Rolling basket case (if there is such a thing)

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73850

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New to the site looking for some help identifying my new purchase (think I overpaid) but always loved Nortons since I was a teenager 40 yrs ago.Bought my 1st Norton recently a '73 Commando 850,needs pretty much everything,has left had shift,dual disc brake + electric start .Paid $2500-ouch.Looks like back yard attempt at customizing.For now need some basic info-engine #303527.What model do I have + does the dual disc brake set-up,with left hand shift ,electric start make this anything out of the ordinary ?

Thanx :|
 
How about a photo? If it's fairly complete then I don't think you paid too much over the odds, if you were to buy a Norton double disc set up from Norvil UK you would pay more than 1500 pounds, so this alone could make it worth it, assuming that it's not a Japanese front end that's been grafted on, although even this, if well done, need not be a problem.
 
Thanks for the info,I'll try and get a photo in the near future-believe me this things rough,think I mislead you guys when I said dual disc brakes...I meant single disc in front + disc in back.... :(
 
That might not be too bad depending on condition. personally I think the left hand shift is a plus. Does it have a starter or a place for one?
 
Yes it does have a electric starter.It's partially disassembled wiring harness/brake lite/side panels are in a box.Brake cylinders are frozen,headlite mntg.tabs at top of fork are bent over,engine seems to have compression,bikes been painted with a spray can,needs 2 fenders/seat/chain.Like I said it's rough won't win any beauty contests.It is a #'s matching bike ... :|
 
Irrespective of how much you paid, riding a well sorted Commando on a nice A road is priceless. Here in the UK, a ''rolling basket case'' could cost £1700 and up depending what needs doing. From friends who have lightweight modern superbikes, they all seem to say that you need to physically ride the Commando, mind you they all seem to enjoy the experience. Used on a regular basis, they are reliable as could be and any questions you have will have no doubt be answered here.
Enjoy!!
 
As someone who is looking for exactly that bike I would say that you probably didn't pay too much for it. If that fell in my lap I'd be very happy. Good luck and I hope you get it just where you want it.
 
Yup,

I admit if one of those came my way anywhere near reasonably it would be in my garage.
I want that electric starter for my old age.

RC
 
73850 said:
Thanks for the info,I'll try and get a photo in the near future-believe me this things rough,think I mislead you guys when I said dual disc brakes...I meant single disc in front + disc in back.... :(
Click to expand...

I think we've seen rough before. Try us.
 
Somethings not right. That's a MK1 850 engine number. An early one. That would put it at '73 manufacture. If the frame number matches, then you have a conglomeration of bits from a couple of years. Send pictures.
 
Hi Chaps,
Its too be expected these days to get commandos made up of odd years.
Ive seen people on e.bay trying to sell nice bikes but when you get the engine & frame numbers they sometimes bear no relation to the year they claim to be.
However, if its in nice good running order then all you need to do is ride & enjoy it.
As long as you have paid the going price for a commando & not a highly inflated one then its a reasonable buy.
Ive seen real crap sold on e.bay for £2000 that needs completly rebuilding & thousands spending.
My advice with you basket case is just to try & get it going with as little cost as necceessary for the time being & enjoy riding it.
cheers Don
 
Yes the frame # matches the motor # ..... have my nephew here from Fla.so I don't have time to get photo's up but will try to next week.Thank's for the words of encouragement and info.When I purchased the bike the guy did claim it was a '73.But I'm not sure he really new much about it,think he bought it and started disassembly and realized how much it needed then put it up for sale I saw several BSA's in his garage,and Triumph's he said he was new to Nortons. :?
 
Take it from an original owner those of us that rode them in the time when they were new often swapped a lot of stuff. When you bent a frame you could buy a new one or there were used ones going cheap. I lost track of parts swaps on the Commando I rode for every day transport in the 70s and early 80s. My current bike has no two numbers that match anywhere and is CA labeled as a 72 when the frame is actually a 64 Dominator. It doesn't hurt a thing as far as riding goes, only for concours type stuff which I can't do as I'm just not anal enough.
For example my friend Doug bought a new Corvette and detailed it with Q tips, he had his wife haul clean tires in a van and swapped them there. He came back with a long list of things to improve to even place.
I say ride it and the heck with the numbers. You have a great base to build a bike, personally I prefer to buy them dead as I've never been truly happy with an engine I've purchased running with a British bike, there were too many bodges out there when they were cheap.
 
73850 said:
New to the site looking for some help identifying my new purchase (think I overpaid) but always loved Nortons since I was a teenager 40 yrs ago.Bought my 1st Norton recently a '73 Commando 850,needs pretty much everything,has left had shift,dual disc brake + electric start .Paid $2500-ouch.Looks like back yard attempt at customizing.For now need some basic info-engine #303527.What model do I have + does the dual disc brake set-up,with left hand shift ,electric start make this anything out of the ordinary ?

Thanx :|
Click to expand...

Left-hand shift, electric start and front and rear disc make it a Mk III, which would be '75 or newer. The engine number, 303527 would be for Mk I 850 - April or May 1973 - and it would not have any of that stuff, only the front disc brake. Could it be you've transposed the serial number, and it is actually 330527? This would make it a '75, and if it is a Mk III, it would have front and rear disc brakes, left foot shift, electric start as an option, a plastic console between the gauges which houses the warning lights and ignition switch, a different primary case from the earlier bikes with about a dozen screws instead of one bolt holding the outer cover in place, and several other changes from earlier bikes.

Norton probably made somewhere around 50,000 Commandos between 1968 and 1977, with 750s being built through mid '73, and 850s built from early '73 on. The Mk III - the only one available with electric start, came out as a '75 model, starting around serial number 325000.
 
I BELIEVE you can retrofit all the rear disc brake, left foot shift and e-start primary onto earlier model 850s (and 750s, with some effort).

Certainly wouldn't be unheard of to have a "bitsa"!
 
Hi,
If you have purchased a 1975 model in working order but just needs re furbing, then I would say you've got yourself a good buy at $2500.
In good order they go for £5000 to £6500 in the UK.
Best of luck with it & enjoy the thrill of owning & riding it.
Cheers Don
 
grandpaul said:
I BELIEVE you can retrofit all the rear disc brake, left foot shift and e-start primary onto earlier model 850s (and 750s, with some effort).

Certainly wouldn't be unheard of to have a "bitsa"!
Click to expand...

Engine cradle, swingarm, gearbox & primary, and bit of wiring for the e-start. If someone wanted to change a '73 into a MKIII it would be possible.

We need pics.
 
My thought would be that unless you got lucky you'd pay maybe $1500 for the bits to do so. At that point it probably might make sense to trade bikes for one that already had those features? Sometimes the bike is sentimental or you have done at lot already so it might make emotional sense instead of financial.
 
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