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I received a PM from an acquaintance today, who wanted some more information on the can of worms we've been discussing:
Basically, Bro, I think a lot of it is "TOO MUCH MONEY CHASING TOO FEW DECENT OLD MOTORCYCLES LEFT IN CIRCULATION."
A big problem is that we have too many people these days who want an old Knucklehead Harley. And, also, too many people willing to bolt together any old combination of parts, be they new, old OEM or repop, and call it a "restoration." By gawd, there's some real junk being built that isn't even a good simulation of a Knucklehead, just for one category, but the sellers put outrageous prices on the junk, and there is, simultaneously, too much money chasing after these "pseudo-restorations," so the scammers get most of what they ask. The clueless with 2much$$$ get it, too, in the end, if you know what I mean.
I find that the AMCA seems to be in the throes of being taken over more-and-more by people trying to make a living off what used to be a hobby. "Professionals" are one thing, serving to help the restoration process, but, overall, too many people chasing fewer and fewer legitimate objects, is a root cause of "inflation."
I explained that I go back to when no one was trying to make so much as a buck off the old parts, just trying to build one or two bikes, and all helped each other to accomplish that without a thought to profit. That's the only way it's "fun." People who set out to MAKE THEIR LIVING buying low and selling high; parts and whole bikes, have ruined what was for decades a genial, amicable, single-purpose club.
Some bikes have been so bastardized that they are almost beyond recognition, and are still called "restored" by their sellers! New, clueless people with some money who are looking at "antique motorcycles" for a hedge think they're "investing" in an appreciating collectible, but what they find out eventually is that all they got was a bunch of unrelated parts not worth near what they paid for the pseudo "restoration," and they justifiably feel ripped off.
But many of these still desperately try to recoup their investment and pass off the POS bike they bought to another unsuspecting rube before washing their hands of the whole distasteful "investment," by continuing to claim a value for the thing that they flat know by that time is a LIE.
Trying to make our hobby an "industry," and feeding families from the proceeds by too many inexpert people had ruined the whole pleasant experience for many others. Too much money is wasted, by people with too little real knowledge of what they're doing, in the desperate pursuit of fewer and fewer top-drawer antique motorcycles.
Just wondering what you feel is a problem with the AMCA, I joined but to be honest have not really paided attention to any politics of the group been to busy for the last two years with work and such.
Basically, Bro, I think a lot of it is "TOO MUCH MONEY CHASING TOO FEW DECENT OLD MOTORCYCLES LEFT IN CIRCULATION."
A big problem is that we have too many people these days who want an old Knucklehead Harley. And, also, too many people willing to bolt together any old combination of parts, be they new, old OEM or repop, and call it a "restoration." By gawd, there's some real junk being built that isn't even a good simulation of a Knucklehead, just for one category, but the sellers put outrageous prices on the junk, and there is, simultaneously, too much money chasing after these "pseudo-restorations," so the scammers get most of what they ask. The clueless with 2much$$$ get it, too, in the end, if you know what I mean.
I find that the AMCA seems to be in the throes of being taken over more-and-more by people trying to make a living off what used to be a hobby. "Professionals" are one thing, serving to help the restoration process, but, overall, too many people chasing fewer and fewer legitimate objects, is a root cause of "inflation."
I explained that I go back to when no one was trying to make so much as a buck off the old parts, just trying to build one or two bikes, and all helped each other to accomplish that without a thought to profit. That's the only way it's "fun." People who set out to MAKE THEIR LIVING buying low and selling high; parts and whole bikes, have ruined what was for decades a genial, amicable, single-purpose club.
Some bikes have been so bastardized that they are almost beyond recognition, and are still called "restored" by their sellers! New, clueless people with some money who are looking at "antique motorcycles" for a hedge think they're "investing" in an appreciating collectible, but what they find out eventually is that all they got was a bunch of unrelated parts not worth near what they paid for the pseudo "restoration," and they justifiably feel ripped off.
But many of these still desperately try to recoup their investment and pass off the POS bike they bought to another unsuspecting rube before washing their hands of the whole distasteful "investment," by continuing to claim a value for the thing that they flat know by that time is a LIE.
Trying to make our hobby an "industry," and feeding families from the proceeds by too many inexpert people had ruined the whole pleasant experience for many others. Too much money is wasted, by people with too little real knowledge of what they're doing, in the desperate pursuit of fewer and fewer top-drawer antique motorcycles.
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