New 850 Commandos-Still In Their Crates!

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Quite a collection, would be interesting to find out how many get uncrated and used.
A wide range of spares there too.
 
I believe that there are thirteen. All late-build Mk3s with soft camshafts !

Poidevijn was the Norton importer in Belgium and not the easiest man to deal with. He seemed to get a kick out of having something that somebody else wanted and then refusing to sell it. This even applied to small components.

I once asked him for 'half a dozen' camshaft oil seals but he would only let me have one from the box. Maybe he thought that I would re-sell them ?

In the later years, most enthusiasts in Belgium would rather have walked bare-foot to England to buy parts than grovel to Poidevijn.

I wonder what the space-frame will make ?

Shame the viewing is on the same weekend as the Stafford show.
 
Now that would be exciting to uncrate one of those and assemble it! Makes me wonder how oxidized those bike's are from sitting all those years. All appear to be 1975 models?
 
Kinda reminds me of the old guy up in Portland that sold out a couple of years ago except he had 7-10 semi-trailer loads of new old stock AND a shop piled to the rafters with parts and bikes. He had the same attitude about dealing with customers; He would rather get his ass kissed than actually sell something and make some money.
 
Not that anyone would consider doing such a thing but it would be interesting to totally disassemble one and see the effect on all the mechanical parts (if any) of just sitting in the box for 35 years.
 
I expect that whoever buys them will never even uncrate them. They're worth more if they remain in their original crating.

It's a pity, really. These bikes were built to be ridden but they would seem destined to spend all of eternity entombed in their plywood boxes.

Debby
 
ludwig said:
Warning for potential European buyers :
Because these bikes are new and never registered , there is NO WAY you can register them in Belgium , and I suppose in any other European country , because of anti pollution laws .
Click to expand...

I think it should be possible to get them through the UK MSVA test if you know what's required, after all, I believe that's how The Norvil Motorcycle Co. are able to build and sell "New" Commandos and Dominators on the UK market?


http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/M ... 0Guide.pdf
http://www.norvilmotorcycle.co.uk/bike.htm
 
Danno said:
Kinda reminds me of the old guy up in Portland that sold out a couple of years ago except he had 7-10 semi-trailer loads of new old stock AND a shop piled to the rafters with parts and bikes. He had the same attitude about dealing with customers; He would rather get his ass kissed than actually sell something and make some money.
Click to expand...

Seems like Cliff wasn't unique and had a Belgian counterpart. :mrgreen:
 
swooshdave said:
Danno said:
Kinda reminds me of the old guy up in Portland that sold out a couple of years ago except he had 7-10 semi-trailer loads of new old stock AND a shop piled to the rafters with parts and bikes. He had the same attitude about dealing with customers; He would rather get his ass kissed than actually sell something and make some money.
Click to expand...

Seems like Cliff wasn't unique and had a Belgian counterpart. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
Never did hear too much about his stock after the two younger guys bought him out.
 
So what happened? Did Podevyn die?

New 850 Commandos-Still In Their Crates!

New 850 Commandos-Still In Their Crates!

New 850 Commandos-Still In Their Crates!

New 850 Commandos-Still In Their Crates!

How much you think those mopeds will fetch? :mrgreen:
 
I think he sounds like my kinda guy, If I could afford it I'd like a bike shop like that, vet the customers :D

Some nice stuff there, seriously tempted! I reckon the spaceframe will make £100K +, these are rarer than Vincents.

Why do people post this stuff, my minds been on nothing else today, torture torture. Wonder if the bank would lend me a million to buy it all? :D
 
Wow,
I've never actually seen a Norton still in the crate!!!
It's amazing how these machines were never used and some 35 years later they're going to auction.
It's kinda cool to see such though probably some really rich people or conglomeration is going to buy them
and hide them away from daylight again until they drop dead.
Be cool to be on hand when the rider w/ real guts takes it out and assembles it for riding.
Very cool Photo info Thanks LAB for finding and sharing some cool history. Hope someone photographs
the event in Belgium before they get wisked away again.
If I had the required scratch I'd buy one and have the local Norton Riders group over for a group assembly.
Then photograph the event for all to see that history was made.
Oh well back to reality :roll:
Still I'm in awe that these things are still around. Even if the owner was a stingy darn thing to deal with.
We have some strange birds like that here in the US motorcycle realm too.
Marshal
 
Poidevijn did indeed die and he had dementia for the last few years.

As far as I know the family have been biding their time and rubbing their hands together for years waiting for the chance to sell.
 
ludwig said:
I knew the old Podevyn well .
like 79X100 said , you had to be VERY polite when walking into his shop !
...
Click to expand...

Maybe it's in the DNA.
I bought my first and only new one from an LA Dealer in 1973.
The only time he was half way pleasant was the day I negotiated the deal.
It was downhill after that.

It'll be interesting to see where these wind up.
 
A letter from the NOC stating build date (£15) plus £55 registration fee, 6 months road tax, an MOT and insurance would have it on the road in the UK with an age related plate. Plate will read as an old plate but can't be sold seperately from the bike, the V5 will state date of manufacture as 1975, date of registration 2010.
 
Torture! -Looking at those pics. I'd sell my right arm for one of those "boxed commandos"!
 
A friend of mine sent me some pictures of the bikes in the shop, along with boxes and boxes of parts, back in February 2008. He said the problem with selling them was that Podevyn also had children from another marriage, and there were some family disputes over selling. He had a contact in Belgium who was trying to arrange something with the widow to buy some of the best bikes, particularly the space frame one, but it never worked out. I don't think there will be any shortage of bidders when it goes to auction.

Ken
 
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