Norton Dunstall Cafe on eBay

I looked at this ad on fleabay the other nite and took note of the fact the seller said the bike "starts on the 3rd to 7th kick which is normal". I sent him an email saying he should be embarassed for stating that and that IMO the bike isn't up to snuff.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... OTORS:1123

His reply was:

"I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to point out. Moving 750 cc on a british twin with no choke and amal carbs is no small task with a kick. If you are comparing this to Japanese bikes then you sir need to get off the keyboard and on a british twin. Happy bidding."

My reply to his email:

"Actually, Sir, I have owned my '72 Combat for 34 years and stand by my original statement. I will say that your bike is not well sorted if it takes 3- 7 kicks to start as that is well outside the realm of "normal". My Norton starts 1st or 2nd kick (truth) even after a month in the garage...luck?...I think not. Caveat emptor, my friend...hope you find a willing "sucker"."

Question is...do you guys think I was being too harsh on this seller?

He is a forum member and has posted a link to his ad today. I agree with your assessment of the 3 to 7. My combat started on the third kick after a 25 year nap, it's not that hard to get right.
selling-norton-commando-t14929.html

Not too harsh.
May be a combination of the bike not being dialed in and him not knowing what the bike needs for an easy start. My Commando took months of my plodding around to get it tuned just right, AND for me to know when to tickle and how much throttle to start right up, especially when hot.
Bike sounds pretty good at idle, though.

It's also listed here in the F/S section :wink:

Kickstarting a Commando is always an interesting topic, I often challenge the young turks that if they can start it they can have it and none has managed so far, yet with the correct technique it is one or two kicks.

I would be more worried about the fact that the description and chassis number given doesn't tally with what we see in the photos. The bike is touted as a 'Dunstall' yet as far as I can tell it is simply a bitsa Commando with a Dunstall double disc kit and perhaps Dunstall rearset hardware or footpeg rubbers. These days the name 'Dunstall' seems to be added to anything with even a repro sticker attached in an attempt to jack up the price. Having said that the double disc set up is quite sought after and would probably command a premium over a machine with standard brakes - although I know which I would rather ride!

It is supposedly a 1974 yet has a 750 engine with the cam breather, it also has as an early model speedo. These facts don't tally with the VIN number given and I would not buy this bike unless the price was low.

The price isn't the only thing he's high on.

Deserves the lot. Painting the Frame RED. No wonder he cant start it . How much to get back to stock . talk about bad taste ,

It is indeed a BITSA as there were no 74 750s and it is at best a 71 motor in a 74 frame. it is also NOT a dunstall but just a bitsa with a couple of dunstall parts. And I will say it again IF you can start and idle with no choke it is to rich. I have yet to figure ouy why any FOOL would remove the chokes on a street bike.

here it what I sent him on his E Bay account.

you sir if you were an honest seller would correct your ad. there were NO 74 750s. also it is a motor from a 71 or older bike and NOT a dunstall but a BITSA with a few dunstall parts.

cmessenk said:

I sent him an email saying he should be embarassed for stating that and that IMO the bike isn't up to snuff.

Click to expand...

I think you should be embarrassed for calling the bike a "Norton Dunstall" when it is not, just another POS Commando someone bolted some parts onto.

Hey everybody! beng has finally figured out how to use the signature feature in his profile. Round of applause for the laddy for his monumental accomplishment! :lol:

We're behind you little buddy. :roll:

Agree with the comments about the ebay bike. It's one thing if somebody advertises and honestly makes an error or believes what he/she has is something else; it's fraud when they intentionally lie about it after someone points out the error.

OTOH, I do not agree with this:

"I have yet to figure ouy why any FOOL would remove the chokes on a street bike."

Because the enriching slides are prone to sticking or slowly dropping to "choke" when running. It is the only choke design I have ever seen that "fails" to the choke -full-on position! It's amusingly Brittbike but a bit TOO brittbike!

My tickle it and one-kick-to-start-from-cold Commando has been without them for several years. THey are the only thing I dislike about Amals. The bike starts easily with a bit of throttle needed for the first minute or so; I friction it to 1500 RPM and within a minute it will idle at around 800 RPM, increasing to 950 or thereabouts when warm. I adjust the idle mixture for the smoothest idle at around 950 RPM with the bike warmed up. If that ends up slightly rich at idle, I don't care. I want the best actual idle, not the best mixture for an exhaust gas analyzer.

I'm sure it'll provide it's next owner with hours of entertainment, and it will be loved and cherished as much as we love and cherish ours - although I prefer the word 'covet', personally

The dunstall forks are a rare delicacy, but that apart i'd say it has a lot of, er... 'features'.

I also agree that any half-fit Commando should be running after the second kick, but 220 pounds on the kickstart helps, I've found. I still have fond memories of Swooshdave's first attempts :mrgreen:

Chokes....? Only had them on MkII Concentrics and some foreign thingies.
Air slides have only ever offered one advantage to me - a source of spare throttle cables. Every bike I've had they got binned straight away, but that said, English winters are very mild.

The photos show it for what it is. Once the caption has got your attention, that is!

The one picture he has of the complete bike has the wrong tank and seat on it he says. There are no full side shots of the complete bike. This always seems like an attempt to deceive and makes me turn the page...

Haven't run chokes for over 30 years and that's in this climate. Now I'm called a FOOL. Must be the salt air.......

B+Bogus said:

220 pounds on the kickstart helps, I've found.

Click to expand...

Wow, I thought I was doing good at 190. I used to start it at 165-170 when I was younger. And it took all of the 170 too.

Dave M talks about the young Turks not being able.

I was impressed with the guy that started the double Norton sitting on the seat in a previous thread. I can't figure that one?

But yes, mine starts on first or second, no problemo, Pazon. No reason for 7 at all, at least he's honest about that.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

B+Bogus said:

220 pounds on the kickstart helps, I've found.

Click to expand...

Wow, I thought I was doing good at 190. I used to start it at 165-170 when I was younger. And it took all of the 170 too.

Dave M talks about the young Turks not being able.

I was impressed with the guy that started the double Norton sitting on the seat in a previous thread. I can't figure that one?

But yes, mine starts on first or second, no problemo, Pazon. No reason for 7 at all, at least he's honest about that.

Dave
69S

Click to expand...

Only 1 time did I have to kick my 850 over more than 2 times, and it was because some idiot new to brits,

FORGOT TO TURN THE FUEL TAP ON!!!

Powereng03 said:

DogT said:

B+Bogus said:

220 pounds on the kickstart helps, I've found.

Click to expand...

But yes, mine starts on first or second, no problemo, Pazon. No reason for 7 at all, at least he's honest about that.

Dave69S

Click to expand...

Only 1 time did I have to kick my 850 over more than 2 times, and it was because some idiot new to brits,

FORGOT TO TURN THE FUEL TAP ON!!!

Click to expand...

=================================================================
I saw the auction too. and was highly annoyed with the pictures, I hate that style of "Artsy fartsy" peektures. A few people i know travel great distances to events and shoot photos and come back with pix like that, for Gawds sake, stand back and get a whole side shot, a 3/4 and some other angles, dont just tease me with a close up of a shiny bauble, Its annoying as all heck.

For an ebay auction i think its a deal breaker, makes me wonder what he is hiding. I was very amused by the "6-7 kicks is normal"
Ive had some tempermental old Harleys do that,, especially with spectators,, curses.

But a well sorted Norton should go off on first kick,

and chokes? I strip them off Amals unless someone requests them, useless and troublesome, but i dont care for most amals and so i prefer the mikunis,. flip the choke lever, dont touch the throttle, and one kick and you are in business, after a bit blip it if it catches take the choke off and away you go.

There was another suspect auction that just ended. A racing flat track preunit Triumph, weird deal, Guy had 2 listings for the same bike, only 2 pictures and the worlds worst peektures ive ever seen, No tech details on the bikes, no specs, no pictures showing his work except one on the track and the other taken with a pinhole camera made from a cornflake box and 110 film from a photomat kiosk,

the text talked about what a gods gift to racing he is, he always wins, and you will too if you fork over $10,000 or BIN at $12,500. Not that he was in any danger of actually selling it, but I did point out he had 2 simultaneous auctions for the same bike, what if 2 people both bid and won? cut it in half with a sawzall? I emailed and tried talking some sense into him, suggestions on looking at other auctions, reformat his auctions, etc. I was told I was an idiot and how dare i harass him? Oh well, some peoples children. I told him he would eventually figure it out, they both ended today with no bidders Shockers!

He might actually be gods gift for racing but ebay sales, not so much.

I started on feebay back in 1999, but i still bookmark a lot of auctions to see what will happen, or watch trainwrecks like that, or see someone who is REALLY good at eeeking out blood from a stone. I Dont understand why more people dont do research on successful auctions before they spend the quite high amounts of money ebay charges these days

I have used ebay to buy and sell for many years but have to admit that lately it seems quite expensive to do so with the ebay fees and the Paypal fee. I sold 10k USD of Leica camera gear a couple of months ago and of the 10k and change that it went for, I ended up with 8 and change. IMO, ebay is far better for buyers than it is for sellers. I don't think I would personally buy a vehicle on Ebay, preferring to see it first. OTOH, I bought my Commando unseen from a well known purveyor of brittbikes and was told (by phone, talking to owner of said shop) it was in excellent shape and "suitable for a cross country trip". It turned out that the only thing in excellent shape was the paint. The bike wouldn't run and was a total mess from a safety/assembly point of view. I could not have possibly done worse on ebay.

cmessenk said:

I looked at this ad on fleabay the other nite and took note of the fact the seller said the bike "starts on the 3rd to 7th kick which is normal". I sent him an email saying he should be embarassed for stating that and that IMO the bike isn't up to snuff.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... OTORS:1123

His reply was:

"I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to point out. Moving 750 cc on a british twin with no choke and amal carbs is no small task with a kick. If you are comparing this to Japanese bikes then you sir need to get off the keyboard and on a british twin. Happy bidding."

My reply to his email:

"Actually, Sir, I have owned my '72 Combat for 34 years and stand by my original statement. I will say that your bike is not well sorted if it takes 3- 7 kicks to start as that is well outside the realm of "normal". My Norton starts 1st or 2nd kick (truth) even after a month in the garage...luck?...I think not. Caveat emptor, my friend...hope you find a willing "sucker"."

Question is...do you guys think I was being too harsh on this seller?

Click to expand...

Maybe it takes him 3-7 kicks, but others may be able to do it in less. At least he's not telling lies about it being a one kick bike.

I would describe your exchange as more petty than harsh, and I would be embarrassed to come on this board and admit that I had sent a messages to an eBay seller such as the ones you've referenced above.

And Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware," so I'm not exactly sure I understand the meaning of your wish for him to find a willing sucker.

Snorton74 said:

The price isn't the only thing he's high on.

Click to expand...

Not sure what price the bike started at, but it appears to be running as a no-reserve auction; so your comment is nonsense.