16

Been nowhere, charged a battery, got rained on – such is the life of the interstate commuter...see our kick-off for the Briz-Melb run.

Astonishing result for Kawasaki Z1A, Sep 16

From our Surreal Auctions Department comes this, an astonishing result for an admittedly clean, unused and perfect 1974 Kawasaki Z1A 900.

Sold by Mecum in the USA on August 14, it went for Au$123,700 (US$82,500, GB£60,500, €70,000). See it here.

Kawasaki Z1/900-series prices have fluctuated over recent years.

And a tip for sellers: despite that result, do not under any circumstances shoot your classic motorcycle or car for sale on grass, unless you want it on the cover of Lawn Mower Fancier magazine. It's completely out of context and is just wrong. See our patented, free, and easy guide on how to shoot your bike for sale.

Vincent auction, Sep 15

This 1948 Vincent-HRD series B Rapide is part of the upcoming Doningtons auction, out of Melbourne. It's an Australian-delivered bike that's listed as having matching numbers, with an estimate of Au$80-100,000 (US$53-67,000, GB£39-49,000, €45-57,000).

The sale includes a wealth of memorabilia, this motorcycle, plus a series C Black Shadow and Comet. It runs September 22-30.

See the series C Touring Rapide in our shed

Big sixes and a pile of parts – Sunday shed wrap, Sep 14

The culture at Chateau Guido is all the machines are ridden and not turned into static displays. Making that a challenge was, over the last several weeks, it started raining every time I picked up the keys to take something nice for a run.

In recent days, with a bit of a break in the curtains of drizzle crossing the city, we started getting a few toys out for a run.

The three-day list of what we rode looks a little ridiculous...see the story.

Classic Kawasaki muscle, Sep 13

High on the list of the many bikes we regret selling over the years is one of these, a Kawasaki ZRX1200R. These days, the 1100/1200 series seems to be thin on the ground, having either been worn out or desperately held on to by owners who appreciate them.

A variant we reckon that's overlooked is the ZRX1200S with the more substantial fairing. We spotted a 2001 example on Bikesales in Australia, claiming just 24,000km (15,000 miles) with a good service record, priced at Au$8500 (US$5700, GB£4200, €4800). Potentially, that's a lot of bang for the buck.

See our series profile

Plus the one that used to be in the shed

And the video

Indiana Jones outfit gets top money, Sep 12

The KMZ/Dneiper K-650 outfit that stars in the Steven Spielberg movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was auctioned on September 4 and fetched incredible money.

Cobbled-up for the famous motorcycle chase scene, it had Harrison Ford on the bike and Sean Connery in the sidecar.

Handled by Prop Store Auction in the USA, it had a broad pre-sale estimate of Au$60-120,000 (US$40-80,000, GB£30-60,000, €34-68,000).

However it ended up selling for a staggering Au$208,000 (US$138,600, GB£102,000, €118,000).

See the lot here.

How much for the Honda CX Turbo? Sep 11

A recent Bring a Trailer auction saw a 1983 Honda CX650 turbo with 2900 miles (4700km) on the odo fetch a very strong Au$31,000 (US$20,500, GB£15,200, €17,500).

That's not a record for this model in the USA, as Mecum scored Au$33,300 (US$22,000, GB£16,300, €18,800) for an example showing just six miles in a January 2025 sale.

It needs be remembered that exceptional condition and low or nil use are crucial to fetch these prices. Well-used examples, no matter how clean, can expect half those numbers at best and usually less.

Part of the appeal of the CX650 Turbo is the bigger and better-developed engine. Normally, the first edition of any model is the valuable one, but that position appears to be reversed in this case.

Mecum sold a 1982 CX500 Turbo with two miles on the odo earlier this year for Au$28,300 (US$18,700, GB£13,800, €16,000).

The Honda CX turbos hark back to the 'good old days', or mid-1980s, when all four major Japanese makers felt they had to have a turbo bike in play. All of them flat-lined in the showroom.

See our Turbo Kings feature

Get a DecoPod, Sep 11

If you really want to stand out from the crowd at the next coffee cruise, here's a solution: a 2009 DecoPod being auctioned out of the USA by Classic Avenue.

Artist Randy Grubb built a dozen individual art deco-styled versions based on Piaggio two- and three-wheeled underpinnings, which he refers to as Flash Gordon personal mobility devices. This one is running a Piaggio Fly 150 rolling chassis.

They achieved some fame when comedian and collector Jay Leno reviewed two MP3 250-based versions on his YouTube channel. See the video. He comments, "There is fun and then there is stupid fun. This is stupid fun."

Grubb also designed a couple of high-profile cars for Leno, including the Tank Car and DecoLiner. See Leno's YouTube channel.

The nicest Honda four? Sep 8

It's very much up for debate, but you could make a case for the CB400F being the nicest of the Honda pack of the late 1960s through to the seventies.

It certainly had the most beautiful exhaust system, with sinuous headers collecting into a single muffler making a unique style statement.

Bonhams has a new-old-stock example from 1977 (the final year of production) with near enough to zero miles coming up for auction. The CB400F2 carries an estimate of AU$21-25,000 (US$14-16,000, GB£10-12,000, €12-14,000).

See our mini Honda CB400F profile

Sunday Shed Wrap: where's the paperwork for the Vincent? Sep 7

Having been involved in both the classic car and bike worlds over recent years, one thing you can't help noticing is the increasing value attached to good paperwork. It's effectively the same as for the antique and art sphere, where provenance is important and often critical.

See the story

More Sunday Shed Wrap here

Early GSX-R1100s are in demand, Sep 6

It seems that good-quality first-model Suzuki GSX-R1100s are very much in demand, with two examples selling recently in record time.

The first was the blue and white example shown here, with just under 12,000km (7500 miles) on the odometer, priced at $18,750 (US$12,400, GB£9100, €10,500).

Next was a red and black 1987 version with 23,000km (14,000miles). It was priced at $18,500 (US$12,200, GB£900, €10,350).

Both were sold within a day of being listed, via Brad's Vintage Cycles in Queensland.

When new, they were sold in Australia for around Au$10,000 (US$6600, GB£4850, €5600).

While they may be getting on in age, early GSX-R1100s still count as a quick and interesting ride while being relatively straight-forward to maintain.

See our profile on the series.

Flashback: the fly-ride Bimmer, Sep 4

Some time back we got the brilliant idea of flying into Alice Springs from Melbourne to collect a BMW R100GS Paris-Dakar which had been paid for, but not actually seen in the proverbial flesh.

How did it go? Pretty well, though the 2300km (1400 miles) ride back home had its awkward moments...see the story, here.

Zero Motorcycles Australia liquidation, Sep 2

The remaining stock held by Zero Motorcycles Australia is being auctioned by Pickles across four concurrent liquidation sales at six locations, running September 11-16.

Some 421 lots are being offered and this is one of the consequences of the breaking up of the Peter Stevens retail group in recent months.

Australia has proven to be a tough market for Zero, with false starts dating back to 2009 and then 2017, and in early 2024.

The sheer volume being offered would suggest there may be some bargains to be had, albeit in a flooded market.

A quick scan suggests the machines generally have compliance plates and it would be worth checking that detail and for the presence of a charging cable before you jump in with a bid.

See the auction here.

Random brochure for the day – mid-sized Zed, Sep 2

With numerous variations produced across several years, the Z550/KZ550 series was widely admired for being a light and responsive mount with plenty of performance for its day.

As has often been the case, the middleweight in this family were arguably more fun to ride than their bigger brethren.

See the 1980 Cycle World review

And data for the 1979 model at Motorcycle Specs

Hero replica Ducati, Sep 1

We have been observing the auction results for limited edition late-model motorcycles, such as this 2023 Ducati V4 Panigale Bagnaia, with interest.

Our background concern is so many 'limited edition' models have been produced by various makers in recent years that they are at risk of creating a glut in the market.

This 2023-themed model (produced in 2024) was one of just 263 made – a compelling number. However that dilutes a little when you realise there were five Panigale limited editions launched that year. See the Cycle World summary.

In any case, the bike you see here was as desirable as it gets in this market niche – zero use and all the peripheral but critical add-ons such as the documents in their factory cases.

Located in Perth, Australia, it sold via Collecting Cars for Au$52,500 (US$34,400, GB£11,000, €11,000).

When new, Ducati quoted around Au$110,000 (US$73,000, GB£54,000, €62,000) with variations for where it was to be delivered.

The catch for anyone who buys a limited edition motorcycle is that contrived rarity alone does not make it valuable – there needs to be more to the story.

In addition, we have some concerns about the proliferation of the idea, as we outlined last March in this piece.

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