They leak, they shake, they rattle and they are loud.  They also sell for hundreds and thousands of dollars.  The rarest of rare vintage motorcycles, those decades old machines are hard to start and very difficult to ride.  Yet they are becoming more and more expensive to buy and own despite the down economy.

For years the obscure bikes such as the 1936 Crocker Twin or the 1907 Curtiss V-8 were collected by only a small handful of of wealthy gearheads.  They had such deep appreciation for the unique designs and temperaments of these machines that they'd willingly use their legs as heat shields, or their feet as brake shoes, and consider it a a good deal to pay tens of thousands of dollars to experience such evolutionary technology.



These folks are now paying six figures for bikes, and the prices are going ever higher even as the market for new bikes is tanking.

More collectors are now entering the market and driving up prices for rare bikes, many of which have doubled or tripled in price in just a few  years.  Part of this is fueled by a sputtering stock market which has caused some investors to put their money into hard goods.  Part of it is the declining US dollar that is drawing European buyers and vintage car collectors who see historic value in bikes that can be regarded as a less expensive way to satisfy their craving when you consider the cost of vintage autos.

"Good machines have been performing well over the last few years, and prices are still on the ascent," said Mark Osborne, head of the motorcycle and  motorcars division at Bonhams & Butterfields.  Osborne noted that the most expensive bike ever auctioned off through Bonhams - a $383,400 supercharged Vincent  Black Shadow was sold in the past few months, just as the world-wide economy was diving.

The market for new motorcycles is down about 30 percent so far this  year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.  And sales of high-production vintage bikes such as Harley-Davidson panheads from the 1950's, and the 1960's era Triumph Bonnevilles or the 1970's Honda CB750s have softened along with the economy.

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But, the market for the lesser known motorcycle builders from long-ago, and especially the now defunct brands have seen dramatic price increases.  Marquee names that are bringing top dollar include the British manufacturer Vincent, original-condition bikes from pre-World War II American manufacturers and anything with a racing pedigree.

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Paul Teutul, Sr., metalworker by trade and founder of Orange County Choppers, Inc., first began his business of building custom choppers out of the basement of his home in Montgomery, NY. With the creative help and following of his oldest son, Paul Jr., the two were soon on their way to the top with the success of Paul Sr.’s first bike, “True Blue” at Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999. From that point on, Paul Sr. knew he had something and established Orange County Choppers, Inc. that same year.

The Teutuls were quickly becoming recognized by chopper enthusiasts everywhere. They were not only making a name for themselves in the custom choppers world, but were picked up by the Discovery Channel in 2002 as the basis of what is now the hit television series, American Chopper. Their popularity has led them to build custom theme bikes for some of the biggest names in corporate America such as Microsoft, Lincoln and Coca-Cola. Today, Orange County Choppers is regarded as one of the world’s premier builders of custom motorcycles.




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About The Author:

This article was written by J. Mark Soveign who writes for Wertheim Communications LLC as well as Mooker.Com Did you like this story? If so, vote for it on your favorite social bookmark site: