Hello, this is possibly a question only concerning Australian registered Commandos.
I have purchased a 1977 Mk3 Interstate which was imported from England and has never been registered in Australia. There is no number stamped into the frame. It does however have the frame tag with the correct numbers. I didn't import the bike, but I have the import papers and the bikes history. (there is no mention of a frame change in the history)

The last time I went to register a motorcycle without a frame number I had to jump through various flaming hoops and eventually had to have a surroget frame number stamped into the frame and the VIN plate handed in and destroyed.
I don't want to go through this again and I can stamp the correct numbers into the frame before the frame in painted.

What I need to know from the learned masses out there is,
Should it have numbers stamped into the frame, or just the VIN tag?
Where should the frame number be stamped if it should have one?

Thank you, Regards Graeme.

GRM 450 wrote:There is no number stamped into the frame. It does however have the frame tag with the correct numbers.


Should it have numbers stamped into the frame, or just the VIN tag?

Thank you, Regards Graeme.

Hi Graeme, lucky man , an unregistered bike, must be nice!
I also have a '77 and there is just the red VIN plate on the steering head, nothing stamped on the frame. There was a discussion on this question a few months back, if I can find the post I'll edit this.

Here you go.......norton_commando2680.html?highlight=registering and

http://accessnorton.com/norton_commando ... egistering

Robert

Hello Robert, thanks for answering my question.
The bike has been registered in England but not in Australia, where it is now.
I had all sorts of trouble a few years ago registering a bike that had a valid vin number and a compliance plate for Australia . But it had had a frame replacement with an un-numbered new frame. I had to hand in the VIN and Compliance plates and have a suroget frame number stamped into the steering head. Then it was registered as the suroget frame number for ever after.
I don't want to do that with a matching numbers Commando, thus the question.
The first thing the Queensland rego office wants to see is the frame number for identification.
I will try and find someone in Australia with a registered Commando and see if their frame has been stamped with a number, maybe by the Australian importer back when they were sold.
Regards Graeme.

My '75 Mk3 has an ID number steel-stamped in the head stock on the right-hand side. This number is also on my title.

I have a 75' Mark III, the numbers are stamped same as Jason Curtiss, just below the fitted tag, 850 332454.

G'day from the west. My '73 850 is pretty original and only has the number on the plate. My man who knows tells me that this is the way it is done. No stamping on the frame itself. I'll bet the American importers had to do it on arrival in the States or maybe they were done at the factory for US market bikes.

All original 850 frames would normally have a number stamped on the headstock next to the ID plate, as far as I know?

For some, the frame number and ID plate number will match, but many will not.

Those frames that do not have the matching numbers will normally have a frame number beginning with "850 F1".

Fullauto wrote:G'day from the west. My '73 850 is pretty original and only has the number on the plate. My man who knows tells me that this is the way it is done. No stamping on the frame itself. I'll bet the American importers had to do it on arrival in the States or maybe they were done at the factory for US market bikes.

My '73 has only the VIN plate on the headstock - no numbers on the frame. As far as I know, this bike has been in the Southeast US since it was brought over by Norton. The only Nortons I've seen with frame stamps have been Mk IIIs, but I've only really looked closely at a few. I'm not about to crawl around someone's bike unless he/she is there.

As is probably true in OZ, each state in the US has its own laws regarding vehicle registration and licensing. Some states require a bunch of stuff, some only an engine number and a Bill of Sale. Rules change for different age vehicles, too. I've heard some here have title showing frame number, and some showing engine/VIN plate number.

850 frame stamping info: http://atlanticgreen.com/commandoframes.htm

My UK 850 MkIII frame has the matching stamp next to the plate.

The original frame on my April 1975 Mk111 was also stamped as per L.A.B.'s. The 1977 production bikes were the last machines and were assembled under control of the Official Receiver so it may be that the stamping was discontinued. Standardised 17 digit VIN numbers were not yet compulsory in Europe at that stage.

Dyno Dave's site has the most information on Commando stampings -

http://atlanticgreen.com/index.php?opti ... r&Itemid=4

My feeling would be that if you duplicate the red conformity plate stamping on the headstock itself, you won't go far wrong as this seems to have been the practice on the later 1975 Mk111s - Just make sure that the UK Registration document doesn't show anything different !

porterg wrote:I have a 75' Mark III, the numbers are stamped same as Jason Curtiss, just below the fitted tag, 850 332454.

Me as well. It's stamped right besdie the ID plate.

GRM450 About to go down that road in NSW. I have a 1975 850 frame to replace a damaged frame on my 1971 roadster. It has the 850********* no. stamped into the headstock as shown by L.A.B. The bike I am about to register is the 69 Fastback which has no no. stamped in the frame just the plate on the front of the headstock with the year of manufacture plus the engine and gearbox no. which are the same. The frame from the roadster which is damaged has no no. stamped in it. I have a list of the hoops I will be jumping through from the NSW RTA. The most fun looks like being after a blueslip check which is all you need for a vehical that has been registered in NSW, the Fastback is an import I bought from a dealer in Melbourne with all the right import documents, you take all this to the RTA start the rego process and then it will come up on the screen that it needs VIIU check as it is an import and has never been registered in Australia, and I then have to make an appointment to have the VIIU inspection at a latter date by the RTA inspectors. Having been involved with heavy vehical inspections in the past I am not looking forward to this part of the process.
Ian

Firstly, Thank you all for your response to my question.
It seems that it just depends what country, state or county the bike was sold depends whether it had numbers stamped into the frames steering head or not, and what the numbers were.
I think the frame numbers will appear on my frame before it is painted, then when it's ready to be registered I'll go head down and sphincter clenched into the Queensland Transport office and see which flaming hoops they point me at this time.

Thank you all
Regards Graeme.

The additional Commando ("F1") frame numbers were stamped when they started using the Italian manufactured frames. And that would have been sometime around the start of 850 production, I'm not sure exactly when, so it could explain why some '73 850 models don't have the frame stamp if they had British (Reynolds)
made frames.
Reynolds-made Commando frames (if stamped?) normally had a number that matched the plate, engine and gearbox numbers.

The Italian Commando frames can usually be identified by their metric sized tubing, the 60mm o/d spine tube (instead of 2-1/4") being the easiest place to check.


750 models didn't have the frame stamp, as far as I know?

My 750 has the frame stamp, no headstock plate. Number 130045, and is registered as a 1970, although the numbers might suggest it is a 1969. Actually, the last digit, the 5, is stamped into the engine as an upside down 2. I also have a 1972 850, thats right, I know they weren't made til 73. the headstock plate says 3 73, 301174, which matches the engine. I asked at British Cycle Supply and they said probably just a mistake or typo from the first time it was sold and registered. How could the buyer let that mistake go? I bought this bike in 1990, before I knew anything about what years the 850 was built. The 1970 750 I bought in 1988. I would appreciate any info on these bikes and years discrepency.