The bike in these pictures has been sitting in a garage for at least the past 20 years. I would lke to know which model this is, if the fairing is original, and what it might be worth after it is cleaned up. Thank you in advance for your help.
Yes ,1975 MK 111,the fairing and luggage could be sold to help with the costs of new rubber, etc. As for value there was an interesting discussion at the National about many owners aging and their hip replacements and how the value of MK 111's increasing as human age increases. Value is determined by who is willing to peel off the most money for it. 5 G as it sits and as high as 10 G should you throw tons of money and work and upgrades at it ,but then you would want to keep it well into old age.
I've always wanted a 75 ES.
Let me buy it please.
It's funny that all these Norton which are found that have been sitting for decades like time capsules get discovered in a pile of dust in the back of someones garage or shop.
Why were they parked in the first place?
...
It's funny that all these Norton which are found that have been sitting for decades like time capsules get discovered in a pile of dust in the back of someones garage or shop.
Why were they parked in the first place?
I "found" one in the back of my own garage. Parked there because it wouldn't idle (carbs need rebuilt & re-sleeved), the starter no longer functioned, tires were about shot, then the battery went TU. All this while two oldest kids were in college, two younger in high school. Now that the 'baby' has graduated from U of Florida, I finally have some money to spend on myself. And of course some $ for the lovely & patient wife - who even in my darkest moments said "You can't sell Nort, he's a classic, he was made in B.C. (B.C.=before children)...
Interesting handle bars on a faired bike. They are not original. Kinda hard to tell through the dust, is the paint in good shape? How about the chrome? It does not necessarily cost a lot of money to make one of these bikes road worthy. Depending on your appetite for doo-dads. But if you have to replace or refurbish every bit, it starts to take its toll. I have one of each, so the contrast is fresh for me.
I "found" one in the back of my own garage. Parked there because it wouldn't idle (carbs need rebuilt & re-sleeved), the starter no longer functioned, tires were about shot, then the battery went TU. All this while two oldest kids were in college, two younger in high school. Now that the 'baby' has graduated from U of Florida, I finally have some money to spend on myself. And of course some $ for the lovely & patient wife - who even in my darkest moments said "You can't sell Nort, he's a classic, he was made in B.C. (B.C.=before children)...[/quote]
My life experience has been very similar. Now the stuff that was stashed away all these past years can be brought back out.
Standard 1975 e-start with JPN paint scheme. Fairing and luggage not stock. Need more pics to see what is still there that was original to the machine. Does it run?
As to value, I can't fully say. The e-starts had their issues, and haven't been as sought after as the earlier machines. These days, their issues can be overcome and they can be great machines. As it looks and sits, I might pay 1400 or so for it. If cleaned up and in good running order with original bits, maybe 5-6k.
RSR
I don't have any other information except these photos. Now that I know it is a 74/75 850 with the JP paint and might be worth restoring I will follow up and see what it will cost to ship it from Nevada to Austin. Thx much for the help.
Although most Vetters appear to have flush turn signals. Might be worth a touch more as a Vetter than a knock-off. Looks like silver metalflake, not sure how well that would go over today.
Hey Splatt , I get asked by total strangers what a Norton's worth all the time. So far he has not been evasive or intentionally misleading ,using a flipper to toss with a snap of finger or thumb said bike ,although he may intend to engage in the act of selling for a second time especially to a third party.
Wow, splatt has a pretty negative attitude. I used to ride, mostly Japanese bikes and I a short stint on a late 60's Triumph twin (it wasn't a classic then, just a used bike). I have not ridden since I blew out my knee while riding the length of Japan 1981. After destroying my knee, I still had to ride another four hours to get home. So yes, I might just restore it and then sell it, but mostly because I like working on stuff. Most recently I have been building canoes and kayaks. I have also restored 10 british sports cars so you can be sure if I get that Commando it will be a quality restore.
Splatt isn't negative, he is blunt! There are certain attitudes that are prevalent amongst enthusiasts. Nobody should buy a bike to flip it for a profit, unless of course they are selling it to you and you really want it and nobody should break a bike (especially one with a title) for parts, unless of course you happen to need those parts, in which case it is like enjoying sausage. We don't really want to know where it comes from.
So before this turns into a problem, assume there isn't one, unless of course you are just trying to buy this bike and flip it for profit, in which case...how much do you want for it?
" If you want something done properly , Do it yourself " J.E.Spencer .( Boats )
Commando's being ' entusiasts ' bikes , not nerdy collectors , haveing ' someone ' muck with it seldom going to impress anyone .
Particularly if they have no experiance on the type . Ordinarilly , a rider would dissassemble it to see what was done right .
If Anyhing . And what had been abused and degraded . Therefore , for a honda boy to interfere with a Original Norton would
devalue it approximately to 50 percent of what it was worth . Factory Built .
Id stick to the whizz bangs , weavers and wobblers , and like dodgey motors , if your profit oriented and never a purist .
"The Comprehensive Vintage Motorcycle Price Guide" 2011/2012 Edition lists a '75 Mark III as $2200 in poor condition up to $11,000 Perfect/New condition.
Their description of poor is probably close (not running, missing parts, pitted, rust, cracked rubber bits, etc.)
When I bought mine, the "actually solds" on Ebay were close to the book values, most of the not solds had too high of opinion of the value/reserve (IMHO).
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