Collectors discuss “67” motorbikes in the Mekong Delta’s An Giang Province. The bikes, once considered “low-class,” are now hot collectibles.

Originally designed as economic bikes for low-budget buyers, “67” motorbikes now sell to high-end collectors for more than some cars.

At the same time, the bikes are reliable, durable, fuel-efficient and easy to repair.

The best place to buy the old SS50s (SS50 is the real model name, “67” is just the Vietnamese nickname, though the bikes were made from 1965-1972) is in the Mekong Delta’s An Giang Province – just as close to Phnom Penh as to Ho Chi Minh City – where for years locals imported them cheaply from Cambodia.

Collectors from HCMC and even as far as Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province regularly make trips to An Giang to scout for models they want.

Worth a car

In An Giang, an “antique” 67 in good condition can cost from VND40-100 million (US$2,352- 5,882).

An Giang resident N. sold his red ’72 SS50, the most sought after 67 make in the Mekong Delta, to a collector named Hung from HCMC for VND130 million ($7,647).

Ca Hang, resident of Cho Moi District, has many motorbikes but he likes his “low-class” 67s the best. He recently sold one for VND30 million ($1,764) to a motorbike collector from the provincial capital of Long Xuyen.

He heard from a more experienced collector that he could have sold it for as high as VND40 million ($2,352).

In 2007, H. in Tan Chau District sold his red ’66 SS50 for over VND55 million ($3,235). The buyer brought it to the town of Vung Tau in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and outfitted it with refurbished components. Collectors now say the bike is worth at least VND200 million ($11,764).

Component hunting

Due to their relative rarity, 67 components are expensive.

A single spare part may cost more than a modern motorbike. An original gas tank costs VND30 million, a mint condition exhaust pipe costs VND15 million ($882) and mudguard for the front wheel in good condition could cost up to VND30 million ($1,715).

“Spare parts for 67s are as costly as car parts and even harder to find,” says collector Cao Long Ha.

Authenticity is big for 67 collectors.

67s and their accessories sell at higher prices if they have not been repaired or repainted. The original mudguard for the front wheel may cost VND5 million ($294) but its price will drop to VND500,000 ($29) if it has been repainted.

Tender love and care

Most owners of collectible 67s don’t drive in the rain or during flood warnings to keep the bikes as clean and shiny as new.

Though beat up 67s can be found haling pigs through mud in the countryside, collectors rarely use them at all, as a single scratch can destroy a component’s value.

“It’s possible to earn millions of dong selling 67 parts, but it’s nearly impossible to sell scratched accessories,” says one collector.

Most connoisseurs drive several car lengths behind of and in front of other drivers on the rare occasion that they drive them at all.

Collectors never ride their 67s to restaurants for fear it will be scratched by other bikes or attendants.

They virtually never let the bikes out of their sight, unless they’re locked up at home, as motorbike thefts have been on the rise recently.

Reported by Thanh Dung