That may seem a strange statement but if you knew the ridiculous bike buying habit i had its quite a statement, bought my SP at the start of August 2018 and I have been quiet on here this year but i am still enjoying the bike and simply can’t believe how it treats me like a riding king that i am certainly not and gives me those looks I don’t deserve. I still reckon its one of the best blades they have made, in ride, fit and amazing sound, i real look over your shoulder gem. I have owned a 2012 for a few years before and ridden a fair few older models. But time for the honesty, i would be lying if i said i had not considered changing again for no other reason than my wasteful habit. So to the nemesis and possibly my miracle cure, Unbelievable depreciation on a bike that is still very low mileage and in mint condition steered me back onto the righteous path a few months ago. Maybe fortunate fate but on reflection i have decided that its not going anywhere, there was a time i could only dream of owning a new bike, 38 years riding and many of those years i could not afford a low quality used bike, let alone such a thing of beauty but the last thirteen years or so have been mental as my career took a massive change to the good and brought the Disposable income with it. Like a kid in a candy store the pantomime certainly did begin. So next season i will be riding the depreciation away on my Blade knowing that in the end it will not matter because i will own it and justify if for the rest of my riding years as the miles and smiles roll by. A quality peace of Honda engineering I don’t deserve but will hopefully one day earn that reversed thought. Ok thats that of my chest, I am an SP owner and very proud to be so, I am very fortunate to be in the position i am in and shame on me for looking the other way time and time again Probably the last ride of the season on the SP just the other day, I do ride my Crosstourer for most of the year and enjoy it but you just cant beat that feeling and good feel factor a bike like SP gives. You can’t put a price on that feeling surely. Roll on 2020.....
You might remember I have one also, although mine is the massively depreciated SP2. Like you, I adore and applaud the bike, but have been critical of what it offers (not much) over your SP, and the horrid value drain over a mere 18 months. Also like you, I have no mind to sell, and each time I 'unSORN' it, it brings me immense pleasure. Mine was also the first 'brand new' bike I had purchased since my CB 750 in 1971. It sure is a keeper, but I also have itchy fingers for the proposed 'all-new' 2020 Blade. However, as noted in other posts, IF that turns out to be just another paint job backed by a highfalutin media campaign, I am all set and prepped for the Yamaha camp in the form of the R1M.
Hi Nigel Yes i do remember you have one Nigel, To be honest we all know the new bike game is always signing up for instant membership to the depreciation club, somebody has to buy them . I told my Dealer that i will never spend that kind of money ever again on what is a premium flagship bike for Honda alongside their Goldwing that could lose so much money so quickly. Glad you are still enjoying your SP2, its a special bike and eventually will gain in value, for me i won’t live long enough for that to happen and by then we might be all be riding around on 2 wheeled Duracell’s . Good luck with whatever way you go, you only live once and what a great way to live whilst you can .
Lovely looking bikes, no wonder owners feel proud to have one. They look great. But do you have the mark of the beast
Forearm - had e few done since then. The tuning forks are a bit fiddly so went for "Yamaha" with the MT-10 logo which fits easier and looks better. Also have the classic Suzuki "S"
I love my sp2 and haven’t really thought about the depreciation because I plan on paying the ballon payment and keep it for as long as I can swing my leg over it. I did see a 2018 sp for £9995 :-( and thought about selling my triumph RS trackbike with lots of bling and buy that sp as my trackbike maybe next year that would make the garage look good SP SP1 SP2
Yes, fair point. Depreciation only 'physically' hits home when we sell the bike/vehicle. However, it is a bit demoralising, or 'head fuck' in modern parlance, when we reconcile what we paid with the present street value. All academic I know, but still annoying all the same. For me, I liken it to marriage: the wedding day presents a wife in starched silk and lace wedding dress, supple complexion, hair cascading to her shoulders, and deportment of the Windsor Finishing School for Etiquette. Two years' later, she walks out of Argos, 10 kilos heavier, tatts up her arms, smudged Pound Shop make-up, and speech like truckies in a rest stop. That's true depreciation!
Ha ha you must no my missus cause she turned out to be a bit like you describe ha ha My sp2 was under 18k I can feel the pain from those who paid over 20k but a lot of the other makes/models have all lost money Rsv4 R1 zx10
Well in my own experiences I have never bought a car or bike new, and never will. The last 2 cars had less than 10 miles on the clock but over 6k off the price...and if I was in a mind to be wanting a bike that new, well same applies.
I can only think that they were overpriced (in relation to similar makes/models) in the first instance. I have often said Honda's 2017 - 18 SP2 does not offer nearly £10,000 value over the base model. However, I and others still shelled out big money (whether full retail or discounted) for one of these bikes. A purported 'flagship' will always carry a premium. Over to the Panigale Speciale at approx £34,000 RRP as I recall. £10,000 of that must be a price load for factory profitability. Perhaps the same could be said of BMW's HP2 Race. Higher up the tree, MV Agusta is famous for its ridiculously-priced 'one-offs'. There is the £55,000 Lewis Hamilton F4, which is some £30,000 OVER the basic F4 price. Like our SP2s, the bike has a fancy paint job and a few electronic goodies. End of story. And then there is MV's 'final' F4, dedicated to Claudio Castiglioni at a staggering £64,000 plus: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MV-Agusta-F4-Claudio/283603808482?hash=item42081ab0e2:g:TOwAAOSwyL9c1-1A So, the depreciation kicks in because these huge marks-ups cannot be passed on to the subsequent buyers. Whether private or trade in, your special bike will fall back to the current street value of the standard bike plus a little added extra for the higher spec. The manufacturers of these 'specials' know that there are those in the community who will pay these loaded prices, but with no conscience that they'll lose thousands once off the dealer's floor.
