Commando Restoration: Advice on Value and Machine

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marknorton

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Hi,
I have been offered this very tired dry stored Norton Commando. Can anyone advise me as to the value as it is now for a restoration project.
I would also appreciate any nfo you can give me about the bike as the side panel I can see does not look the same as side panels of 850s I have seen on various websites.
I am assuming all chrome is redone. complete engine/ suspension overhaul, new seat, refurbished clocks etc, to bring back to concours.
I am a Laverda Man really but fancy a go at something british.
Your thoughts please.Sorry I am not so good on computers and cant seem to get the picture of the whole machine on to photo bucket.
Thanks
Commando Restoration: Advice on Value and Machine
 
Interstate side panels, I think.

Bike, from the one wee pic looks very rough. Expect a lot of work and a lot of money to be spent.
 
The bike is worth what ever you want to invest. Are you going to get it as an investment or something to ride? By this picture it looks pretty rough. Does it run? Are all the parts there? If you are getting it to sell, you will probably have more into it than it is worth. If you are getting it to tinker with and ride, have a ball. I have a MK III that I have invested more than it is worth getting it back into shape. I wanted something to tinker with and have definately gotten my moneys worth in that department. I can't sell it for what I have invested, but I have had a great time working on it and riding it.
 
It doesnt run, but is 100% complete. Am looking for something to restore over 2-3 years. So as long as I can enjoy it I will be happy. But I dont know how much the bike is worth, as I dont want to pay over the odds for a machine that I intend to spend a lot of money restoring if you see what I mean. Whats your gut feel on price?
Thanks Guys
 
the way it is I'd pay 1500 -not clean, not running - what's wrong with it? Electrics? Carbs? Motor?
clean not running-2000- same
If the not running is a minor problem maybe 500-1000 more

prob is if it doesn't run, and u don't know what's wrong with it, it may need a new motor $$$$$$$$
 
marknorton said:
I have been offered this very tired dry stored Norton Commando. Can anyone advise me as to the value as it is now for a restoration project.
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In cases such as this, it helps greatly if the bike's location can be given, as a bike's value can vary according to exactly whereabouts on the planet it is (as well as the difference in currency). As moderator, I know you have a UK IP address, so I presume that's where both you and the bike actually are?

The valuations given so far (presumably in US Dollars?) are no doubt intended for a bike in the USA (I think it would also help avoid confusion if members actually remembered to show the currency ) but they would be rather low for an 850 Interstate offered for sale the UK market, which even in the condition you have described and the limited information that can be gleaned from your photo could probably be expected to make at least £2,000 GBP. If you can buy it for less than that figure then you are reasonably lucky. However you can still expect to spend somewhere around £3,000-£4,000 GBP or more, if you intended to do a full restoration, but it will of course depend on how much of the work you intend to do yourself?



marknorton said:
I would also appreciate any nfo you can give me about the bike as the side panel I can see does not look the same as side panels of 850s I have seen on various websites.
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From the photo, it appears to be either a Commando MkIA or MkIIA Interstate model, so the side panel is the correct type. http://www.nortonmotors.de/ANIL/NCInterstate.htm
 
Sorry Guys my assumption was a UK forum, but anyways, prices will reflect what you say as I have no intention of purchasing at any cost.
I think I will start at 500 pounds and go up from there to 1000 pounds ( about 1790USD). After this I think I will leave it. Its not going to be worth the hassle and cost.
Thanks so much for the identification tips. I will investigate this and see what an immaculate example will fetch though am not interested in a money making project, but want too ensure I dont send too much over the sale price of a good example. Thanks Guys for all your advice and I will keep you posted on developments.
 
Does it turn over? Can you free the clutch? You can spray some lube in the cylinder and check the psi in each cylinder. Check the oil in the tank and loosen the plug on the bottom of the crankcase and take a little sample and inspect it. Pull the cap off the trans and take a look and a smell. Their are a lot of little thing you can do. Do what you can to access its real value and throw a fair price. If you can find out some info as mentioned, we can can surely help you further.
If it is gust sitting there like that, it probably is no good to the owner. One mans junk is another mans treasure ya know.
 
If its all there and not damaged externally (no holes in the crankcases etc) its probably worth £1000 all day long. You get nothing Norton for £500!
 
In 2006, (sight unseen except for pics) I bought a "perfect" 850 commando roadster, NON matching number bike from a well knwn US dealer in Brittbikes. The bike looked great - new paint on tank/side covers and I paid 6200USD for this perfect, turn key machine.

Turned out that though the bike looked great, it was an unsafe rolling disaster (my fault for buying based on what a dealer told me) Since then I have paid AT LEAST that much more to put it in what is now really excellent shape - doing all the work myself.

I suspect that if I tallied the money I have spent, I would be up in the Colorado Norton Works bike price. My point is that you will most likely spend a lot more money bringing it back to life than you think you will so if you are NOT looking at this bike as a project "just because" you want to enjoy a great bike, forget about it. As an investment it's totally insane. :)
 
marknorton said:
I will investigate this and see what an immaculate example will fetch though am not interested in a money making project, but want too ensure I dont send too much over the sale price of a good example.
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Ebay is normally a good indicator of current selling prices, and the bidding's up to £6,000 GBP, which is about what I'd expect, for this apparently excellent condition 850 Interstate MkI with 3 days left to go: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NORTON-COMMANDO_W ... 2559295b71


marknorton said:
I think I will start at 500 pounds and go up from there to 1000 pounds
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I think £1,000 would be a bargain price.
 
I haven't seen a complete, original equipment Nort for less than $2500 regardless of mileage and non-running condition. If it's all there and hasn't been mucked up, it should be worth at least $7500 restored. There was an original, 0-mile '75 Mk III Roadster (in black with gold livery no less) on Ebay the other day and it had been bid up to $60,000 (yes, sixty thousand bucks). These things are worth more and more as time passes, and yours may be a '74 850 with right-side shift, which is considered the most desirable of Commandos for actual riding purposes. If you get it for the $1790 mentioned (1000 GBP) buy it and even if you end up with more than $7500 in it, you'll still have a great motorcycle.
 
Peter Egan of Cycle World just did an editorial on older Nortons, he purchased one. The article is very complimentary and could easily effect the value of our machines.

RS
 
I'm doing a frame up resto of a 72 Commando. I've been carefully tracking costs and my estimate of doing a complete resto on a fairly complete but rough bike is in the 6000-7000 $US range beyond the cost of the bike. This is to nice rider condition, not a 99pt show bike. This assumes an engine and transmission rebuild with doing most of the work myself. Only things being farmed out are painting, plating, powdercoating, wheel lacing and machine work. Original purchase price for the bike was 2500$US which included new exhaust system, rear rim and spokes and K&N air-filter. So all in costs somewhere between 8000 to 10000$US. I've really tried to keep costs down by shopping for good deals and using some used parts. I don't see how it could be done a lot cheaper unless you could do the painting and powdercoating yourself.
 
Hi Road Scholar
Have you a URL of this report? Cant seem to find it on google.
Thanks
Mark
 
Hello Mark,
The articaI referenced is in the latest copy of Cycle World, under "Leanings" by Peter Egan. I imagine that the artical could stir up a good bit of interest in Nortons, which, in my opinion, are the most elegant of the 20th century British motorcycles, with the possible exception of the Vincents...

RS
 
Assuming the bike am almost certainly going to purchase is as bad as yours Htown, what is the most difficult and expensive operation you have carried out?
Has anyone uploaded a full spreadsheet of ground up restoration costs before this that I could view? i would be fascinated to see where exactly in the Black hole of rebuild costs that the money will certainly heamorrage.
Thanks for all your advice Guys.
 
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