Prices of new bikes in the 70s

[Voltaire]

I spoke to the original owner of my 1974 R90s and he says it was $4400 new , compared to a CB 750/4 at $2000.
I did a Google search and the average hourly wage was about $2.00.
In todays money $4400 would be $36727
( yes its quiet in the office today)

Anyone have new bike prices from those years for comparison?
My Mum bought a new Holden Premier in Orchid with a 253 V8 in 1975 and it was $5500.

[HenryDorsetCase]

In 1988 when I was earning quite good money for the time ($36k/yr maybe) a brand new GB400TT Mk 2 was $4299 brand spankers. First new bike I ever bought. I loved that thing.

[Jantar]

What I can remember

Suzuki
1971 T125 stinger $549
1972 GT250R $699
1973 GT380K $999 (Next year they dropped to $899)
1975 RE5M $2799
1976 GT750A $1999

Honda
1972 SL125 $599
1973 CB500 $1299
1974 CB750 $1799
1975 GL1000 $2499

Kawasaki
1973 S1 250 $749
1975 Z900 $2399

Yamaha
1973 RD250 $749

I can't recall any figures for BMW back then, but I don't think they were more expensive than the Gold Wing.

[ellipsis]

...when I dig out my scrapbook for way back then, where I have all the brochures and newspaper adds for around the 70,71 period I could probably tell you how much McLeary's wanted as deposit and payment per week...it still felt like a whole heap of cash at the time...my basic wage then was about 13 or 14 bucks a week as an apprentice...it made my dream of a new 400F just that, a dream...

[Corse1]

Anyone have new bike prices from those years for comparison?
My Mum bought a new Holden Premier in Orchid with a 253 V8 in 1975 and it was $5500.

No bikes but remember when my parents bought a brand new HQ Kingswood in 1974 for $4000. Crazy car to learn to drive in. It was the Orchid pink colour too:facepalm:

[HenryDorsetCase]

No bikes but remember when my parents bought a brand new HQ Kingswood in 1974 for $4000. Crazy car to learn to drive in. It was the Orchid pink colour too:facepalm:

I learnt to drive in my old man's HQ too. 202 three stg auto "luxury". Its rare to see a tidy one these days. Actually its rare to see them at all. His was the bronzy metallic brown colour. Not dark brown more golden brown.

[T.W.R]

1975 US prices

Honda

CB400F $1433
CB750K5 $2099
MT-250K1 $999
XL-250K2 $1090
XL-350K1 $1166

Kawasaki

250 S-1 $1018
400 S-3 $1197
500 H-1 $1519
750 H-2 $1700+
900 Z-1 $2475
KX 250 $1216

Suzuki

GT 380 Sebring $1295
GT 550 Indy $1635
GT 750 LeMans $2145
RE-5 $2475
T-500 Titan $1175
TM-250 Champion $1175
TS-400 Apache $1230

Yamaha

RD-250 $1099
RD-350 $1211
XS 650B $1899
DT-250 $1229
MX-400 $1486

BMW

R75/6 $2950
R90/6 $3195
R90S $3695

Benelli

500 Quattro $2875
750 Sei $3995

Norton

Commando 850 Roadster/Interstate $2895

Triumph

Trident T160 $2870

Laverda

750SF $2863
750SFC $3520
1000 3CL $ 3900

[Stylo]

I bought 3 brand new bikes in the 70s

1976 Honda XL125 $1025
1977 Honda XL350 $1995
1979 Honda XL500 $2650

New DT360A in Geneva green ( the only colour available) back in '74/5 was around $1250

[Motu]

No young guys paid cash for a bike back then, it was 1/3 deposit and ride out the door. I think my CT2 in 1972 was around $700. In '73 I had short listed some bikes, and had cash in my pocket for the deposit. I think the TS400 was about $1200, and the Ducati 450 Scrambler $1600, but I wanted handling, and was going for the Triumph Trophy Trail at $1800 because it had the BSA frame. Got distracted by something else that didn't need monthly payments. Just as well, at 20, I'd have wrecked it pretty quick.

[MVnut]

Kawasaki H1A $1349, H2 $1789, Z1 $2245 I still have Laurie Summers (Count Sumeruga) original sales ads and brochures

[MD]

In 1988 when I was earning quite good money for the time ($36k/yr maybe) a brand new GB400TT Mk 2 was $4299 brand spankers. First new bike I ever bought. I loved that thing.

Get out of here! I also bought a new GB400TT in 87 and yes, it was something like $4,200 from memory.

[AllanB]

Paid $3,999 for a brand new 750 twin Kawa in 1983.

closest modern comparison would be the W800 at $12k or Triumph Bonnie at $14k.

[pete376403]

72 Kawasaki F9 (Bighorn) $1169 - which was a bit of a stretch on apprentice wages of $21 pw.

WRT the 1/3 deposit, one shop I knew of got around that by telling the finance co (Broadlands in this case) that the bike cost was 1/3 higher than it really was and that the shop had already got the deposit so the Broadlands ended up covering the whole amount and the purchaser got the bike for no deposit. Completely illegal of course, but the shop moved a shit load of bikes.

And the very first CB750 I saw at Lawton & Boyle was $1999

[TLDV8]

A 1976 RM125S was $1337 from Colemans in 'K road.
79 RM125T was around $2200 same as a XR500.

Who would have thought......
H2B was $1600 from Mollers in 1980.
Last H2A was $700,the one before $1700 < seemed a little to much at the time but picked up a $700 Lotto strike on the way home with it.
73 Ducati 750 GT in the mid 1990's for $3500.
1964 1/2 427 low riser for $1000 in 1985.
68 big block (S code) Mustang fastback $5600 in 1980.

[gammaguy]

Bought a brand new Suzuki GT250EN(X7)

September 1979

Wellington motorcycle centre Kent terrace,sold to me by Steve Dundon,I wanted one because I saw Robert Holden racing one

Cost...$1995

Great times

[Grumph]

Slightly off topic - in '73 a Suzuki fronte car, 500cc triple, fan cooled, $1860 from Manchester Fiat across the road from Tommy's....

Quicker and more reliable than a Mini - and about 1/3 the price too.

[ktm84mxc]

Here's what I can remember
TS125n 1979 $1295
PE175 n 1979 $1995
TS185er t 1980 $1595
GT250 X7 1981 $2695
Kawa KLX250a1 $2695
PE250x 1981 $2895
DR250s 1980 $2300
PE175z 1982 $2695
KDX 250 1983 $3800
KTM 250mxc 1984 $6300
GSX400F 1982 $3600
GSXR400R 1984 $5995

Back in late 70's a GS1000e could be had for $3995 including on road costs. Up till 84 bike prices were cheap compared to car prices, some of the bikes on trade me are advertised for more then they cost new.

[Johny Brando]

I spoke to the original owner of my 1974 R90s and he says it was $4400 new , compared to a CB 750/4 at $2000.
I did a Google search and the average hourly wage was about $2.00.
In todays money $4400 would be $36727
( yes its quiet in the office today)

Anyone have new bike prices from those years for comparison?
My Mum bought a new Holden Premier in Orchid with a 253 V8 in 1975 and it was $5500.

Can only relate to UK Pounds being an English man & living in London then....so you'll have to do the time - $ conversion rate ! BUT in the UK in 1975 I bought a new 750 Honda 4 ( K-2 model ) it was 790.00 pounds ride away ! & a Z1B Kwacker was 1370.00 ride away .......I wanted the Z1B but at nearly twice the price it wasn't gunna happen .... my wages then = about 60 pounds a week but got one a couple of years later though & it was Twice the bike & well worth the money )
Cheers, Johny Brando

[jasonu]

Here's what I can remember
TS125n 1979 $1295
PE175 n 1979 $1995
TS185er t 1980 $1595
GT250 X7 1981 $2695
Kawa KLX250a1 $2695
PE250x 1981 $2895
DR250s 1980 $2300
PE175z 1982 $2695
KDX 250 1983 $3800
KTM 250mxc 1984 $6300
GSX400F 1982 $3600
GSXR400R 1984 $5995

Back in late 70's a GS1000e could be had for $3995 including on road costs. Up till 84 bike prices were cheap compared to car prices, some of the bikes on trade me are advertised for more then they cost new.

A few years later but add in the Impulse for around $4200 was a total bargain. Lots of them were snapped up by couriers.

[RoscoP]

Bought in 1979 for $4,500.00 Repayments were $55.00 per week and I was earning $110.00 per week after tax. After paying Mum $30.00 per week board I had $25.00 left which was enough for 1 tank of gas and a couple of burgers. I thought I was pretty well off for a 17 year old as most of my mates were riding their push bikes or had incredibly clapped out old 50's cars (not chevy's)
My surfing buddy had an old humber 80 which rarely made it from Pukekohe to Kariotahi without breaking down. The GS1000 was my third bike and I am on my 11th bike now (inc 10 years of no bike in the 90's)
One of my old riding buddies still has his original Kawasaki KZ1300 Which he has owned from brand new in about '83

[SPman]

1970 Suzuki T250-IISS - $849
1972 Kawasaki S2 - $1149 (I think)
1973 Ducati GT750 - $2470 - Henry Brothers, Cambridge - paid $800 deposit in May after the S2 had shit itself once again, then had to wait until end of November before the sodding thing came in. With the Henry boys later reputation, I suppose I was lucky to get one at all........
1973 Ducati 750 Sport - $2700 - with a top fairing, Auckland motorcycles in K road - they also had a superb Rickman Trident they wanted $2700 for in 1974.
1974 Ducati 750 SS - $4200

A mate paid $2200 for the first Z1.

oh yeah - 1966 Yamaha YL1 100 twin was 89 pound ten shillings ($179) and a Bonneville T120 was 420 quid ($840) (one of the mechanics at W White Yamaha, in Newmarket had a brand new one

[slofox]

1974. Benelli Supersport 250cc single: $1200 brand new. As below, 'cept mine was green.

293085

[Max Headroom]

I spoke to the original owner of my 1974 R90s and he says it was $4400 new , compared to a CB 750/4 at $2000.
I did a Google search and the average hourly wage was about $2.00.
In todays money $4400 would be $36727
( yes its quiet in the office today)

Anyone have new bike prices from those years for comparison?
My Mum bought a new Holden Premier in Orchid with a 253 V8 in 1975 and it was $5500.

I've just looked up a pricelist from Jensen Motors Ltd in Newmarket dated 1/9/1975 and it's quite interesting to see that the R90S had jumped to $6,350.

The BMW 3.0S auto (E3) in my shed was NZ new, and according to the same Jensen Motors pricelist the car had a retail price as at 1/9/75 of $22,766 . . . . . :eek5:

[Voltaire]

Speaking to British Spares this morning and he bought an 850 Commando from Weston Web for $2200 in 1974, traded in his Combat that had earlier done the bottom end at 5000mls ....like most of them.

[T.W.R]

May 1980 Two Wheels test listings with the prices at time of test