‘Here are the Bunce criteria for what makes a genuine classic bike’

Imay deal in classic bikes for a living, but I’m also a huge classic fan in ‘real life’. And lately I’ve been thinking about what makes a classic. My own modest collection of bikes only includes machines that I love for what they are – not what they might (or might not) become. But, with my dealer hat on, I have to make a call on whether any bike I buy to sell on is a classic or not. So, what are the Bunce criteria for a genuine classic bike?

First of all, there’s the wow factor. Was the bike an iconic machine when it came out? If it was, there’s a good chance it will be a classic today. Bikes that really shook up the motorcycling world when they were launched are all regarded as classics now. Bikes like Kawasaki’s Z1, Honda’s CB750 and Ducati’s 916 are all good examples. Personally, I’d add the first Honda Fireblade, the RC30 and even the first Africa Twins.

What else? Genuine rarity is certainly another indicator of potential classic status. I recently sold a Silk that didn’t even get on to my website. Every time I have a Silk for sale, it sells in no time. Only 138 were built, so I guess it’s a supply and demand thing. Rarity doesn’t always make a classic; some bikes are rare because they weren’t very good and the plug was pulled on production before too many were built.

Age alone doesn’t make a classic, either. Take Honda’s CB500T, for example. It might be 46 years old, but it was an awful thing and remains one today. Even Honda seemed to realise that when they dropped it after just two years on sale.

Then there’s the ‘first bike factor.’ Most people hanker after either what they had when they first got into riding, or what they lusted after. What they lusted after was probably a Z1, but what they had to have was probably a sports moped, a Honda CB175 or a Bantam. The bike on which they made their first great motorcycling memories is always going to be a classic to them. That’s why I paid a fortune for my own Fantic Super T. I saved for two years to buy my first one and I just had to have another.

I’m sure everyone has their own ideas on what makes a classic and I’m pretty certain someone will prove me wrong about the Honda CB500T by paying a fortune for one at the next big auction, too. In the end, it’s all down to what you think – not what I think. classicsuperbikes.co.uk