‘I predict that early Hinckley Triumphs will rise in value this year’

It’s almost compulsory at the start of the year to try and predict the trends for the coming 12 months. It can be important, too, if you’re in the classic motorcycle trade. What to buy, which way prices will go and what will be the next must-have classic – it’s a game we don’t always win, but it’s fun to try anyway. So, with my Chris-tal ball fired up, Mystic Bunce will gaze into the future...

Short term, I see the classic market picking up, with people who have been locked-down, cooped up and fed-up buying something to look forward to. A lot of folk have come to realise that riding a classic bike is a real privilege and they want to be ready whenever they get the chance again.

Medium term, I foresee a rise in the values of ’80s and ’90s classics. A 1995 machine is 25 years old now, so early Hinckley Triumphs will rise in value and some Ducati belt-drive V-twins will start to ease nearer to the revered bevel-drive bikes.

In the longer term, prices of older, ‘traditional’ classics might drop a bit. That will make them more affordable to a new generation of riders who fancy something different, cool and old. With no road tax or

MOT to worry about and a well developed parts network, they’re cheaper and easier to keep on the road and much simpler for the home mechanic to keep in good fettle.

So, what bikes should you be looking at in 2021? From the ’60s, what about a Royal Enfield Interceptor? Previously undervalued and under-appreciated, they’re going to be in big demand. The success of the new Royal Enfield Interceptor models has surely helped. Lightweight ’70s twostrokes will become more popular, with bikes like Yamaha RD200S and RD125S joining the bigger strokers in the highly collectible/desirable category. Get in now.

And, from the ’80s and ’90s, I see good examples of first-generation 600 sports bikes, like Kawasaki’s GPZ600R, becoming sought-after and ever more valuable. Prices of Ducati’s air-cooled, belt-drive 750/900SS will also start rising. They’re iconic machines great bikes, reliable and fairly cheap to keep in good order.

At the end of the year, we’ll know if I was right or wrong with my (not always entirely serious) predictions. Will I have nailed the trends of 2021 and made my fortune? If so, remember – you heard it here first. Classicsuperbikes.co.uk