Welcome, new classic car riders m/f! – column

In the motorcycle world, more and more people (men and women) are getting their motorcycle license for quite practical reasons. On a motorcycle, you simply have a lot of extra 'Lebensraum' in traffic. And parking is never a problem.

In addition, there is a growing number of people who are becoming or have an interest in classics and/or youngtimers.

Those motorcyclists (male and female) who have recently been granted an A-class license are looking for motorcycles. In doing so—unless, of course, they receive a company lease bike—they run up against the prices of new or recent motorcycles. These are typically machines with a lot of electronic gadgets and the necessary visits to brand dealerships, where the workshop rate is usually well above €100/hour. And perhaps those two-wheelers aren't even expensive for what they offer, but 'not expensive' can very well be 'a lot of money'. Even the new cheap Chinese motorcycles cost a fortune.

Those open-minded male and female motorcyclists are usually quite sharp. They look beyond the obvious. And that is how they end up in the classic corner. The world where we complain that prices are so high. They aren't looking at Harley Knuckleheads, BMW R90S's, or Honda CBX's, but at motorcycles from around 1980 to 1990. Then you are talking about amounts of €1.500-4.500 for a bike that even the most critical mother-in-law can live with.

We are talking about the era before the current trend of a huge bulge of extravagant electronics. That is the era of engines that, with normal maintenance and use, simply lasted over 100,000 kilometers without serious problems. During a test ride, such a recent rider, who obtained their license on an equally recent machine, notices that motorcycles from the 80s and 90s are different from very fresh examples. They are more fun than near-new or brand-new motorcycles.

That open-mindedness provides a completely different perspective. After all, motorcycles that simply aren't interesting to 'us'? Those are motorcycles that new riders actually get quite happy with. And so, until recently 'worthless' motorcycles get a serious chance at a new life under the buttocks of a very satisfied male or female rider. We explicitly mention 'male or female' every time. Because our male world on two wheels is increasingly being discovered by members of the more flatteringly built kind.

The fact that those new motorcyclists (male and female) generally don't know the first thing about mechanics? It doesn't matter. They take their motorcycles to an independent dealer for maintenance and come out ecstatic with the new mileage allowance.

By now, we know a few who, beyond the practical approach, have also been gripped by the passion of motorcycling. And with a beefy Kawasaki 1000GTR, a Yamaha FJ1100, an FJ1200 or FJR1300, or a Suzuki Bandit 600 or 1200/1250, the world is at your feet. And not all K100s/K75s have been chopped up and fitted with spring roll seats yet. Moreover, these new classic riders (male and female) all know the internet and YouTube. That is where they find everything that 'we' used to learn by doing and during conversations in pubs.

In short: a new group of classic car enthusiasts is cautiously growing. So the fear that we as old-school classic drivers—almost all of us M—are an endangered species? That seems to be a very exaggerated problem.

And if you were thinking about buying a 'worthless' classic just for fun? Then you should do it now. Because while CB750s and MV750s are dropping in price, the lower end of the market is now climbing back up. Just a tip. Do pay attention, though: a K750 is not a BMW!