AllMoto's Motorcycle Investor mag

For this exercise, we've mostly gone for litre-class machinery, but have thrown in a couple of mid-sized machines. What we've looked for is bang for the buck in a variety of sectors, all of them real world examples. So, here goes...

1989-89 Kawasaki ZX-10

Kawasaki's first-generation ZX-10 was peak eighties glam with a serious injection of horsepower that one day deserves to gain collectible status.

The example you see here sold recently for Au$7000 (US$5000, GB£3800). It was in very good (but not perfect) shape with 47,000km on the odo.

These remain an exceptional sports-tourer – smooth, very quick (270km/h top speed) and comfortable. Sure, the dynamics are a few generations back, but they're still capable enough.

We've seen a few brought in recently as grey imports and priced a little higher than this, so the stock of offerings has grown. And here's a bonus: they're now eligible for club reg in all states. Brads' Vintage Cycle Sales in Queensland has a 1989 example with just 23,400km on the odo for Au$9850 (US$7200, GB£5300).

See our full feature on the series.

Suzuki's V-strom 1000 and 650 series was based around a rock-solid V-twin powerplant that delivered ample and lively mid-range performance in a package that was long-lasting and ultra-reliable. We're big fans.

The 2008/09 DL1000 you see above wasn't at the cutting edge of adventure touring tech, ditto the 2006 DL650 below. That said they were fine performers and very comfortable for a long trip. I wouldn't be keen on taking one off-road, and that wasn't really in the design brief.

You can get the 1000 shown, with hard luggage and 45,000km on the odo for Au$6500 (US$4700, GB£3500). The 650, meanwhile, is advertised with just 20,400km for $5000 (US$3600, GB£2700).

This is a recent addition to our shed, affectionately known as 'Ze Panzer' thanks to its tank-like ability to keep rolling no matter what confronts it.

In the world of BMW, this is now several generations behind the current gear – the stark difference in power of 85hp versus 136 being one example.

However the old bike is still a decent ride. It steers well, has enough performance to tear up your licence and is easy enough to live with.

This example was in average cosmetic condition and good mechanical shape with 77,000km on the odo. It cost AU$5300 while needing tyres and rego, so call it Au$6500 (US$14,000, GB£11,000) with fresh rubber and a year of registration.

To my way of thinking, that's an awful lot of bike for the money. This generation is in that sweet spot at the moment, where there's good supply and little or no interest from collectors.

A quick search of Bikesales revealed that while the supply of 1150 GS comes and goes, the higher-priced expensive Adventure variants are far more numerous in the market. Prices for them tend to be higher – one example that caught our eye claimed 54,000km on the odo and was priced at $8250 (US$6000, GB£4400).

Aside from the fact this was a super-sharp and very capable sports bike in its day, the R6 caught our eye because it's a first-generation example.

The 1999 international launch for this model was done at Phillip Island, Australia, and was a massive exercise as befitted what the company saw as a new-generation sports range. It of course was preceded in 1998 by the launch of the big brother R1.

Even today, the diminutive 600 has plenty of performance and handling to make it a thoroughly enjoyable sports ride.

First model R1s are very much on the collector radar at the moment, so the R6 should eventually have some appeal as well. This one claims 43,200km and is let down a little by having an aftermarket muffler. It is however a decent quality one from Over Racing. Long-term, we'd be hunting down the original as well. It's on the market via Bikesales at $4500.

Always the loveable ratbag of the Hinckley Triumph range, the Speed Triple took the whole naked bike theme and gave it a sporting edge with just a hint of cafe racer about it.

By this time we're several generations into the series and the 1050 engine was something of a highlight. Essentially bulletproof, it produced loads of mid-range.

This is an ideal head-clearing Sunday morning ride, easy enough to handle with a bit of attitude to it. Despite its age, it should feel much like a current motorcycle.

Used values for Speed Triples are all over the place and there's some excellent buying out there. This one caught our eye because of the condition and very low odometer reading at under 20,000km. It's on the market via Bikesales at Au$8990 (US$6500, GB£4800).

Really, it would be remiss to do any story of this nature and not mention the Honda Blackbird. Launched for the 1997 model year, it went through three key variants (one carbureted, the later two fuel-injected), and you can find out more about them here.

Powerful, ultra smooth and particularly well made, this represents Honda at the top of its road bike game. Sure, it was overshadowed by Suzuki's Hayabusa in just a couple of years, but Honda deservedly kept selling good numbers of this epic sports tourer.

While the Kawasaki we started the story with is very capable, this is another step up the evolutionary scale. Supply is plentiful and they can be had in reasonable shape for around Au$6000 (US$4300, GB£3200).

So there you have it. For under $10k you can pick up some very tasty and capable machinery, and there are plenty more options out there. Happy hunting!

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