Last Norton made

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The bikes built by the receiver were built from the same quality parts as earlier ones, not "from left over or reject parts".

What today's Norton fans tend to forget is that a Commando was dirt cheap when new. In fact, in the mid-1970s a Commando was just a bit dearer than a Triumph which was probably the cheapest "big bike" (750cc upwards). When I bought my new 850Mk3 in London in 1977- #335113- it cost me as much as a 250 Yamaha cost in Germany at the same time.

If, then, you expect Rolls Royce quality from a bike that was Fiat 500 price in that period, you clearly expect too much. In fact, it is hard to understand how they built the Mk3s at that price in Europe and still made money on them, and it is not very hard to understand why Norton did not find a buyer for bike production and TM when the receiver tried to sell the package in 1975-77, and why Dennis Poore got it all back for a song, creating NVT Shenstone (later "Norton Motors (1978)Ltd") and Andover Norton from the leftovers.
 
The reason no one wanted to buy Norton might have had something to do with bikes that were 40 years out of date, that were being made with machine tools some of which were pre-war? These bikes were in the early 70s trying to compete against CB750's and Z1's, so in commercial terms they were dead and buried.

Had the Brit motorcycle industry sat up and taken notice when the first Honda's started to come on the market, then the story may have been completely different, but they didnt and in effect those first pressed steel frame Jap bikes spelt the beginning of the end for the UK motorcycle industry!
 
Carbonfibre said:
The reason no one wanted to buy Norton might have had something to do with bikes that were 40 years out of date, that were being made with machine tools some of which were pre-war? These bikes were in the early 70s trying to compete against CB750's and Z1's, so in commercial terms they were dead and buried.

Had the Brit motorcycle industry sat up and taken notice when the first Honda's started to come on the market, then the story may have been completely different, but they didnt and in effect those first pressed steel frame Jap bikes spelt the beginning of the end for the UK motorcycle industry!
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Yes but look at them now. They were still made of real metal not recycled pop cans. We have something we can work with and ride for another 40 years. This is not so with the CB750's and Z1's. Where are all of them?
 
I would never presume Rolls Royce quality from any manufacturer who is going broke or in recievership. That's not why I bought a Mk3.
But I was amaised at the poor quality machining and some castings.
It is a very old design, regardless of cost. But I still like it.
I have the same era Ducatis and they have their "character" also. Just the machining is far superior, and I know they cost more.
Same but different.

I just find the history interesting. Especially the later years.
Graeme
 
Carbonfibre said:
The reason no one wanted to buy Norton might have had something to do with bikes that were 40 years out of date, that were being made with machine tools some of which were pre-war? These bikes were in the early 70s trying to compete against CB750's and Z1's, so in commercial terms they were dead and buried.

Had the Brit motorcycle industry sat up and taken notice when the first Honda's started to come on the market, then the story may have been completely different, but they didnt and in effect those first pressed steel frame Jap bikes spelt the beginning of the end for the UK motorcycle industry!
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There is truth in this ^.
At one time I owned my 75 Mk3 , a 75 R90s , and a 75 GL1000 goldwing. when parked side by side by side , the differences were pretty obvious. Even back then, the Norton fell short when compared.

NOTE**** F.W.I.W. - I still own the Norton.
 
The figure of 11,500 Mk111s seems quite a high proportion of the total production. Perhaps we see more as many of the export markets were drying up and many stayed in the UK after the initial deliveries to the US
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This is very much the case, my US spec MKIII was original sold by Mike Jackson. During the Norton Day at the National Motorcycle museum he recognised the bike and explained why it was a UK registered US spec bike. At the time Andover Norton had cash flow problems and needed cash fast so Mike and some others bought a shipment of bikes that due to go to the US and sold them here in the UK. Many times before this I had been asked when it was re-imported to the UK, but I explained that it was UK registered from new and the only history that I don't have evidence for is the period 76 - 79. The frame and engine numbers match, and have no F1 in front of them.
 
Sorry if I ask, but what exactly is a "US spec Mk3"? Technically they were all the same, and high or low handlebars were more a question of what was ordered than for what market.

Mike's memory tends to depend to a certain extent on what the other partner in the conversation would like to hear.
 
Is the bike that will be auctioned the same one that Ray Petty is sitting on in the Norton Buyers Guide? That caption (page 105) says "the last Norton built in 1982 as a late-type MKIII Interstate".
 
I've been racking my brains trying to think what makes a US spec MkIII. Canadian bikes had the headlight on assimilator, didn't they ? US fuel tanks hold more gallons but then US gallons are smaller.

I can't think of any visual difference apart from the yippie-ay-ey handlebars.
 
Brithit said:
Is the bike that will be auctioned the same one that Ray Petty is sitting on in the Norton Buyers Guide? That caption (page 105) says "the last Norton built in 1982 as a late-type MKIII Interstate".
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Unlikely, as Carl Rosner apparently bought 336539 from John Pedley not Andover Norton, also Andover Norton seems to have no record of 336539. The MkIII in the Ray Petty Buyers' Guide photo is fitted with Goodyear HST tyres, while 336539 has TT100s.
 
79x100 said:
I've been racking my brains trying to think what makes a US spec MkIII.
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US MkIIIs apparently had 20 tooth gearbox sprockets and a different headlamp refelector and bulb. [Edit] And a Yuasa battery. :)


79x100 said:
US fuel tanks hold more gallons but then US gallons are smaller.
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Yes, the difference is the 'gallons' (1 Imp. gal. = 1.2 US gal.) and not actual the tank size.
 
L.A.B. said:
Unlikely, as Carl Rosner apparently bought 336539 from John Pedley not Andover Norton, also Andover Norton seems to have no record of 336539. The MkIII in the Ray Petty Buyers' Guide photo is fitted with Goodyear HST tyres, while 336539 has TT100s.
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Well, certainly not the first time I've seen things in Buyer's Guide that were less than accurate! I always liked that photo, though. Something kind of charming about it.
 
Presumably, it's the "last" Andover Norton MkIII, 336537, but I expect ZFD will be able to tell us?

Which begs the question: Does the "last 850 336538" listed by the NOC exist? :roll:
 
The different things I have noticed are - the wiring loom is different seems to contain extra wires those these may have been for Police bikes and not utilised for public machines, colour coding does not conform to the manual for UK model ties in with the, assimilator connections 1 extra or less can't remember which, ignition wiring connections - found this out the hard way, from the manual it seems it may have been a canadian model that was hastily coverted to the UK spec of the time. Higher bars, orange side reflectors front and rear. The size of the tank is no different - strangely the US use English Gallons, us being English use Imperial ( far eastern gallons ) goes back to the old trade days I suppose.
 
strangely the US use English Gallons, us being English use Imperial ( far eastern gallons ) goes back to the old trade days I suppose.
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Never heard of an English gallon. The U.S. gallon is 231 cubic inches, 3.785411784 liters. Are they one in the same?
 
The U.S. gallon is 231 cubic inches, 3.785411784 liters. Are they one in the same?
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Sure are, the original English gallon is based on a 'wine' gallon. It is now known as the US gallon. As a seafarer this was taught to me many years ago as it could lead to embarrassing situations when fuelling and taking on oils - try telling the CO that the tanks are not as full as expected. Many countries other than the US would try and sell you English gallons not imperial ones most probably to make a bit a profit from the unknowing. Luckily, all our submarines know use Cubes and litres, not gallons when fuelling.
Back to topic though, I find it amazing that the last ever built Commando is not fully known about. This would have been built in living memory of nearly all on this forum, surely there must be someone from the Andover Norton set up of that time that actually knows, or were the last machines just sold on without record by the receivers.
 
Bonhams seem to think the John Pedley bike was the last one made, and I would think they are likely to have documentary evidence to back that up.
 
Carbonfibre said:
Bonhams seem to think the John Pedley bike was the last one made, and I would think they are likely to have documentary evidence to back that up.
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It probably was the last one built, however, some will argue that it was not built legitimately, therefore it shouldn't really be regarded as the last Norton Commando.
 
Carbonfibre said:
Bonhams seem to think the John Pedley bike was the last one made, and I would think they are likely to have documentary evidence to back that up.
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That's quite likely the same "evidence" that is being debated, discussed and disputed here.

Is there a final arbiter of this fact? Who qualifies the final arbiter, and would that entity's standing to make the call be disputed by others that have been mentioned here that have arguably legitimate standing?
 
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