Appreciation of 250s in the next 2 decades.

**McWild** · 10th October 2009, 18:48

I have to settle an argument.

What do you think will appreciate in value better over the next couple of decades?

A (well kept) 250cc 2 stroke twin, eg RGV250s, NSR250s

A (well kept) 250cc 4 stroke inline four, eg CBR250s, ZXR250s

Both are lightweight bikes that represent an era of over the top engineering by Japanese manufacturers to get as much hp into a road legal 250 as possible.

19,000rpm redlines and tiny cylinders or a complete middle finger to modern day emissions standards, fuel economy and reliability?

I'm positive that it's the 2 strokes whose value will skyrocket the most.

Go Kiwibiker! Battle!

**st00ji** · 10th October 2009, 19:10

i voted for smokers

mainly cos they are faster, and die more easily (in general) so less of them surviving

being rare is a good way to gain in value!

**TuonoTom** · 10th October 2009, 20:14

Where is the "put a rota in it" option?

**EJK** · 10th October 2009, 20:15

Smokers are getting rare... Well certain models are! I mean look at the RGV250 "Pepsi", the coke brand is about to extinct too!

**McJim** · 10th October 2009, 20:18

Ducati don't make 250cc bikes any more. Classic Japanese is an oxymoron.

An Aprilia RS250 might appreciate if it's kept under a dust sheet though.

**TuonoTom** · 10th October 2009, 20:20

Originally Posted by McJim

Ducati don't make 250cc bikes any more. Classic Japanese is an oxymoron.

An Aprilia RS250 might appreciate if it's kept under a dust sheet though.

The thread/pole isn't about which will be more classic. The pole is about which one will be worth more.

**ital916** · 10th October 2009, 20:25

Originally Posted by McJim

Ducati don't make 250cc bikes any more. Classic Japanese is an oxymoron.

An Aprilia RS250 might appreciate if it's kept under a dust sheet though.

I want this

mmmmm....250 desmo. Interstingly I believe there was a 350 and a 450 as well? Odd how they had 100cc increments.

I'd say two stroke 250s wont appreciate as much. Reason being, injected two strokes will be brought in. Everyone will realise riding a four stroke is gay and buy the modern two strokes, hence making old school four strokes a rarity.

**McJim** · 10th October 2009, 20:26

Originally Posted by CBR250Tom

The thread/pole isn't about which will be more classic. The pole is about which one will be worth more.

I know. I thought you might be bright enough to get what I was driving at but *sigh* I obviously need to explain it.

Classics are worth more in the future because they are *ahem* classic.

Inline four 250s were made to fit legislation in Japan and not for any other particular reason. 2 stroke 250s are meant to be little GP250 replicas but are generally owed by young hoons who rev the snot out of them and blow them up coz they skimped on the ring replacements and top end rebuilds.

An old Ducati 250 can still be worth a few bob in good nick but it's a single cyl bike with some real heritage behind it.

The answer is "It depends on the brand". The RS250 will appreciate in value but the japanese ones probably won't whether they are 2 smoke or 4.

**quickbuck** · 10th October 2009, 20:36

Well, since the whole media climate change phenominion is happening then one of two things will happen... bare with me here.

ALL 2 strokes will be banned because of the smelly smoke they produce....
Never mind that 4 strokes produce more nasty stuff.
Science has never come into the climate change argument anyway....

Now the greenies might get their way and all 2 strokes will be crushed.

So... If you have one in your posession in the future you could be either very wealthy... or breaking the law, and thus a crim.

So a 2 stroke may be worthless!

My vote is for 2 strokes to be worth more though.

**TuonoTom** · 10th October 2009, 20:36

Yeah it sucks being retarded. Thanks for the explanation McJim.

**p.dath** · 10th October 2009, 20:46

20 years from now - I think there may be stronger emission controls, and just like they are looking at banning 2 strike outboard motors on boats, 2 stroke road bikes could be banned as well.

So that would only leave the off road market (like the track). That market is much smaller. So I think they could become almost worthless.

But 20 years is a long time.

**st00ji** · 10th October 2009, 21:14

its retarded to think that banning 2 stroke stuff is going to make any measurable difference to world wide emissions, what a crock. which probably means that it will happen cos its bound to be easier to implement than something that will actually make a difference (if a difference even needs to be made!)

its also retarded to think that something wont become a classic just because it was made in japan, jesus the japs have been making better vehicles than the rest of the world for decades - only people with their head in the sands are still clinging to their 'only euro-trash is good' BS

**Dave-** · 10th October 2009, 21:39

Originally Posted by McJim

I know. I thought you might be bright enough to get what I was driving at but *sigh* I obviously need to explain it.

Classics are worth more in the future because they are *ahem* classic.

Inline four 250s were made to fit legislation in Japan and not for any other particular reason. 2 stroke 250s are meant to be little GP250 replicas but are generally owed by young hoons who rev the snot out of them and blow them up coz they skimped on the ring replacements and top end rebuilds.

An old Ducati 250 can still be worth a few bob in good nick but it's a single cyl bike with some real heritage behind it.

The answer is "It depends on the brand". The RS250 will appreciate in value but the japanese ones probably won't whether they are 2 smoke or 4.

but the RS250 is japanese...

you're saying that the "classicness" of a bike is dependent upon it's brand, or even the part of the world it was built in, which is rubbish.

the classicness of anything is dependant upon whatever it is, it's got nothing to do with geographical disposition of the factory it was made in, what sticker it has on the side, it'd make as much sense to say that only red bikes can be classic.

poor tom, I hardly blame him for not posting here.

edit: in my opinion it'll be the japanese 2 stroke twins that're worth the most, because of what Jim has said, young hoons, because they blow up there'll be few of them, and those that do last will be special because of the "young, dumb and full of cum" status the bikes have, young people bought them, young people crashed them, young people got sex because of them, what more could you want in nostalgia?

**McWild** · 10th October 2009, 21:39

Originally Posted by ital916

I'd say two stroke 250s wont appreciate as much. Reason being, injected two strokes will be brought in. Everyone will realise riding a four stroke is gay and buy the modern two strokes, hence making old school four strokes a rarity.

I agree that FI 2 strokes are the way of the future as they are at least as clean, lighter, cheaper to produce, and produce more power then 4 strokes.

But remember that an FI 2 stroke is very different to a classic 2 stroke. A lot of people find a certain appeal in a smoky, peaky, rough motor ringing its tits off and blowing itself up every once in a while.