They are the most eye-catching rides, yet many were manufactured even before many of the riders on the road were born. Bikers everywhere find them more beautiful than newer, expensive custom choppers, but what is the true cost of time and money to own an antique motorcycle?

More than a mere motorcycle, a vintage bike can operate like a time machine, capable of transporting an aging rider back to younger days. It can also be considered a work of art, a mechanized expression of form and function as pretty as a sculpture. Some collectors consider older bikes a financial investment, with a better return than many stocks and bonds.

For some lucky owners, their bikes are all of the above.

But how to start down the road of owning, let alone being able to ride an antique motorcycle with all it's classic curves?
 
The first and most obvious step can be the most daunting. It may be difficult to decide which motorcycle will steal away all your free time that would otherwise be used for family, an evening out the buddies and ironically time out on your newer, but already running bike.

For some it's an obvious choice.

The scooter known as the 'Whizzer' for example rode onto the scene in late 1939, the brainchild of Breene-Taylor, a small manufacturing company in Los Angeles who specialized in carburetors and aircraft parts.

When he was growing up in the 1940s, Barry Solomon dreamed about owning a Whizzer, but his family was too poor to afford much more than food for their table. As a child, he pretend to ride a Whizzer by attaching playing cards to the front fender of his bicycle with clothespins. The cards snapped — brrt-brrt-brrt — against the spokes with a sound like the engine on a real motorcycle.

Today however, Solomon is the owner of a string of dental clinics and a beautifully restored 1948 Whizzer painted in baby blue and one of 64 bikes in his private motorcycle collection. The Whizzer, which originally sold for $200, is now worth more than $5,000.

"I never even rode a motorcycle until I was 61," says Solomon, who will turn 66 this year. "I just got hooked and bitten badly."

For some, which classic motorcycle to buy may not be so obvious, with concerns of cost and difficulty making the decision even more difficult.

Online Motorcycle Magazine touched on some steps to take before taking a jump into the world of classic motorcycle ownership, which usually entails some level of restoration, in it's article 'Buying a motorcycle online'.

Research was stressed in that article and if that sounds a little boring or like a lot of work, then maybe owing an older motorcycle isn't for you.

The patience needed to help take the first step of buying the classic bike is nowhere near what could be needed to get your very own memory 'rideable'.

Some of the tools to research a decision are:

Books
The books can give an idea to the availability, such as how many were originally manufactured as well as any design flaws the bike may have had, giving you an idea what problems to keep an eye out for. The specialized books will either have a reference section relating to that particular motorcycle, or the author will thank people and organizations for their help in his research. Both of these are great places to look further for more information.

Blogs
Biker blogs are websites more like personal diaries than anything else and written by everyday riders. If you can find a blogger who owns the same motorcycle you’re after it can be a great resource for finding and restoring your dream bike.

Forum Boards
Once again Forum Boards are a wonderful place to ask questions and pick the brains of riders who also loves the particular model or brand of motorcycle that happened to catch your eye, and maybe even your heart! Some forums to check out are Classic motorcycling forum and Vintage Bike, or use the search engines to find a more specialized forum. 

Vintage motorcycle shows
Specialty shows such as Concours d'elegance as well as everyday bike shows that advertise classic motorcycles are perfect opportunity to not only see a range of rides, but also get an idea of prices, the people and of course, the hard work involved with this hobby. Take time to talk with owners, learn about parts supplies and personal stashes of hard-to-find parts, understand the values of specific parts and machines and make some acquaintances who will become friends.

The mirror
No, this isn't used to tell yourself how good you're looking today, but to ask some hard and important questions.

• Are up to the challenge of renovating a motorcycle?
• Do you have the ability, tools or even the space to take on this kind of project?
• Will you continue to have the current enthusiasm over the years of upkeep and extra attention the classic and older motorcycles require?
• Will you be happy with the older motorcycles performance and ride? Fact is, most of the older bikes come from a family of smaller engines and tend to vibrate more than it's modern day counterparts.

Born to rebuild
There are some people who never needed to ask any questions or wonder about wandering down the road of antique motorcycles, they were obviously born to take on the task.

Fred Trott's grandfather opened a motorcycle shop in Birmingham in the early 1900s and later rode motorcycles during World War II as a dispatch carrier with the Royal Corps of Signals. Following in his fathers footsteps, or tire trends, Trott was just 4 when he twisted his first motorcycle throttle grip.

Today, the 63-year-old owns The Motorcycle Shop in San Antonio and another sales and repair shop back in England.

"Old motorcycles is a hands-on thing," says Trott, his British accent still evident after nearly 40 years in the United States. "It's a love of something mechanical that you have to fix. You're always fixing old bikes. That's part of the fun."

When he's not working on customers' bikes, Trott puts his expertise to work on his personal machines, such as the 1950 Triumph, which he says was a completely disassembled "basket case" when he bought it from its original owner, an Alamo Heights woman. Her husband had taken it apart and repainted it royal blue in 1956, but had never gotten around to putting it back together again.

The owner's son called Trott to put a value on the bike. A plumber who was working at the house had offered to do his work in exchange for the motorcycle.

"I said, 'It's worth more than putting a couple of faucets in,'" recalls Trott, who paid $500 for it. The motorcycle is rare, the first year of Triumph's 650cc "Thunderbird" series. It's the same year and model as the one Marlon Brando rode in the 1954 biker movie "The Wild One" (pictured right).

Trott estimates his Thunderbird is worth $8,000 to $10,000, even with a paint job that looks like it was applied with a brush.

"I didn't restore it," Trott says. "I just put it together. If it was mint, which would cost you thousands to restore, it would be worth $20,000."

More fun and informative
As pretty as they are to look at, enthusiasts will tell you old motorcycles are even more fun to ride. These are the perfect bikers to help you successfully make your way into classic ownership.

Once the focus has been narrowed to the kinds of motorcycles you like, whether British, American, Japanese, early or later machines, it's good to join the clubs associated with that category. The clubs' newsletters and websites are invaluable resources for parts, services and information, and they also offer schedules of events where you can access parts you need and gain additional knowledge.

Trott and about a dozen other enthusiasts belong to the British and European Motorcycle Association. The informal local group gets together every couple of weeks for short trips and although members don't have to ride old motorcycles, many do. The riders come from all walks of life, including attorneys and doctors seeking to relieve the pressure of their occupations.

"If anybody breaks down, which happens a lot on old bikes, those are the types that want to get their hands dirty," Trott says. "It's something completely different from what they do during the week in their high-stress jobs."

Joining a club can only increase the enthusiasm for wanting a classic ride of your own, and to some that's understandable.

Larry Geppert, the club's "president-for-life," says older motorcycles can provide the same kind of nostalgia trip that "muscle cars" from the 1960s and 1970s do for automobile enthusiasts.

Geppert owns several bikes, including a 2005 Triumph, a 1978 Ducati and a 1957 Ariel "Square Four."

The rare Ariel (pictured left), noted for its four-cylinder, 1,000cc engine, is similar to a bike one of Geppert's classmates owned when they were both in high school.

"He rode it to school every day, and I lusted after it," recalls Geppert, a retired government personnel worker who will turn 64 next month. "I kind of decided that one day I was going to get one. I was well beyond high school age when I got it, but I still love it."

Geppert's Ariel, a British-made bike that went out of production in 1959, gets a lot of use. It's disassembled right now, undergoing its second restoration in 25 years. Geppert plans to have it back on the road this summer.

But being around beautiful classic motorcycles will make it hard to follow one of the more important recommendations experienced vintage riders give to new bikers entering the hobby.
 

The three year rule
Countless stories are told at swap meets and bike shows all over the country about enthusiasts who buy classic motorcycles with the honest intention of restoring them. A little paint remover and some hours of sandblasting later, a great original machine has been reduced to a pile of raw, sterile parts. The engine is then disassembled and spread it over their bench only to leave it for months while they try to grasp what's just been undertaken. Usually at this point the parts are placed and stored away in boxes or baskets, hence the slang 'basket-case', which stands for a complete motorcycle but in pieces.

Many 'in the know' feel buying the motorcycle of your dreams is the first step of a very long walk. Once the bike is bought, it should be studied, talk to fellow collectors about it, and show your classic purchase to experts over a three-year period before any major alterations or repairs are made.

The type of knowledge you're looking for? The characteristics, what's rare and unique to that model year which parts aren't interchangeable with other model years.

A golden restoration rule; You can restore a motorcycle many times, but it is original only once.
 

Making the difficult easy
A key factor to making your choice of motorcycle to restore should be the availability and cost of parts.

It would be natural to assume a simple plastic tank badge for a Honda Superhawk would be a $5 item found on tables at swap meets all around the country. Actually, an original is creeping toward $150.

Even rebuilt versions of Vincent Black Shadow speedometers are very expensive and a new rear tire for an early Honda ATC90 three-wheeler recently sold for $2,500.

Jack Dowda finds parts for his motorcycles closer to home. He specializes in Hondas from the 1970s, millions of which were sold in the United States. A retired construction equipment mechanic, the 65-year-old Dowda works on his motorcycles in a 16-by-16-foot shed in his back yard. He owns eight Hondas, but he probably has enough spare exhaust pipes, fenders, fuel tanks and other parts to build a couple more.

He's currently rebuilding the engine on a 1978 Gold Wing, a 1,000cc touring bike.

Dowda's love of Hondas led to a friendship with a fellow enthusiast, Dr. Roy "Pat" Bell. Bell, a gastroenterologist at local hospital, owns six bikes, including a 1971 Honda CB350 that he and Dowda bought together for $500 in Houston.

Dowda washed the burnt-orange colored bike, polished the chrome and gave it a tuneup. The seat was rotted — a common problem with bikes that bake under the relentless South Texas sun — so he paid a local upholsterer $100 to re-cover the cushion.

The mint-condition motorcycle only has 1,500 original miles on it.

"It's a beautiful bike to ride," says the 61-year-old Bell, whose personal collection of Hondas includes another CB350, a 1978 Hawk and a pair of 50cc scooters.
 
How antique is antique?
What makes an antique motorcycle valuable?

The most valuable of all is the “Original” or an antique motorcycle that has survived with all its original parts and its original finishes. The paint may have has deteriorated and the plating has lost its brightness, but this is still the most valuable of all the classics and is considered the “gem” of all finds.

The next category is the “Restored” antique motorcycle. They look new, freshly painted, well kept as well as containing all of the parts correct for that make, year and model that it had when it came off the line.

It's this category which requires the most scrutiny when buying as many owners advertise their motorcycle as restored, but may not be up to generally accepted AMCA (Antique Motorcycle club of America) standards to have that classification.

The most common group of classic motorcycles is the “Runner.” Usually not restored to the high standards of the previous two categories, but it runs well, is a lot of fun to own, ride and bring to meets.

For riders new to the hobby, this can be the easiest, least expensive way to own a classic motorcycle. It's still advisable to know what to expect from a particular make, year and model of a motorcycle.

For the mechanically-minded who have done their homework, the “Rolling Basket” which is a loosely assembled motorcycle. Once again, knowing about the motorcycle, availability of parts and a fairly good understanding of how a motorcycle works are the basis for taking on this level of antique motorcycle.

Bringing up the rear of the rankings is “Basket Case.”  Although initially the least expensive way of owning a classic motorcycle, it's also the most challenging. Basically you're buying a frame, fork, wheels and several boxes of parts. It's important to not only know about the particular make, year and model of the motorcycle, but an in-depth knowledge about the parts that go into the bike.

The true cost of classic riding
When buying an older motorcycle, there is no warranty, parts are at best rebuilt and there has to be an expectation that things will go wrong or worst, break.

An engine rebuild on a simple parallel British or Japanese twin is in excess of $1,500, as can be much as $2,500 if any problems crop up.

Carburetors are expensive to rebuild, electrical systems can be complete nightmares to sort out and magnetos, generators and alternators very expensive to rebuild or replace.

All these have to be considered, not just when first buying and renovating an antique motorcycle but also during the ownership of the bike. For the enthusiasts though, this is a small cost.

Barry Solomon, whose vintage bike collection not only includes his prized 'Whizzer' also ranges from an un-restored 1903 REX to a Czech-made 1967 Jawa, all of which he loves to ride. When he does hit the saddle, it's usually on one of his newer bikes, such as his 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King or 2002 Suzuki Hayabusa, a 1,300cc missile on wheels capable of hitting speeds near 200 mph. But Solomon also has ridden many of the old motorcycles in his collection at least once. All of them are in working condition.

"I don't consider them as motorcycles so much as art pieces," he says.

Indeed, until a few months ago, Solomon and his wife, Suzy, displayed five of his old motorcycles in their spacious living room. The bikes shared space with a bronze of a nude woman, three times life size, who looks like she is sitting in the "water" of the room's light blue carpeting. The motorcycle display included one of Suzy Solomon's favorites, a British-made 1925 NUT finished with nut-brown paint and nickel-plated trim.

"It was so neat," she says. "I thought it looked like a sculpture."

Several months ago, the Solomons completed work on a 2,500-square-foot building behind their house in San Antonio. They moved the bikes out of their living room and dozens more from their garage, which they hadn't been able to use for three years. The nude however, still sits in the same spot.

The private showroom, which the Solomons share with family, friends and fellow vintage bike aficionados, is decorated with old sales brochures, movie posters of Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen and other motorcycle memorabilia. In recognition of the international nature of Solomon's collection, the walls are covered with flags of countries around the world. On the floor next to the front tire of every motorcycle, Solomon has placed a clear plastic frame containing information he has researched on the bike's provenance and background.

Most enthusiasts and collectors know the history of their different motorcycle's, which is important to remember when looking at bikes to buy. You should ask questions such as:

• "Why are you selling this bike?"
• "If you were keeping this bike, where would you spend $500 or $1,000 next on it?"

Not only will you be amazed at the honesty of responses, but you can learn so much more about antique motorcycles in general.

This will certainly help when you eventually find a motorcycle that will get you excited and reaching for the checkbook.

Stop. Don't touch that checkbook, wallet or anything else that can be used for payment.

Kneel down, take a hard look, discuss the motorcycle with the owner, making mental notes of the parts, paint, plating and hours of labor it may need to make it look perfect. If you've done your homework and research you'll have a good idea about availability of damaged or missing parts.

Even if the realization that this is the motorcycle you've been waiting for and pictures are dancing through your mind of you, the bike and some back country road, keep the poker face on.

Quietly and calmly walk away, explore the rest of the show for about thirty or forty-five minutes before heading back to your amazing find. Look over the motorcycle, mentally asking the same questions again about restoring it, the practicality and of course, expected cost.

If everything still leaves you excited, pull out the checkbook and buy your new baby!
 

We can rebuild it
Once you've bought an antique motorcycle there's no reason to buy any parts but the ones for your specific make, model and year, right?

Wrong.

While buying parts you will need, pick up others you might not especially if they're in good condition or hard to find. It is not unusual to find seasoned collectors barter for parts. Also, antique motorcycles are like tattoo's, bikers rarely get just one and building up a collection of spare parts might leave you with pieces for a motorcycle yet to be bought.

Barry Solomon for example, his old motorcycles include a vintage Indian and a Harley-Davidson, popular makes with prices that have been driven up by collectors. But he prefers the more exotic and less expensive collectibles he's found through dealers in Europe and eBay.

"I just saw a 1919 Harley racer that sold at auction for $165,000," he says. "It's crazy. I'm not trying to compete in that league."

When asked to put a value on his collection, however, Solomon hedges a little, like a rancher being asked about the size of his spread. Maybe his motorcycles are worth a million dollars, he says. Or maybe two.

And, some day, undoubtedly more.

"I've been buying very selectively and getting some very good deals," Solomon says. "To me, they're better than investing in the stock market."

Once your antique motorcycle is up and running as well as looking good, there are a few more items on the 'classic' to-do list.

It's understandable after all those long hours and hard work to want to hide it away in the garage, but older motorcycles should be ridden a little each year. Not only does it give you a chance to enjoy the machine, but it actually helps the preservation process by getting the fluids flowing and parts moving. Even if they're aren't many miles being put on the motorcycle the oil and fluids should be changed once a year at least.

Make sure your collection is correctly insured using 'stated value' as the replacement cost. If the motorcycles aren't ridden as often, policies cost as little as $30 for every $1000 of insurance.

Hopefully this article has helped any potential collectors on the road to antique motorcycle riding. Here are some more resources:

• AMCA (Antique Motorcycle club of America)
• Concours d'elegance
• Wheels through time
• Yesterdays Motorcycles