Lovely looking book. The Vintage Motorcycle Club in Britain is keen to encourage young people to have a go. Many of their members being quite old with large numbers of bikes that they'd like to see enjoyed and cared for after their demise. They organise a Training Day, where people can try one out and get to to know the crowd. Here's a write up on one by Rick Parkington: http://www.rickparkington.co.uk/vmcc-banbury-run-2014-and-training-day/
"keen to encourage young people" yes, but, the only thing keeping young people from getting into the hobby, is old people. The hoarders, the collectors, and the investors. The flippers, collectors, and investors are not young people, they are old people, and they alone have driven the cost of anything related to motorcycles ... up. Young people can't afford to buy tools for gods sake. Ask any old biker, how much he paid for a good cheap bike, and he'll tell you a dollar figure with only 2 digits. You can't buy a tire for that anymore. Why? Investors pressure corporations for constantly higher 1/4rly and annual statements, and that's just old people getting rich. Why do people buy cheap old bikes, use them for years, even decades, and then sell them for lots more, even another decimal place more, than they paid for the bike? To get rich. So, every time I read or hear how brass era, model T, hot rodders, muscle car, sports car, Corvette, or Hagerty is trying "to encourage young people" I point out that it's hypocritical to say it... without DOING something to make the vehicle in the price range OF the young person. Until that happens, it's nothing but rubbing the nose of the young into the waxed paint and being ignorant of the hypocrisy. "Many of their members being quite old with large numbers of bikes that they'd like to see enjoyed and cared for after their demise." Really? Exactly how many bikes were sold to the young people by ALL the members of the Vintage Motorcycle Club in Britain? Last year? 0, the year before that? 0. Sound like I'm just an asshole out of touch? Fine. But I'm the one who points out the reality, not the lefty liberal hopey changey claptrap that falls on it's face and disappoints everyone. No young person is "getting into" collector cars until they can pay for the vehicle, and the insurance, and the fuel - minimum. That's not mentioning the tools, repair parts, oil change, and govt inspection. You can't buy windshield wipers under 10 dollars anymore. You could buy cars for 10 dollars until the 1980s. Fact. You can't buy a vw bug, 60s mustang, or 60 camaro for less than 10k anymore. You can't buy a junk harley anymore for less than 1k So, either hire the young people and pay them a living wage (not minimum wage) or give them a car they can't afford the insurance on. What difference is there? I bought my 72 Barracuda for 400. My 71 Challenger for 1000, my 69 Super Bee for 2600. That was in 1991, 92, and 95. By 2002 when I bought my R/T it was 22k because this wasn't a junker, and because the overall going rate for big block mopars was raised by Barrett Jackson getting on cable tv and driving people crazy with lotto ticket dreams of turning old cars into gold mines.
I think they're trying to encourage "young people" who are our age Jesse :-D (which to the average VMCC member is young), people who already have a modern bike, but are interested in trying something old. An average (not exotic) classic or vintage bike is actually very cheap when compared with a new one, and offers a different perspective to motorcycling.
As for prices of things in the old days: I bought my 1950s 650 BSA nearly 30 years ago.The engine ran, but it was very rough. It still cost me 3 months wages from the poorly paid shop job I had as a teenager. I spent the next 2 years doing it up, as I had to wait until I was 21 to insure it. Third party only insurance for an under 21 would have cost me more than the bike did! When I do part with it, I'd like that bike to go to a young gun to have fun on, rather than an old fart collector. But they'll still have to earn it.
I've owned 2 other bikes in my life, a '69 BSA 250 Starfire and a '76 BMW r100s. I sold them both at considerably under market value to friends who wanted to get into motorbikes. Generally on the motorbike scene there is an atmosphere of "pay it forward", and mentoring, help and spare parts can often be had for nothing. As an example: Rick who wrote that article, rebuilt my BSA engine for me (taking time out of his freelance mechanic job) whilst teaching me what he was doing, and having me do the grubby, simple stuff. He didn't charge me for this, it was about hanging out and helping out a friend and sharing knowledge. I appreciated it and have helped him out in different ways over the years.
There is still cheap, good stuff out there, it's just the stuff that used to be cheap isn't any more. It's different stuff. Things we don't appreciate. Kids will find it, they're good at sniffing out fun.
As an aside, I think the patina/rust thing particularly in the VW scene is great, as it means people who can't afford a several thousand dollar paint job aren't excluded. BTW there are still plenty of reasonably priced VW bugs where I am at the moment.
I love your page Jesse. It's the first thing I look at every morning. There's always something surprising, interesting cool, or funny. I appreciate what you do. Thank you.
Lovely looking book. The Vintage Motorcycle Club in Britain is keen to encourage young people to have a go. Many of their members being quite old with large numbers of bikes that they'd like to see enjoyed and cared for after their demise. They organise a Training Day, where people can try one out and get to to know the crowd. Here's a write up on one by Rick Parkington: http://www.rickparkington.co.uk/vmcc-banbury-run-2014-and-training-day/
ReplyDelete"keen to encourage young people" yes, but, the only thing keeping young people from getting into the hobby, is old people. The hoarders, the collectors, and the investors. The flippers, collectors, and investors are not young people, they are old people, and they alone have driven the cost of anything related to motorcycles ... up. Young people can't afford to buy tools for gods sake. Ask any old biker, how much he paid for a good cheap bike, and he'll tell you a dollar figure with only 2 digits. You can't buy a tire for that anymore. Why? Investors pressure corporations for constantly higher 1/4rly and annual statements, and that's just old people getting rich.
ReplyDeleteWhy do people buy cheap old bikes, use them for years, even decades, and then sell them for lots more, even another decimal place more, than they paid for the bike? To get rich.
So, every time I read or hear how brass era, model T, hot rodders, muscle car, sports car, Corvette, or Hagerty is trying "to encourage young people" I point out that it's hypocritical to say it... without DOING something to make the vehicle in the price range OF the young person.
Until that happens, it's nothing but rubbing the nose of the young into the waxed paint and being ignorant of the hypocrisy.
"Many of their members being quite old with large numbers of bikes that they'd like to see enjoyed and cared for after their demise." Really? Exactly how many bikes were sold to the young people by ALL the members of the Vintage Motorcycle Club in Britain? Last year? 0, the year before that? 0.
Sound like I'm just an asshole out of touch? Fine.
But I'm the one who points out the reality, not the lefty liberal hopey changey claptrap that falls on it's face and disappoints everyone.
No young person is "getting into" collector cars until they can pay for the vehicle, and the insurance, and the fuel - minimum. That's not mentioning the tools, repair parts, oil change, and govt inspection.
You can't buy windshield wipers under 10 dollars anymore.
You could buy cars for 10 dollars until the 1980s. Fact.
You can't buy a vw bug, 60s mustang, or 60 camaro for less than 10k anymore.
You can't buy a junk harley anymore for less than 1k
So, either hire the young people and pay them a living wage (not minimum wage) or give them a car they can't afford the insurance on. What difference is there?
I bought my 72 Barracuda for 400. My 71 Challenger for 1000, my 69 Super Bee for 2600. That was in 1991, 92, and 95. By 2002 when I bought my R/T it was 22k because this wasn't a junker, and because the overall going rate for big block mopars was raised by Barrett Jackson getting on cable tv and driving people crazy with lotto ticket dreams of turning old cars into gold mines.
I think they're trying to encourage "young people" who are our age Jesse :-D (which to the average VMCC member is young), people who already have a modern bike, but are interested in trying something old. An average (not exotic) classic or vintage bike is actually very cheap when compared with a new one, and offers a different perspective to motorcycling.
ReplyDeleteAs for prices of things in the old days: I bought my 1950s 650 BSA nearly 30 years ago.The engine ran, but it was very rough. It still cost me 3 months wages from the poorly paid shop job I had as a teenager. I spent the next 2 years doing it up, as I had to wait until I was 21 to insure it. Third party only insurance for an under 21 would have cost me more than the bike did! When I do part with it, I'd like that bike to go to a young gun to have fun on, rather than an old fart collector. But they'll still have to earn it.
I've owned 2 other bikes in my life, a '69 BSA 250 Starfire and a '76 BMW r100s. I sold them both at considerably under market value to friends who wanted to get into motorbikes. Generally on the motorbike scene there is an atmosphere of "pay it forward", and mentoring, help and spare parts can often be had for nothing. As an example: Rick who wrote that article, rebuilt my BSA engine for me (taking time out of his freelance mechanic job) whilst teaching me what he was doing, and having me do the grubby, simple stuff. He didn't charge me for this, it was about hanging out and helping out a friend and sharing knowledge. I appreciated it and have helped him out in different ways over the years.
There is still cheap, good stuff out there, it's just the stuff that used to be cheap isn't any more. It's different stuff. Things we don't appreciate. Kids will find it, they're good at sniffing out fun.
As an aside, I think the patina/rust thing particularly in the VW scene is great, as it means people who can't afford a several thousand dollar paint job aren't excluded. BTW there are still plenty of reasonably priced VW bugs where I am at the moment.
I love your page Jesse. It's the first thing I look at every morning. There's always something surprising, interesting cool, or funny. I appreciate what you do. Thank you.
Cheers,
Iain