How many C'Do owners bought their bike new?

Hey how many of you guys bought your commando new and still have it today?
That is a feat in itself.
I'd love to hear your show room experience.
I was 10 when my commando was made 6/72.
I would have loved to been another 8 years older so I could have bought a new one :mrgreen:
Marshal

Didn't buy my current '72 combat roadster new, but I bought my first Commando May '73. It was a '72 combat roadster with 300 miles and was at Yamaha of Fontana. All the service was done by Bill's Cycle in San Bernadino - Norton dealer. It had issues, but after getting it back from the shop it always ran so fantastic! I remember on the floor at Bill's there was a new '71 750SS and a new JPN. Norton Commando was an "exotic" and very special, not to metion a very fast bike on the road in '73. I was 20 then. A lot of that has worn off with familiarity and time, but after going through BMWs, Ducati, Rickman and Triumph the Commando is what is still in the garage and my only ride. Still working on '64 BSA Cyclone and probably won't ride it much anyway.

David,
Thank you for being the first to offer your experience. I can only imagine what it must have been like to
be able to walk into a bike dealer and see new commando's, very cool
You over 50 crowd can chime in any time :wink:
Marshal

i bought my first new commando interstate in the seventies £666.00 on the road .
sold it 6 months later could'nt get any oil filters for it and it was a combat model no customer service in those days !!.
and it started to rust within days.......

Bought mine brand new in spring 1974 for $2460 from a small shop outside New London, CT. 0 miles and beautiful. Maybe only 6 fully assembled bikes in the whole shop but seemed like heaven anytime I went there. Guy must have been in his late 60's or 70's and very spry. Best decision I ever made and never really wanted another bike. Used it as good weather transportation for 2 years (bad weather was a 175 Kawa dirt bike). A lot of them in that area since it was a Navy base and lots of young guys with some money and no obligations. 35 years later almost back on the road a little more work to do and will roll it out next spring or winter if some nice weather here in New Hampshire.

I bought mine in May of '75 from Marsh Motorcycles, Warehouse Point Connecticut. Fred Marsh was a local legend, selling Nortons Guzzis and Duc's 'till he passed at 102 years old.

The 850 MKII was $2550 USD in '75. There were MKII and MKIII models in the showroom at the same time, with the MKIII costing $500 more. I liked the rear disc brake and e-start features, but opted to buy the cheaper MKII. No regrets on that decision.

My Norton has a build date of 8/74 but the dealer sold it to me as a '75 Mark II Roadster. That's what it says on the title and on my CT registration. I still have the original bill of sale.

Three months later I visited the dealer and the price of the MKII had dropped to $1995, and the MKIII to $2495. Grrr.

Only once in 34 years have I considered trading it for something else, and that was a 1976 special edition Gold Wing. The Honda dealer quoted me a trade in value based on the $1995 new price, and I had more left on the bank note than they'd give me for it so I declined. No regrets on that decision either.

I really need to get current pictures posted.. you guys will drool. It's been in a constant state of restoration from the day I rode it off the dealer's lot. But it's also my rider, the only bike I've owned since 1975. Why would I need anything else?

ludwig,maylar, jim R,
thanks for sharing.
$2500.00 was allot of money for a MC that you could only drive seasonally in the Northeastern states back then.
Great testimony and glad you were able to hang onto them.
Jim, I remember what Officer and a Gentleman did for the Bonneville.
I had a 1973 Bonney when that movie hit the screen.
I got more tail w/ that bike than a toilet seat. 8)
Waiting for Batrider to chime in :roll:
Marshal

I think I bought my first Commando in 70 or 71. I kept it until maybe 86 when I gave it away. I bought it in West Gardiner Maine if I recall the shop location correctly. I wish I still had it, a bike shop in SF had it last I knew and if anybody sees one around SF with oil in the frame and a big separate oil tank I'd like a chance to buy it back.

Cookie,
you gave it way?
That bike sure travelled.
Maine to San Fran!
FInd the guy you gave it to and maybe he'll let you have it back? :roll:
I'd like to find an old dealer sign for my sanctuary.
Marshal

It was detuned and carried a lot of oil so it was pretty reliable transport cross country. By the time I got here I needed a new chain though. I recall carrying a gallon of fuel on a temporary rack, and I used removable leather saddle bags like I use on my yellow Honda.
The guy I gave it to was my friend John Klein who used to be a Zen machinist. He inherited the shop but he really is a Zen monk. He rode it a couple of times and found it scary fast and gave it to a guy who had a shop in SF.

I lived near Steilacoom Lake as a kid. About 5 miles south of Tacoma, Wa. Most of the families were enlisted military families or families of the guards of the local federal prison. Not a lot of money in the area. There was an early 60s big twin Norton parked in the apartment parking lot near Hudtloff Jr High. It was the coolest thing my little brother and I ever saw. I graduated High School and ended up at UC Berkeley in the late 60,s. There was a local motorcycle shop called T T Motors. They specialized in British Bikes in the east bay. Monroe Motors had the British shop on the San Francisco side of the bay. There use to be a big for sale bulletin board on the first floor of the student union building at school.. I would check that board on a daily basis to see what motorcycles were for sale. Mainly Triumphs and BSA modles. I never did see a Norton for sale. I use to check at T T Motors on occasion and never saw a Norton. I was happy getting around on my 350 SL Honda. It was a big improvement over my TC200 Susuki.

In 1975 I went back by T T Motors to just visit. There was an add for a 72 Combat Commando. I called these seller and made the deal. It was a lot more money back then for a Commando compared to most other bikes. The bike was red and boy was it fast. My mistake was letting a friend drive it. He promptly drove it into the back end of an AC Transit bus in the Berkeley Hills. End to a good Commando.

It took me another couple of years to save up enough money for another Commando. I was dating this girl and she mentioned that her previous boyfriend had a motorcyle under a tarp in his garage that he bought new and seldon rode. We drove over to the guys house and checked out the bike. It was an electric start 850 he had bought new from Santa Clara Cycle Sports. The bike has a few hundred miles on it and he had all the original paperwork and manuals for the bike. I paid $700.oo for the bike. It was a bargain. I still have it.

I have had many other bikes since then but I never have found one that is as fun to ride as a commando. Once they get in your blood, your done.

I Bought my 1969 Commando "S" new in the spring of 1970, it was I think a leftover from the previous year, but brand new, never used. The price was $1350 and I gave my brother's Suzuki Hustler X6 in trade so the price to the shop was a grand total of $900. I probably spent as much in the time I owned it to repair the transmission everytime it broke and to customise it to my ever changing tastes. I changed the high level exhaust to low level, added Dustall decibel mufflers, chromed and painted a lot of parts, changed the pistons for higher compression ones, put/removed clipons, changed the rims to alloy ones. I think enjoyed wrenching more than riding :lol: probably still do too As can be seen on the picture, the bike is clean, but not me :lol: beleive it or not, I could start the bike in mocassins which is close to being bare footed. The bike is now long gone and so is the hair

Jean

Wow, Bobs850, you brought back a lot of memories, Those places were where I got my parts too. I think TT Motors was recently mentioned in the Vintagent blog. Was Santa Clara Motors the one in Palo Alto that was the biggest Norton dealer on the west coast? The son of that guy is still around here and I see him quite often.

Cookie - Hopefully those were good memories. Both of the bikes shown below went for a blast in the Hills behind Fresno today. Takes about 45 minutes to get up to about 5,500 feet. Lots of fun roads here.


The white bike still has the dealer decal on the rear fender. It says Cycle Sports accross the top and Santa Clara accross the bottom.

The bike was sold new by Sportmotive Corp. Cycle Sports. 2355 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, Ca. 95051. I still have the Green Norton World-wide Distributors and Dealers book that came with the bike. They simply list the dealer as Cycle Sports in Santa Clara.


I still have my last Service receip from T T Motors on Adekine Street. $438.15 for a "Major" tune up in October of 1985.

Lots of dough back then.

I am lucky enough to have been able to keep quite a few cars and bikes that I have bought over the last 35 years. The Nortons still live in the main garage and are driven as weather permits.

Bought my '73 MkV 750 Roadster at Competition Accessories on May 6, 1973 when they were still located in Xenia, Ohio. $1995 plus tax and title.

I knew what I wanted and most of the Norton dealers in Southwestern Ohio had stopped carrying Nortons. CA had a pair of Triumph T150's, two blue Roadsters and two black Interstates, along with a '71 Production Racer that had been retired from the track. I remember asking the salesman, "Who would want a worn out racebike?". Could have bought it complete with an extra fairing for $1700.

After two weeks I had the chrome flake off one exhaust pipe and took it back to be replaced under warranty . That's when I discovered I better learn to do my own service and repair. What clowns! The bike never saw a dealer since. Funny thing, I hear their service department isn't any different today!

As I recall CA didn't get any 850 Nortons until late June or July.

Beautiful bikes. I forgot the 49 mile drive today and went down to the coast instead. This bike probably has the short gearing that came with the Dominator engine as with the Commando engine it's up to redline in a heartbeat. No sweet spot like a Commando either but seems pretty smooth about 65 mph. It is happier in tight corners for sure than cruising, I keep thinking I might buy another Commando someday for more distance on a ride.

Ron L,
wow you remember the date you bought it thats great.
Cookie nice lookin Hybrid ust bea blast to ride?
Kinda wish I had a shot at the worn out racer.
I didn't realize how expensive theNorton was until I saw some old Adds.
A new Honda cb 750cc was $799.00
Rich guys had a Norton
Marshal

Hey Bob850 nice bikes and a Mr Bean Mini too
A true English Gent through and through.
Cookie the shot of you in 69 is very cool.
I see you have some interesting background.
An early XKE Jag and is it a Fairlane or a Galaxie behind the Jag?
I like the flat black mods to the points cover and guage holders.
Fireflake Blue w/ a Halo headlight ring nice
This topic is going super. This is what vintage riding is about
The bike the story and the memory and friendships along the journey.
Marshal

Sorry correction made Jean nice 1969 shot on your S
Marshal

If you get out this way I'll let you take her for a run to the coast. It's a lot of fun until you get in traffic jams, best to stay out of the crowded areas.
I know our memories aren't what they used to be so it would be interesting to see just how the players prices compared back then. When I bought the Norton Commando I remember looking at the Honda 750 four, Kawasaki 750, and Triumph. It seems like BMW was quite a bit more. Later I considered trading for a Goldwing and Kawasaki 900. The Goldwing was too expensive ($3,000) or so, and the Kawasaki gave me no confidence in a corner. Being unable to afford Goldwings back then is probably why I have some now, the ones I have look exactly like the ones I wanted.
I love the picture of Jean. At that time I had hair to the middle of my back and now I have no hair in the middle of my head.