Commando values

Q

quawk

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Jan 1, 2024
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Am probably going to sell my bike. It is the bike that I've posted about here on the forum that is a 1973 Hi-Rider that I've changed to Roadster trim. I know it's mostly a matter of personal preference, and maybe members here are biased, but in general, would the same year (in this case '73) Norton Commando Roadster be more valuable than a Triumph Bonneville, if they were equally nice, equally finished, close to the same miles, etc.? I've been researching both sold bike and bikes for sale and it seems the Nortons might be worth more? I'd guess Triumph guys would say otherwise. Any input from others about this?
 
quawk said:
Am probably going to sell my bike. It is the bike that I've posted about here on the forum that is a 1973 Hi-Rider that I've changed to Roadster trim. I know it's mostly a matter of personal preference, and maybe members here are biased, but in general, would the same year (in this case '73) Norton Commando Roadster be more valuable than a Triumph Bonneville, if they were equally nice, equally finished, close to the same miles, etc.? I've been researching both sold bike and bikes for sale and it seems the Nortons might be worth more? I'd guess Triumph guys would say otherwise. Any input from others about this?
Click to expand...
A 73 roadster is worth more and will sell for more than a 73 bonnie
 
A 73 Bonneville would be an oil in frame model. They are not viewed as collectible as the models up to 1970 with regular oil tanks. They are generally priced maybe 3 to 4k less than a Commando if both are in top condition. For what it's worth I had a 78 Bonneville and they are quite nice riding bikes with a 5 speed and front and rear disc brakes. They are actually a good bargain way to get into old Brit bikes.
 
A mid-60s Bonneville is very rare in Australia. My brother's mate had one. He walked out of a shop to find two guys loading it onto a trailer. A good Commando would be similar. A Bonneville is unit construction, and the mid-60s models handled as good as a Manx. A Commando would probably be more comfortable.
 
How does knowing a Commando might be worth more than a Bonneville help sell your bike? Curious about the logic.
Sounds like you have already answered your question by reviewing recent auction sales results. Mecum and BAT are good places to start.
 
Good luck flipping a Commando in this market and worrying about profit or even breaking even. The trend is downward.
And, as per ridability, a Commando has it all over a Triumph of the same era. The buzz and vibration of a 650-750 Triumph is
unacceptable compared with the isolastic damping of the Norton 750-850 engine. I have both. Just different animals. I feel
disappointed that you would pan this forum for gold without paying a cent to help support it and then ask for advice on
how to bail out. Kinda strikes me as somewhat rude. People have gone out of their way to try and help you. Just my opinion.
 
acotrel said:
A mid-60s Bonneville is very rare in Australia. My brother's mate had one. He walked out of a shop to find two guys loading it onto a trailer. A good Commando would be similar. A Bonneville is unit construction, and the mid-60s models handled as good as a Manx. A Commando would probably be more comfortable.
Click to expand...
And the relevance is?????
 
Put it on ebay and then see how it goes. It may but it may not. And the going price will not be what you had hoped for. In a way it is 1980 all over again. You know when I paid 800 USD for a 72 with 6k miles on it.
That was not an unusual deal either.
 
Not sure how Bring a Trailer works but I think they are choosy as to what they accept to sell - they seem to bring the highest prices.
 
My son said he wants my ‘72 combat roadster that I bought in 1997. I don’t think he will ever have a place to store it, but at least I can justify keeping it. Thought about selling, but the market for these is as usual….if you want one they are pure gold, if you want to sell the market is dead. I have been asked by my doctor and family to stop riding after a stroke last year, so once a month I start it and the rest of the time I look at it :)
 
ILLF8ED said:
My son said he wants my ‘72 combat roadster that I bought in 1997. I don’t think he will ever have a place to store it, but at least I can justify keeping it. Thought about selling, but the market for these is as usual….if you want one they are pure gold, if you want to sell the market is dead. I have been asked by my doctor and family to stop riding after a stroke last year, so once a month I start it and the rest of the time I look at it :)
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about the health issues stopping you riding David.
 
Stephen Hill said:
How does knowing a Commando might be worth more than a Bonneville help sell your bike? Curious about the logic.
Sounds like you have already answered your question by reviewing recent auction sales results. Mecum and BAT are good places to start.
Click to expand...
Those are only a good reference for high-end prices in a pigeon-hole market. You can't get that kind of money every day.
 
Some of the high prices some are asking, but in reality are they getting the prices they are asking, I see a lot of high priced bikes for sale then after some time they disappear then remerge a few months later still the same seller and the price hasn't gone down, price for old Triumphs here are cheaper than what people are asking for their Commandos, I gave up even looking at bike prices here and it's really the ones who are willing to pay a high price because they always wanted a Commando, then find out they have trouble kicking them to life because they don't have the KS knack then spend more money to put a ES kit and before they know it they have spent well over $30k+.
I am glad I kept my old Norton from new, I have no interest in selling it and have had some good offers for it over the years with what I done to it, it will be with me till the day I die and my youngest daughter will get all my bikes, what happen to them after I have gone, who knows as I won't be around.
My old Norton is showing its age and was only recently someone made a very good offer, no I be lost without it and the bike market for older bikes here in Aus have gone crazy in what people are asking for them, I am old school and love what I built by my own hands, I have also my 2016 Thruxton for a modern run around bike, but I could never part with the Norton and the wife knew when we got together the Norton is and will always be number one, its still my favorite to be out on and I love the showing its age look as we are both aging together.
To the OP if you are selling your Norton because it didn't work out for you, sell it at a decent price someone who will take it on and love it, or put a high price on it and be jerked around by tyre kickers and be stuck with it for a long time, being an old school biker paying way too much for an old bike is not in my interest but a cheap bike to restore I be open but they are even asking way too much for old Nortons that need a lot of money spent on them, OK if you have deep pockets and can afford to pay high price, beyond my small pockets, but I have a love of fixing and keeping our beloved Norton going the way they are meant to be ridden.
I paid $1999 on the road for my 74 Commando new and 12 years ago got a great deal on a box full of a 1960 Manxman project price to retore/rebuild for $1k and who knows how much that will be worth when I decide to start on it again, but it will be a full on cafe racer build the way with what I learned from building my 850 Commando/Featherbed back in 1980 with many newer upgrades since and with the parts I have built up over 45+ years since I built my Hotrod Norton, I learned a lot and am very devoted to my bikes' built for me by my own hands and not for profit, yes I am old school British bike owner/builder and proud of it.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
Some of the high prices some are asking, but in reality are they getting the prices they are asking, I see a lot of high priced bikes for sale then after some time they disappear then remerge a few months later still the same seller and the price hasn't gone down, price for old Triumphs here are cheaper than what people are asking for their Commandos, I gave up even looking at bike prices here and it's really the ones who are willing to pay a high price because they always wanted a Commando, then find out they have trouble kicking them to life because they don't have the KS knack then spend more money to put a ES kit and before they know it they have spent well over $30k+.
I am glad I kept my old Norton from new, I have no interest in selling it and have had some good offers for it over the years with what I done to it, it will be with me till the day I die and my youngest daughter will get all my bikes, what happen to them after I have gone, who knows as I won't be around.
My old Norton is showing its age and was only recently someone made a very good offer, no I be lost without it and the bike market for older bikes here in Aus have gone crazy in what people are asking for them, I am old school and love what I built by my own hands, I have also my 2016 Thruxton for a modern run around bike, but I could never part with the Norton and the wife knew when we got together the Norton is and will always be number one, its still my favorite to be out on and I love the showing its age look as we are both aging together.
To the OP if you are selling your Norton because it didn't work out for you, sell it at a decent price someone who will take it on and love it, or put a high price on it and be jerked around by tyre kickers and be stuck with it for a long time, being an old school biker paying way too much for an old bike is not in my interest but a cheap bike to restore I be open but they are even asking way too much for old Nortons that need a lot of money spent on them, OK if you have deep pockets and can afford to pay high price, beyond my small pockets, but I have a love of fixing and keeping our beloved Norton going the way they are meant to be ridden.
I paid $1999 on the road for my 74 Commando new and 12 years ago got a great deal on a box full of a 1960 Manxman project price to retore/rebuild for $1k and who knows how much that will be worth when I decide to start on it again, but it will be a full on cafe racer build the way with what I learned from building my 850 Commando/Featherbed back in 1980 with many newer upgrades since and with the parts I have built up over 45+ years since I built my Hotrod Norton, I learned a lot and am very devoted to my bikes' built for me by my own hands and not for profit, yes I am old school British bike owner/builder and proud of it.

Ashley
Click to expand...
I, also, am proud of all the work I've done over the years on the bikes I've had/owned as nearly all of them were puchased as older, non-running "sitters" needing a wide variety of work done on them. I have never had a new bike. I can appreciate everybody that does their own work, and can build a bike without much to start with, but I find it curious that most riders have, as you put it "a modern run around bike", in your case your mentioned 2016 Thruxton. My modern run around bike, which I purchased as a non-running sitter, is a long ago purchased, nearly 40 year old '86 Gold Wing. I know, a lot of guys look down their nose at Honda or the Gold Wing, but once I got it running and ridable, I've logged a good amount of miles on it, with nearly no issues. As you posted, I was one of those guys who would have liked to have had a Norton back when they were new but simply couldn't. As much as I like this bike after the journey of getting it running and ridable, reality has kind of set in and I realize it just wont be used as a regular rider, or maybe much at all. Thankfully, at least for now, I'm not one of the guys giving it up because I can't kick start it any more.
 


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