Re-registered bike

[sprint]

How much do you think the value of a Super Rocket would/should be affect if it has been re-registered?

Dealer is asking £7K for a 62, which is not in perfect condition and has stood for some time, but it looks like the original reg has either been sold or transferred and as a result it has been re-registered in 94 with age related No's though now with the letters first instead of the original numbers first.

To me £7K seems high in the first case for a SR  but for one that has also been re-registered it seems difficult to justify and must surely have some significant impact on it value?

[lawnmowerman]

Regardless of the number 7k sounds a bit rich but remember the dealer probably has a 25% - 35% markup on his buy in price so may be open to offers.   
Personally I don't really care whether the number is original - it only has value if you are planning to remove it and sell it. I would be more concerned about the originality and condition especially if the bike has been standing for years with old fuel and oil.

Jim

[Goldy]

There is something wrong here because you say it has an age releated plate with the letters before the numbers but in 62 the numbers would have been before the letters, so I would investigate this carefully first and yes this certainly reduces the value as  most people want original reg, matching numbers, and even old documents of sale and service.

[beezermacc]

I would say 7K is absolute max for a genuine Super Rocket with original engine, frame, registration and documentation to prove, running well and in virtually mint or original condition. Any of these criteria not met would reduce the value considerably. Personally, I wouldn't be too bothered about the reg. no. as long as it had three no's and three letters or four numbers and two letters, but I would expect the price to reflect this. Super Rockets are starting to fetch good money but, from what you say, you should be able to find a Super Rocket of equal merit for about £4500 - £5500 (in my opion). What do others think?

[trevinoz]

I am amazed that people put so much value on "original" registration numbers, so much so, it seems, that the number can be worth more than the machine!
Here in Oz we change numbers like our underwear [no smart comments please].
There are some here with more money than sense who will pay huge sums for very old plate numbers but that is for pose value and the numbers issued have no relevance to the vehicle. And there are also vanity plates at crazy prices, yearly.

  Trev.

[muskrat]

 I agree Trev. Two mates pay $260 each per year for their plates and another mate spends $400 a year on his. If you have a plate you want to keep but no bike to put it on it will cost $90 a year to hold it. I have a plate for the old girl that I said was lost  so no one else can get it. On day I'll find it  and re-register with it.
Cheers

[beezermacc]

The problem in the UK is that all plates are, to some extent, age specific. A 1959 bike would have a three letter / three number plate. The DVLA went computerised in 1973 and many old bikes lost their original registration numbers because the owners didn't bother to re-register them with the DVLA. Subsequently it became a bit of a battle with the DVLA to reclaim the original number unless absolute proof of the original number could be offered to the DVLA. Some restored bikes are running around with plates incorrect for the year and enthusiasts just don't like it, the plate looks wrong...end of! Consequently a bike with the original plate commands a higher price than a bike with an age-related plate (similar set of letters/numbers but not the original ones) and much more than a bike with the wrong plate altogether. In some countries (e.g. Germany, I believe) the registration plates are assigned to the owner rather than the vehicle so the number sequence on the plate is irrelevant. If I had a 1951 A7 and lived in Germany I would want it to have a number plate assigned to a gentleman who is exactly 61 years old (only joking!).

[sprint]

Thanks for all the replies.

I too am not to bothered about the original Reg No as long as it has three/four letters and 3/2 No's. The one I have been looking now has three letters then three No's instead of the original three no's a then 3 letters, so in that sense it may not be a correct age related plate. Don't know reason why it was change by since there is a copy of the buff log book showing the original reg one must assume that the original has either been sold or transferred as there would appear to be proof of the original reg available to satisfy the DVLA?

However, I do feel that it would have an impact on the value since the V5 now registers the first date of registration as 1994 and not 1962, but how much that affects the value is clearly in question.

I would agree that £4.5K to £5.5K is the sort of price one would expect to pay for a good SR. Ideally I would like a 61/62 with twin clocks but they do seem to be a bit thin on the ground.

[bikerbob]

Hi there. I have recently reclaimed a registration on my A65 If the buff log book is there then I would check if the frame and engine numbers match the book if they do then a phone call to the DVLA will tell you if the number is on their database if it is then it has been sold on, which begs the question why do they still have the original log book I think that would have been handed in if it was it was resold. If not then provided you get the correct documentation you can reclaim the number, you have to get it authenticated by the owners club have a current MOT and fill in the correct form submit to the DVLA and they will reissue the number on a non transferable basis for which there is no charge from the DVLA unlike an age related number where there is a charge which I believe is now £38.

[sprint]

Hi there. I have recently reclaimed a registration on my A65 If the buff log book is there then I would check if the frame and engine numbers match the book if they do then a phone call to the DVLA will tell you if the number is on their database if it is then it has been sold on, which begs the question why do they still have the original log book I think that would have been handed in if it was it was resold. If not then provided you get the correct documentation you can reclaim the number, you have to get it authenticated by the owners club have a current MOT and fill in the correct form submit to the DVLA and they will reissue the number on a non transferable basis for which there is no charge from the DVLA unlike an age related number where there is a charge which I believe is now £38.

Thanks for that detail.

As the bike is now in the hands of a dealer a lot of the previous data/history is not available. I have been provided with a photocopy of a 'continues' buff document, though if this is just a copy or if the original buff is available I do not know.

I will enquire further with the dealer.

[Topdad]

I'd take a view that the reg number is not resaleable ie worse case secenario then simply is a road rocket worth £7000 and I'd say there were better bikes to buy and enjoy for that kind of cash ,say an a7ss and an A10 with change !  also if money isn't a problem for not much more than this wasn't our friend in cake st classics producing good replica RGS's   BobH.

[sprint]

I'd take a view that the reg number is not resaleable ie worse case secenario then simply is a road rocket worth £7000 and I'd say there were better bikes to buy and enjoy for that kind of cash ,say an a7ss and an A10 with change !  also if money isn't a problem for not much more than this wasn't our friend in cake st classics producing good replica RGS's   BobH.

Thanks for the reply and comments.

Dealer has replied that old reg has been sold or transferred.  Bike in question is a Super Rocket but even so £7K I feel is too high and I agree the money can be better spent but I am specifically looking for a SR so I guess the search continues.

Have placed some wanted ads in the VMCC and some other classic bike ads which should come out at the end of the month so hopefully that may bring some results?

[bikerbob]

Hi there. If you type the following numbers into ebay you will see what 2 dealers are asking for "Super Rockets" Both bikes are nowhere near original but you can compare with what you have seen, the first one the dealer does not know if it is a Super Rocket or Road Rocket,Road Rockets 1954-57 and Super Rockets 1958-63. 330667467526     110838643547.

[Goldy]

it,s the Classic Bike Show at Stafford on 28/29 April, only month or so away and you might get some ideas from there. All the best.

[cyclobutch]

My understanding is that the registration neither 'belongs' to the vehicle nor the owner. It is always effectively owned by the DVLA. Hence in the event of an accident and subsequent write off, they will repossess that registration. So if you have a number that you do treasure then after a serious prang you need to get it transferred prior to official write off.

The bike in question sounds priced at about double what it is worth; by the time you've cleaned up various and then gone through a recommission period and the relating repairs and fixes. I'd expect something restored, pristine and the bugs shaken out for that money.