Thinking about commando prices , what’s your opinion ?

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'I think that if these were to be ranked in practicality/reliability order the Commando would be very near the top of the list, if not at the top, which is why I believe there will always be a decent market for them.'

Outright winner, IMHO :-)
 
daveforty said:
But, in practical terms - that is an excellent bike. And probably cheap to buy. I had a K75 for some years, it was an excellent machine, in technical terms probably the best bike I ever had. But it was a bit boring.
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Well it wasn't cheap as it was only 18 months old at the time (1985).
As far as being excellent, it wasn't either. The first owner should have had some recalls done on it but didn't bother and I only found this out too late. I can't remember how many or what, other than a starter problem being one of them. Not a good look having to bump start one of these. BMW did supply the parts out of goodwill FOC but I had to pay to have them fitted.
And it vibrated enough to leave dead fingers on long rides.
I gladly sold it to put a deposit on my first house.
 
EstuaryBoy said:
'I think that if these were to be ranked in practicality/reliability order the Commando would be very near the top of the list, if not at the top, which is why I believe there will always be a decent market for them.'

Outright winner, IMHO :)
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I'm hoping to find out this summer.
 
EstuaryBoy said:
'I think that if these were to be ranked in practicality/reliability order the Commando would be very near the top of the list, if not at the top, which is why I believe there will always be a decent market for them.'

Outright winner, IMHO :)
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At the end of last year, using exactly the same dataset I did reports for an IT customer. To the staff I showed that things were improving and by a high-rate -- moral buster. To the management I showed some areas that required drastic improvement if they didn't want to go out of business.

IMHO, Norton is not better than some you listed, but are rarer and have a better supply chain. The fact that you can buy good-fitting, quality parts for them makes them much easier to rebuild but there are way less of them than others. In most things collectible, the rarer, the more valuable.
 
marshg246 said:
At the end of last year, using exactly the same dataset I did reports for an IT customer. To the staff I showed that things were improving and by a high-rate -- moral buster. To the management I showed some areas that required drastic improvement if they didn't want to go out of business.

IMHO, Norton is not better than some you listed, but are rarer and have a better supply chain. The fact that you can buy good-fitting, quality parts for them makes them much easier to rebuild but there are way less of them than others. In most things collectible, the rarer, the more valuable.
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T'was not my list, but a quote from further above (#160), but in terms of all round practicality, comfort, performance, cost of and spares availability I'd still go Commando....
To quote 'Classic Bike':
'...you could make the argument that if you own a Commando there's little need to own or ride anything else, classic or modern'
A bit OTT maybe, but there you go :-)
 
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Dommie Nator said:
Well it wasn't cheap as it was only 18 months old at the time (1985).
As far as being excellent, it wasn't either. The first owner should have had some recalls done on it but didn't bother and I only found this out too late. I can't remember how many or what, other than a starter problem being one of them. Not a good look having to bump start one of these. BMW did supply the parts out of goodwill FOC but I had to pay to have them fitted.
And it vibrated enough to leave dead fingers on long rides.
I gladly sold it to put a deposit on my first house.
Click to expand...

A very different story to mine, I paid £3150 for it with 7500m on the clock, then sold it for £1400 a few years later with 85000m on the clock. Had to replace a battery and a suspension unit myself, and it needed a new clutch at 50000 - which I had the dealers do. I could balance a 50p coin edgeways on the tank and rev it without the coin moving. Only interesting thing it ever did was lay a smokescreen if I left it on the sidestand when it was warm.
 
daveforty said:
A very different story to mine, I paid £3150 for it with 7500m on the clock, then sold it for £1400 a few years later with 85000m on the clock. Had to replace a battery and a suspension unit myself, and it needed a new clutch at 50000 - which I had the dealers do. I could balance a 50p coin edgeways on the tank and rev it without the coin moving. Only interesting thing it ever did was lay a smokescreen if I left it on the sidestand when it was warm.
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I'd heard back then that the three cylinder ones (K75) were better than the fours (K100).
 
If I wanted to make money out of Commandos, I would start manufacturing and supplying parts. Sli9pper clutch, billet cranks, long conrods and light pistons will probably sell for a long time. Also aluminium barrels and crankcases. Bruce Verdon in on a winner with his TTI gearboxes. And Jim Scmidt and Madass probably do OK. Buying and selling motorcycles takes a certain type of person to do it well. If I buy a motorcycle, I want to keep it. I only ever sell what I do not want. The biggest regrets in my life have been the motorcycles I should not have sold and those I should have bought and did not.
 
Dommie Nator said:
I'd heard back then that the three cylinder ones (K75) were better than the fours (K100).
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My mate was a Police mechanic and told me they were forever replacing exhaust valves or seats on the four cylinder K100s,( can't remember the exact details) probably because the coppers hammered the bikes all the time
 
grandpaul said:
Maybe regionally, but not generally. I have always found like-for-like Nortons to be listed for, and sell for more, than Triumphs. There are no 750 Triumphs going for the same money as Commandos except really nice TSSs, early & late Tridents, maybe. Not even close, really...
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That holds until you say 'race bike'......and the magic words.....'Rob North'!
 
trident sam said:
My mate was a Police mechanic and told me they were forever replacing exhaust valves or seats on the four cylinder K100s,( can't remember the exact details) probably because the coppers hammered the bikes all the time
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Probably right. Cruising all day long heat-soaks the engine. Throttle hammering then beats on the seats.
 
acotrel said:
The biggest regrets in my life have been the motorcycles I should not have sold and those I should have bought and did not.
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My regret is not buying more real estate. The cars and bikes along the journey were a loss, but many a good time was had.

I'm hoping to get a couple more years of good times throwing money at my old Norton wrenching on it and pretending to be in my 30's again when out riding it. If I were more of a people person, I think I'd race the old turd. That would probably be rewarding and fun as long as I didn't hit the wall or get in the way too often.

Nothing to do with Commando prices. I still think they are only worth $1 per cc, but only because I don't own one. If I owned one, it would be worth tons. :rolleyes:
 
Expensive toys are going the way of, say... Home ownership, pensions, affordable healthcare, retirement etc...etc...
 
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