New member/possible Norton Owner

Very nice buy, I paid 1700 more than you did for my 1st one, but I'm happy with it. I think you'll be happy with that one too. look forward to your posts! keep the photo's comming. Cj

I would be very careful just getting it started. That's exactly what I did with the Beast. My 750 was a nasty looking mess when I took possession. I wanted to hear it run so I did the obligatory carb clean, tune up and oil change and got him running. I pulled the oil tank cap to make sure I was circulating oil. What was in the crankcase was coming back to the tank but oil was not actually going to the engine. It had a tick over tie up. I learned a valuable and almost very expensive lesson. Never trust a Norton to be anything but crap until you have personally checked everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. I pulled the oil pipe off the engine and a neat round piece of what looked like gasket material fell out of the intake line. I had never seen anything like it.

I would do the paper work first. You do not own it until you have a title plain and simple. I like to actually own the bike I am fixing to dump way more money on than it is worth. I just got through putting a Honda Ascot back on the road. It was one of those "it followed me home. Can I keep it?" types of bikes. The bonded TX title cost me more that the bike was actually worth. I say live and learn and do stupid things with cash and bikes.

rpatton said:

If it were me, I'd take it down to the DMV and find out about getting it registered first, then decide what to do. If you can get it registered you can decide if you want to flip it for $2500 or fix it up. If you can't register it then part it out. If you just try to get it running without going over the calipers, primary, and maybe the engine; and about a dozen other things, then you might be asking for trouble. Unlike a lot of Japanese bikes, British bikes of this vintage to not age well in the cellar.

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This. Do the title/plate thing FIRST. If you hit a DMV stone wall, better to know before you expend time/effort/$$$$.

$800 is a steal.

If you're looking for titling info, go over to jockeyjournal.com and search around. Tons of threads about getting titles for bikes.

If I remember correctly in AZ you could apply for a bonded title for a couple hundred bucks. They run the VIN to make sure it isn't stolen, then you go to a third party title agency to get a bonded title. After a couple years, if no one comes forward to claim ownership, they then issue a standard title. If someone does claim ownership, I don't think you have to give up the bike, but they get paid by the bonding agency?

Crap. Just looked closely at frame and there is no vin plate on the bike. Is the id plate supposed to be on the steering stem? I see two holes there as if there was a plate there at one time. I did not even look for a vin # when checking it out because I had no title, but if there is no vin # I think I have a big problem now.

tomshell said:

Just looked closely at frame and there is no vin plate on the bike.

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It was a safety certification plate originally - so it hasn't got to be there but you can easily get a new replacement and stamp it. http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/SICerti ... Labels.htm

tomshell said:

Is the id plate supposed to be on the steering stem? I see two holes there as if there was a plate there at one time.

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There should be four holes? However there should also be a frame number stamped on the headstock next to where the plate would be fixed? The 6-digit number on the frame plate usually matched the engine and gearbox numbers but the number stamped on the frame may be different (usually F1xxxx).

hh76 said:

$800 is a steal.

If you're looking for titling info, go over to jockeyjournal.com and search around. Tons of threads about getting titles for bikes.

If I remember correctly in AZ you could apply for a bonded title for a couple hundred bucks. They run the VIN to make sure it isn't stolen, then you go to a third party title agency to get a bonded title. After a couple years, if no one comes forward to claim ownership, they then issue a standard title. If someone does claim ownership, I don't think you have to give up the bike, but they get paid by the bonding agency?

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International Title Service is one I have used over the years. They can provide a title for any pre 1978 vehicle with no trouble and for about $100. I had them come up with a title for an old BSA I had and it took only a few weeks to get it.

I used ITS a dozen times, used to be a great company to deal with and always around $150. Then they "went south" changed upo the whole deal due to NC's screw-up and I've since just applied through Texas channels and paid a bit more but got a real, clean, Texas title (4 times now).

Possibly the best deal i've ever seen on a Norton roller. Congrats

You can get the ID plate at Old Britts for about $10-$20 depending on which model you have. http://www.oldbritts.com/13_061286.html

It's not really a VIN, just an ID. You'll have to figure out the title somehow, but here in the US you can put what ever you like on the ID plate, but I would think it should be a valid number, the engine or gearbox number is a good place to start, unless it shows up as stolen. It must have had a title at some time in some state.

Dave
69S

tomshell said:

Crap. Just looked closely at frame and there is no vin plate on the bike. Is the id plate supposed to be on the steering stem? I see two holes there as if there was a plate there at one time. I did not even look for a vin # when checking it out because I had no title, but if there is no vin # I think I have a big problem now.

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Did you get some kind of written bill of sale when you bought the bike? It sounds like you just gave him the cash and drove off with the bike.

I had to apply for a bonded title here in Texas. I did get a hand written bill of sale, then it was a stolen vehicle title search thru the police dept. After that is was three estimates to the bikes worth, which the bonding title company discarded and made up their own number. I would not put any money in the bike at all until I had the title. After three years you receive a regular title. I am 20 months into the 36 and just now starting to ride mine. Your bike looks great, what a deal! Welcome to the club.

I don't know how your state is, but here in VA they didn't even want to see the bike, much less any ID or VIN numbers. Some states inspect. But then I had a valid title with my name on it from MD, so that undoubtedly helped. You may want to get some legal help on this one before you put a bunch of money into it and then loose it.

Dave
69S

Time to do a Admiral Nelson .

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Norton-750-850- ... 58923006a8
Its caused by leaveing it under trees . The possumms hide behind the headlamp . When theyre hungry they start gnawing, and the aluminums the softest . :| :mrgreen:

Glare at the Gearbox top , and the injun . Should match . Engine should have round 'O's with squigly waves Ea End . . . . maybe . . . .


Though this one looks ' shaved ' maybe , to me . Should hang out 1/8 in , near , and be dead flat / smooth .

I was getting a bit worried there....but took a close look just now. Frame downtube has only 2 holes where something was mounted. But more importantly, there are legible numbers stamped in the same area!
round squiggly, 850, round squiggly, f 127XXX, round squiggly
Motor and gear box both are round squiggly, 328XXX, round squiggly
So......I read online where a guy used an online service through ebay. Costs 250 and takes a week or so. You end up with a real title from ohio, not a bonded or salvage etc. Then I transfer to Az and I am good to go. Search ebay motors for Title service. Sounds good, anyone ever use this? One benefit I can see it I would have title in hand, no horsing around, and then I can get to work on her. Thoughts?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Title-Registrat ... 737wt_1396


don't know good or bad about it.

bwolfie said:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Title-Registration-Service-Old-Vintage-Car-Truck-Motorcycle-Hot-Rat-Street-Rod-/320831718354?hash=item4ab30f83d2&item=320831718354&pt=Automotive_Services&vxp=mtr#ht_1737wt_1396


don't know good or bad about it.

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Yep-thats the one..........

Hi Tomshell,

Read the fifth post down on this thread:

mkiii-frame-with-title-craigslist-t10676.html

Nothing to worry about non-matching numbers - a lot of 75 Commandos (including mine) were titled from the frame number. I'm also on a (egad!) an Iron Head Sportster forum, and a lot is discussed about motorcycles going from being titled from the engine number to the frame number. In HDs case, the change was after 1970 IIRC. My '69 XLCH is titled by the engine number. Some of the older (weirder) stuff can end up being titled either way. I got the complete scoop on the MKIII frame vs engine title situation directly from Randy Baxter (Baxter Cycle) when I bought my bike from him. OK, it was only a little better than a carcass, but a one owner. The first title was a Pennsylvania and for previous title it said "MSO" (manufacturers statement of origin), and Randy reassigned that title to me as a dealer. Passed the somewhat strict Nebraska title inspection (and they can be overly fussy to put it mildly). They seemed to know that in that vintage, a frame number was used, and a title was issued with no additional BS. Good luck, hope you buy it - you really can't go wrong. And I've done some title searches, turned up a previous owner, and they either had a title, or got a duplicate for me.

tomshell said:

I was getting a bit worried there....but took a close look just now. Frame downtube has only 2 holes where something was mounted. But more importantly, there are legible numbers stamped in the same area!
round squiggly, 850, round squiggly, f 127XXX, round squiggly
Motor and gear box both are round squiggly, 328XXX, round squiggly
So......I read online where a guy used an online service through ebay. Costs 250 and takes a week or so. You end up with a real title from ohio, not a bonded or salvage etc. Then I transfer to Az and I am good to go. Search ebay motors for Title service. Sounds good, anyone ever use this? One benefit I can see it I would have title in hand, no horsing around, and then I can get to work on her. Thoughts?

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Wow. Here, we just have a form obtained from RMV for a local LEO to fill out after coming out and examining the VIN on the vehicle. $25 fee and the title comes a couple weeks later. It's THAT easy.