1999 YZF R6 and it's potential to become a classic

[struan80]

So I've got a 1999 R6 in good condition and mechanically sound.

Do the people of Bike Chat Forum think the carbed 5EB will become a classic?

When will it become a classic?

Is the bike equivalent to an E30 BMW if it was a car? (fucking can't find the words to explain that right, but you know what I mean)

Is a road going R6 a boy racers toy?

The going price for these bikes is around £2K, both £200 below that for private and £400 above that for dealers. Basically the old carbed R6 is a lot of bike for the money. It's temperamental, but a little devil.

I'm fifty one and feel like a ricer. Is this acceptable during a mid life crisis?

Should I be proud to screw the guts out of the bike?

Should I keep my R6? Is the most important question.

Maybe I should get a Ducati cafe racer?

[Beehive Bedlam]

[M.C]

[stevo as b4]

I think there's a big difference between:
Will an early R6 become a classic, and will it become valuable and highly sought after.

The thing is that much older first generation 600 supersports bikes while now rare, are not always that expensive or hard to find. There's some exceptions like the FZ600 as it's the most modern bike allowed in a particular race class, so it's much more expensive than it'll ever be worth as a bike for its merits.

Thing is like most sports bikes, they generally carried on getting better through into the millennium before peaking around 2010? I think with 600's there was more competition between bikes and more of them sold. That means finding something that changed the world or was unique and a landmark machine is very hard.

Personally I'd say it'll be worth as much as it's other rivals, but it wasn't quite an everymans bike like the CBR and ZX6R etc.
If yours is clean and runs well, and you feel comfortable on it, then why change bikes?

As others have said other styles of bike like café racers will come and go in fashion and interest. The R6 will always appeal to the same type of person, and maybe also as a nostalgia bike to 90's born agains that went out and got one for a first bike.

I'd keep it if your planning to ride it, but not if your planning to speculate. As I think a 600 isn't the best bike to own for future investments.

[struan80]

[stevo as b4]

It can't depreciate now, it's still worth the thick end of £2k, and will at least be worth that in good condition.

Ideally if your bike is more original than most, or is a 1-2owner bike with a ton of history, it might sell for a few £££ more to the right person that wants originality over value.

[Bikeless]

If it's low mileage and in good nick it will always be worth a few quid.
Collectable? Who knows,my 95 blade was low mileage and it pretty good condition,value I'd say around £3000 now judging by others so holding it's value but then again it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Don't wash it ("patina"), let the MOT expire and say "barn find" for instant eBay "classic" status.

[struan80]

[Polarbear]

It'll never be something as desirable as the red and white R1 of the same era.

Put it this way, if you are 51, I doubt if it will ever make enough to pay for your funeral when you go, so if that's all your family have for expenses, you're going in a ditch.
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[wr6133]

I doubt a '99 R6 is ever going to reach expensive classic status. Isn't it's current value propped up by the fact it can be raced in pre injection?

[struan80]

[Holdawayt]

I doubt there will be any left soon, cylinder liners will all be fucked soon and only the garage ornaments will be left.

[chris-red]

25 years ago someone was probably laughed at for asking the same question of their RD350...
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Polarbear]

[stevo as b4]

It's harder for 600's to stand up and make such a strong 'me too' case for being very sought after rare classics. They were made in such great numbers and constantly developed for over 20years.

By that logic the daddy of them all the GPZ600R should be much more sought after and out of reach expensive now. The 100cc smaller GP replicas that in customer spec were barely 10mph quicker, and overall nothing like as good bikes for general riding, have exploded value wise while the arguably much better more relevant all round 600 sportsbike never did.

There's more to it than that, but there was never a head and shoulders on another league 600 over all the others, to covet and gain cult status.

The best thing you can say about 600's is that they were very accessible to everyone, and there was a bike for everyone too. They were around in the height of the IL4 engine development era. IL4's arnt much of a be all and end all today or are even boring now.

The best bet for GPZ's> is that they were often the first sensible big bike that all the LC Darren's moved onto. Maybe when the 50+ year old Daz's finally stop spunking over their RD's the late 80's-90's 600's will get fat wallets opening then?

There were a few 600's that are notable though for their performance and ability. The one for me is the 95 Kawasaki ZX6R F-series. The first 599cc engine in a std road bike to go though the lights at Bruntingthorpe at over 162mph! Good enough reason for a classic IMO, as is the huge race success of the CBR steelies.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Supply and demand, you can get a feeling of supply here.

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/family/yamaha_r6

Interestingly almost at many on sorn as not.

Demand would be determined by market, check eBay for sold prices as an indicator.
____________________
'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[MarJay]

[AshWebster]

lol my car is in the 0 category, then again it is an import so doubt they are taken into account
____________________
Honda cg125 J reg peice of shit ---> CB650F ---> 2016 CBR600RR
Ford KA ---> 93' MR2 ---> 94'MR2 ---> 98' Subaru WRX STI Ver 3 (track car)

[chris-red]

[Blah blah]

The R1 will be probably be more collectable so, nope... look at early Fireblades and compare them to CBR600s of a similar age.

It'll reach a value and if kept in great condition it may creep up slightly in about 20 years

[johnsmith222]

[stevo as b4]

If it was only going to be about value and future appreciating assets then Sell it and buy an RD500LC and replace the RX8 with an E30 BMW maybe?

Neither of the above will be anything like as good to ride/drive as the R6 or Mazda, but they currently are showing no signs of dropping off in value. Of course they will one day but it goes back to the previous mentioned supply/demand thing.

Take the RD as an example. The would be buyers are 40-70yr olds now. In 30years they will have all but died off, and we are now in a time where the first generation of millenials are growing up never knowing what a two stroke is? They don't want grandads old Stinkwheel when they suddenly start coming up for sale in house clearances. Therefore in maybe another 15-20years two stroke bikes will be probably worthless once again.

[struan80]

I'll keep the bike. Maintenance cost have been relatively low. A yearly service and some new tyres.....no liners or gearbox as yet after 10k miles and nearly 3 years of harsh (I can't bloody help it!) ownership I think the front fork seals could be next on the agenda though. It's been a cheap bike over the 3 years so I can't complain as I bought her for £1750 on an ebay auction, took a chance that has worked out well.

Oops forgot to mention I needed a new battery as well.