Some of the best motorcycles ever made have come out of Japan. Although often criticized for their lack of innovation and originality, when it comes to quality, they are desperately hard to fault.
With some incredible offerings and each Japanese brand bringing their own unique (if not necessarily original) offerings the fanbase for each brand and all things Japan steadily grew. Today that community is larger than ever, with an unprecedented demand for classic motorcycles (not only Japanese to be fair) some bikes have skyrocketed in value thanks to the huge demand, thankfully there are still some cheaper, equally good alternatives.
10 Skyrocketing: Honda CBR900RR
By the early 90s, the Japanese sports bike arms race was starting to really heat up, although Suzuki fired the first shot in anger with their Gixxer, Honda landed a smash hit in the form of the CB900RR.
It weighed about the same as the CBR600 but went like a 1000cc! This is a bike to approach with skill and caution as it will bite you hard if you don’t treat it with respect, this is part of the reason they are so valuable. With no rider aids to speak of, finding one with the original plastics is almost impossible, so people are willing to pay a premium for bikes in original condition.
9 Still Cheap: Yamaha YZF-R1
After pretty much all the other Japanese sports bikes of the 90s started pulling away from the Yamaha offerings, they needed an answer.
What they eventually created will be remembered as the first true liter (sports) bike. Unsurprisingly, Yamaha sold a lot of these bikes and the aftermarket blew up very quickly, so finding parts are not a problem, and they don’t carry such an intimidating price tag.
8 Skyrocketing: Yamaha XTZ750 Super Tenere
Credited as one of the first adventure touring bikes to ever be produced, Yamaha managed to make something capable of highway speed and comfortable both and off-road.
It was one of the most unique creations at the time, it also didn’t sell that well as a result. So, finding any XTZ is hard, the bikes that were bought got used for their intended purpose and took a few solid hits along the way so finding an original bike is near impossible.
7 Still Cheap: Honda XR650L
Honda made a literal ton of these bikes, in fact, they're still making them today if you after a new one (pictured above)!
It is a simple creation, made ultra-reliable for off-road use, even if something does eventually go wrong, there are used parts all over the place for these bikes. If you want one in original shape that could get tricky, but if you just want something running that you can thrash off-road you won’t need to pay much more than $1000. Serious value.
6 Skyrocketing: Honda NR750
Made in limited numbers this pseudo V8 (oval V4) was an astonishing example of how motorsport has pushed engineering to another level.
It was always just going to be a homologation bike, but for the lucky few that were able to afford this one-off, it is now worth a lot more than they paid for it.
5 Still Cheap: Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD
After Suzuki gave the world the first track bike for the road, they needed to follow it up with something really good.
It got some revised bodywork, a whole new frame, and a new name denoting the method of induction. It was well-received and sold well, but consistently outgunned by the opposition and not quite as valuable as its 90s peers as a result.
4 Skyrocketing: Honda Super Cub
It is incredible to think some people are willing to pay up to $5000 for something like this, but there is no denying its significance.
It was all about personal mobility - if you only could afford a bicycle, this was cheap enough to consider as a slightly more expensive upgrade! It built up a huge fan base and as a result, the original bikes are now extremely valuable (for mopeds).
3 Still Cheap: Yamaha Jog
On the other end of the spectrum, a little Jog is a spritely little scooter that can actually be a really fun little runabout.
You can also find a huge aftermarket with all sorts of parts available, one in good shape won’t cost much more than a couple of hundred dollars.
2 Skyrocketing: Honda CR250R
As far as classic dirt bikes go, there are few that can compare to the very first off-the-shelf factory racing dirt bike.
Classic dirt bikes have surged in popularity and this historically significant bike is now worth a relative fortune, finding one that hasn’t been abused is no easy task, making them very rare.
1 Still Cheap: Yamaha YZ250
When it comes to historical significance, the first water-cooled YZ’s of the 80s were something of a landmark.
Seeing huge gains in power, reliability, and efficiency, these engines provided the basic foundation for 2-stroke YZ bikes that are sold right up until today. Almost all these bikes get hammered, they stay cheap and stay fun.