1970 Norton - Sell or Cafe?

[cstreit]

Hey guys,

I have a 1970 Norton Commando with 7200 original miles. It's it pretty good shape. Runs, needs a few miscellaneous parts like rubber bits that are old and cracking, but otherwise some cosmetics and a tuneup would make it nice.

Thing is I have always had a serious hankering for a café bike.

My choices?

1. Clean it up, refresh, and café this all original Norton....

2. Sell it and find an "already done".

I'm not looking to invest a ton of money into this. I'd love to convert the Norton but if I can swap a numbers matching good bike for a bike that I can just ride (like an old Ducati,, etc..) then I would consider it.

Any idea what the Norton is worth?

[Hard-Deck]

Sell to me or keep original. Please...if you cafe it, make it reversable.

[dlockhart]

With it being pretty darn original I'd opt for #2.

Make some connections and you may find exactly what you are looking for.

TON-UP Club Chicago

[Joe Bob]

Cheaper to buy someone else's conversion.

[Gogar]

Unmolested, Cleaned up and with new rubber bits (and some common upgrades) that bike (IMO) is just shy of $10k.

If you want to clean it up and ride it 'cafe-ish', put some clubman bars and a sportier seat on it and call it good.


If not, sell it, and look at early-mid '70s Japanese bikes. More options, more parts, more good bikes out there to either start with or finish or buy done.

The second you do something irreversible to that Norton the value will drop by 75%.


Actually, I meant to say that bike is worth about $1K and I'll be by later with a trailer and some cash.

[varmint]

We've reached the point where the cafe'd bikes outnumber the originals. Leave it be.

[nostatic]

Original. Keep it - one of the iconic rides out there.

[Bill Douglas]

Find a nice quiet spot in the back of the garage and leave it there for a few more years.

If you sell it you will be forever saying "Back in the day when I had this original condition Norton...)


Says Bill who used to have a 1966 Triumph 650 Bonneville Saint as a school boy.

[sailchef]

Keep it original, just use the rear pegs and lean forward.

[on2wheels52]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Find a nice quiet spot in the back of the garage and leave it there for a few more years.

I guess that's what I'm doing. My '73 Roadster hasn't run since '84.
I bought it new, was really only ridden one year.
Jim

[LakeCleElum]

In 2007, I sold one just like that for $6,200. Mine was in very nice shape and all stock....good ones now are up toward $10K......I'd say yours is work $6to$7K as is.....I'd echo the vote to leave it stock and clean it up.......

.If you want to go the Cafe route, Make a John Player Replica out it it.......My buddy had one in the early '80's that he let me road race with him in a 6 hr endurance race.......happy times...

I just sold a Commando for $1,500 that someone ruined by making a chopper out of it....Looking for a photo of that joke.

[Baz]

I would keep it original - and leave the paint alone - it has a nice patina.

Too many cafe racers out there already....it's become a bloody cliche'!

What you have there is a TREASURE - but only if left alone.....

[LakeCleElum]

The real deal: JPS (John Player Special)

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Why not cafe it? Isn't everything you do bolt on and easily reversible? Or is it more like welding Carrera flares on a longhood?

[LakeCleElum]

Norton Commando I bought for $350 a few years ago. Some bastard ruined it. Recently sold it for $1,500......

New owner is Sec of our Vintage motorcycle club (600 members), will find a donor frame and return to stock......

Home

[Arizona_928]

I hope that wasn't a recent build. Looks vintage ^^

[cstreit]

I think i Could make it reversable and be happy with it save the frame bit that supports the seat and tail light. That could be cut and rewelded later....

I have some notalgia associated with the bike, but not much. It belonged to my stepdad who died a few years ago. Its been around since i was 4... ....but he and I werent really sympatico. I hear the value you guys are talking about but my limited market research shows 4-5k which isnt enough to get what i want.

Id love to have an old bevel drive duc... but the norton is probably just as rare.

[HardDrive]

Why? Unfathomable why someone would do that.

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Home

[Evans, Marv]

I'm with the "keep it original" camp. I rode one in the late '60s and have thought about buying one ever since. The last one I saw advertised for sale around here had an asking price of around $6K. I know where there is a beautiful Vincent (in an old motorcycle shop), but it's definitely (defiantly?) out of my price range for a old bike.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Id love to have an old bevel drive duc... but the norton is probably just as rare.

Very difficult market to frame, but I think bevel Ducs are more rare. A bit more market fascination with the Ducs.

For god sake, don't cafe the thing. Why? Honestly, I think the cafe thing is getting long in the tooth.