I guess you never can tell.

To the OP who has (or held) interest in motorcycles, I experienced something odd , to me at least, last summer:

I have a 1984 Suzuki GSX 750 SE Katana motorcycle. Not particularly old, but interesting in that they were never imported to the states, and that they featured a unique flip up headlight, much like your old Honda Accord.

I know of 3 in the states besides mine, so that makes it reasonably rare.

I'd seen pictures as an impressionable youth and swore to one day own one. After watching evilBay for many, many years this one came up, and I sprung on it. I was one of 3 bidders. The final price was surprisingly (to me) low.

Just on a whim, last summer I put it up on the block with a very reasonable (to me, again) start price. Not one bite.

Why was I one of only 3 bidders on the initial ebay listing? Because nobody knows about them. Every dealer I go to looking for parts tells me that "Suzuki never made a Katana in 1984".

I was flabbergasted, but I also learned a valuable lesson: Popularity sells, obscurity does not.

Why do I think this episode is odd? Because to me, the 84 Katana's are the holy grail of motorcycles. Nothing sexier has been built by anybody, before or since. It is the pinnacle of motorcycle styling. But not everyone shares those feelings.

A lesser bicycle from a well known maker will typically command a higher price than a superior machine from an unknown maker, especially so to untrained eyes.

Just my .02.