Graph of the Week: Hagerty Motorcycle Price Guide’s 10 Biggest Movers

While motorcycle values have not increased uniformly, numerous bikes showed explosive growth this year. Moreover, it wasn’t limited to a single genre or era. The graph shows the 10 bikes with the greatest appreciation, according to the latest update of Hagerty’s motorcycle pricing, which covers 61 collectible bike makes from the turn of the century through to the 1990s, as more motorcycles have headed to auction and interest continues growing.

The graph shows a wide range of motorcycle styles and countries of origin. But the most notable big movers have been early BMWs from the late 1920s and 1930s. More have shown up at auction this year than before, and most have sold quite well. This year was BMW’s 100th anniversary, which could also affect demand, as big anniversary years tend to see increased desire for significant pieces of a marque’s history. 

Rising appreciation for Japanese bikes with racing pedigree, meanwhile, was felt most by the Honda VFR750R RC30, Suzuki X-6 Super Six and Yamaha MX360, and the increase for the BSA B50 Motocross was in part due to the very high $5,000 result for one at Mecum’s Las Vegas auction earlier this year.