Torque and Chrome

remember when motorcycles were cheap reliable transportation?

I don't want to sound like my grandfather [loaf of bread was 5 cents] but what da fug happened? I remember reading easyrider and the baddest chrome infested,gold plated,engraved chopper was 10,000 dollars. A new KZ 1000 was 1500 dollars. My 76 sporty was 2100 dollars. Now they have so called custom bikes selling for ungodly sums of money.30,000 and on up for TWO WHEELS! W.T.F.!

Public Comments

1. Inflation has driven up the price of everything except electronics (compare what a 26" colour TV cost in the mid 70's to what a flat screen 26" TV costs today, even without adjusting for inflation). As for reliability, today's bikes are better in my opinion than bikes produced 30 or 40 years ago. The downside to the increased reliability is that many people don't know how to now service and maintain their vehicles (more for cars, motorcyclists tend to be a little more hands-on).
2. Yup sure were. BSA 125cc bantam cost me £5! Next one, BSA B31 cost me £15!. A new Norton 650cc SS cost me about £500. The current one £10K. So who's riping who off?
3. Another example of corporate greed that trickles down to the consumer.
4. I don't remember them as being reliable or even cheap. Fun and affordable yes. But that was before the rich kids with money to just throw away became so prevalent.
5. And my new off the showroom floor 1977 Corvette cost $7900.00.
6. I only buy used bikes. So they have always been rather cheap. But the reliability has steadily gotten much better. Started with a triumph that nickle and dimmed me to death. Next a Bultoco that immediately had huge issues. And then I went to BMW's and Japanese bikes and suddenly stopped spending alot of time and money on repairs. Paid about $1500 for my three or four year old Triumph, paid about $3500 for my 4 or 5 year old VFR, a bike that is light-years better technology.
7. Nixon did away with the gold standard so dollars don't have any stable value and as 0bama prints Trillions more of them , each one you have becomes worth that much less My FXR is worth 2 times what I paid for it , all fake money but still pretty cool if you ask me.
8. I remember when that chopper in Easyriders was $2500 and a brand new SuperGlide was the same. You're making me feel old man!!
9. I remember those days. Bought a 1982 yamaha 400 for $1500 new, including luggage rack, sissy bar, windshield and 2 helmets! But I also remember having to finance it for 3 years to pay for the damn thing because my pay was only $5-6 dollars an hour, and I was bringing home less than $800 a month. After paying rent, bills, and groceries, all I could afford for a bike payment was about $50 a month. Wages and prices have both gone up. That first sporty of yours would be worth more than you paid for it by at least triple. I agree that a lot of these custom bikes are way over the top in price, but If people didn't buy them, no one would build them.
10. I remember! A cheap ride is what got me started riding. Back then I was into Triumph's. A running used one went for about $1.00 a c.c.