My first Norton - Questions

Hi all,
I have finally saved up and bought a Norton (I have been in Yamaha land for a while). I would like to reach out because I am curious if I've paid too much and would like to hear some opinions. This motorcycle has been on Ebay 3 times. The first time it got to $6,000 but the buyer 'backed out'. I think it was probably really just someone bidding it until the reserve was met to see the reserve. Then, it was listed twice more and only got bid to about $4,000 and here is the completed listing http://www.ebay.com/itm/Norton-COMMANDO ... 1646538889
I paid $5,000 for it today. It seems like prices vary wildly on Nortons and I can't make any sense of it. Do you all think $5,000 is fair and why did it only get bid to $4,000? Why would I pay $5,000 for something bid twice to $4,000? Well, because it didn't hit the reserve and $5,000 seemed ok but as I said I have never owned a Norton before.

My second question is that I really wanted a Combat since it sounds cool to me. But, they're hard to find of course. I found one that did not have any numbers stamped on the gearbox which didn't seem good to me- any thoughts on why this would happen? Also, it does have the rear breather. Please see here for pictures: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s300/sh/ ... 5c42a65b5a
and https://www.evernote.com/shard/s300/sh/ ... 7876ab4127 and https://www.evernote.com/shard/s300/sh/ ... 576a61b817. I couldn't see any C's stamped on there though and it has Amal 930's and drum brakes but it has black barrels and the space between the fin on the head and the barrels does seem smaller than the spacing between the other fins and the VIN is 201377. So, do you think that one is combat or non-combat?

I don't think you overpaid. Like you mentioned, Commando prices vary widely.

$5k is more than I personally would have paid, but it's a fair price. If I were the seller, I'd be asking a $5k-ish price.

Your bike is in a unique position...it's mostly complete and pretty original, but the condition is rough enough that almost everything will need cleaned/painted/polished/rebuilt/refinished. That puts it in a category that excludes many collectors (looking for already restored or very nice original bikes) as well as buyers looking for a lower cost bike as a candidate for complete restoration.

Enjoy your Commando...it looks like you got a good one!

Thank you very much for your insight 99cyclone

You´re speaking of two bikes here?
The one frome the ebay listing has a conversion to a singl e (Mikuni?) carb setup, but I see in the listed photos the original Amal carbs are included.
It has a different VIN than the "Combat" you´re speaking of.
You can identify it by looking at the bottom of the crankcase. These being the only Norton twin crankcases that do not have the big filter screw at the bottom.
VIN numbers start at 200.000. I gues it should have Amal 932 carbs.
Uli

Hi,
Thanks for the response. Yup, I'm talking about two bikes. What I meant to say was that I really wanted to get a Combat but couldn't find one. I did find one I thought had potential to be one, so I wanted to see if you guys thought it was a Combat or not. The one I bought is definitely not a combat- it's a '71

NjNortonCommando said:

My second question is that I really wanted a Combat since it sounds cool to me. But, they're hard to find of course. I found one that did not have any numbers stamped on the gearbox which didn't seem good to me- any thoughts on why this would happen?

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Either the original number has been ground-off, or a new and thus unstamped replacement gearbox or gearbox shell has been fitted.

NjNortonCommando said:

Also, it does have the rear breather................
I couldn't see any C's stamped on there though and it has Amal 930's and drum brakes but it has black barrels and the space between the fin on the head and the barrels does seem smaller than the spacing between the other fins and the VIN is 201377. So, do you think that one is combat or non-combat?

Click to expand...

There's a reasonable chance the crankcases (and perhaps other engine parts) are Combat, however, Combat carbs would be 932's not "930" and it's unlikely a Combat would have had a drum brake.
Was "201377" stamped on the frame plate as well as the engine?

It's hard to say if YOU got a deal because with norton's, you only get out of them what you put in them. Unlike some turnkey bikes where all you need to know is if there is gas in the tank and where to put the key, norton's require more owner knowledge to be a turnkey bike. My '70 only left me on the side of the road once,..... I ran out of gas, so I can't really complain about it's reliability, but I also rebuilt it completely from the ground up

Anyway, it looks like you got a complete bike in decent shape (at least on the outside) so all the pieces are there. Someone cared enough to put braided oil lines on it and an aftermarket oil filter. You have a timed crankcase breather off the camshaft. My bike has that same style breather and it works OK although I have recently added a reed breather my bike too.... Someone changed the original amal 930 concentric carburators, so someone who owned it, did care for the bike.


If the bike runs well, then change all the fluids and ride it for a while on short local trips until you get a feel for how reliable it is. If it doesn't already have one, I would put an electronic ignition and a single dual coil on the bike right off the bat and get rid of the points, condenser, and original 12 volt coils. (or replace the parallel wired 12 volt coils with 2 series wired 6 volt coils)

The fun of a commando is the torquey engine. A lot of things need tweeking to ride it like a modern bike, but it's totally capable of good speed and decent handling if you want to take it to that level.

If your bike runs well, and really needs nothing but a freshening up of the gas tank, I think you did ok. For some reason, all but the most pristine nortons are not valued very highly. My bike is a "rider", so I don't care that much about it's monetary value, but I don't think I could come close to getting what I have invested in it and it's probably more than $5,000. Good luck with your bike. It looks pretty nice to me.

the norton gearbox is very weak and most combat owners ran the snot out of them. therefor a blown gearbox was very common.

NjNortonCommando said:

My second question is that I really wanted a Combat since it sounds cool to me. But, they're hard to find of course. I found one that did not have any numbers stamped on the gearbox which didn't seem good to me- any thoughts on why this would happen? combat

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NOT all 72's were in combat tune and the 930 carbs along with the drum brake is a good sign it is NOT a combat. that is not to say someone did install a combat head on a non combat bike but there is also a camshaft change to the combat tuned engine.

NjNortonCommando said:

Also, it does have the rear breather. Please see here for pictures: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s300/sh/ ... 5c42a65b5a
and https://www.evernote.com/shard/s300/sh/ ... 7876ab4127 and https://www.evernote.com/shard/s300/sh/ ... 576a61b817. I couldn't see any C's stamped on there though and it has Amal 930's and drum brakes but it has black barrels and the space between the fin on the head and the barrels does seem smaller than the spacing between the other fins and the VIN is 201377. So, do you think that one is combat or non-combat?

Click to expand...

You got a fair deal on the bike you bought.

Unless you have either a totally unmolested original Combat, or one tat was carefully upgraded back when it was almost new, with verifiable provenance as to the shop that performed the original upgrade (Superblend main bearings), the entire concept of the Combat Commando was not all that spectacular. The fact that it has translated to lots of people paying a lot of money for would-be Combats is just a sad side-effect.

Thanks for the information and feedback you guys, I really do appreciate it. The bike I bought had been coated since it's the composite tank, but the coating is pealing and what not so I'll likely just but that tank away and use a steel one. I don't mind it not being shiny, and I suspect it will take me a long time to get it to be reliable if it proves not to be. I don't mind pushing it home, I do that all the time with my Yamaha SR500- that's how I get great gas mileage!

As for the feedback on the possibility of that other one, yes the frame and numbers match

ah, thanks grandpaul. I guess I bought into the hype in that case- good to hear my '71 is just as good!

NjNortonCommando said:

...I don't mind pushing it home, I do that all the time with my Yamaha SR500- that's how I get great gas mileage!...

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You got a nice bike for a reasonable price.

It says in the ad that it is a running bike so that price is pretty much the going number in this part of the US (Minnesota), not sure about New Jersey.

The prices are all over the map because most are not comparable. I see a lot of cosmetically redone bikes in the $7-10K range. Yours will need all of the cosmetics done...assuming the engine and trans check out good. Non-running bikes will run less than what you paid...but then you need to get them running.

If you plan a full restoration then it really doesn't make much difference if you bought it for a bit less because that will all be moot in the end.

Welcome to the Norton Commando owner's club.

thanks dennisgb!

You have a standard 750 Commando, it is quite standard for owners to paint the original silver cylinders black just for looks, your's were silver.

Be thankful you have a standard and not a Combat, as the Combat had a 19 tooth front sprocket and as such could be easily redlined, which resulted in the crankshaft ends flexing and digging into the main bearings, caused nightmare warranty problems for Norton back then with the bottom end of Combats needing bearing replacement in as few as only 5000 miles back then. Many Combat bikes have had their main bearings replaced by now but you never know for sure when you buy a used one.

Back in the early 1970s quarter mile times as reported by the major motorcycle magazines sold bikes, and even just a couple of tenths of a second made sales differences. Norton knew this fact well and in an effort to keep selling Commandos they tried to extract that precious few tenths of a second by raising the compression, giving the cam a little higher lift and fitting the smaller front sprocket, throw on front disc and call Combat.

Debatable if the Combat really was quicker however, it was actually slower in the first 1/8 mile than a standard 850, catching up in the final 1/8 to end up about the same, right around 13 flat give or take a couple of tenths either way depending on who the test rider was and the track conditions that day.

The combat was tied with the Mark3 as being the "slowest" with a number of motorcycle magazines testing the actual top speeds at 108, versus a standard Commando around 112mph. Although the Combat had enough motor it was limited by the smaller sprocket.

SO, you have a really good Commando all ready to spend lots of money and time on! Welcome to the club.....

It matters how you dare to run a Combat over 6800 when its 3rd piston kicks in to appreciate its standing start launches and catching rubber on 2nd shift and raising up before having to shift again but not for anyone with a sane sense of bike or soul safety with less vivid memories. If ya put a taller sprocket on it just gets better as can stay in lower longer for extending hard pull faster. Still all Commandos can wear out a rear tire in coupe thousand miles if always enjoying their on tap torque past legal speeds.

I think you made a good purchase. At first I thought you got it for 4K and that would have been nice. You are better off w/o a combat. Your bike is close to mine 143529 and mine has been an exceptonally good bike for me. I do not change or modify everything like a lot of member here do. I accept it for what it is. A snortin Norton. Mine has a 19 tooth sprocket and I like the giddy up. I am not a long distance cruiser type. I tried a BMW 1150RTP for a couple of years and although nice on the freeway, I found it to be a huge bike esp. after throwing my little Norton around for so many years. I prefer the early bikes that have the true character that was intended. Don't need no left hand shift, disk brakes, dog motors, or electric start. Keep it a clean , lean, mean, and a true Brit machine. Tickler her and kick her to get going. Enjoy.

Hahah well thanks so much 1up3down! It was nice to hear the numbers. I really actually care more about what's it's like right from a red light anyway- I'm not a super technical driver as it is.

Thanks hobot and aceaceca!

Paying more for a Combat isn't worth it. The diff is the cam, milled head, larger ports and 32mm carbs. The original Amal carbs will be trouble and you may want to replace them. Its better to have your small port head worked on and flowed to Axtell specs than to have an original combat head. Put on the sprocket of your choice to suit your riding style - street or highway. If you want it racy - put in a hotter cam. To raise the compression its better to use a thinner head gasket than to mill the head. But then you have to watch out for pinging.