1976 R75/6 value? Insurance

[Greenjeans]

Howdy folks,
I have a 1976 R75/6 that I'm needing an approximate value on.
It's a runner. New tires, battery, carbs have been rebuilt with all o-rings, diaphram, gaskets, petcocks rebuilt, new fuel lines, air filter and oil filter. I've gone through the brakes. Everything works, gauges, lights, signals etc. etc.
Starts easily hot or cold. Choke works properly. No leaks or smoke. Runs and shifts well. Still have some things to address (going to go through the suspension)

Anyway, suddenly I have a few vintage bikes that I'm switching over to Haggerty Insurance and am looking for a value for this beast. (my first BMW - so much to learn)

Any ideas what a fair market value or replacement value should be? It's not what I'd call a investment or collector bike, but it's a real nice condition rider.

P.S. Also has a set of Wixom fiberglass side bags in good shape. Blk with pinstripes to match the rest of the bike.

 

[20774]

Seems to me you would want something you can point to as "evidence" or "proof". I think NADA would be acceptable for that...at least a starting point. In my signature line, the resource list has the NADA link at the bottom of the page...or you can just google NADA. Maybe try Kelley Blue Book and bounce them off each other.

 

[Greenjeans]

I checked NADA and Kelley and they always seem lower than real world on cycles. I want to have an agreed value that is fair, or not crazy.
The way I look at it, you cannot find a comparable 76 BMW R75/6 in my area (DFW Texas) for $3500-4500. That might be a fair value, but I just don't see them for that.
I couldn't imagine selling that for $3500 or $4000. Maybe I'm just over valuing it.

 

[20774]

I've been using JC Taylor for my vintage motorcycle insurance. As I recall, I get to specify the dollar amount that I'm comfortable with and I just pay the associated premium. Being facetious, I could specify $1M for coverage but just pay the premium for that. Obviously, I picked something that made me feel good and I didn't have an issue with the cost to cover that.

 

[cwroady]

Haggerty works like Kurt describes above. I insure mine at the return I would want if something happened to my bikes. For example, I cover my ‘73 75/5 for $7,500. I don’t think I could sell it for that, but that is the number I’d have to have to consider letting it go, hence the insured value.

 

[chunk]

I have a hard time believing people get some of the asking prices they want for most airheads. I sold this 1976, fully sorted r75/6 for $4K $, only 31K miles. Typically i was upside down on it, I had at least $5500.00 invested in it and not until I had it listed at $4500.00 did I even get any inquires, one guy offered me 4K $ and it was sold. I think insured value, between 4-5K $ would be reasonable.

 

[davealan12]

Beemer Values

I think most riders forget the sport is populated by older and mature riders who value their rides more than the overall motorcycle market reflects, especially those in the market not familiar with the quality and uniqueness of the older air and oil head beemers.

 

[cwroady]

I have a hard time believing people get some of the asking prices they want for most airheads. I sold this 1976, fully sorted r75/6 for $4K $, only 31K miles. Typically i was upside down on it, I had at least $5500.00 invested in it and not until I had it listed at $4500.00 did I even get any inquires, one guy offered me 4K $ and it was sold. I think insured value, between 4-5K $ would be reasonable.
View attachment 82898

Like I said, I don't have illusions of a buyer at the value, but with Haggerty, I can insure that level of payout I would want, and pay the premium (which was considerably less than I was paying State Farm).

Regarding asking/sales prices ... I sold a nice 1972 R60/5 Toaster a year or two back. I was asking something like $4,200 which was a really good deal. Nothing, nada, one guy looked at it and passed ... even took it to the Airhead Rally in Death Valley with a For Sale sign and was told, great bike, too cheap, etc, but nada. Couple of friends in my local club told me to cheap, perceived value, etc, so WTH, I re-listed it at $5,800. Sold in less than a week. I let him negotiate me down to $5,000 due to me letting him know it would need a clutch soon. He was thrilled, I was happy ...

 

[djfalkenstein]

Damn! I should have kept my airheads. I had both of those bikes shown.

 

[chunk]

Damn! I should have kept my airheads. I had both of those bikes shown.

Me too, I wish I had kept my '76, and this /5, I paid $280.00 for it, and although ugly, I had it running in about 1/2 hour of bringing it home.

 

[chunk]

I think most riders forget the sport is populated by older and mature riders who value their rides more than the overall motorcycle market reflects, especially those in the market not familiar with the quality and uniqueness of the older air and oil head beemers.

I would agree generally, but I was about 28 Y/O when I bought my first airhead, a beautiful r75/6, this one. It only had 18K miles and had been stored indoors.

 

[stevenrankin]

Blue book versus

I have my two airheads and I don't bother to even look at the blue book or NADA values for them. I tried to insure with Hagerty only to find a problem with my over all insurance and state requirements wouldn't allow me to.

My highest mileage bike is now on the bench for its second major paint and overhaul in 37 years. I started a spread sheet on what I was putting into it and gave up because it is far more than I could ever recoup if I had to sell or if it was destroyed. Same goes for my second bike. I have far more into them than the book value. Still, they are cheaper than a new bike and I can work on them myself, something I prefer than being tied to a high priced dealer for service.

I once restored a 74R90S only to part it out to rebuild another one with sentimental value. I could never have sold the first R90 for a reasonable price after what I had spent on its restoration. I just am not a professional and could not bring myself to charge someone professional restoration price for a amateur restored bike. Sorry to say, in my time, I have seen a lot of "restored" vehicles which turned out to be very overpriced because the person doing the "restoration" didn't know what they were doing or cut corners.

Anyway, a long write up for a short topic. I was very happy dealing with Hagerty and would have been happy to continue to deal with them if they had be in line with some vague state mandate and my other vehicles insurance. Sorry I can't explain better my insurance agent tried to explain it and it makes no sense to anyone except another agent or insurance person. St.

 

[andyreid]

Do not under insure it

Hey you may think that I am crazy but I just had this conversation with the rest of the valuation team about a month ago with a heavy focus on the 70s airheads. I would honestly set the agreed value for insurance on your bike at $7,500.

Just to let you where I come from with this figure...

Hi I am a serial BMW owner and also work in the collector car insurance business at a company called haydenwood.com. If you are looking to insure a modern bike I personally am insured with Progressive. With a older K Bike (brick) or R bike (airhead) AND you also own a modern bike, the only real solution is collector insurance. I personally write our insurnance with Hagerty, American Modern, and Grundy. I insure a number of older collections with quite a few BMWs in the mix. Basically I am the classic bike specialist at our brokerage.

I also write the collector market column for Magneto magazine in the UK, and for the classiccars.com journal.

You always want to set the insurance agreed value of a classic bike for what it would cost to replace it with an example that is just as nice as what you had. Consider the time to find one, shipping, and the price to get it mechanically where the one you have is.

If you have any questions pease feel free to reach out to me at andyr@haydenwood.com or andyr@classiccars.com

Hope this helps.

 

[6322]

Hey you may think that I am crazy but I just had this conversation with the rest of the valuation team about a month ago with a heavy focus on the 70s airheads. I would honestly set the agreed value for insurance on your bike at $7,500.

Just to let you where I come from with this figure...

Hi I am a serial BMW owner and also work in the collector car insurance business at a company called haydenwood.com. If you are looking to insure a modern bike I personally am insured with Progressive. With a older K Bike (brick) or R bike (airhead) AND you also own a modern bike, the only real solution is collector insurance. I personally write our insurnance with Hagerty, American Modern, and Grundy. I insure a number of older collections with quite a few BMWs in the mix. Basically I am the classic bike specialist at our brokerage.

I also write the collector market column for Magneto magazine in the UK, and for the classiccars.com journal.

You always want to set the insurance agreed value of a classic bike for what it would cost to replace it with an example that is just as nice as what you had. Consider the time to find one, shipping, and the price to get it mechanically where the one you have is.

If you have any questions pease feel free to reach out to me at andyr@haydenwood.com or andyr@classiccars.com

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your eye opening perspective on insuring our classics. I have my pre ‘85s insured with Hagerty and post ‘85s with Progressive. I’m thankful that there are outfits that specialize in insuring our old stuff.

 

[lkchris]

Thanks for your eye opening perspective on insuring our classics. I have my pre ‘85s insured with Hagerty and post ‘85s with Progressive. I’m thankful that there are outfits that specialize in insuring our old stuff.

Firms like that are the best source as to how much they will insure your bike for. More value, more premium probably.

I'm old and maybe old fashioned, but I like to know my agent personally and would ask him/her these questions. My local Dairyland guy is older than me and knows what a 1970s BMW is.

The programs they write to allow you to do business online may or may not cover outlier, niche motorcycles. I wouldn't assume they do.

 

[ccolwell]

I would agree generally, but I was about 28 Y/O when I bought my first airhead, a beautiful r75/6, this one. It only had 18K miles and had been stored indoors.
View attachment 82904

Nice. That's he same color my '76 was.

I thought Haggerty has a valuation tool on it's website. IIRC that's how i set an asking price for the Gold Star I sold last summer.