Barn find 1974 850 Commando

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I for one think you got a very good deal. Never seen one in such good condition except maybe in a museum.

Dave
69S
 
Thanks for all these compliments on my find. Truth be told I bought all these bikes to clean up, get running and then sell them all for a decent profit. Now it's looking more and more like I'm going to hold onto this one. I will probably never find another one as clean as this for what I've paid. Only problem is if my wife finds out I'm keeping it that could be a problem. May have to sell another toy to make up for it!

The more I look at it the more excited I get about starting in on it. Sadly it is sitting in the corner right now while I frantically get this CB750 cleaned up and running so I can sell it. Hopefully I can start in on the Norton within a few weeks.

I will ask, does anyone have any recommendations on a decent low bar for it? It looks like there is a 4"-5" hardline extension on the lower brake line into the caliper so thats an easy fix. The wiring on the controls I'm assuming are stock, just stretched to the max.
 
The 4 to 5" hardline extension into the caliper is stock standard.

The old rubber brakeline is probably past its use-by date by now though, although you still see various lengths NOS on ebay. Getting anything to replace it that looks stock is an interesting problem though ?

Cheers.
 
I use "Bikemaster" euro bars - about $25 from your local motorcycle store (got mine from a motorcross store who was a Bikemaster dealer)- Flanders have some better quality ones, but they are well over $100
 
Great find. love the colour and I've never seen one in the flesh. Get rid of the horrid bars, do all the necessary maintenance and oil changes and ride the wheels off it.
You did well.
 
Mini Mo, Give your wife a nice smoth ride in the twisties and she will want to keep it. Now have her befriend Debby on this form and your wife will want to get her owen. Debby how did you miss this bike?

Phil
 
That is one gorgeous OEM "Fireflake Golden Bronze" steel tank 850 Commando Roadster ! Super kewl 8) Back in 1982, a fellow member in the "San Diego Norton Club" had a stock 1974 850 Roadster exacly like this one. So ... I totally agree with L.A.B., and I think he is always right ... "anyways." And ... it is a super rare color !!! At the Empire Rally in New York, there was only one (pictured in this thread) that was this original color. However, it was OEM fiberglass; and OEM fiberglass Fireflake Golden Bronze is ever so slightly different than the steel tank Fireflake Golden Bronze.

I still just luv this color above all the other OEM colors Nortons came in. So much that I almost had a set painted this by the "vintage vendor" (who does great work and is on this forum) ... then I chickened out and had "Fireflake Royal Blue" instead (pictured below). Still "fairly rare" ... but nuthin' like the Fireflake Golden Bronze. I would trade you anytime too !!!

Barn find 1974 850 Commando


You did get a fantastic deal on all those bikes. By the way, thought I saw this bike on "fleabay" awhile back ... for $100,000 starting bid ??? It was in Colorado also. :shock:
 
Looooove my Fireflake Golden Bronze 71 Roadster. It was one of the three colours preferences when I started searching for my next Commando, others were black with gold striping (like my first one) or the Fireflake Purple.
Tank was originally f/glass but previous owner swapped it for steel and had it resprayed OEM colour. When I first laid eyes on her I felt like I could dip my finger in the paint and swirl it around, it's that deep!
Photo courtesy of AussieCombat, I still haven't taken any of my own. That's AC's in the background:

Barn find 1974 850 Commando
 
Wow Nortriubuell, good eye! It is the same Norton you saw on e-bay. I forgot about that. She listed it after my friend told me about the bike, but before I contacted her to make the deal. I told her I wanted it and since I was a friend of a friend(!?) she let me have it. She changed the price to $100k because she didn't know she could stop the auction. She showed a lot of class for doing that. Your bike is beautiful.

After all these comments I can't do anything else but to leave the original paint on it. It's factory, not a scratch on it and appears to be a rare color. The more I look at it the more it's growing on me. My only concern is the pinstriping when I do get around to buffing it out. The tank is slightly dull. Maybe wax first and see how good it looks. I know the Norton sticker is available but the striping looks hand painted. I feel better about this deal. If you can believe this, on the drive back I actually thought I may have overpaid for the bike a bit! That's what 48 hrs of driving will do to you I guess. BTW that's the TR3 I hope to get later!!!
Barn find 1974 850 Commando
 
Norton pinstriping was all hand painted. (Anyone know the names of who did it ?).
Your striping appears to be all factory, all the twin and single lines seem to meet and merge at the right spots. Although a good operator could have redone it to the same standard.

Interesting story about the $100,000 - that had been noted elsewhere.
Wasn't the story it had been a Hi-Rider though ?
 
My method:

1. Meguires Gold Class wash+shampoo
2. Meguires Ultimate Polish
3. Meguires Gold Class Wax

Give the painted areas the full Meguires treatment and you'll be very surprised how well it shines up. This method will also hide a lot of smaller surface abrasions/swirls in the clearcoat. Should cost around $25-30 for the stuff and that will keep you going for a long time. I couldn't believe how well the polish+wax cleaned up my midnight purple/black Kawasaki. It looks almost brand new again!

Very beautiful bike with a lot of potential!

-Jordan
 
In looking at the link that L.A.B. provided it seems you guys have seen this bike more than I have. She is a widower a year and a half after her husband passed she's just now dealing with parting with some of his stuff. Not a HiRider. The bars are an obvious add on. They do not seem quite as high as in the photos I've seen, they're super narrow and all of the cables are really stretched

So you don't thinks it's worth $100k??? Damn, I was hoping to really make out on this thing.
 
Just because the cables are stretched doesn't mean it wasn't originally a HR, I remember seeing that. Cables are easily changed and are usually as a matter of course. Notice the ignition coils do not have the correct mount, so this bike has been worked on, not that it can't be set back in proper condition if desired. Anyhow, you have a good one to start with, you'll never win the 'most improved'. If you just want to flip it, you'll do good, but just remember, there's nothing like riding a Norton. Do what you have to, to convince the wife. I'm always leery of peoples claims of low mileage too. Only way to tell is inspect the crank and rods.

Dave
69S
 
I have heard that these coils have a tendency to overheat. It's possible that the previous owner tried to position them for more airflow... I don't know. After looking at the sales brochure for the Hi Rider again there would be no reason for him to mount the coils any different if it was a HR originally. Again looking at the H-R photo these cables obviously do not go to these bars. Given the documentation she gave me I have every reason to believe this bike is a Roadster with original paint and 19K miles. It also has an extremely worn out Avon front. I've been known to get 15K out of my Triumph 885 Tiger. Could this be an original front tire even though I doubt it

I do plan on keeping the bike for myself now and not flipping it anytime soon. My riding buddies are just telling me to deal with my wife. She's use to this!

We can kill this thread now if it's dragging out. Thanks
Steve
 
Mini Mo said:
I have heard that these coils have a tendency to overheat. It's possible that the previous owner tried to position them for more airflow...

The coils are non-standard. They were probably repositioned because they were too big to go where the original coils would normally be fitted.


Mini Mo said:
After looking at the sales brochure for the Hi Rider again there would be no reason for him to mount the coils any different if it was a HR originally. Again looking at the H-R photo these cables obviously do not go to these bars. Given the documentation she gave me I have every reason to believe this bike is a Roadster with original paint and 19K miles.

I think you can dismiss any idea that it's a Hi-Rider. There's nothing to suggest that it was ever a Hi-Rider originally, as the tank, seat, grab rail and headlamp are wrong for a Hi-Rider model so it is a Roadster with high bars. The bicycle bell isn't a standard part either! :)
 
I use one of those on my mountain bike to get people out of my way. Maybe that's why it's there. :lol:
 
Mini Mo said:
I use one of those on my mountain bike to get people out of my way. Maybe that's why it's there. :lol:

Perhaps you need to know that if the original horn stops working, which they do eventually, its almost impossible to access it for work. The joke amongst Norton owners is that they started with the horn, and built the bike around it (!!).

You did well to get that bike. To non-Norton people, tall handlebars probably make a Hi-Rider model...
 
Hey, my original horn is still working just fine, I actually scared a young bear up a tree this spring with it, it though it was a bee under a bonnet.

Mini, there's no problem with it being a Roadster originally. I doubt if anyone on the forum will complain. Fix it and ride.

Start a fix-up thread so we can have some vicarious enjoyment.

Dave
69S
 
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