At first I was kind of appalled at the way K bikes were being broken down by breakers and hacked up by the latte racer crowd, but now, a certain ambivalence has overtaken my attitude.
At my age I can probably look forward to another 10 years of riding at most, and then I'll have to get rid of my bikes. When that day comes I hope I'll be able to get as much of my investment out of them as possible. To that end, the more rare K bikes are the more I'll be able to get for mine.
In 10 years it's a pretty safe bet that rather than still being on the road all the K bikes that have been customized will have been abandoned to scrap yards. That will only make my well maintained machines that much more valuable.
Where are all the hot rods and custom cars of the past? Seen any choppers with extended forks and peanut tanks lately? What usually gets the most money at auction, the radical custom hacked up in somebody's back yard or the well preserved or restored stock model? Right now the bricks are going through the "old" bike phase, but it is a pretty sure thing that eventually they will attain classic status and start seeing values go up. They were innovative, significant examples of the state of the art, well received in their day, scarce and sought after by many riders who couldn't afford them at the time. As these riders get older and more financially successful, they will start seeking these bikes out just like aging boomers seek out the muscle cars of the 60's and early 70's.
Values have pretty much bottomed out for the K bikes, and they need to become more rare to begin the upward price cycle so I am rooting for the breakers and customizers.
