Record price paid for nice looking high piper

Hi all,

Just back from the annual Las Vegas bike auctions and as usual there were some jaw dropping results. There seems to be a never ending supply of ready money for top notch interesting stuff. I'm not going to comment on the implications of this new reality as we will all have varying opinions.

But I did spend a fair amount of time looking over this nicely presented, very fresh looking, P11 restoration...only a few niggling little details to quibble about. Some viewers were put off by the discrepancies but it didn't stop the bidders from pushing the hammer price to $20,000 + buyers premium and possible sales tax depending on what state you live in. As far as I know, this is now the highest price paid for the sale of a P11? Oh brave new world.

The photo shows well known Motocross champion Brad Lackey who also owns a restored P11 in the San Francisco Bay Area that he spoke highly of. I believe Brad was the 1st US rider to win the FIM world 500 cc MX Championship as well as an AMA championship in different years.

Vegas auctions are a great way to get your motorbike fix in the middle of winter. This is my 11th in a row.

C-ya, Jerry

Thank you for the report Jerry, Looks like a lot of fun.
What were the engine/chassis number on this bike? Looks like a 67 with that chassis and oil tank.
Looks like WM1 21 on the front.
Thanks

p400,

I remember the serial number beginning with 122 but I didn't write it down. The frame numbers were almost impossible to read because of the paint thickness. Some fellows were saying that it may have been a latter frame converted back to the P11 version? In any case it's all P11.

It came out of the sellers collection up in the Pacific NW.

It makes the point that if you build them shiny, correct and compete you will be rewarded.

C-ya, Jer


p400

p400 said:

Thank you for the report Jerry, Looks like a lot of fun.
What were the engine/chassis number on this bike? Looks like a 67 with that chassis and oil tank.
Looks like WM1 21 on the front.
Thanks

Click to expand...

Info listed was not useful at all.

From the Art Redford Collection
Engine - 650 CC
Trans - 4-Speed
HIGHLIGHTS
- SOLD ON BILL OF SALE ONLY
- Restored Norton 1967 P11
- 650cc twin engine
- Chain drive
- 4-speed transmission
- Dual carburetors
- Atlas motor with Matchless Villiers motorcycle made from 1967 to 1969
- In 1968 the P11 was upgraded to the P11A and marketed as Norton Ranger
- The Norton P11 gained a reputation as a desert racer in the late 1960
- Production of the P11 series was ended to concentrate on the Commando
which used a number of ideas developed on the P11 series
- Previous owner Tom and Sue Stanley from Arizona

Yep, that's the one.

The description is full of errors but overall the bike is a great example!

Among the nits to pick: The clutch cable is routed poorly, the sidecover has the wrong fixing arrangement, not sure about the ignition bracket between the coils? looks home fabricated with a different ignition switch and it certainly is not 650cc's.The fuel lines never used a 90 degree elbow out of the tank but it makes good sense to do this as they always interfered with the air filter as new.

The high price paid will have everyone thinking theirs is now worth even more $$$. Not necessarily so.

C-ya, Jer

p400 said:

Info listed was not useful at all.

From the Art Redford Collection
Engine - 650 CC
Trans - 4-Speed
HIGHLIGHTS
- SOLD ON BILL OF SALE ONLY
- Restored Norton 1967 P11
- 650cc twin engine
- Chain drive
- 4-speed transmission
- Dual carburetors
- Atlas motor with Matchless Villiers motorcycle made from 1967 to 1969
- In 1968 the P11 was upgraded to the P11A and marketed as Norton Ranger
- The Norton P11 gained a reputation as a desert racer in the late 1960
- Production of the P11 series was ended to concentrate on the Commando
which used a number of ideas developed on the P11 series
- Previous owner Tom and Sue Stanley from Arizona

Click to expand...

Great thread post Jerry , Thank you for the trip and photo with Brad

As Jerry said plus, not to be nit picky, the correct speedo did not have a reset odometer either. Still a beauty.

CO T said:

As Jerry said plus, not to be nit picky, the correct speedo did not have a reset odometer either. Still a beauty.

Click to expand...

That's true, but both my G15CS and Ranger came to me with the reset speedo, and I was told it was a popular upgrade back when they were new. Both of mine had been off the road since the early to mid-70s when I got them, so likely with the bikes since new or nearly new.