June 29, 20179 yr Just out of curiosity I've just done a fairly quick internet search for this year's trials bike prices. To make it a bit less complicated I searched only for 250cc (ish) models. Here's what I found: Beta 2T £5495 (4T 300cc £5795), GasGas £5450, TRS £5399, Montesa 260 4RT £5699 (Cota 300 £5999), Montesa Repsol £6699, Sherco £5495, Scorpa £5099 (but also £6125 which is a bit confusing - might be shome mishtake on my part), Vertigo Camo £6295, Vertigo Ice Hell £6995. During this search I discovered that Ossa is no more. Another disappointment was the disappearance of the 'new' Greeves trials bike. Doh! - I'm always the last to know these things. Finger on the pulse? I think not. Anyways..., I hasten to add that the prices I've quoted may well be inaccurate and/or out of date so don't take them as gospel. Also, just out of curiosity, I've just done a quick comparison of a price here in France, just to see if it's cheaper. Here's what I found: 2017 Beta 250 €6340 (from Dherbey Motos), which at today's exchange rate equals £5572. Looking forward to announcements of 2018 UK prices. Will Brexit push prices up? Should be interesting.
June 29, 20179 yr 6 hours ago, bigplonker said: ...Another disappointment was the disappearance of the 'new' Greeves trials bike... I don't think that was seen as a disappointment. Rather, perhaps. as an inevitable consequence of the company's pricing policy and it's reported attitude towards potential customers.
June 29, 20179 yr Don't know about future prices but your figures prompted me to do a quick comparison of historical prices. In 1979 I bought a new 250 trials bike (Montesa Cota 247). I ride that very bike now, but that's another story. Applying the UK inflation rate between 1979 and the present day to the price I paid, that bike would cost £3479 today. Another way of looking at this is that the price of trials bikes has increased by a heck of a lot more than inflation. Or, modern bikes are so technically advanced that it's foolish to compare them with the stone age technology of the Cota 247 and as such are genuinely worth a price which represents inflation plus £2k. Edited June 29, 20179 yr by cleanorbust
June 29, 20179 yr When I consider the cost of inflation I have to wonder the impact inflation has on employee pay, R&D, materials, etc. Then the extra 2k might be accounted for? Because the basic calculation for inflation is about the buying power of the $ not the impact that has across the board, isn't it? But I admit I could be looking for a way to justify the cost of a trials motorcycle because I love riding them...
June 30, 20179 yr If you want to shock yourself try the same formula on U.K. house prices, you may find we get away with a bargain by comparison !
June 30, 20179 yr Author 12 hours ago, cleanorbust said: Applying the UK inflation rate between 1979 and the present day to the price I paid, that bike would cost £3479 today. Another way of looking at this is that the price of trials bikes has increased by a heck of a lot more than inflation. Or, modern bikes are so technically advanced that it's foolish to compare them with the stone age technology of the Cota 247 and as such are genuinely worth a price which represents inflation plus £2k. You've made a couple of very good points there. Another thing perhaps worth mentioning is that back in the '70s there were a lot more new trials bikes being sold which, presumably, helped keep prices down. So, yes, I agree that modern trials bikes are priced comparatively fairly.
June 30, 20179 yr Author 3 hours ago, sirdabalot said: I blame Honda Er, no comprendo. You blame Honda for what?
June 30, 20179 yr Author 12 hours ago, jonnyc21 said: When I consider the cost of inflation I have to wonder the impact inflation has on employee pay, R&D, materials, etc. Then the extra 2k might be accounted for? Good point.
June 30, 20179 yr Author 5 hours ago, collyolly said: If you want to shock yourself try the same formula on U.K. house prices, you may find we get away with a bargain by comparison ! Hah, yes indeed!
June 30, 20179 yr Or consider that a TYZ was the best part of £4500 in the mid Nineties if my memory of a pricetag on a stall at the SSDT is correct. Perhaps more of a valid comparator as far as bikes go? Edited June 30, 20179 yr by 2stroke4stroke
June 30, 20179 yr 3 hours ago, bigplonker said: Er, no comprendo. You blame Honda for what? Everything from the poor education system to my toast catching fire Edited June 30, 20179 yr by sirdabalot Error
June 30, 20179 yr I fell that from the 1970s to late 1980s trials bikes (and other expenses associated with trials) were typically a much lower % of a typical wage than they are today. The probable reason for this is the increasing complexity of trials bikes and a drop (in real terms) of wages. When I was a third year apprentice a new bultaco 325 was about 21% of my basic annual wage. Today a new trials bike is typically 30 to 50% of a third year apprentice wage. At least the cost of watching UK WTC is now exactly same as it was in the 1970s
July 2, 20179 yr On 29/06/2017 at 9:50 PM, cleanorbust said: Don't know about future prices but your figures prompted me to do a quick comparison of historical prices. In 1979 I bought a new 250 trials bike (Montesa Cota 247). I ride that very bike now, but that's another story. Applying the UK inflation rate between 1979 and the present day to the price I paid, that bike would cost £3479 today. Another way of looking at this is that the price of trials bikes has increased by a heck of a lot more than inflation. Or, modern bikes are so technically advanced that it's foolish to compare them with the stone age technology of the Cota 247 and as such are genuinely worth a price which represents inflation plus £2k. rather than inflation compare it to average wages.
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