‘Race bikes offer some of the best value for money on the classic market’

Imight be biased – I’ve raced for years and still love it – but I think race bikes offer some of the best value on the classic market. For less money than a ‘base model’ Vincent Rapide, you could own a genuine GP bike in the shape of a Suzuki RG500; I know which I’d rather ride. I know raceware might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s a sizeable number of collectors, racers and paraders who appreciate genuine racing bikes – and go to great lengths to own them.

For many, the attraction is in the quality of engineering you find on a GP bike. There’s magnesium and titanium alloy everywhere and there’s nothing on them that doesn’t need to be there. There’s a purity to racing machinery – and the people who appreciate that are united by a shared passion. For them, race bikes are just beautiful things to own.

Owning a racing machine isn’t just the preserve of the wealthy. I had a guy phone me from a public phone box, enquiring about an RG500 for sale. He’d wanted a Mk8 since they came out in 1984 and had been saving since then. That’s passion for you.

Yamaha’s TZ250/350 models are probably a great starting point for the would-be race bike owner. If you actually want to go racing, be aware that a lot of classic race bikes aren’t classics at all – they’re replicas. But a TZ is the real thing. Spares are plentiful and you can pick up a project TZ for around £8000. Even the best ones only make about £15,000.

If you want to race yourself, there are plenty of opportunities. I’ve ridden in some of the GP Original series rounds and they’re great fun. An entry costs about £250 for the weekend – usually four races and two practice sessions – and the riders are so friendly. Where else can you ride a classic as fast as you want?

Think about it – and then do it. You won’t regret it. Buy a bike, ride it and have some fun. If it’s not for you, you’ll always get your money back. Now that’s good value.

Lusso Veloce is an evolution of Morini specialists North Leicester Motorcycles. Owner Chris Mayhew has worked with Italian bikes all his life – his father Stuart founded North Leicester Motorcycles before Chris was born.