Currency exchange rates can have a dramatic impact on world events. They can change the bussiness case for a given line of products. They can transplant an industry or shift the location of a labor force. And they can even help gobble up the Karl Brauer Collection (not as impressive or well know as the Ralph Lauren Collection, but I'm working on it!).
As regular readers know, I sold my 1970 Plymouth GTX back in April to a fellow from down under, and I've since received pictures of it riding around Oz. Well, get ready for round two, as I put my 1975 Norton Commando 850 on eBay recently and it was scooped up by...a chap in Melbourne.
I'd heard the exchange rates between the Australian dollar and the U.S. dollar were favoring the Aussies and making U.S. products relatively cheap. I can only assume that's the case, as the cost of transporting items between the two continents, plus the nasty import tax the Aussies pay on everything coming in, gets piled onto whatever price they pay over here. The Norton buyer is a classic motorcycle dealer, so he's not even an end user but someone who still has to make a profit on the bike once it arrives.
My dad just told me China is buying much of its raw materials from Australia, which is strengthening the economy down under and the value of their dollar. I won't pretend to know all the geopolitical issues playing out here, but the results are undeniable -- two vehicles in three months leaving my garage and going over the rainbow (not that I'm complaining, mind you).
I'm sad to see the Norton go, as it's essentially the best one in my mind. Nineteen seventy-five was the last year for the bike, and the only year they had an electric start. I also really liked the gray/silver paint scheme. But, trying to store and maintain five bikes (four of which are old British bikes with old British carburetors) was proving a challenge, to say nothing of insurance and registration costs.
I think I've realized my comfort zone is three bikes, with four as the absolute limit. I bought the Norton two years ago as my fifth bike, and it was simply too much. Plus as much as I liked the big twin/bad boy image that comes with all Nortons I prefer the smoother refinement I get from the Triumph triples.
So away she goes, off to experience a walk-about on the other side of the planet. It made sense to sell her, but she will be missed.
By tonupboi
on August 17, 2010
09:38 AM
Did that electric starter ever work on a cold engine, or was it one of the usual ones - kick start from cold, electric only if well warmed up? Nice bike but it still can't hold a candle to a Triumph.
By editor_karl
on August 17, 2010
11:20 AM
The starter was surprisingly effective. It could consistently start the bike, even cold, but ONLY if the battery had a relatively full charge. Otherwise you had to kick it. However, of the 30 times I started it I only kicked it maybe 5-8 times (when I'd been careless about keeping the battery charged).
BTW, my Triumph Trident T160 was the same way for years, then a couple years ago I replaced the battery with a Harley-Davidson-badged gel cell (not sure who actually makes the battery). Now that bikes fires to life quickly and easily with the electric starter, even if it has sat without a Battery Tender for months. I was going to try the same thing with the Norton but sold it before I got around to it.
Something to keep in mind if you have an old Brit bike with electric start.
By tonupboi
on August 18, 2010
10:49 AM
I've had my '69 Bonnie for so many decades now, I wouldn't know what to do with an electric start. Three kicks absolutely maximum from cold. Twice when warm? Boy, I've screwed something up. What's fun is to see the looks on the faces of the squids at the Honda/Yamaha dealership where I work, as they watch as I go through the starting drill (free up the clutch plates, prime, kick). Electric start was the worst invention ever for a motorcycle, as you never have a chance to truly learn your bike.