Help me out guys... What's it worth. 75 mk3

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jeffmack

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Looking to buy my first Norton after many years of wanting one. Looking for a roadster in any
Condition, as you know they are hard to come by. I have found a 75 that is near perfect shape,
Much better shape than I was planning on getting. Since I am a noob to the Nortons I don't want to
Get gouged. Would you guys mind telling me what you think this bike is worth?


'75 MkII 850 Commando..
left side shift
isolastic

-I've owned it since 1989
- I was dealing with some high-strung bikes for a while (bevel drive 900ss, T150 Trident) so I gave this bike some minor tweaks to make it a better, easier Sunday rider.
-Single Mikuni carb
-upsized front rotor w/ AP racing caliper, SS brake line
- not pictured the bike now has tasty Colorado Norton Works headlight mounts
-new chain
-Brand new battery
-new wiring loom
-hagon shocks
- electronic ignition (boyer?)






-no more than 600 miles ago the valves were replaced and the std bore received new rings
-Corbin solo seat
-chrome is in VERY good condition
-tank & side panels have new paint

for someone interested in bringing it back to stock form the bike comes with:
- the stock carbs/manifolds/K&N filter/throttle cables
-double seat in great shape, no holes or rips
-chain guard
-stock rotor & caliper
-stock e-starter (I removed it and fabbed a cover plate)
-turn signals, rear pegs,OE tool kit, factory shop manual/parts book/riders manual, headlight brackets, contact breakers/backing plate, etc

tires are old and should be replaced a/o

actual mileage is unknown but I am quite certain it is between 5000-10,000 total miles. Probably closer to 5K from what I have observed. I bought the bike with a broken speedo in the box of spares.
 
jeffmack said:
Looking to buy my first Norton after many years of wanting one. Looking for a roaster in any
Condition, as you know they are hard to come by. I have found a 75 that is near perfect shape,
Much better shape than I was planning on getting. Since I am a noob to the Nortons I don't want to
Get gouged. Would you guys mind telling me what you think this bike is worth?


The e-start 850 isn't my cup of tea, so my estimate is probably low....$5,000 to $7,000. Really gets down to how much your willing to pay. Commandos are not that difficult to find for sale, so don't settle for something you aren't sure of. Suggest you get a Commando in very good condition for your first one as restoration gets quite expensive. I'm assuming you intend to ride it.
Click to expand...
 
Wow. 5-7000. Now I'm really confused. I've seen much lesser commandos go for 7500. Thanks for the input, you guys know a lot better than I do
He is asking for 8500.00. I have yet to find a runner for under 5500, and that was a rust bucket. This one is mint The chrome, paint, engine, etc is in showroom condition.
 
jeffmack said:
Wow. 5-7000. Now I'm really confused. I've seen much lesser commandos go for 7500. Thanks for the input, you guys know a lot better than I do
He is asking for 8500.00. I have yet to find a runner for under 5500, and that was a rust bucket. This one is mint The chrome, paint, engine, etc is in showroom condition.
Click to expand...

I think that sounds like a decent price but of course pics would help. Considering some of the upgrades it might easily be worth it. Let's just put it this way, at that price you shouldn't feel like you paid way too much.

Be prepared to spend more after whatever bike you get. It's just the way it is.

Only you know how much you are willing to spend vs. how much work you want to do to it.
 
$8,500.00 is (close to) top-money for a Commando, it had better be REAL NICE!. That being said IF it's good-to-go and you have the $ go for it, you could not touch that price buying a rust-bucket and restoring it.

Post pictures or we'll send Hobot over to confuse you!

Vince
 
There was an Interstate Mk 111 here in New Zealand that sold for $8600 USD, all there , hadn't been run for a while with the gearbox in bits. Very good condition.
Help me out guys... What's it worth. 75 mk3

Help me out guys... What's it worth. 75 mk3
 
If youre man enough . Might pay to ride one and see first . :wink:

http://folksong.org.nz/taumarunui/index.html

The Mk IIIs pretty solid , so if you toss the electric nudger and other supourflous parts , you can get the weight down .
A few performance mods and you can save on tyres by keeping the front aviated . Horses for courses .

A hundred mile test ride would be more the eqution , or visit a few club runs , to find ' the Form . '

Its Not a Bullet Train , more of a star ship . :lol:

Mechanical conditions paramout to Expense . The cost is the least of it , in many ways . Unless youve a Local Agent .
 
I love my Commando, but would not pay $8500 for another one. At that price you gotta ask what else can you get to ride.
 
Ludwig makes a good point in that it is nearly impossible to know what is really inside unless you take it apart. And even then there are lots of questions that can be hard to answer!

As for what it is worth. If you are buying it as an investment, then this is not where I would spend my money. But if you are going to own it for the rest of your life and love it in sickness and in health, then the initial price is not as important as finding the bike you want.

Prices have been climbing over the last couple of years. I would like to see them top out and pull back. But who knows? A few years ago 6000 was a lot of money to spend on a runner. Now it seems like 5k is the entry level for anything that runs. Recently there was a Mk2 on Ebay that did NOT RUN and did NOT HAVE A TITLE, was in rough shape cosmetically and it sold for over 4-grand! For all I know it is already in parts being resold on Ebay. I guess I will keep an eye open for the tank and side panels.

All I can say is that there are major rules to follow when shopping for "rare" items:
-Know more than the seller, educate yourself
-Know how much you are willing to spend and be rock solid
-Make your first offer so low that it is an insult, but not low enough to be a joke.

Write down your offer price on a card or piece of paper with your name and contact information. Hand it to the seller and tell them that if they have trouble selling to please contact you regarding your offer. This lets them know you are serious and it is harder for them to ignore once you walk away.

Be aware that no matter which bike you buy, you will spend money and time on it.

Russ
 
Old tyres ? means it hasn't been riden , worn out newer tyres , at least they were riding it. I personally reckon these bikes are grossly overpriced for the amount of incompatent mechanicalnackering that has gone into them, why would any one sell a really good bike
It actually sound like it may have had frontal crash damage, headlight mounts, brake upgrade, it dosn't sound like it has any reliability upgrades
 
just keep looking. There are a lot out there. I got my 72 Combat 2 months ago for $4800 and it was an older restoration but runs and looks great.
 
splat and all. here is what I know.

I have talked at length to the seller and his Tech that works on all his nikes in his Collection of over 20 Brit and Italina Vintage bikes his bikes. He is a collector, but this was his sunday rider. the bikes he has in his collection are some amazing bikes. cherry mint VR880, he has a offer of 20k for it, a Volecette, several BSAs etc. He is selling all bikes in his collection due to age, retirement, and relocation. The bike hasn't been in a crash, all things on the bike are operational except the starter which is removed. I cant upload a pic of the bike, but the paint and chrome are beautiful. It is black and gold. thanks for all your input.
I am looking for a Norton because I have always loved the lines of the bike. It never will be a daily ride for me, it will be lucky to get 1000 miles a year, but it will be ran monthly. I have a daily rider, Victory Vision, I currently put over 20k a year one. My plan is to have this Norton to pass on to kids/grandkids, and I am treating myself to the bike I always wanted for my 40th B-day this month.
thanks again guys for the input. One thing I have made myself for sure of is this bike is in great condition, works well, never been damaged, has very good upgraded brakes, so that in my mind is a known from the conversation I have had with the seller and tech.
 
Johnnymac said:
just keep looking. There are a lot out there. I got my 72 Combat 2 months ago for $4800 and it was an older restoration but runs and looks great.
Click to expand...

Same here, JM. In the last 4 years, I know I have put another 4800 into it. Spending under $5000 on a runner may give one the latitude to make a good bike better and much more personalized to one's ideal.

"It's my bike, I do what I want."
 
Re:
I love my Commando, but would not pay $8500 for another one. At that price you gotta ask what else can you get to ride.
Click to expand...

Yes you could buy a Japanese 600 that is the most amazing piece of engineering, will do 160mph, cannot be ridden anywhere near its intended performance level by probably 90 percent of all riders and as such is generally quite characterless and lost on anything other than a race track. Oh and you can watch it depreciate by 15-20 percent a year....

Wrong forum???
 
jeffmack said:
splat and all. here is what I know.

I have talked at length to the seller and his Tech that works on all his nikes in his Collection of over 20 Brit and Italina Vintage bikes his bikes. He is a collector, but this was his sunday rider. the bikes he has in his collection are some amazing bikes. cherry mint VR880, he has a offer of 20k for it, a Volecette, several BSAs etc. He is selling all bikes in his collection due to age, retirement, and relocation. The bike hasn't been in a crash, all things on the bike are operational except the starter which is removed. I cant upload a pic of the bike, but the paint and chrome are beautiful. It is black and gold. thanks for all your input.
I am looking for a Norton because I have always loved the lines of the bike. It never will be a daily ride for me, it will be lucky to get 1000 miles a year, but it will be ran monthly. I have a daily rider, Victory Vision, I currently put over 20k a year one. My plan is to have this Norton to pass on to kids/grandkids, and I am treating myself to the bike I always wanted for my 40th B-day this month.
thanks again guys for the input. One thing I have made myself for sure of is this bike is in great condition, works well, never been damaged, has very good upgraded brakes, so that in my mind is a known from the conversation I have had with the seller and tech.
Click to expand...

Since you have a newer bike you may feel more comfortable with the MkIII and the shifter on the wrong side.

Why can't you upload a picture?
 
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