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New bikes age fast

B

BlueWaterCooled

New member
I am amazed at how rapidly my 2015 R Wethead is getting old. Admittedly, it was a demo and about 6 months into its model life when I bought it. But it seems like that was yesterday. And already people are posting about bikes three years newer. In a few months the 2019s will be out. Fortunately, I am not one to need to have the latest hardware. My first BMW moto was over 20 years old when I retired it. And a BMW car I had was 8 years old when I bought it and 38 years old when I sold it. But it is still dismaying how fast my seemingly brand new 1200R is aging.
 
And as you age the shelf life of everything will move faster....all you need to do is "blink"! Of course back in the 80's motorcycle design/features bloomed by the minute and two/three year old NEW models could be found on dealers' floors at huge discounts....due to economy, over supply and wanting the "newest" model. None of that helped used bike prices back then. Today, you can slow down the motorcycle world some by switching to a Suzuki VStrom or Harley....they may change some, but it's difficult to tell.
 
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LFarling said:
However what do you say to someone when they tell you your bike is 3 years old and here is what NADA says it is worth?
Click to expand...

I do understand this thread, but to the above specific question, I say that NADA values are intentionally compiled to support low-ball trade-in values and ridiculous insurance company offers when a bike is damaged. Dealers own NADA and insurance companies are its bread and butter.
 
The electronics have turned bikes into consumables.

Up to about four years ago I purchased and sold bikes privately, predominately for the experience of riding them but I also make pocket money. Now the market and margins are so narrow it is impossible. There are several reasons.

1. The bike market floundered shortly after the property market collapse of 2008.
2. Young people no longer flock to motorcycles.
3. But most importantly the electronic revolution has launched motorcycles into the same category as cars, rapidly depreciating metal.
4. At two BMW rallies this year the average age of attendee was 58 and 57?
 
Motodan said:
And as you age the shelf life of everything will move faster....all you need to do is "blink"! Of course back in the 80's motorcycle design/features bloomed by the minute and two/three year old NEW models could be found on dealers' floors at huge discounts....due to economy and over supply. None of that helped used bike prices back then. Today, you can slow down the motorcycle world some by switching to a Suzuki VStrom or Harley....they may change some, but it's difficult to tell.
Click to expand...


+1 on the personal age related speed of passing time. Also there is truth in the Suzuki and Harley statement.
 
LFarling said:
Well we cant have it both ways that is for sure.

We can not have SAP, and ABS Pro, and LED headlights and Computer Pro and all this technology and not make the older bikes obsolete.
Click to expand...
The next 10 years in the motorcycle industry will be interesting, I feel. There are a lot of us who just don't care about (and don't want) the SAP and ABS Pro, computers, etc, We have found that a simple headlight bulb change can give us LED headlights for far less than the cost of a new bike. So we will continue to ride our obsolete bikes and be happy with what we have. :)

But here is where it gets interesting to me. Let me break this down into a couple categories.
  • New bikes cost as much as a mid-sized sedan. If you're well off, the cost is immaterial. But the demographics of who can afford that is pretty much in the category of those at or near retirement age. Many of us have retirement plans, over and above our savings. The cost doesn't matter, unless you're cheap like me. ;) Those that are following us will have only what they have saved. They have no retirement plans. The purchase of a toy that costs as much as a mid-sized car won't be a consideration.
  • Then there is the used bike market we see now. Some of the bikes are still drawing high sale prices. Supply and demand haven't forced the prices down much and they are to a certain extent, propped up by the high cost of the new bikes.
  • But I think there is about to be a flood in the used bike market in the next five to ten years that will decimate new bike sales and cause the bottom to fall out of the used bike market. Where will these bikes come from?...your garages. There will come a point for all of us at retirement age that we will feel we can no longer ride and we'll be putting our bikes up for sale. We'll all be doing it at a relatively close spread of years, because most of us are at pretty much the same age. Many of these bikes will be low mileage bikes that were immaculately maintained and have all the latest technolgical gadgets. The owners bought the bikes with dreams of how they were going to travel around the USA on two wheels...and then a loved one got sick and they had to stay in the local area, or their own health started making them decide to take the car instead of the bike. Five years later, they realize they haven't taken the bike out of the garage and they really should just sell the bike...or bikes.

    And those bikes, following Farling's direction will have all the latest advances. What will be the difference between getting a 2023 RT...or the 2017 RT? Maybe only paint color. There comes a point where the new technology doesn't really serve a purpose other than to be used by the marketing folks to convince you that your old bike is no longer fit to be seen on.

    Many of these technologies are beginning to fall into the category of becoming commodities. Look at the list of features of a Yamaha Tracer MT-09 GT. There isn't much missing. It's not like you can only find the features on a BMW...the other manufacturers are doing the same thing and doing it well.
It's not just the bikes that age fast...but us too. ;) And what you're seeing as the bike aging...has some interesting possibilities for those of us who can still ride when it all plays out.


Chris
 
Last edited:
daboo said:
The next 10 years in the motorcycle industry will be interesting, I feel. There are a lot of us who just don't care about (and don't want) the SAP and ABS Pro, computers, etc, We have found that a simple headlight bulb change can give us LED headlights for far less than the cost of a new bike. So we will continue to ride our obsolete bikes and be happy with what we have. :)

But here is where it gets interesting to me. Let me break this down into a couple categories.
  • New bikes cost as much as a mid-sized sedan. If you're well off, the cost is immaterial. But the demographics of who can afford that is pretty much in the category of those at or near retirement age. Many of us have retirement plans, over and above our savings. The cost doesn't matter, unless you're cheap like me. ;) Those that are following us will have only what they have saved. They have no retirement plans. The purchase of a toy that costs as much as a mid-sized car won't be a consideration.
  • Then there is the used bike market we see now. Some of the bikes are still drawing high sale prices. Supply and demand haven't forced the prices down much and they are to a certain extent, propped up by the high cost of the new bikes.
  • But I think there is about to be a flood in the used bike market in the next five to ten years that will decimate new bike sales and cause the bottom to fall out of the used bike market. Where will these bikes come from?...your garages. There will come a point for all of us at retirement age that we will feel we can no longer ride and we'll be putting our bikes up for sale. We'll all be doing it at a relatively close spread of years, because most of us are at pretty much the same age. Many of these bikes will be low mileage bikes that were immaculately maintained and have all the latest technolgical gadgets. The owners bought the bikes with dreams of how they were going to travel around the USA on two wheels...and then a loved one got sick and they had to stay in the local area, or their own health started making them decide to take the car instead of the bike. Five years later, they realize they haven't taken the bike out of the garage and they really should just sell the bike...or bikes.

    And those bikes, following Farling's direction will have all the latest advances. What will be the difference between getting a 2023 RT...or the 2017 RT? Maybe only paint color. There comes a point where the new technology doesn't really serve a purpose other than to be used by the marketing folks to convince you that your old bike is no longer fit to be seen on.

    Many of these technologies are beginning to fall into the category of becoming commodities. Look at the list of features of a Yamaha Tracer MT-09 GT. There isn't much missing. It's not like you can only find the features on a BMW...the other manufacturers are doing the same thing and doing it well.
It's not just the bikes that age fast...but us too. ;) And what you're seeing as the bike aging...has some interesting possibilities for those of us who can still ride when it all plays out.


Chris
Click to expand...

*******
All the new safety features are great and at my age,62, it's worth it to be able to ride the Beemer for 6000 miles without doing a thing except checking tire pressure. I was constantly adding oil to my 2000/2013RT's. But on the down side it's a computer on two wheels and when I pulled over last summer to change glasses and restarted the RT it ran on one cylinder and sounded like it was lunching a valve. Throttle position sensor and after 45 minutes I restarted and it was fine after I called a AAA tow truck. Idiot, texting M*******s will probably make me stop riding before I am physically unable to do so thou. One year at a time now.
 
Well, I have a 2013 GS (which is new for me) and I like all of the power and safety features and gizmos, but in my out-in-left-field statistical outlier opinion, the best bike you could buy in 1992 is still the best bike you can buy in 2018...

image-M.jpg

Riding modes? "Off" and "On"
Power? It will barely go fast enough to kill me.
Brakes? Yes.
Depreciation? What is that?
 
Motodan said:
And as you age the shelf life of everything will move faster....all you need to do is "blink"! Of course back in the 80's motorcycle design/features bloomed by the minute and two/three year old NEW models could be found on dealers' floors at huge discounts....due to economy, over supply and wanting the "newest" model. None of that helped used bike prices back then. Today, you can slow down the motorcycle world some by switching to a Suzuki VStrom or Harley....they may change some, but it's difficult to tell.
Click to expand...
******
Yup, bought a brand new Black 1982 CB900F in 1984 for $2800, the list price was $3300.
 
I got the extended warranty on my 2016 RT when I bought it last year... I am keeping it at least as long as the warranty lasts (which I think is 8 years) and likely much longer than that.
 
These BMWs haven't aged.

These haven't aged.

4-slash-2s.jpg
 
Scary thread.

"I don't want a pickle, just want to ride my motorcycle".

Don't give a rat's ass about initial cost, trade in value or anything else. Gimme ABS, refined machinery and I'll be down the road.....
 
crucian said:
Scary thread.

"I don't want a pickle, just want to ride my motorcycle".

Gimme ABS, refined machinery and I'll be down the road.....
Click to expand...

agree! my 92 and 94 K75S's meet all those criterea, bullet proof reliable, plenty of power, comfortable on long rides and are even great on track days. all for about 1/5th the cost of a new BMW...for both of them....


I am just glad there are folks out there that buy new bikes to keep the manufacturers in business.....them bikes will be cheap used rides someday!
 
LFarling said:
Cost of new bikes are atrocious. Even a new loaded Yamaha FJR 1300 will get you into the 17K range with all the goodies. A Harley CVO will set you into the 42K market. You really can not get more agricultural then a Harley. It is not just BMW having high prices. However a new Fit is 17K so a midsized sedan is a bit of a stretch unless you are talking used. I still grant you 17K + for a toy is a lot of money.
Click to expand...

Every manufacturer has their entry level bikes as well... if you look at the dealership you'll find those too.
 
If you want your bike (computer, phone, car, house, wife, etc) to seem new for a long time, you need to quit looking at new models as soon as the deal is done.
 
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