That the motorcycle landscape was a poorer place after most of the great British marques were lost to liquidation and receivership after 1970 is not a fact that went unnoticed. 

Truly enough, Triumph managed to emerge from a period of difficulty, carried through by the efforts of some devoted enthusiasts, and is now doing very well and building some wonderful bikes which owe much to their classic ancestors.

Triumph, though, is only one name from among many. BSA, Matchless, AJS and Velocette all vanished as did Norton, once a Titan of the industry with its fabled Manx racers and the enormously popular Featherbed frame. 

But hope springs eternal, and in 2008 Stewart Garner acquired the rights to Norton Motorcycles and established a factory at Donington Park.

Garner’s immediate wish was to manufacture a new Commando, reviving a name which made Norton the envy of its rivals from 1967 to 1977. Adapted and reworked from a design completed during Norton’s earlier American ownership, a new model was soon in production, with a 961cc air- and oil-cooled parallel twin with a power output of 80 bhp and top speed of over 130 mph. 

The name given to it was the 961 Commando, although visually it owed more to the famous Manx Nortons of the 1950s.

The Café Racer edition was obviously intended to recall the stripped and modified Nortons and Tritons which were the terror of Britain’s A-roads in the 1950s and ’60s, but while it has perfected the racy look, it has matured considerably and will appeal rather more to the enthusiast than the juvenile delinquent.

Road-testers praised the Commando and it appealed to enthusiasts for its looks and exclusivity. Unfortunately, it was all too good to last and Norton went into administration in January 2020, resulting in its purchase by an Indian company.

 A pity thought it is, it affords the 2008-2020 Commandos a certain special status as one of the last all-British classic superbikes.

This Commando was purchased new by the vendor from Norton Motorcycles at Donington Hall on 7th July 2017. He specified it in Galactic Black with a polished chassis pack, long open pipes and paddock stands as extra-cost options.

The vendor is a longstanding motorcycle enthusiast and collector, and since its purchase the Norton has occupied space alongside some of the finest names in British motorcycling from the 1920s to the present.

With a dozen or so motorcycles at his disposal at any one time, all maintained in running order as far as possible, the Norton has only been used very sparingly over its life, which accounts for its modest odometer reading of only 2421 miles.

The vendor retains an attachment to all his bikes, but the decision to start a new life in Sweden means the collection has to be sold.

Besides its current V5, the bike comes with an assortment of original factory sales literature, including a brochure for the Commando and Dominator and the Service Book.

The sales invoice from Norton Motorcycles is included in the file, and there is also an invoice from KWFM for a new battery in 2020. Norton distributed letters to its customers informing them of its administration in 2020, and the vendor has kept his on file. Some registration documents from the D.V.L.A. are also present.

It is the vendor’s admirable philosophy that his bikes were built to be ridden, not trailered around as show queens. Instead of fussing over their appearance he prefers to keep them all in good running order, so that any one of them might be taken out at a moment’s notice.

There is certainly no shame in bikes picking up a few scars while out on the road, but it seems hardly to apply in this case since the Norton is one of his newest motorcycles, and having seen such light use, it has hardly had a chance to get dirty.

Having been over it with a fine-tooth comb, we struggled to find anything to detract from what, at first glance, looks like a brand-new bike. Besides some extremely minor cosmetic blemishes on the side covers and a few marks on the seat, both of which may well disappear with a quick valet, it is virtually impossible to find fault with this bike. 

If the word ‘concours’ isn’t appropriate, it is because it implies something in better-than-new condition. This bike has not been excessively cosseted, but it has been treated with all due care and respect, with the result that it still looks like it has only just been ridden away from the factory.

The black paint retains its deep gloss and the gold decals are all totally intact. The bare-metal parts have been allowed to weather slightly, which must inevitably come with age and affords them a mellower, more textured appearance.

With details like the wire wheels saying ‘classic’ and others such as the carbon fibre mudguards saying ‘superbike’, the Norton blends different styles into a coherent and complementary whole, and their state of preservation in like-new condition affords the Commando a genuinely timeless quality.

Naturally, since the healthy running of his bikes is of paramount importance to the vendor, the Norton has been kept in good running order and, having covered only 2500 miles since new, we do not envisage it will experience any problems for a long time to come. 

Since it does not currently have an M.o.T., we are unable to guarantee its roadworthiness, but we can’t imagine there is anything stopping it from sailing straight through its next test.

A quick look at the engine offers a good overview of its condition, with oily drips conspicuous by their absence. The engine covers still possess a great shine, although the exhaust pipes do display some discolouration.

Classic café racers are among the best-looking motorcycles ever made, of that there is no doubt. The trouble is that, with technological progress over the last 50 years, they can no longer count themselves among the best-engineered. 

The engines, brakes and overall handling of the café racers of the 1960s leave a bit to be desired by modern standards, so of course, in an ideal world, we’d have something to combine classic looks with modern technology.

Well, here it is. You can see for yourself just how racy it is, with all the classic café racer styling cues: the clip-on handlebars, Manx-style fuel tank, racing seat and megaphone silencers. 

You can also imagine just how thrilling it must be to ride, with the huge 961cc twin nestled between your feet and that magnificent set of brake discs up front to keep it under control. 

Following Norton’s administration in 2020, not only is this an opportunity to buy a nearly-new performance bike, it’s also a rare chance to acquire one of the last all-British production café racers.