what exactly do I have?

rvich said:

You should spend some time looking at Ebay auctions for Commandos and view the completed auctions to see what is selling and for how much. No offense but I think 5k now would be a good price for you to get. We see bikes that have been well cared for and ridden regularly here for 5-6k. Ten grand is for a bike that is in fine trim, cosmetically great and has been updated so it is ready to romp.

Russ

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So, I just read this thread, and I was talking just yesterday to someone on this general subject. My own bike is for sale, clean and currently languishing at a price well below the reserve, and my companion has had his bike on consignment off and on at a local bike-shop for quite a while.

My pal expressed the opinion that people will buy the barn-find, rough as anything bikes that they think they're going to restore and make money on ( :lol: ), or they will pay ridiculous amounts for a "museum piece", like one that went for $15K on eBay a week or so ago.

So, what do you think? Is he right? Has the "investor" crowd moved into the Norton arena bidding up the price of perfect bikes to put in their hallway as a piece of sculpture, while leaving only raggety-arsed paupers to buy the mid range bikes?

Corona850 said:

So, what do you think? Is he right? Has the "investor" crowd moved into the Norton arena bidding up the price of perfect bikes to put in their hallway as a piece of sculpture, while leaving only raggety-arsed paupers to buy the mid range bikes?

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Museum piece "investment" buyers are there for more than just Nortons. I've dealt in classic cars for years and have had numerous cars autioned nationally and the money always seems to be out there. Have those buyers diven the prices up? I would say yes, but then there is also supply and demand. Nortons hold value even tho there is a ready supply. They made a lot of these bikes. The classic styling of the Commando helps it hold value.

The question is why an old Norton? You can buy a brand new Triumph Bonneville with newer technology for less money than people are paying for restored Nortons.

When I was teenager in the late 60's, if you rode a Norton you were considered "Bad Ass". Harley was more of an old man's bike back then. When I bought my first 850 Commando new in 1975, Norton's were still popular but waning.

I bought the present 850 to restore for myself to ride. It is mainly because this was one of my favorite bikes back then. It's nostalgia as well as the Commando is still "Bad Ass" in my mind. Now, I don't mind one bit that the bike will be valuable when I'm done, because it is sort of an investment.

Not to take anything away from the daily riders. I think it's awesome that many love these bikes and keep them on the road.

The question is "Are all the Commandos valuable?" Should a daily rider be worth as much as a nicely restored bike? A clean bike like posting originally in this thread is worth how much? With mods and non-original paint? Not running for years? People said $5K...I personally think that is on the high end given that the bike will need to be gone through by the buyer, to insure that it is roadworthy. Cleaning the carbs and putting air in the tires does not make a bike that has been in long term storage worth as much as one that has been on the road and is roadworthy, even if the stored bike "looks" better.

Everyone wants their bike to be worth more than the ones they saw sold on Ebay. Or at auction. Or the one the guy down the street sold for $10K. That's what drives the prices up. Unrealistic valuations. Then some poor fool pays too much and the cycle continues.

while I don;t disagree with yoru comments- lets be clear that there IS a difference between a bike being parked for years becasue it broke, owner lost interest and put it behind shed, etc than one that WAS an everyday rider, that WAS mechancially sound, that was stored properly inside, and kicked through firmly every year.

I've built/restored several bikes over the years- I like old iron- and yes, i know it takes more than pumping up the tires.

but I also know that if the gearbox ran perfect when it was an everyday bike, chances are that is didn't break in storage- and apply that to a myriad of other things.

and as far as non stock, tires- lets be realistic- $200 and you have new tires, a few hundred more and seat/bars are magicically stock- and for $300 or less, I can get the 3 painted pieces, painted stock colors.

and thats all that non stock- the bars, the seat, and the paint. and the bars ARE stock Notrtons, just not that model

so for well under a grand , I can get it 100% back to stock (albeit fresh paint).

as an old iron guy- I know that adding a few hundred in orignal stuff mighht make the non Norton guy think its more valuable, but again reality tells me that any Norton guy, would see these few cosmestics as just cosmetics.

I think 5 is fair- its worth that as a parts bike if broken down

Started working on the Norton last week

got the carbs off (remembered I had the cut down allen to remove manifolds and actually found it) and was lucky enough to have 2 carb rebuild kits hanging on the wall. Carbs are shiny and clean, replaced what fuel lines were needed.

Tank is clean and done- not so much hard work, but steady......

the petcock screens were toast, so am deciding now whether to replace the petcocks, or just run 2 inline filters-

next project will be fluids in tranny, crankcase and oil tank.

then a good check of the electrical- new battery is sitting on bench. I do have new points and condensers on shelf if needed.

I had forgotten how much I like that norton! 8)

I'll keep you posted on the progress

That bike, running right, with new paint, tires, battery, seat & bars, and clean title, would easily fetch over $5K on e-bay. That's a fact.

Any other possibilities are speculation.

update: got the tank, gasllines, carbs everything fuel related done, so Sat went after the fluids and got them fresh and up to snuff. Figured didn't have to do much with the electrics, so just cleaned and readjusted points. added a new set of plugs, hooked up the new battery and filled the tank with gas. It was always a hard starting out of the box in the spring bike, but pretty much a first kicker after that-

so I tickled it, gave it a few priming kicks- and kicked some more. kicked a few times primed it again, until I had 25-30 kicks in, when it half coughed. all right!

tickled it again, gave it 4-5 kicks and it fired up- WFO!

had the slide screws set wrong. set them right and fired it up again. let it idel and shut off started 5-6 times no problem.

I got a short in the igntion (need to wiggle it) but all lights work so fixing that will be my next step-

felt good listening to the old gal again...

more as it happens.....