Norton Commando opportunity

Hello All,
Currently I am deployed (again) to Sinai, Egypt. Definately beats Iraq!!! Get back in July and hope to finish up some projects. I have a chance to pick up another Commando back in my hometown. A local mechanic took this Commando in on a trade when the guy who had it could not pay his repair bill. I remember seeing it shoved in the back of his shop. It is Easter weekend so nobody is around but I dont think I can pass this one up. It is a complete bike, even includes the butt-ugly 10 foot tall twisted metal sissy bar (why did you guys do that back in the 70's anyway???!!). She is rough but complete. Engine will kick over, at least it did last year. At the time I was looking at it, I assumed he would want quite a bit of money for it so I pretty much forgot about it. I had a buddy back home (happens to be his son) ask him how much he would take for the old Snortin Norton. The guy stopped by my house and told me wife (OH CRAP) that he would take $800 for it. Of course my wife does not share my appriciation for Historic British Motorcycles, and was a little upset that I did not tell her about it. Fear not, she has been married to me for 15 years and knows my passion for collecting bikes!! Good Wifey....
SO, to make a long story short, I ask for you guys assistance in figuring out what year this Commando is. I did not pay attention if it had a drum or disk front. About the only thing I remember about it is the tank color. It is an original paint bike, albiet very faded on the top of the tank. The color was a metalflake (Fireflake) Bronze color. Can you guys tell me what years Norton offered the Fireflake bronze as a color option? I have an email to him to give me the frame and engine numbers (I do remember checking to see if they matched....they do).

What do you guys think? Obviously needs some mechanical attention and ALOT of elbow grease. Is it worth $800?? I see a total POS Commando on Ebay right now and it is already over $1000. This is what makes me think I should buy it....I am running out of room in the garage but I think maybe my 72 Commando needs a mate (wonder if it is a girl???). Hopefully I will know more after Easter weekend.
Thanks for any advice you all can provide and it is good to be here!

For that price who cares? Just buy it.

Dave,
How is your Proddy Combat racer comin along? I have been lurking around this forum for a few years just never actually registered.

Got any good pics of your progress?? I would love to see em. If I can figure out a way to post a pic of my 72 Combat in Fireflake blue I will..

TravNorton said:

About the only thing I remember about it is the tank color. It is an original paint bike, albiet very faded on the top of the tank. The color was a metalflake (Fireflake) Bronze color. Can you guys tell me what years Norton offered the Fireflake bronze as a color option?

Click to expand...

"Fireflake Golden Bronze" means it's probably a '71 or '72 Roadster or Fastback model.

a frame with a v5 recently sold in the uk on ebay for over £1100. can't go wrong spending so little on a bike that's all there.

If you are going to do a re-paint, I know someone who will happily trade you for one of your sidecovers (I forget which side) so that he can have an original Fireflake Bronze one (I think his is a primed or off-colored one, which wont matter on a re-spray).

For $800 I would buy it sight-unseen, you can't go wrong.

Thanks guys for the replies. Raising a family on a Military income can be a challenge sometime (OK, it is actually pretty easy) but my wife thinks we have to pay bills and stuff like that!! I know....I know....she is a crazy old woman but I love her.
I had to sweet talk her out of giving me an extra $800 for my allowance but she is game. Now if I can just get ahold of somebody to go pick it up!!!

My plan is to tidy it up a bit by cleaning off the 30 some years of dirt and dust then see what I have. Most likely I will sell it if I can get it going (I am WELL diversed in the art of the concentric Amal). I am confident I can make her go....compression....spark....fuel....it'll run. I am (well I was) building a Honda CB175 GP racer so I have to get that done before I take on any more projects.

Just need to get the heck outta this Egyptian hole and back to the good old USof A!!! Remember this fellas, no matter what the situation is the US, be happy that you live in the GREATEST Country in the world. I have been (and continue to deploy) to all corners of this earth. NO offense to our mates over the pond....UK and New Zealand are very cool places!

Ok, enough of my rambling. If I decide to sell the crusty Norton, I will let you guys know before I "Bay" it. :wink:

Hey.. Did you get the Norton?? Would love to see Pix...
Love Egypt too... try and visit Luxor/ Aswan/ Abu Simbel/ Sharm el Sheik diving...its not a hole...
It is the birthplace of recorded history.. try and enjoy it when you are there...Here in UK we have history going back maybe a thousand years... Egypt 4000 years recorded.
Like a classic norton, has to be lived with to be enjoyed...

Mark,
Yup...been to all the places (Luxor, Mt. Sinai, Giza Pyramids)...got the t-shirts as they say. Sharm El Shiek is on my back door step. Been doing alot of diving while here. You are right, it is a cool place but I have been here for 8 months and it is time to go home!

I DID have the old man pick up the Norton. I described it in another post but it turned out to be a 1973 Mark I 850. It has good compression and I will probably fettle with it and see how she runs when I get back.

I am still waiting on my Pop to send me the pictures he took of it. Probably the next couple of days I will post them on here.

Take care,
Travis