What are they worth??

[Challis]

Hello,

My father passed away at the end of last year and left in our possesion 2 vintage motorbikes.
1. 1970 BSA 650CC Thunderbolt.
2. 1959 Norton 350CC Model 50 (not exactly sure)

Both the BSA and Norton are in great condition and both in fully working order when my father purchased them. The Norton is complete but has not been used for over a year, with the BSA slightly in pieces due to repair work being completed on the fuel tank. Both are currently in our garage but are not running.
Unfortunatly my family and I are not mechincally minded and have no use for them.
Would anyone be able to tell me what are they worth?

Thanks
Chris

[Joecr]

That's a hard one Chris, without seeing the bikes or good pics of them, a guess is the best anyone could do.
I've come to the conclusion now that the best way to find out what a bike is worth is to put it into auction. ( There are auction houses that deal specifically in classic bikes if you don't fancy the hassle of ebay) You could ask the dealers to have a look but you'll be offered less than the market value as they have to make a profit to stay in business.
There are some people who put bikes on ebay with an unrealisticly high reserve just to find out what people are willing to pay.
You could also do some research yourself by checking ebay and the classic bike mags for similar bikes and see what they are going for, that would then give you a rough idea of what to expect.
Hope this helps, Joe.

[Challis]

Thanks for the information. I'll try and get some pics uploaded and speak to a few dealers and see what prices are being offered.

[Goldy]

If you sell them privately the buyers will want technical knowledge and will want to see them running. If you sell them through a specific classic bike auction (you have just missed Stafford), the auctioneers will give you advice and although you will have to pay a commission, they will get the best price they can. People do seem to have cash available for classic bikes. Its an option if you don't want any hassle.

[Rex]

Depends where in the world you are.
In the UK the BSA would be £2500-£3000 in good useable condition, and the Nortie slightly less.
Google the bikes to see if any have been sold in your locale recently.
Don't believe any visiting valuer/dealer who gives it the old "no call for those things anymore" spiel; they're both nice bikes and well worth owning.

[Blue]

Depends where in the world you are.

this information always helps with queries like yours.  If you're in the UK i suggest you try some magazines; Classic Bike Guide usually has a considerable number of bikes for sale, so you can use those as a comparative for your own.
If you're in Australia I can give you the gist of the market

If you're in neither of these places I can't help

Generally speaking, neither bike is at the more 'collectable' end of the scale (unless the norton has a featherbed frame, which i doubt), but theyll sell easily because theyre still nice bikes. once we have your location and hopefully a few snaps im sure somebody here can give you an honest estimate