1968 Norton Commando - First year - No Reserve

Description

First year 1968 Norton Commando (Fastback) built in August 1968, hipped to the US in September 1968. Titled in the US as a 69.

9170 Miles.

Color is British Racing Green – hard to capture how pretty the color is in pictures.

Starts first kick if you do the proper tickle/choke/kick dance and address her with an English accent. If you mess up or speak to her in American she will start on second kick. I love this bike, ut the riding position doesn’t agree with my aging back, o my loss is your gain on this desirable bike just in time for spring!

I’ve put 285 miles on it since the restoration listed below. The heads and cylinder base nuts have been re-torqued and the valves set at 250 miles, rode it 35 miles to verify it still was pulling like a freight train and then drained the fuel from the carbs and tank and put it away for the winter.

Documentation includes receipts for all parts and all work done, ver $16,000 invested

Engine and Frame # match and are: 128279 (engine 20M3/128279)

Restored last year - original Norton parts used everywhere that's possible.

Highlights:

Engine Rebuilt:

o New Hepolite Pistons and Rings

o New FAG Superblend Bearings

o New stainless headpipes exhaust roses, nd Norton Silencers

o Heads rebuilt by Leo Goff – Memphis Motorwerks

o New Amal Premier Carbs

o Oil pump blueprinted

o Norton retrofit kit for oil filter added.

Transmission Rebuilt:

o All new bushes and bronze bearings.

o New mainshaft

o New Barnett Clutch

o Layshaft upgraded with FAG Superblend bearing.

Green dot Smith’s Speedometer and Tachometer rebuilt by Joel Levine Company

All new controls and cables.

New Ferrodo brake shoes front/rear

New swingarm bushes and pivot

All new wheel bearings and seals

Hagon Rear shocks

All new Billet RGR Veneer ISO’s replaced old shim system

Dave Taylor Headsteady

Converted from points to Boyer electronic ignition

New Lucas Ammeter

New Norton Fastback seat

New Steel tank and petcocks

New wiring Harness

New stator and voltage regulator

New stainless front fender

Norton tool roll and full set of tools

Paintwork done by Nichol’s Paint and Fab

Tires/tubes have less than 300 miles on them.

Original Parts that I will crate for purchaser if they wish to take them with the bike:

o Original petcocks

o Original Amal Carb’s

o Original Fiberglass tank with round Norton Villers emblems. Holds gas, ut ethanol had started to delaminate tank prior to my purchase so needs a good cleaning and liner installed to be usable.

o Recalled 1968 Widowmaker frame - number matched to engine. This frame is not one that should be used for another bike, ut if you were building a museum piece it’s available.

o Original Magazine articles for bike’s release

o Dealership literature.

If you would like to inspect the bike prior to bidding it is available for inspection from 5am – 9pm for the next 7 days. I would encourage you to look at it in the daylight if at all possible as it shows much better in the sun.

Bike is being sold ASIS/Whereis and while it is very beautiful and suitable IMHO for use as artwork in my office, f only my wife would agree(!!), t IS a 48 year old motorcycle that was ridden 8885 miles before being restored and has been ridden 285 since. It should be viewed as such.

Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions that I haven’t answered above.

I will work with you on how final payment can be arranged, ut final payment will need to be cash, ashier’s check, oney order or wire transfer. For everything other than cash I will be very cautious on waiting for complete clearance of funds before releasing the bike. I would like a deposit of $1,000 within 24 hours of the close of the auction to show good faith.

If you choose to have this bike shipped I will work with your shipper but my responsibility for the bike ends when they pick it up so please insure/inspect accordingly. I will not arrange any shipping.

I’ve had good luck working with the following shippers, ut you would want to do research to ensure you have the shipper that meets your requirements.

haulbikes.com

Schumacher Logistics

Federal Motorcycle Transport - http://www.funtransport.com/

Thanks for looking,

Dave

Also published at eBay.com