Especially on eBay (or other auction platforms), it’s easy to be confused by large differences in final sale price between two bikes that may have seemed very similar. Valuing classic motorcycles isn’t a science, and it’s not easy. So I’m intrigued by Hagerty’s attempt at creating a price guide for the bikes we all love so much.
It’s pretty straightforward: pick a make model, and then the year. Hagerty will tell you what the average value is at the conditions of Concours, Excellent, Good, and Fair. Of course, they’ll also try to sell you some insurance for your bike, as well.
For example, here’s some recent values for a ’69 Commando 750 Fastback:
And if you want to get cute, you can even compare the value of your bike to varying financial indices. Screw the S&P, invest in motorcycles!
It’s unclear to me exactly where the source values are being pulled from, but they offer valuations for bikes built between 1894 and 1996 from 61 different marques. 11-28-17 UPDATE: I spoke with some folks from Hagerty who let me know that they pull values from “private party sales, auctions and eBay, and we currently update the guide values twice annually.”