Things have changed

JimC said:

dennisgb said:

850cmndo said:

Where, if I may ask...

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At Leo's in Lakeville if I remember right. My memory has gotten bad for names over the years.

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In 1975 I believe Leo's was still at it's original location in south Minneapolis. Somewhere around Lyndale and 98th, if memory serves me correct. It was owned by the three Bedaux brothers.

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You know, your right. I remembered it was Leo's...so I looked it up on the web because I couldn't remember where it was. Weird. My brain kept going to St. Paul for some reason. I used to hang out at a bunch of different dealers back then. Lived in St. Paul. There was a guy on University that did the head on my BSA...and Belmont Harley on 7th Street...I can't believe how bad my memory has gotten. The Norton never went back for service...so only picked it up and drove into the sunset. I only had it for a little more than a year and then sold it and quit riding when my kids were born.

Must have scored big time. Bought my '71 commando for $2000 5 Oct 2013, rode it today!!! New wheels and tires, seat cover, Ignition system and carb and a lot of polishing...

British motorcycles have always been expensive in Germany. The price for a 850 Commando in 1974 was 6450 DM, that is about 3300€. I just looked in an old motorcycle magazin from 1974, where the Commando was tested (I bought the magazin recently). Now you can't get a complete running Commando in whatever condition for less than 6000€. A good restored one is about 10000€, a very good one 13000€. But 10000€ is a limit at the moment when you want to sell fast. If you want more, you need to have much time.

Rates:
1974:
6450DM = 2500$
pint of beer (pub): 1.60DM
1l fuel: 0.83DM

2013:
3300€ = 4500$
6000€ = 8500$
pint of beer (pub): 3.30€ (=6.45DM)
1l fuel: 1.50€ (=2.93DM)

cdog said:

Must have scored big time. Bought my '71 commando for $2000 5 Oct 2013, rode it today!!! New wheels and tires, seat cover, Ignition system and carb and a lot of polishing...

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cdog you dog! That is an absolute steal! Welcome to the forum and have you got..... pictures?

Picked up my 73 850 in June for $2,500. Got if from 2nd owner who didn't get around to doing any restoration. Too bad I didn't get to original owner first because he sold it for $1,000! I found him from original bill of sale and last registration ( 1995 ), had to have dummy up a faux bill of sale for dmv because original paperwork had a typo in the VIN #. In any case it's in my garage now and running very nicely. I need to strobe the timing, get the plugs and carbies right and get the chain tension correct, little stuff. It came out looking pretty good. https://plus.google.com/photos/10016038 ... banner=pwa

Leo's in south Minneapolis

bought new there my 71 yellow Hi Rider, 72 black Combat, and 73 red 850

I was in my early 20s, working as a waiter making little but I wanted Nortons so bad back then

So which one of the three was the favourite?
Did you trade-in each of the first two bikes when they were one year old, or hang on and own all three at once?

Glen

I think that when I built my Seeley 850 in the late 70s, it cost me about $2500. The seem to sell at up around ten times that these days. However what lot of young blokes don't realize is that the reason we old farts have desirable classic bikes is that we obtained them in the old days at a price which seemed high at the time, however we simply kept them. There are still plenty of really desirable bikes around these days which nobody really wants. If I was in my twenties, I'd be looking at genuine racing bikes over ten years old which are no longer competitive. Just buy one that you really like and subject it to minimal use until it is accommodated in the historic racing classes. You might only have to wait ten years before you race it seriously, and in the meantime you can use it at club events. (Converted road bikes are never going to be worth much unless they are a faithful replica of something with a history ).
I think the Eddie Lawson Replica Kawasaki ELR1000 would be a really good thing to buy. It seems to be pretty close to the real deal. Or even a Honda CB1100R. A genuine 750cc Commando Production Racer would be great. Imagine having that at a race meeting in twenty years time ?

So which one of the three was the favourite?
Did you trade-in each of the first two bikes when they were one year old, or hang on and own all three at once?

Glen

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Hi Glen, the 72 black Combat was by far my favorite, it just ripped with lightened tappets, flowed ports,
and Dr Blair two into one into two exhaust.

Always sold them to individuals through advs in Mpls newspaper, yes after about one year with each one

had a 21 tooth front sprocket put in the Combat and rode it from Minnesota to Los Angeles and back that summer

running over Independence Pass in the Colorado Rockies at 12,000 feet I felt the motor getting really hot, the pistons seized to the bores and locked the rear wheel and I went into a horrifying fishtail at 70mph with sphincter puckering and cars slamming on brakes behind me, was on the downslope side of the pass and with the weight forward I went into an awesome Commando WEAVE back and forth across three lanes of the freeway that damn near killed me, truly spectacular.

Somehow I rode it out to the side of the road, where I sat for two hours shaking. With no other option available I tried to start it and presto it started and I limped the final 1000 miles back home.

never been so damn scared in my young life, then or now at age 63



edit: and NO, it never dawned on me at the time to simply pull in the clutch lever and free the rear

why? because I was young and in a panic ok?

OH Wow 1up, you really should of died no fault of your own that day. I rate that World class stunt riding a Hinging Commando with the Rear Ruling The Roost!

As I was leaving N-V to emigrate (May 1968), I checked the employee discounted price on a new Commando 750. It was under £400. We still had the legally fixed rate of $2.40 to the pound, so that would have been just over $900. Boeing would have shipped it for me, too, as part of my "household goods". Unfortunately, we were so skint, there was no way I could do it.

Once I arrived in Seattle, I realised that having a high-performance bike here would almost surely have been the death of me, quite literally. When you drive a car on the opposite side of the street than you're used to, you have the stimulus of sitting on the opposite side of the car. Not so on a bike. Also, bikes weren't a routine part of the traffic so many drivers wouldn't see you (still don't!).

wardch said:

I guess my post is this what happened to all the fixer uppers ?

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Most got "fixer uppered", and few are stupid enough to sell, (though their widows will).

Well almost had a norton .An older gentlemen looking for a push button m/c ( electric start) was looking to trade his 73 norton So I offered him my 98 electraglide. He went and bought a toyota. Can't even give away HD in Wisconsin

It is amazing how the prices of things have gone up. Even the old Japanese bikes have gone nuts.

I bought a new Honda super hawk in 1965, I believe I paid around $700 for it, I sold it in 08 to help finance a new BMW. I got $5000 for the Honda but now BMW's are $20,000.

I bought a leftover 75 MKIII in 1977 for $1800, watched them take it out of the carton, I still have it and will probbably never sell it, but I've been tempted at some of the offers.

motoracer8 said:

It is amazing how the prices of things have gone up. Even the old Japanese bikes have gone nuts.

I bought a new Honda super hawk in 1965, I believe I paid around $700 for it, I sold it in 08 to help finance a new BMW. I got $5000 for the Honda but now BMW's are $20,000.

I bought a leftover 75 MKIII in 1977 for $1800, watched them take it out of the carton, I still have it and will probbably never sell it, but I've been tempted at some of the offers.

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In Aussie, at a general purpose swap meet very recently, there was a XS1 all pretty with a flash after market disc up front. very clean, looked new.

BUT, the price $17,500 Aussie. there is a current good post about vibration. I reckon these were the king of tingles.

That this bike has an asking price of more than many a good Norton indeed is a sign the world has gone mad.
Bradley

I'll say, that's big bucks for a XS1. I saw one of the first green and white ones, I belive it was a 1970, go for $13,000 a couple of years ago, it was a superb example, looked new.

Truly amazing.

Hello All
as I said mate, this too looked new. the price is the blow away bit. Nortons would be cheap compared to this.
This was in hervey bay QLD about 3 weeks ago. I remember cause I got a 9/16th whitworth ring spanner there. market/swap meets are sometimes not the cheapest places to buy from.
Bradley

Bradley, That was expensive for a boat anchor.

Life has gotten silly expensive in some places, went to a job in downtown Pasadena, CA this morning & the only place open at 6:00am would have cost over $10.00 for a Danish & large coffee. It's a very upscale hood so they charge acordingly. Just like the Mercedes dealer who explained or tried to justify the $300.00 price for the plastic bottle on a master cylinder that is less then 1/2 that for other cars (still stupid $ ) by saying " it's a Mercedes! "...

BMW same story ,I call her Big Money Wasted. Like $350 + taxes for their recommended rear tire . :roll: Saving 200 by not taking their advice which of course nulls and voids the warranty. Saw a new Mercedes crushed by a tree in our giant ice-storm this morning ,I just smiled. :|