any early rare commandos' out there worth big dough?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Personally, I have never seen old motorcycles as an investment, and I get a bit tired (to put it politely) of these "how much is it worth" kind of questions
 
maylar said:
here's another opinion...

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi...in-value-but-thats-not-why-you-should-buy-one
Click to expand...

I found the interest in Japanese Motos vs British Motos to be quite noticeable at the '19 Manx GP festivities on the IOM. There was far less interest, for the first time in my last several years there, in old Brittbikes compared to old Japanese bikes. Where I used to see a large number of vintage britbikes attracting attention at the various shows/race-viewing venues, this time it was the Japanese bikes getting most of the attention. Yeah, a Vincent Black Shadow will still draw folks but when there was, say, a BSA/Triumph/Norton parked next to a 70's Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki/Yamaha, folks were looking at and commenting about the bikes from the Orient!
 
My Seeley 850 sits for most of it's life unused. However I never think about what I might get for it, if I sold it. Just having it keeps me alive and interested. Even though I am now decrepit, I still have intentions of racing it again. It would probably sell for around $20,000. If I was offered that, I would not even consider selling the bike. If I did sell it, it would be to move on to something better. And I cannot think of anything I would want more.
With the kids who admire my bike, I can only hope it inspires them to build their own, once they have seen what authenticity looks like. If you had a commando motor and gearbox, you could easily build most of it for about $8000.
 
When I built my Seeley 850, it only became a Norton because I could not get the Laverda 750 motor. After I had built it I did not race it, because I did not believe in the motor. When I did get around to racing it, I was amazed at just how good it actually is. For me, it is a real weapon and maintains my interest. The motor is near standard, but absolutely loves methanol.
 
 
Last edited:
[URL='https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0120-392732/1969-honda-cb750-sandcast/' said:
https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0120-392732/1969-honda-cb750-sandcast/
Click to expand...
[/URL]

Yet once again, we have an auctioneer not describing ACCURATY- saying this bike is sand cast when the bike/crankcases have never been near a grain of sand. One day soon there is going to be a complaint about an auctioneering firm liable in damages to a purchaser for inaccurate and misleading description contained in their sales brochure.


https://amoryssolicitors.com/auctioneers-liability-for-sales-brochure-clarified/
 
Last edited:
As this is an thread about early Commandos , here is an unrestored, running, low mileage, 126XXX ,early original, just sold
, and probably the best example on the planet.

002.webp
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Some cars, particularly '70's muscle cars, are selling for up to 3 times their actual value because many folks who couldn't have one back in the day now have disposable income. If you can catch such a trend, you can capitalize. Look what shaky old stoneage ax Triumph Bonnevilles go for.
 
Danno said:
Some cars, particularly '70's muscle cars, are selling for up to 3 times their actual value because many folks who couldn't have one back in the day now have disposable income. If you can catch such a trend, you can capitalize. Look what shaky old stoneage ax Triumph Bonnevilles go for.
Click to expand...
Actually nothing is selling at three times there actual value because what they sell for is their true value. That’s the market for you. Sad thing about the muscle car market is that it peaked many years ago and those guys you speak of are now aging out. The trends that are rising now are 80s-90s Japanese cars and bikes as they appeal to the guys now in their 40s and getting a little more income. Classic 4x4s have been on a rising streak for about 6 years now with early Ford Broncos in the $40 x $70k range. Hagerty Insurance tracks these trends through auctions and insurance premium. Bring A Trailer also has good trend data. You can forget making money on market movements with vanilla bikes like our Commandos though.
 
I bought Jim’s bike not to make money on it. I bought it because as he said, it’s probably one of the most original ones around of that year. So happy to take custody of this bike.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yorkie said:
I bought Jim’s bike not to make money on it. I bought it because as he said, it’s probably one of the most original ones around of that year. So happy to take custody of this bike.
Click to expand...
have you picked it up ?
 
last one made goes tor 30k

www.motorcycleclassics.com

Last Norton Commando Sells for $30,748!

The very last Norton Commando built, a 1977 850 MkIII Interstate, was sold at Bonhams’ April 24 auction in Stafford, England, for an eye-popping $30,748, with buyer’s premium. That’s 15 times the cost when new and easily double what any Norton Interstate has brought at auction to date.
www.motorcycleclassics.com www.motorcycleclassics.com
 
It’s really hard to enjoy riding a 30k motorcycle that becomes a 15k motorcycle as soon as you drop it once. I’ve never understood owning bikes that I can’t ride and get a little dirty. I think that money would be better spent on a clean used very low mileage CNW build that would own the back roads and the parking lots. Or maybe a nicely restored MkIII and a holiday in Europe with my wife.
 
Scout63 said:
It’s really hard to enjoy riding a 30k motorcycle that becomes a 15k motorcycle as soon as you drop it once. I’ve never understood owning bikes that I can’t ride and get a little dirty. I think that money would be better spent on a clean used very low mileage CNW build that would own the back roads and the parking lots. Or maybe a nicely restored MkIII and a holiday in Europe with my wife.
Click to expand...

The kind of buyer who pays an extra $15,000. for a bike that has some "backstory", probably has plenty of other bikes to ride, and probably could mistakenly move the decimal point one more place to the right without being a big dent in his bank account... If he rides it or displays it in his collection, he gets to brag about the backstory and it's value...

For those of us of modest wealth, it's a no brainer that we'd chose a CNW's gem of a bike, long before we'd take some high priced "backstory" bike.

.
 
While I readily acknowledge the fact that CNW's (Matt's) work and product are absolutely in the top class, you have to be married to the low rider/cafe racer style. I don't think I've ever seen another genre bike built by him (I could be wrong). No doubt they are of the finest sort; but for anyone of relatively limited means, it would almost certainly mean they couldn't afford 2 bikes.

I believe last time I checked, CNW builds were approaching #200, so maybe I should have another look...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top