1974 NORTON COMMANDO 750 SHORT STROKE on EBAY (2015)

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Norton-ROADSTER ... otorcycles

1974 NORTON COMMANDO 750 SHORT STROKE,
Thought some of you collectors might want to follow this on EBAY bidding already at $13,800 with 2 days to go and reserve not met.
1974 NORTON COMMANDO 750 SHORT STROKE on EBAY (2015)
 
Looks like a 74, breather off the back of the timing case, 850 type barrels, plastic extension on rear chainguard but the number is not consistent with a 74 750 which should be in the 235000 range.

VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): 207000
 
theres a 750 short stroke roadster on the back cover of Roy Bacons book Norton Twin Restorations
 
jimbo said:
theres a 750 short stroke roadster on the back cover of Roy Bacons book Norton Twin Restorations

Yes, if it wasn't an 850 mocked up for the photo session, but up to now, there hasn't really been any firm evidence of any short stroke Roadsters ever being built, and I somehow doubt the ebay one is likely to be genuine as it's certainly been extensively rebuilt.
Edit: A 1973 model (the photo also appears in the '73 850 brochure) with what is a mid-'72 serial number (207000) also casts doubt on it being a genuine factory-built short stroke Roadster without at least some written evidence to support it.
 
kommando said:
Looks like a 74, breather off the back of the timing case, 850 type barrels, plastic extension on rear chainguard but the number is not consistent with a 74 750 which should be in the 235000 range.

VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): 207000

Exactly. I am not aware of any factory short stroke motor not beginning with 235xxx. Someone should have a look and see if this bike is the missing link.

Its getting top dollar for what is surely a nice replica something.

I asked seller these questions

What is the RH number on the cylinder head ?
Is it matching numbers ?
 
Only a few days ago two secondhand steel conrods went for £140 on ebay. They were said to be for a short stroke Commando so i guess if you got hold of the required parts you could build one.
 
toppy said:
Only a few days ago two secondhand steel conrods went for £140 on ebay. They were said to be for a short stroke Commando so i guess if you got hold of the required parts you could build one.

Try and get an RH7 head.
 
The last 750 Commandos had the through bolted barrels that looked like the 850. The bore and stroke was as per standard 750 though. This one on ebay does look like the top barrel fin is close to the cylinder head though.
 
Might be some sort of homologation special. As I remember, the de-stroked motors were per a request from the factory-sponsored AMA flat track team. NVT may have been required to import 200(?) or so to the US to make them race-eligible.
 
Danno said:
Might be some sort of homologation special. As I remember, the de-stroked motors were per a request from the factory-sponsored AMA flat track team. NVT may have been required to import 200(?) or so to the US to make them race-eligible.

Indeed, if they did make 200, there should be a handful of them still around. The same thing applied to the BSA A70 of which only around 200 were made for homologation purposes, but a considerable proportion of those A70s still exist.

http://www.burtonbikebits.net/bsaa70.htm
 
L.A.B. said:
Danno said:
Might be some sort of homologation special. As I remember, the de-stroked motors were per a request from the factory-sponsored AMA flat track team. NVT may have been required to import 200(?) or so to the US to make them race-eligible.

Indeed, if they did make 200 of them, there should be a handful of them still around. The same thing applied to the BSA A70 of which only around 200 were made for homologation purposes, but a considerable proportion of those A70s still exist.

http://www.burtonbikebits.net/bsaa70.htm

I remember seeing one of those in a local BSA shop. At the time, the factory was painting the frames on the 650s light grey and the frame on the 750 was black like the older ones.
 
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): 207000
Nortiboy said:
Is it matching numbers ?

That seems to be the key to this.
If its not matching numbers, (and in the factory records ?) its just something that has been put together.

Although being a short stroke 750 does hold a certain interest.
Be good to see a performance/road test review of it.
Or, dare I say it, a dyno chart....
 
Jerry Doe said:
Its my good friend Ron selling it. I vouch for anything he has and does :D


I have done quite a bit of business with Ron in the past few years,and he's as good as they come.
Someone is going to get quite a bike by the looks of it.

Mike
 
Jerry Doe said:
Its my good friend Ron selling it. I vouch for anything he has and does :D

He is selling something that we have long been told doesn't exist.

Its curious that he doesn't provide more detail of why this is 'factory built'.
Or even show anything of it having matching numbers.

As they say in the art world, provenance is everything,
and even the experts get caught out now and then...
 
Information forwarded to me by another forum member who contacted the seller.

From owner

RH 7 OVER RIGHT EX COVER. DONT KNOWWHAT YOU MEAN BY MATCHING NUMBERS. IF YOUR REFERRING TO ENGINE, FRAME, ETC THEY ARE...DONT KNOW ANY OTHER HISTORY ON BIKE. BOUGHT LONG TIME AGO FROM SOMEONE IN MID WEST.I THINK IT CAME FROM A DIST NAMED DOMIRACER..
 
L.A.B. said:
Information forwarded to me by another forum member who contacted the seller.

From owner

RH 7 OVER RIGHT EX COVER. DONT KNOWWHAT YOU MEAN BY MATCHING NUMBERS. IF YOUR REFERRING TO ENGINE, FRAME, ETC THEY ARE...DONT KNOW ANY OTHER HISTORY ON BIKE. BOUGHT LONG TIME AGO FROM SOMEONE IN MID WEST.I THINK IT CAME FROM A DIST NAMED DOMIRACER..

L.A.B,

Do you have any record of a factory short stroke engine number not starting with 235xxx ?
 
:mrgreen: thumps up +1

Jerry Doe said:
Its my good friend Ron selling it. I vouch for anything he has and does :D




Jerry Doe said:
Its my good friend Ron selling it. I vouch for anything he has and does :D
 
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