New 850 at Barber

Fast Eddie · Apr 13, 2019

Barber museum has a new, unused 850 MK3 interstate.
Thought I’d share a few pics:

GP tyres:

Head and cases looked painted as far as I could tell:

Wiring shot:

No gear change decal:

Silver logo on seat, seat a nicer shape than any new ones currently on sale that I’ve seen:

Lovely herring bone:

Another head shot:

Onder · Apr 13, 2019

Yeah, well I lust after those herringbone oil lines....

850commando · Apr 13, 2019

no locking ring on the exhaust nut...

and theres some rust on the washers..., when they start to look this new it can't be true

Fast Eddie · Apr 13, 2019

Fast Eddie · Apr 13, 2019

Anyway, I much prefer this one...

cliffa · Apr 13, 2019

Any chance of slipping that Silk 700 in your luggage ? ( they are easier to carry than a Commando)

Onder · Apr 13, 2019

515 pounds? Dear me, you might as well ride a Trident! Ill keep my 850 MkII.

worntorn · Apr 13, 2019

Don't know where they got that number from, but it isn't correct, it's way high. The MK3 is roughly the same weight as an earlier Commando with Estart added, because that's what they are, more or less. There might be an additional few pounds from the strengthened items.

Ive weighed mine with both hanging scales and floor scales to confirm.

Glen

ashman · Apr 13, 2019

When I brought my new Norton back in 1976 the dealer here in Brisbane had one 74 M11 left and the new 75 M111, I ended up with the 74 as the dry weight was 412 lbs and the 75 was about 35 lbs heavier and $424 more than the 74 at the time, I was 17 years old and skinny as a rake so the extra weight and more money more than anything was a big factor in buying the 74, I paid $1,999 on the road for it and the 75 was $2,423 on the road, I was only earning $60 a week then, I still have the orginal sales poster hanging on my shed wall but it was the the 75 models it had a Trident 160, Roadster, Innerstate and police model and on the back had all facts of each bike.
I can still picture myself walking into the dealers and all the new model Nortons and Triumphs sitting there and way in the back of them all my Black and Gold 74 Roadster, pickd it up 3 days later.

Ashley

CanukNortonNut · Apr 13, 2019

Fast Eddie,
I thought the weight was too high but this is a very nice example and thanks for posting.
Cheers,
Thomas

Time Warp · Apr 13, 2019

ashman said:
I was only earning $60 a week then...

Ashley

I could only dream of getting $60 per week in 1976, it was more like $60 per fortnight being a government department.

Even though a Mk3 is not a real Commando with the pussy foot and wonky gear shift (jk), I feel bit sorry for it, in a box for decades and now behind bars for eternity.

ashman · Apr 13, 2019

Time Warp said:
I could only dream of getting $60 per week in 1976, it was more like $60 per fortnight being a government department.

Even though a Mk3 is not a real Commando with the pussy foot and wonky gear shift (jk), I feel bit sorry for it, in a box for decades and now behind bars for eternity.

Yer it could have been less, I remember getting my new Norton but I was guessing what I was earning way back then, I had to get my first loan of $1100 to buy it my dad went garrenture for me and I paid it off in 11 months.

Yes its a shame they be sitting still to never be ridden, they got to have road grime on them and leave their mark somewhere in their life time.

Ashley

Fast Eddie · Apr 13, 2019

Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?

I’d guess that if you take both the posted weight and power, the power to weight ratio would probably be bang on

Fast Eddie · Apr 13, 2019

I believe a very well known Brit Norton expert had a saying about the mk3 back when he was selling new Commandos, I believe it was ‘the mk3 would be great if it was £100 less, and 100lbs less’ !

ashman · Apr 13, 2019

Fast Eddie said:
Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?

I’d guess that if you take both the posted weight and power, the power to weight ratio would probably be bang on

Being 17 years old and skinny as a rake with chicken legs it was a very quick bike then with me on it, how times change in life, but I still have chicken legs lol.

Ashley

CanukNortonNut · Apr 13, 2019

Fast Eddie said:
Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?

I’d guess that if you take both the posted weight and power, the power to weight ratio would probably be bang on

Well the technical data page for a 850 and 750 workshop manual Copyright 73, has a Roadster with oil and 1 gallon of fuel (imp or us)? at 422 lbs. Maybe the Mk3 porked out at 93 lbs extra. I think the 60bhp rating was a bit of sales pitch

edit: Re reading the Barber sign an Interstate 436 lbs for Pre Mrk3, which would make the Mk3 79 lbs heavier, which is probably close to reality.
I was mistaken that the data card was for the roadster.
Cheers,
Thomas

swooshdave · Apr 13, 2019

Full tank of fuel on that interstate would account for the weight difference.

CanukNortonNut · Apr 13, 2019

fuel is aprox 6.3 lbs per US gallon....there you go.

Fast Eddie · Apr 13, 2019

CanukNortonNut said:
edit: Re reading the Barber sign an Interstate 436 lbs for Pre Mrk3, which would make the Mk3 79 lbs heavier, which is probably close to reality.
I was mistaken that the data card was for the roadster.
Cheers,
Thomas

Both bikes in the pics are mk3s.

1up3down · Apr 13, 2019

Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?
============================================================

but I am going to complain about the 115mph top end, no way,
I have owned or ridden 9 stock Mark3's and the most they saw was 108mph

New 850 at Barber

Fast Eddie

Onder

850commando

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

cliffa

Onder

worntorn

ashman

CanukNortonNut

Time Warp

.......back to the 70's.

ashman

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

ashman

CanukNortonNut

swooshdave

CanukNortonNut

Fast Eddie

1up3down

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