Collectors mean a new lease of life for classic motorbikes

Spanner twirlers in need of a project could do worse than buy a classic motorbike, says Chris Carter

1936 Brough Superior 982C SS100 classic motorbike
(Image credit: © Bonhams)

Classic cars make the big noise in the newspapers. Given that a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for almost $50m in 2018, it’s not hard to see why. But collectors could be missing out on a related market that has also been “quietly” appreciating in recent years – classic motorbikes.

Some vintage bikes, like their four-wheeled brethren, do, of course, sell for eye-watering sums. Take, for instance, the 1936 Brough Superior 982C SS100 (pictured) that fetched £276,000 with Bonhams at Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire last month. During the weekend-long sale, which raised £3m, two marque records for a Sunbeam and Norton F1 motorcycle were set. But on the whole, classic motorcycles tend to be a lot more affordable, which is ideal for collectors just getting started. There’s even a tax advantage. Like classic cars, they are considered to be “wasting assets” by the taxman, which exempts them from capital gains tax. And they also take up less space in the garage than a classic car.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.