Motorcycle Prices Set to Rocket
I visited the Johannesburg International Motor Show on Tuesday. Grabbed the old Scott mountainbike and headed south toward NASREC – following an old cycle route of mine.
Locking the bike up on a lamp post yards from the main entrance, I dragged my sweaty and smelly self in for a quick gander at the toys laid out for our perusal.
Boy was I in for a shock. Bike prices have gone through the roof. My Suzuki dr650se cost me 48-thousand Rand less than a year ago. That lovely machine now costs almost 60-thousand rand!! A price hike of around 20-percent. Jeezuz!
The delectable GSXR750 now costs 118-thousand rand. Ouch – big ouch (to plagiarise a current radio spot).
I did notice some of the importers from that great eastern sweat shop, China, have managed to keep their pricing under control. Puzey’s sweet little motard is selling for around 28-thousand Rand. I want one!
Big Boy’s similar offering is around ten grand cheaper:
So what’s driving prices through the roof? The weak Rand, nothing more. The local currency has been slammed and slammed hard by the global financial crisis.
Rich nation investors are pulling their cash out of allegedly high risk investments in developing nations and returning their funds home. That gets me.
The first world is the source of the globe’s current woes. South Africa’s economy is in pretty good shape – but short sighted fat cats in the west are driving our currency down by selling JSE stocks. Eish!
But I digress. The motor show had some truly spectacular machines on display. The highlight was obviously the gorgeous Swedish dish – the Koenigsegg CCXR supercar. It can run on biofuel and costs a palty 20-million Rand. Sweat Dreams boys and girls!
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