BSA A65 Spitfire Values

[BruceB]

I am losing the will to live
What I am trying to ascertain is roughly what the market value of this particular bike type is in reality, if it was left up to me I would pay £4.50 for it but life isn't like this.
 I am not asking what can I get away with, nor judging what sellers are asking but just trying to see if I can work out a ballpark figure of what this bike is worth in the real world so I know two things-
When a seller is asking an over the top price so I walk away and also I know that what I am offering is not unreasonably low in relation to the bikes worth so I can actually realistically get one.
  So is the range I quoted start sound like a good starting price range, obviously depending on the bike full details, or is it too low, or too high.
 Really just asking for an opinion from folk who have seen or bought similar bikes more recently than me, I haven't had a BSA for some 10 years and they were all lightweights.

[chaz]

There was a small style of magazine used to have a good guide, dont know if it's still printed. I would say a fully restored and road legal specimen could command £6500 , if it was totally original  with original paperwork straight from the showroom with original parts untouched ,its a hard find and maybe  2000 more. Depending on history. Unfortunately each is an individual assessment.

[BruceB]

   Thats very helpful, I know the value depends on condition and history but for the type of machine I am looking at it sounds like £5-7k is at least in the right ballpark and not completely looney tunes.
 I am not looking for a completely original concours machine, well that's not true as if I was offered one at the right price I would obviously take it, as I want to use it reasonably regularly and don't want to worry about every puddle or cowpat when riding it 
   
 
 
   
 

[AdrianS]

I suppose at the end of the day, if you consider the price to be fair, can afford it, really want it, then buy it.
From all the previous posts, it shows how difficult a bike is to value especially as probably a lot of expensive work has been done to them all. I've seen " tidy" running D14 Bantams for £900, and seen restored ones with an asking price of £3500 ! The price depends on what someone hopes to get, what the buyer is prepared to pay, and market demand.
Caveat Emptor.

[johnjag]

I have a 66 Spitfire mk11, English, matching nos and a very nice prize winning bike.(not concours) It has the bottom end conversion, 750 alloy barrels, Electronic ign, new premier concentrics, new alloy wheels, spokes and tyres, Steel tank, Clubman seat, SRM clutch pressure plate and more. It is absolutely not for sale but the minimum I would take for it it it was would be £7k. It is insured for £8k and owes me way more than that.
John.

[BruceB]

Well I hope that I am now sorted, hopefully if all goes well I will have a nice Mk2 Spitfire is a few weeks.
 Looking forward to having a BSA again, the Matchless was nice but was horrible for getting parts, particularly cycle parts, and the parts manuals and workshop manuals were shockingly poor and incomplete.
  Will just now have to sneak it into the workshop and hide from my better half how much I am paying for it.........
 

[BruceB]

The Mk2 arrived today, usual little fettling things to sort but nothing that is particularly worrying or expensive looking and just the usual tribulations of an old british bike.
The only slightly unsettling thing is that the automatic oil change system does not seem to be working

[Editor]

Well done Bruce!
Enjoy..........!!

[BruceB]

Just for interest and being unable to find the information on any books or online.
How many Spitfires of each mark were actually made and if known, how many are known to be left?

[Editor]

According to the details in the brand new, just published book Thunderbolts and Lightnings by Peter Crawford,
numbers made
SpitfireII (1966)  - 2789
SpitfireIII (1967) - 2934
Spitfire III (1968) - 471
Spitfire IV (1968) - 975

The Firebird also appeared in 1968 and 1666 of these were made in that year. So, you may deduce that the top of the range model sold a total of 3112 that year.

As I said in another posting, this is a great book and an ideal contender on your Christmas present list!!

[LightningAndStarfire]

Would be interesting to know how many that are still around. Difficult task, though some countries I believe can come with numbers if a model code is given to the registration authority.

[tdc]

Don't wish to put you off but back in the day I had a very low mileage Mk2 .on the face of it should have been very fast but was not so .At that time I had a mate who had an old iron head T110 a real rat of a bike ,he would ride up allong side and say 'open her up ' then leave me standing .I never did let on that I was flat out . but I will say the BSA. was a very handsome machine .Just saying .Good luck .

[LightningAndStarfire]

Must have been some Triumph. My -69 Lightning easily pulled away from my mate on his Bonneville, I think it was a -72. It was some 45 years ago but I still can feel the satisfaction

[LightningAndStarfire]

tdc, perhaps your Spitfire suffered from the infamous rogue spark trouble that I think was plaguing 1966 models.

[tdc]

Could well be .That energy transfer was a thing it could boil batteries lovely .If you look at the Spc. for the MK2 It should have been a beast . I did not like the close 1st gear .the brakes were marginal and it seemed to me to be just a tourer ? and the head gasket liked to blow .but as I said before is was one handsome machine .