Total commando units made??

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yvesnorton

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hi Friends,
Do anybody knows how many commando's where living the Norton factory?
Do anybody knows how many commando's still exsist at the moment?
Cheers
Yves
 
yvesnorton said:
Do anybody knows how many commando's where living the Norton factory?
Click to expand...

It is estimated that between 50,000-55,000 Commandos were manufactured.

yvesnorton said:
Do anybody knows how many commando's still exsist at the moment?
Click to expand...

Personally, I can only account for one of them, but it's anyone's guess how many survive as complete machines?
 
Wow, that is not as big a number as I had thought! I feel even luckier to have mine.

Do we know how many were shipped to the USA/Australia/NZ and how many remained in 'blighty?
 
Interesting topic. As a new Norton owner I too am curious just how rare my bike is. You see 'em on eBay all the time and we do have a rather large chapter of the INOA here in North Texas, but I sure don't see that many around. Maybe they're just not being ridden.

I've been thumbing through some of the UK classic bike magazines lately, and other than a couple in the classified section, and of course all the parts advertisers, I hardly see Norton mentioned. I couldn't decide if that's because they're too common or what?
 
How many Norton owners are on this forum?

I would guess that well over 1000 Commandos are represented here. Of the 20 or so Commandos I've seen down here, I don't think any of their owners are on this forum. That tells me that only a fraction of Commandos are represented here.

It's just a WAG (Wild-Assed Guess) but I would bet somewhere between 10 and 20% of the original Commando production are roadworthy today, and perhaps another 5% in restorable condition.

I think the reason so many Commandos are still around is twofold:
The bike was highly regarded when it came out
The bike was the last piston-engined model Norton sold (was the Commander ever sold outside the UK?)

My '73 was a basket case when I got it, and had not run since at least 1985. If it was a Kawasaki H2 or Suzuki GT750, it would likely have been crushed long ago. But since it was a bike from a defunct company, it passed from one owner to another for 23 years before being put back together. Nobody was willing to junk it.
 
Many may have been broken in bits, but the good news is that most bits from any year fit any other year. Makes a lot of "bitsas" but at least they are running.

Jean
 
I know of 15 in Hong Kong (including the 5 at my house) There were many sold here during the British colonial era, however most of them were scrapped as space is too costly here so people don't have sheds or garages that they can leave bikes in and forget about them.
 
nomadwarmachine said:
Wow, that is not as big a number as I had thought! I feel even luckier to have mine.

Do we know how many were shipped to the USA/Australia/NZ and how many remained in 'blighty?
Click to expand...

I've got one in Southern California 8)
 
I can vouch for 5 complete running Commandos, and one basket case mostly there...

(Plus, 5 client Commandos that have gone through my shop, and 5 others bought, fixed and sold)
 
yvesnorton said:
hi Friends,
Do anybody knows how many commando's where living the Norton factory?
Do anybody knows how many commando's still exsist at the moment?
Cheers
Yves
Click to expand...

Hi Yves,

I'm checking with the NOC England's factory records project for an estimate of total number of Commandos produced. Will post once I get a response. It will be an estimate, but would be interesting.
 
I account for a freshened up June 1972 750 combat.
It sold in New Jersey new for $1799.00 usc.
An awful lot of $ in 1972.
My mom bought a 1972 Datsun new for $1900.00
Bike was sold at a store that sold Norton and Simplicity mowers
Both a quality machines and both avail in tangerine orange.
I'm second in line and hopefully my 15 y/o son will appreciate it someday 8)
MarshalNorton
1 yellow hornet w/65 hp!
 
BillT said:
How many Norton owners are on this forum?

I would guess that well over 1000 Commandos are represented here. Of the 20 or so Commandos I've seen down here, I don't think any of their owners are on this forum. That tells me that only a fraction of Commandos are represented here.

It's just a WAG (Wild-Assed Guess) but I would bet somewhere between 10 and 20% of the original Commando production are roadworthy today, and perhaps another 5% in restorable condition.

I think the reason so many Commandos are still around is twofold:
The bike was highly regarded when it came out
The bike was the last piston-engined model Norton sold (was the Commander ever sold outside the UK?)

My '73 was a basket case when I got it, and had not run since at least 1985. If it was a Kawasaki H2 or Suzuki GT750, it would likely have been crushed long ago. But since it was a bike from a defunct company, it passed from one owner to another for 23 years before being put back together. Nobody was willing to junk it.
Click to expand...

I always thought that the Commando's longevity is helped by the fact that it is probably the most usable big twin in modern traffic conditions and the lack of vibration is a big plus in the past I have owned 500-650 twins which were great but no match for the Commando.IMHO
 
I have to agree with you there, the old Commando gives you great looks but you can still ride it for work or play. Pretty reasonable performance for its age too.
My old Goldwings are more reliable and a bit quicker but I think they will never match the sex apeal or handling of a Commando.
Oddly enough quite a low percentatge of folks tend to frequent these forums, I bet the majority of existing bikes are sitting in somebody's shed. My featherbed would still be in a boathouse covered with dust if I hadn't been an old Norton guy.
 
Hi Yves,

Here is what the NOC Records Officer responded to my question - how many Commandos. Looks like it will remain uncertain.

Thank you for your letter unfortunately though we will not be able to come up with your Commando total even when they are all in and we still have a batch to finish.

The records have large gaps in the file and gradually fall off around early March 73.

From then we use data from the NOC records collected over the years to date later models as accurately as we can.

So sorry this will never be something we can come up with.
 
We can have a bit of a guess at the maximum possible by looking at the frame numbers used. The total could be less if spare frames were numbered (I think not) and the Mercury models have to be removed but I don't think that they were common.

These figures have just been lifted from the club calendar & Roy Bacon and I haven't checked them but the principle holds :-

02/68 - 126125
10/71 - 150723 = 24598 750cc machines

01/72 - 200001
10/73 - 230935 = 30934 750cc machines

04/73 - 300000
1977 - 335400 = 35400 850cc machines

Working on the basis of these numbers could give a maximum of about 90000 made, an average of about 12000 a year. 1000 per month doesn't sound unreasonable to me, but it could be less and I don't think it can be more if we exclude later specials built from NOS parts.
 
Has anyone tried to see who has the highest serial number?

Did the serial numbers just run consecutively till the end, or were there different series of later Commandos?

For what it's worth, the 850 lump I got in trade for some Triumph stuff is # 53xxxx
 
79x100 said:
01/72 - 200001
10/73 - 230935 = 30934 750cc machines
Click to expand...

I believe there could have been a jump of several thousand serial numbers between the end of the MkIV series models and 220000 750 MkV models?

I also believe there must have been a jump to the 230000* series numbers? Could the factory have actually produced near on 11,000 old model 750s between approximately March (start of 220000) and October (230935) 1973, when the factory would certainly have been concentrating all their efforts on 850 model production? If they did actually make 11,000 750 MkVs, then they would be a far more common model than they actually are?

(*According to Jeff Clew in his book 'Norton Commando - Super Profile', the 230000 series 750s had revised (850?) steering geometry, so could account for the jump to the 230000 number series.)
 
grandpaul said:
Has anyone tried to see who has the highest serial number?
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware, the highest known serial number from the end of NVT Commando production (as Andover Norton built at least three more, as late as 1981,-I believe?) is an 850 MkIII, serial 336539 (336538 according to the NOC) which is still in existence.
 
I think that you're quite right L.A.B. which is why I wanted to make it clear that the information was not based on any detailed research by me and should only be regarded as a maximum possible. The figure must be less, but how much ?

I think that there actually are quite a lot of MkV 750s but perhaps the impression is reinforced by the fact that any 750 needing new crankcases from 1973-on is likely to have been built with those. My 750 (200*** series) has a set that must be a year newer than the rest of it.

I don't really believe 11000 though !

Nevertheless, just about everyone that I associate with seems to have at least one or two Commandos so there must be quite a lot of survivors (or do I just have a very limited social life ? :roll: )
 
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