Vin number 127066

I help with a small motorcycle museum and we have what we think is a 1969 Norton Commando. The Vin number is 127066. How can we interpret the Vin numb

mjph said:

I help with a small motorcycle museum and we have what we think is a 1969 Norton Commando. The Vin number is 127066. How can we interpret the Vin numb

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Should be a 1968 Commando.

And an early one at that.

mjph said:

I help with a small motorcycle museum and we have what we think is a 1969 Norton Commando. The Vin number is 127066. How can we interpret the Vin numb

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A small motorcycle museum?
I'll have you know a Norton Commando is not a small motorcycle!! It may be many other things but small is not one of them!
Indeed!!

1968 20 M3 Commandos started at # 20M3 126125

Most bikes due a defective frame has a frame changed. So the big question is does yours have an original frame. Is there a frame number? Or A red frame tag riveted on the area under the head light. You can see all sorts of photos of 1968 models on the web , if you do some searching. You can also see ads on Ebay for articles and with posters, bike magazines and stuff for sale.

Lots of them were changed with newer type gas tanks and seats to be a Roadster model more like a bike the USA market liked.

Greg Marsh.com has info on the VIN info.

Carl H said:

Is there a frame number?

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127066 is the frame number which should make it an early Fastback.

Carl H said:

Or A red frame tag riveted on the area under the head light.

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127066 should be too early to have the red certification plate.

L.A.B. said:

127066 is the frame number which should make it an early Fastback.



127066 should be too early to have the red certification plate.

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But it could on the frame that Norton offered to "warrantee" the broken frames or someone put in themselves. My 20M3 has a replacement frame had no numbers on it until I put a red tag on it. I have no idea who did it because I brought it as a basket case. It was a very abused bike Possibly raced as lots of early 20M3s were , But it found a good home at CHR. It had more faults than anything I ever worked on , it taught me a lot about the early model Superbike.

Carl H said:

But it could on the frame that Norton offered to "warrantee" the broken frames or someone put in themselves.

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Possibly if it had broken but no evidence of that so far plus the US information didn't occur until late '74 so presumably little or nothing happened by that time. Actually it doesn't mention a recall only that the frame should be changed.

L.A.B. said:

Possibly if it had broken but no evidence of that so far plus the US information didn't occur until late '74 so presumably little or nothing happened by that time. Actually it doesn't mention a recall only that the frame should be changed.

NORTON COMMANDO 1968 STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS Recall NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 74V239000 | Justia

View recall details for the 1968 NORTON COMMANDO with NHTSA campaign number 74V239000. Stay informed about safety issues affecting your vehicle. Ensure the safety and reliability of your NORTON COMMANDO.

auto-recalls.justia.com

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That is why I put "warranteed" in quotes. ( Norton hope you brought the frame new or used). It's the same way they did the L/S bearing failures, the company did nothing to my knowledge , but the dealer who sold me my MK2A did actually make good on the Transmission and lost a lot of money. At least I warned all my customers about it and did the fix, it if they allowed. I used to tell them. " The only guarantee I give on transmissions is you'll be bitching when the thing blows up. " "No warrantee by me."

A racing friend and HOF member, George Roeder was an HD dealer and when Sportsters had poor shifting folks that caused failure, he took them apart and fixed them before he sold them. Some people care and some don't give a shit. I still got the carappiest ass excuses for parts fit, finish and failures of new parts. I quit years ago, while I was ahead.

127066 is the number stamped into the frame neck