Sale saddened

I am somewhat sad to report that I have, just yesterday, sold my '73 Commando 750. Am already having some "seller's remorse". I guess we can always come up with reasons/excuses to either keep or sell a bike/car/vehicle that was a long term project and labor of love, sweat, and tears. In this case, my excuses are age, other projects to get to and fund, disappearing shop space, etc.... My bike went to a young man, that seemed genuinely interested in Norton bikes. He said his father had had british bikes and knew a great deal about them, and peaked his (the son's) interest in them in general, and Norton in particular. After looking at my bike he commented that he loved it just the way it is, which is to say a little rusty/crusty in spots, and is certainly far from any show winner. I was afraid he may be disappointed that it wasn't more shiny and polished. He said he would leave it as is, intends to license and ride it, and that he'd keep the bike forever. Well,,, forever is a long time, and things change, but who knows. I suggested he look at and consider joining this group/forum. I want to thank everyone here for helping me learn about these classic bikes, all the problem solving help given, helping me transition my bike from a Hi-Rider to a Roadster model, and from it being a long time "sitter" to getting this bike back on the road. I will probably continue to check in to this group from time to time, even though my bike is gone, but again, thanks to all here and to those that make this site run. Quawk.

It can be tough to let something go that you care about, but it sounds as if it's going to a good home. The Norton community needs young guys to get involved or it will die.

Bikes come and go. All part of life’s rich tapestry.

Fast Eddie said:

Bikes come and go. All part of life’s rich tapestry.

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so do we......

I don't know mine is coming up to 50 years in my hands and still love riding it when I can was my number one bike over all the others, buying it new to the conversion to the Featherbed frame back in 1980 to now, it has always been a rider and is now showing its age but that's the way I like it, but till I get my new leg it has to wait in the shed, it will be with me till I hand it to my daughter when I am gone.

Sad when something you love and have to see it go but my Triumph Thruxton my other love is now gone from no fault of mine, but I didn't see it go as they were too busy saving our lives on the side of the road after being hit, how things can change in an instant.

When you sell a bike you love and ask the new owner to keep in contact, but you never do hear from them again is sad, my 2013 Thruxton went to a new home after buying the newer Thruxton but it was the last I seen it when the new owner took off from my place, never to be seen again.

Good luck in your other projects as life goes on.

Ashley

ashman said:

I don't know mine is coming up to 50 years in my hands and still love riding it when I can was my number one bike over all the others, buying it new to the conversion to the Featherbed frame back in 1980 to now, it has always been a rider and is now showing its age but that's the way I like it, but till I get my new leg it has to wait in the shed, it will be with me till I hand it to my daughter when I am gone.

Sad when something you love and have to see it go but my Triumph Thruxton my other love is now gone from no fault of mine, but I didn't see it go as they were too busy saving our lives on the side of the road after being hit, how things can change in an instant.

When you sell a bike you love and ask the new owner to keep in contact, but you never do hear from them again is sad, my 2013 Thruxton went to a new home after buying the newer Thruxton but it was the last I seen it when the new owner took off from my place, never to be seen again.

Good luck in your other projects as life goes on.

Ashley

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Thanks ashman, you never know, I may regret is so much I just might, at some point look for another one. That thing, when on the throttle and going through the gears was the nicest sounding bike I've ever had or heard.

I know this feeling well. I just sold my 2017 Triumph and my 2007 Suzuki Bandit. The Triumph was ok but the Suzuki was the first new bike I ever owed. It also took me the farthest from home Ive ever been on 2 wheels and the fastest on 2 wheels. It got to the point where it sat much more than I rode it and my 71 year old self couldnt move it around as much as the 52 year old guy that bought it new. Time moves on but the memories remain. I'll leave the disposal of my Norton and BSA to whoever picks up the pieces when Im gone.

It took breaking my leg with no insurance for me to sell off 6 bikes to pay the hospital, anethesiologist, bone doctor, labs, x-rays, ER, ambulance, etc. (2021) At that point, it had been 15 years since I sold off more than one bike a year!

Of course, the following day, and every day since, I've regretted it.

Stupidest thing of all? I didn't know I would have been covered by the VA...

(NOW I know)

MikeG said:

I know this feeling well. I just sold my 2017 Triumph and my 2007 Suzuki Bandit. The Triumph was ok but the Suzuki was the first new bike I ever owed. It also took me the farthest from home Ive ever been on 2 wheels and the fastest on 2 wheels. It got to the point where it sat much more than I rode it and my 71 year old self couldnt move it around as much as the 52 year old guy that bought it new. Time moves on but the memories remain. I'll leave the disposal of my Norton and BSA to whoever picks up the pieces when Im gone.

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Well,,, welcome to the 71 club. I'm there too. I also understand about the "when you're gone" situation. Like most of us "bike guys", I have a number of bikes besides the now gone Norton, which is another one of the reasons for selling it, besides the ones I mentioned in the start of this thread. I have seen what happens when a long time bike guy dies, and the family has an auction to disperse the estate. It happened about 6 years ago just about a mile from where I live. The deceased guy had 4 very nice bikes, and a lifetime of tools, supplies, accessories, leftover parts, etc. The bikes sold for a fraction of what they were worth. The family just needs it all gone, and an auction is a relatively fast, easy, and efficient way of doing so. I'm almost ashamed to say, I bought one of the bikes for what I thought was very short money. I rode it for a while, decided I didn't like it all that much, sold it, and made a several thousand dollars on the sale. I certainly don't have my bikes as a collection that I expect would fetch a big chunk of change for my family when I'm dead. I have them because they were bikes that interested me and were kinda odd or different. But,,, I have put time, work, effort, and money into all of them, and the thought of them being sold for chump change kinda weighs on my mind. That's why if you sell them before you die at least you can negotiate, to a point, getting a reasonable price from them. I guess when I'm dead, it's all irrelevant.

I don't need the money right now so why sell? Because I ride less and mess with the bikes less. Because things change as we age. Because better to go out with no mess left behind for others to clean up and they won't care about the stash anyway. And right now we see so many nice old bikes on offer for small money and you have to wonder what will happen to them. We know what will happen to us. Best to stay ahead of the curve.

Onder said:

I don't need the money right now so why sell? Because I ride less and mess with the bikes less. Because things change as we age. Because better to go out with no mess left behind for others to clean up and they won't care about the stash anyway. And right now we see so many nice old bikes on offer for small money and you have to wonder what will happen to them. We know what will happen to us. Best to stay ahead of the curve.

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Onder, I'll take your post as agreeing with what I posted earlier. If you leave, as you call it, a mess/stash behind when you check out, it's just something for others to deal with when your gone, and they wont necessarily know or care what it may actually be worth. I didn't need the money I made on the sale of my Norton, but at least I got, what I felt like was, a good price for it, as opposed to it possibly bringing a fraction of that when it's just another nuisance item for family to get rid of.

..and we all would like to see our bikes go to someone who will take care of it was we did.
There are so many older bikes out there in fine shape and you dread to think how many will end up.