20/06/2026
Quality Wins in Today’s Rare & Collectible market.
The collectible motorcycle market sits in a prolonged sideways phase, shaped by broader economic & structural influences. Rising interest rates & tighter liquidity reduces discretionary spending, making buyers more cautious & selective. This follows a surge during 20–22, when low rates & excess savings pushed values up. Today’s environment reflects normalization rather than decline, with prices stabilizing closer to long-term fundamentals.
A defining feature of current market is growing importance of quality. Only top-tier motorcycles i.e., highly original or correctly restored, well-documented, rare, & from desirable marques, are consistently retaining value. Meanwhile, average or poorly restored bikes face softer demand & downward pressure; widening the gap between premium & mid-tier examples is typical in slower markets.
Liquidity has also weakened. Sellers often hesitate to accept prices below earlier peaks, while buyers expect discounts, resulting in fewer sales & subdued turnover. Compounding this are higher global logistics costs, that are increasingly influencing the market. Every aspect of shipping has increased, as has Australian arrival, compliance, & delivery charges. Many investors & owners still fail to fully account for these cumulative costs when assessing purchases or returns, which can materially erode realised value.
At the same time, these elevated import costs are likely to have a supportive effect on our domestic market, as they raise the replacement cost of bringing comparable motorcycles into Australia. In turn, this should underpin values for high-quality machines already located within the country.
Demographics are another influence. While younger investors currently favour more modern classics, tastes tend to evolve, with many gravitating toward earlier machines as they themselves age and recognise their importance within the broader history of motorcycling.
Overall, this is a quality-driven market rather than a declining one, rewarding the best examples while testing the rest.
