Have someone asking advice in what to pay for a Commando

Someone I have been riding with on a Thruxton has just been looking to buy an old Norton Commando and asking for advice on prices, he seen one with a very high price of $26k here and asking what he should offer for it, I hate giving people advice on prices, I haven't even looked at the ad or seen the bike, but it has had many upgrades in what is in the AD.
My only advice I can give is you pay what you are willing to pay, I am willing to have a look at the Norton but giving a price I be willing to pay, some just ask too high of a price for their own reasons, not really interested in selling, throwing a baited hook/line out to see who get hooked or what, the Commando has been advertised for a long time so it's not selling.
I also asked if he willing to work/maintain with an old bike no matter what condition it is in and, have the knack of kicking it to life (it's a 1973 850 Commando), what upgrades it has had.
Like I say what are you willing to pay if your heart is set on buying an old bike that is over 50 years old.

ashman said:

$26k

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Presumably that's Australian dollars? Sounds a lot when converted to Pounds or US Dollars. More than I'd pay anyway.

Sell him yours for $25k

How long is a piece of string....

ashman said:

Someone I have been riding with on a Thruxton has just been looking to buy an old Norton Commando and asking for advice on prices, he seen one with a very high price of $26k here and asking what he should offer for it, I hate giving people advice on prices, I haven't even looked at the ad or seen the bike, but it has had many upgrades in what is in the AD.
My only advice I can give is you pay what you are willing to pay, I am willing to have a look at the Norton but giving a price I be willing to pay, some just ask too high of a price for their own reasons, not really interested in selling, throwing a baited hook/line out to see who get hooked or what, the Commando has been advertised for a long time so it's not selling.
I also asked if he willing to work/maintain with an old bike no matter what condition it is in and, have the knack of kicking it to life (it's a 1973 850 Commando), what upgrades it has had.
Like I say what are you willing to pay if your heart is set on buying an old bike that is over 50 years old.

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$26k AUD is about $16.5K USD. IMHO, that's quite a bit too much. The bikes I build look new with modern wiring/electonics, Premier carbs, Avon RR tires, numbers matching, fresh paint and I try to get $14k for them. The most expensive I sold had all that and a cNw starter, cNw chrome front fender, 520 chain, and Don Pender front brake - that was $18.5k

I'm in NZ not Oz but probably a closer market than the USA.

We were always more expensive down here but $26 k Aust would at the top end of the market in NZ. It would have to be an exceptional bike with good upgrades like front brake, new tyres battery etc and evidence very low mileage or mechanical rebuild or service by a known Norton mechanic/engineer. Good paintwork etc. Any upgrades should include the original parts so it could be put back to standard.

My 74 850 has lots of CNW parts including electric start, front brake, isolastics, hydraulic clutch etc. JS motorsports upgrades in motor. Etc etc. Won prizes at a local show. 40 plus years of ownership. It owes me more than $30 k but I would be surprised if anyone paid more than $25 k NZ.

I'm not selling and never will but I guess what I'm saying is 26 K it's going to have to be one of the best Commandos around.

Tidy bikes here go for about 20 k NZ. I don't know how many are selling however.

My uninformed take: "Running when parked" - $4-5000 US if no apparent problems. Add $1000 for a Mark III. "Running but needs work" $5-6000 -
(again +$1000 for a Mark III) Concours condition and purring like a big cat - $12-14000.

If your friend is handy with tools and looking for a bargain, I would seek out the estate sale running when parked bike.

Yes $26k AU is a lot of money and myself would never pay that much, but then I am not looking to buy I have my Norton and is one of the reason I will not give any advice to what to pay, at that price it would have to be a completely fully rebuilt with every bit of new upgrades that is on the market.
Having owned my Norton since new and 49+ years I have done many upgrade that suite me and my riding style, selling a bike that has all these upgrades but what was the time frame for all these upgrades, over a 50 year time frame or was it completely done in one major rebuild, questions which have to be asked if buying, at $26k it have to be real good, but still asking that much is why it hasn't sold.
Peter who is looking for a Commando is a fussy person he brought a late model Triumph Thruxton with less than 2 years old and still under warranty and he wasn't happy with somethings on the bike, so buying a 50 year old Norton I say he expect it to be perfect if he is willing to pay a high price for one, but how high a price is he willing to go and would he be happy after spending good money, one of the reasons I won't give an opinion on how much to pay.
Owning my own Norton and spending money when I had it to upgrade it with new bits and pieces for my own self, you can never add up on how much I have spent in the life of my bike and I will never get back what I have spent over the 49 years, why I will never sell it, it's built for my needs and love of my Norton.
I think I will just sit on the fence and not even think about how much it's worth or how much money to pay for it, even spending a lot of money on a 50+ year bike things still can break or wear because it's still an older bike, old classic bike prices in Aus is going through the roof, but are they selling is another thing, are people willing to pay a high price, something I haven't been looking at, It's only Peter who can decide how much he is willing to spend, I am staying out of it.

Ashley

Prices in Australia for a good Commando started to go up around the time I started to look at buying one.......about 5 years ago. I had watched a few online for a while.....missed out on one that was for sale just 2 streets away from where I lived, it had been for sale for $16,500 for quite a while ( I watched for 12 months) , and I thought it was just an old ad someone had not bothered to remove from the listing site. Then one day I called and it was still for sale, checked it out but it had no oil in it so the seller wouldn't start it while I was there. I Had to go interstate for 2 weeks the next day so I arranged with him to check it out again when I came back and he would put oil in it then........it sold while I was away.
Anyway I watched others for a while and saw prices going up, one I was interested in was on for $32,500!!! After about 18 months it was down to $27,500. I just happened to be in Sydney visiting our daughter and the wife asked if the were any bikes I was interested in looking at while we were there (thought initially that I had been hit by a bus and had passed on for a split second). Anyway phoned to guy, went round to look at it...took it for a ride, hopped off it when I got back, offered him $27,000......he said yep....rest is history. Even at that price I reckon it was totally worth it.....exceptional bike. Prices went up from there too, with the cost of living crises most are suffering from for the last 2 years prices have come back a bit. Ash, if this is a really well restored bike it may be worth it>

Like I say I am not in the market for a Norton I already have a well sorted out one, my 850 has always been well cared for, well maintained and very reliable, I also have my 1960 Manxman project bike that I got for $1k in boxes, it will be up to Peter to decide if he is willing to pay good money.
If I was ever looking to buy one it be to do up, but I already have my project bike.

Prices in the UK have been dropping for some time for british classic bikes, this is bound to affect Australian pricing when importing one from the UK is cheaper than buying one locally.

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For that price it had better be pristine, start first kick every time, and run better than any average Commando.

It also better have fully legal paperwork.

Friends don't let friends buy a Norton.

Stay out of it sounds good to me.