Description
This bike was well loved, ridden and maintained by my father Roy until he passed away in 2019. When he died he was working on the clutch, and the asking price has been adjusted to reflect this. Since then, it has been kept covered in a brick garage attached to the house. Before my father, there was one previous owner.
ABOUT THIS EXAMPLE
Written by independent inspector
A Total Car Check for this bike shows a date of first registration of May 1975 and 2 previous keepers until coming to the current owner in June 2019. Mileage at the most recent MOT in April 2014 was 49, 844 miles. There was 1 advisory for fluctuating brake effort.
This bike is in very original condition, other than a period aftermarket seat with diamond stitching. The odometer reads 52, 256 miles, which is credible. This is 2, 412 miles since the MOT and is very good use of a classic bike. The tax expired in October 2014.
The clutch cover is off, and the plates are removed, so this needs putting back together. The front and rear tyres are a bit of a mismatch, but it obviously rode well like this, as the Norton was the most used of the owner's four classic bikes, and the mileage supports this. It looks like a cared-for example.
The 850 Commando is a very rare bike now, with just 1 example first registered in 1973 showing in DVLA data at the end of 2022 and 4 examples from 1974. There is nothing from 1975. We obviously have to factor in that the DVLA is not always right (this bike may be listed with the DVLA as Norton/ Model Not Available), but the numbers are still very low.
ABOUT THE NORTON COMMANDO 850cc
Written by independent inspector
The Norton Commando was produced by the Norton Motorcycle company from 1967 until 1977. Initially marketed as a 750cc twin, it went to 850cc in 1973.
The Commando was the first motorcycle produced from the ashes of AMC, Norton's parent company, which had collapsed in 1966. Manganese Bronze Holdings, which already owned the Villiers engine company, merged its newly-purchased Norton marque with Villiers and set about developing a flagship 750cc to replace the ageing Norton Atlas model.
The initial plan was to productionise an older project featuring an 800cc twin in a
shortened featherbed frame, but the engine had oil leak issues and the old-tech frame was not suited to modern rider requirements. Both were redesigned, but Norton eventually modernised the ancient Atlas engine to produce more power, canting it in the new frame and adding new bodywork to give a new look.
Other issues with the new model were solved over time and the Commando became a success. Selling well globally, it won the MCN "Machine of the Year" award for five successive years from 1968-1972, until the arrival of early Japanese superbikes such as the Honda CB750 put the Commando in the shade.
Some 60, 000 Commandos were made in total.
