CMM MARKETPLACE

Today’s crop of retro machines feed heavily off the nostalgia from bona fide classics. But, as Scott Redmond reveals, what is going around is coming around

Scott Redmond returns and talks retro.

Back to the future is a formula that motorcycle manufacturers continue to exploit, but do they always strike it lucky? For 2019, it’s Suzuki that’s stolen the headlines with their confusingly titled 2020 Katana 1000. For 2018, it was Kawasaki that had us all drooling with not just one Z900RS, but a pair of the buggers! The café model is probably the better looking bike, but beyond the looks and Pr-hype that’s actually going on, are these retros any good? Most are reworked models from within the existing range. The new Katana is basically a re-clothed GSX-S1000S/F. Likewise, the Z900RS shares plenty of parts with the 2017 Z900. This isn’t a new approach. Remember in the ‘90s, when Kawasaki tipped out the wheelie bins and created the Zephyr range? The 750 Zephyr motor wasn’t much more than a freshened up Z750/GPZ750 uni-lump. Some of those, ‘90s factory retros, are now bona fide classics themselves, how ironic is that? The Zephyr series came in three sizes. The 550 and 750 versions are tougher to find than the beastly 1100 version. Strange when you think they would’ve outsold the Zephyr 11 hand over fist. Prices for a good 1100 version have risen steadily, so budget £2000 to £3000 if you fancy one. Kawasaki took another stab at the retro re-boot in 1997 and gave us the ZRX1100. It was a handsome machine and hit the spot with those who wanted some go to match the show. The detuned (brochure talk language) or retuned ZZ-R1100 engine was easy to tune and the modern suspension and fat wheels meant modern rubber was an option. Kawasaki took the concept a step further with the ZRX1200, except this time there was also an ugly brother option. The R version is very Z1100R Eddie Lawson inspired, whilst the S version was mostly Eddie Large; the same bike under that Captain Sensible fairing, but it made for a handy sports-tourer. Prices for ZRXS are on the move, with the 1200R (understandably) seeing the biggest gains, if you want one buy it now. Expect to cough up around £4000 for a lush one. Low mileage bikes are being touted about at twice that price. An early ZRX1100 is now 20 years old, so bear that in mind when looking at one. Honda kind of started off the big sit up and beg muscle bike scene with their 1994 CB1000 Big One, and at the time the price was also pretty big. Retail was £7695 in 1994, and a year later it was the wrong side of 8K at £8295. The 1995 Fireblade was only £999 more. Fast forward to 2019, and there’s plenty of mid-nineties Blades out there for £2000 or less. If, however, you want a good CB1000 from the same era, you’ll need to pay at least £3000. Yes, once again it’s all down to supply and demand. The CB1000 wasn’t a massive seller, so supplies are limited two decades later. Don’t panic though, as you could go a bit more modern and consider a CB1300S. There’s plenty about and £4000 buys a stunner. Yamaha rolled up their sleeves and in 1995 gave us the XJR1200, with at its heart a re-tuned FJ1200 motor. By 1998 it had grown into the XJR1300, and ironically by 1998 the parallel import market had pushed official prices down, which is why the XJR1300 had an RRP of £5839 against the £7629 that Yamaha wanted for the XJR1200 in 1995. There’s a healthy selection of XJRS on the used bike market, so £3000 is plenty enough to bag one, though again, there’s a premium to be paid for low mileage examples, if you can find one. All of these factory retros from the 1990s offer depreciation-proof biking. Keep it clean and loved, and you might even return a profit, which is something a new retro can’t compete with. If you like to

chop and change your ride on a regular basis, new bikes are not for you, unless you enjoy pouring money away. A year after the Z900RS arrived there’s no shortage of unsold 2018 models sat in showrooms across the UK. To avoid them gathering dust, dealers send the bodywork away to have it repainted in 1970s Zed colours. Maybe it will entice an impulse buy? Will the end of 2019 see Suzuki dealers sending Katana body kits away for a freshen up? Will the trend for rebooted versions of our favourite classics continue? If it does, can Kawasaki launch a ‘new’ ZRX for 2020, please? cmm