What was the price of a new 850 commando?

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Don't know about the 850, but in May 1973 I paid $1995 plus tax for my '73 750 Roadster.
 
As above - don't know about the 850 - my '71 was $1595 when new. Sold it in 1980 for $900
 
Not to take this off topic, but how are these prices compared to the competition of the time?
 
I wasn't around obviously, but I've read commando's were a couple hundred more than bonnevilles
 
Apparently prices varied by dealer, and certainly with time. I bought my 850 MKII (build date 8/74) in May of '75 for $2550. The MKIII's on the showroom floor at the same time were $2995. A few months later as NVT went down the tubes the prices had dropped to $1995 and $2495 respectively. That was here in Ct.

Prices were competitive with other makes - Norton was mid range & slightly more than Triumphs. Kawasakis and Honda 750's were less, Beemers and Guzzis were more.
 
In '71 when my Commando was $1595, Tommy Wages Motor Sports (Columbus, GA) was selling Honda 750s for $1495.

Let's see...I could spend $1495 and get a bulletproof, leakproof, electric-start, overhead cam, smooth, 4 cyl modern-engined Honda OR I could spend more for a unreliable, leaky, kickstart, pushrod, vibrating (cA 1947) 2 cyl -engined Commando. Hmmm...That's an easy no brainer, I'll buy a Commando! :)
 
britbike220 said:
Not to take this off topic, but how are these prices compared to the competition of the time?
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.Thats what I was thinking.. I paid $1,600 for my Trumph in 76
 
MexicoMike said:
In '71 when my Commando was $1595, Tommy Wages Motor Sports (Columbus, GA) was selling Honda 750s for $1495.

Let's see...I could spend $1495 and get a bulletproof, leakproof, electric-start, overhead cam, smooth, 4 cyl modern-engined Honda OR I could spend more for a unreliable, leaky, kickstart, pushrod, vibrating (cA 1947) 2 cyl -engined Commando. Hmmm...That's an easy no brainer, I'll buy a Commando! :)
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so would I . But unfortunaely honda kicked Ass. and so a legend Dies..
 
Well, at the time I had the choice but to be perfectly honest, I bought the Commando because despite the Honda's far more advanced engineering, the Commando was (per road tests) faster and handled better. That's all I cared about.
 
I don't think the 850 was produced until 1973. In 1974 I paid $2360. It was almost exactly the amount I got for extending my navy enlistment by 2 years. The extension didn't seem like a really good thing back than but now seems like one of the best things I ever did.
 
Rumor has it (I was much too young...) that in 1976 new 1975 Commandos were selling for about $1100 in Minneapolis. There are certainly a lot of them around. Mostly black.

Greg
 
I could have bought a '73 Kawasaki 900 Z1 for essentially the same money as I spent for the Norton. There were times when I regretted my decision, but now I know I made the right choice. (And I had a KZ1100 in my garage for a good many years also).
 
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