A Project?

G

Graham Smith

Guest
I reckon that'd end up being an expensive Comet - depending on what they both go for.

I think the guy who's selling the bike (ex engine) is being a bit optimistic on price?

What say you?
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
We'll have to wait and see.....

Hi Graham,

That rolling chassis at H&H went for a lot more money.

And we know there are some unscrupulous people doing funny things with numbers so there must be a market somewhere outside the VOC for a built up bike of questionable provenance.

Usually ebay is a useful benchmark, unless someone is being naughty or a high reserve attracts 1 bid you need two bidders to end up at a sale price, so possibly two of them could sell at that price.

The challenge is that without looking at it you just don't know what is serviceable and what is not, once it's home you may end up spending a similar amount again having the parts refurbished or buying the bits you need to put it back together again.

But it shows there are still lots of them about, I was only reading again this weekend the story of Terry Prince making trips from Switzerland to the UK in the 1960's buying up second hand Vincents which were used as donor engines for Egli bikes - so there must have been a lot of chassis parts knocking around.

I've tried getting numbers off people like this before for the Club to keep a track of parts and ensure they are not stolen - but a lot of the ebayers are not willing to give out the numbers.

Stuart
 
G

Graham Smith

Guest
Who'd be willing to bid on an engine/frame parts that are being sold by someone who's not willing to divulge the numbers?

I know I wouldn't!
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
There's a nice Comet in Classic Motorcycle Mechanics

In the private ads at the back there is a bike claimed to be all original, untouched and unmodified and in nice nick having been looked after and not done huge miles (don't they just all say that).
It's up for £9750 but you never know what might happen if someone was interested. It's January, there are bills to pay and you just never know what offer might just buy the bike for cash - nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Known bike, known history, all original paperwork, buff log book and V5 plus on the original registration and matching numbers and if it is in nice condition then.......sounds a good honest bike.
Beats combined £7K plus off ebay for a bitsa (before you do the restoration and pay through the nose for the few bits that are missing but expensive).

I know which route I'd go when the Premium Bond Gods shine on me!

Stuart
 
R

Rap998

Guest
Comet for £9750.

I think that Comet will be for sale for a good while at that price. The 'Timing Chest' could be another horror story.


In the private ads at the back there is a bike claimed to be all original, untouched and unmodified and in nice nick having been looked after and not done huge miles (don't they just all say that).
It's up for £9750 but you never know what might happen if someone was interested. It's January, there are bills to pay and you just never know what offer might just buy the bike for cash - nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Known bike, known history, all original paperwork, buff log book and V5 plus on the original registration and matching numbers and if it is in nice condition then.......sounds a good honest bike.
Beats combined £7K plus off ebay for a bitsa (before you do the restoration and pay through the nose for the few bits that are missing but expensive).

I know which route I'd go when the Premium Bond Gods shine on me!

Stuart
 

VinParts

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Prices (again)

I think that Comet will be for sale for a good while at that price. The 'Timing Chest' could be another horror story.

I think not.
Comet prices are going up as are twins, a pain in the backside if you ask me as to many bikes NEVER get used so they don't need parts:(

Go to a meet and ask someone how many miles they do in a year and they will say about 2k, most a lot less.

The last time prices cropped up every one said that they would never sell for that much and most did. An RFM has just sold for £900 ish on ebay so in my view that Comet engine is about right as is the Twin parts.

As for SS mudguards, no Pete, £250 is not a lot to you, me and a few others but most of the 12 emails that I have had today all say the same thing and that is "you must be joking, the bike only cost me £80 and as I never ride it why would I pay that".
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Not all Vincents are the same

One of the challenges I see in Vincent pricing is the same as in another of my hobbies, Toy Trains.

When one item sells for £50, then the general public automatically thinks that if they have one the same (type, colour) then it is worth the same money.

What they fail to take into consideration are things like condition, provenance, originality, variation, rarity and the like.

I see just the same happening with Vincents - a nicely restored (with some expensive bills) Rapide sells for £25K and automatically everyone thinks that the rather tired, heavily modified, non-matching numbers with no paperwork bike they have is also worth £25K. Then to pour petrol on the bonfire, someone agrees with them and pays the money - ouch!

Not sure there's an answer, in a world where supply is strictly finite of original machines and demand appears to be constant or growing then logic/economics/common sense would all say that the price of buying one will go up. Note I didn't say value.

The new Black Shadow got some super coverage in both mainstream and classic bike press, I wonder if there was a "spike" in membership enquiries following that, it may well have spurred people on to have an interest in owning a Vincent as a result.

Hopefully when someone comes a cropper and buys a wreck by mistake they'll need to write a very large list and come looking for the bits to make it run Russ - it does look like there are still some poorly Vincents out there.

Stuart
 
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