New 850 at Barber

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Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

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Barber museum has a new, unused 850 MK3 interstate.
Thought I’d share a few pics:

GP tyres:
New 850 at Barber


Head and cases looked painted as far as I could tell:
New 850 at Barber


Wiring shot:
New 850 at Barber


No gear change decal:
New 850 at Barber


Silver logo on seat, seat a nicer shape than any new ones currently on sale that I’ve seen:
New 850 at Barber


Lovely herring bone:
New 850 at Barber


Another head shot:
New 850 at Barber
 
Yeah, well I lust after those herringbone oil lines....
 
no locking ring on the exhaust nut...:p and theres some rust on the washers..., when they start to look this new it can't be true;)
 
Any chance of slipping that Silk 700 in your luggage ? ( they are easier to carry than a Commando)
 
515 pounds? Dear me, you might as well ride a Trident! Ill keep my 850 MkII.
 
Don't know where they got that number from, but it isn't correct, it's way high. The MK3 is roughly the same weight as an earlier Commando with Estart added, because that's what they are, more or less. There might be an additional few pounds from the strengthened items.

Ive weighed mine with both hanging scales and floor scales to confirm.


Glen
 
When I brought my new Norton back in 1976 the dealer here in Brisbane had one 74 M11 left and the new 75 M111, I ended up with the 74 as the dry weight was 412 lbs and the 75 was about 35 lbs heavier and $424 more than the 74 at the time, I was 17 years old and skinny as a rake so the extra weight and more money more than anything was a big factor in buying the 74, I paid $1,999 on the road for it and the 75 was $2,423 on the road, I was only earning $60 a week then, I still have the orginal sales poster hanging on my shed wall but it was the the 75 models it had a Trident 160, Roadster, Innerstate and police model and on the back had all facts of each bike.
I can still picture myself walking into the dealers and all the new model Nortons and Triumphs sitting there and way in the back of them all my Black and Gold 74 Roadster, pickd it up 3 days later.

Ashley
 
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Fast Eddie,
I thought the weight was too high but this is a very nice example and thanks for posting.
Cheers,
Thomas
 
ashman said:
I was only earning $60 a week then...

Ashley
Click to expand...

I could only dream of getting $60 per week in 1976, it was more like $60 per fortnight being a government department.

Even though a Mk3 is not a real Commando with the pussy foot and wonky gear shift (jk), I feel bit sorry for it, in a box for decades and now behind bars for eternity.
 
Time Warp said:
I could only dream of getting $60 per week in 1976, it was more like $60 per fortnight being a government department.

Even though a Mk3 is not a real Commando with the pussy foot and wonky gear shift (jk), I feel bit sorry for it, in a box for decades and now behind bars for eternity.
Click to expand...

Yer it could have been less, I remember getting my new Norton but I was guessing what I was earning way back then, I had to get my first loan of $1100 to buy it my dad went garrenture for me and I paid it off in 11 months.

Yes its a shame they be sitting still to never be ridden, they got to have road grime on them and leave their mark somewhere in their life time.

Ashley
 
Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?

I’d guess that if you take both the posted weight and power, the power to weight ratio would probably be bang on ;)
 
I believe a very well known Brit Norton expert had a saying about the mk3 back when he was selling new Commandos, I believe it was ‘the mk3 would be great if it was £100 less, and 100lbs less’ !
 
Fast Eddie said:
Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?

I’d guess that if you take both the posted weight and power, the power to weight ratio would probably be bang on ;)
Click to expand...

Being 17 years old and skinny as a rake with chicken legs it was a very quick bike then with me on it, how times change in life, but I still have chicken legs lol.

Ashley
 
Fast Eddie said:
Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?

I’d guess that if you take both the posted weight and power, the power to weight ratio would probably be bang on ;)
Click to expand...
Well the technical data page for a 850 and 750 workshop manual Copyright 73, has a Roadster with oil and 1 gallon of fuel (imp or us)? at 422 lbs. Maybe the Mk3 porked out at 93 lbs extra. I think the 60bhp rating was a bit of sales pitcho_O
edit: Re reading the Barber sign an Interstate 436 lbs for Pre Mrk3, which would make the Mk3 79 lbs heavier, which is probably close to reality.
I was mistaken that the data card was for the roadster.
Cheers,
Thomas
 
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CanukNortonNut said:
edit: Re reading the Barber sign an Interstate 436 lbs for Pre Mrk3, which would make the Mk3 79 lbs heavier, which is probably close to reality.
I was mistaken that the data card was for the roadster.
Cheers,
Thomas
Click to expand...

Both bikes in the pics are mk3s.
 
Interesting that you’re all keen to point out the posted weight is too high...

No one gonna complain about the wildly optimistic 60bhp then...!?
============================================================

but I am going to complain about the 115mph top end, no way,
I have owned or ridden 9 stock Mark3's and the most they saw was 108mph
 
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