Appetite for nostalgia in bike market

THE poster on my bedroom wall was all I could afford – it was 1976 and I was 12 and the poster was of a Kawasaki Z1 900 – a thing of such beauty and power, I was mesmerised.

And there were more stunning bikes, the likes of which the UK hadn’t even dreamed of before the early 70s.

Yes, the British bike industry had its glory years – when Triumph, BSA, Norton and the like ruled the world.

But that was all to change. Now came the Japanese introducing us to such machines as Honda CB750, Suzuki GT750 and, of course, the aforementioned Kawasaki Z1 900.

Bikes so extraordinary in their design and performance that it all but killed off a complacent British bike industry.

And the Japanese were relentless too. Each manufacturer bombarded us with a huge range of models of all sizes and styles. It’s fair to say they took the world of motorcycling by storm. Russ Clay with Kawasaki motorbikes.

And for people like me who longed to own one of these dream machines, they made it possible, and what joy it brought.

My memories of riding loads of different makes and models are precious and vivid.

But hang on! Kawasaki has just launched a new bike – a Z900RS. This beautiful replica of its iconic original even shares the same colour scheme, and it is not alone.

Honda now offers the CB1100A – a loose copy of its early CB range. Triumph too with the Bobber and Scrambler. Even Yamaha and Harley Davidson are aboard this nostalgia train.

And it’s not just new bikes, there is a market for classic and vintage bikes as restoration projects are growing apace.

And then there are the prices. It is not unusual for a clean example of a 1970s CB750 or Z900 to reach the tens of thousands.

The value of these classic bikes is now considered something of a commodity. Indeed, people are investing in them as future money makers.

Just to put it into perspective, in 1972 a new Kawasaki Z1 900 cost £1,200, while today a concourse example would command in excess of £25,000. And the trend is much the same across all marques and models.

The interest in classic bikes has grown to the extent that there are now huge numbers of clubs and gatherings and classic bike shows (Stafford is coming up) catering exclusively for this market.

The number of specialist dealers importing and selling classic Japanese, and indeed British machines, mainly from the USA, is at an all-time high.

We at DK Motorcycles are considered one of the largest.

So maybe it is time for you budding nostalgia fans to consider the potential of an investment in the classic motorcycle market.

The rewards, aside from financial