BUYER'S EYE
When and where: those are the key variables which dictate exactly how much you’ll pay for a classic British bike. It used to be that the precise model year and condition were all-important – and they still hold a lot of sway – but being in the right place at the right time can make a massive difference. If you want a bike built before 1930 which qualifies for the Banbury Run then there is no escaping the inevitable price premium which these machines attract. But if you want a girder / rigid motorcycle with vintage virtues and aren’t too fussy about its year of manufacture then you will definitely find one for our £5000 budget.
You need to scour the regional sales; avoid the obviously over-priced machines on eBay (typically ‘classified’ ads where the bike is photographed in a modern motorcycle or car showroom), and save yourself a good 25% by buying between November and the end of February. This year we observed that similar machines were fetching £2500 during February’s snowstorms and £4000 once the daffs had bloomed in March – and the big-ticket sales at Stafford and the Birmingham bike museum certainly command higher prices.
However, you don’t necessarily have to travel to Shepton Mallet, Ely or Ledbury to bag a bargain at a local sale, as every auction house, pretty much, now offers online bidding and a delivery service. Just factor in the cost of storage
