Don Wilson said: but $10K to $20K for a bike, if custom bikes were marketed correctly and effectively, wouldn't even make today's wealthy blink.
This past week was "Bike Week" in Daytona. The event has spilled over big time into Orlando. And, we're not talking about pedal power bikes. These are the motorcycle variety. And, Don's right, wealthy people will drop a ton of money for the right item. I was talking to a guy in the office yesterday and he told me about a bike that was on the market in Daytona for $137,000, with a $40,000 paint job. These custom choppers are extraordinary works or art (whoops, there I go again). I believe prices are creeping up for great custom bicycles and their paint, but if the crowd that descends on Cirque is any indication, I doubt we'll see any of them dropping even $20,000 on a custom model anytime soon, at least not a new one. Some of the old, historically significant bikes might fetch that though. The number of people chasing the product does have a BIG thing to do with pricing--I think the economists call that demand. Take a look at how many people come to Bike Week in Daytona, how many attend and watch Barrett-Jackson Car Auctions, and how many come to Cirque or VeloRendezvous. Do you catch the drift here? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL