1975 Norton Commando 850 Mk. 3 Electric Start - Roadster

I purchased this Norton in June of 1982. It was advertised as 'Norton Cover Girl'. which I learned meant that it was the actual bike supplied for the cover photograph of the third edition of the Clymer Norton manual.

The seller was Eric Jorgensen. who was at that time the editor of the Clymer motorcycle manuals. The bike was his personal ride. which he had provided for the cover photograph. It was sold new. and had been serviced up to the time of my purchase by Brian Slark Classic Motorcycles.

The bike has never been involved in an accident. or dropped. It has been well stored and weather-protected for its entire life. It has never been raced. save a few street races. which it has won every time.

In October of 2009. I commissioned Phil Radford of Fair Spares America to do a ground-up no-holds-barred restoration.

Phil invested nearly two years in this project. and everything was checked. tested. and examined to the smallest detail. Absolutely everything was blueprinted or better.

The 329 miles shown on the trip odometer represent the mileage from the moment the bike left his shop to the present day. 178 of those miles were from Phil doing shakedown rides and testing during the rebuild. The remaining 151 have been put on it by me since the work was completed.

The engine. gearbox. and primary still have break-in oil in them. These will need to be changed when the bike has completed 500 miles of travel. Oil specifics will be provided to the buyer.

All numbers on this bike are original and matching. This includes the frame. engine. gearbox. primary case. and even the electric starter.

The gearbox is the original factory-fitted four-speed unit.

Frame and trim:

 - The bike was taken down to the bare frame. the frame was measured and examined. and all measurements and welds were found to be perfect.  The frame was prepared and powder-coated in gloss black.

 - A new center stand and spring were fitted. The side stand was powder-coated in gloss black. and reinstalled using a new spring. rubber bumper. and stainless mounting hardware.

 - The tank and side-covers were repainted and re-decaled in the original color scheme by Mike Anthony of Van Der Tay. The colors match perfectly to the factory original paint.

 - The seat has been custom upholstered in leather by Wayne Foss. but using the original Norton seatpan. The leather has a few scratches due to an overzealous cat. and the underside of the pan is in need of repainting.

Engine. gearbox. and primary case:

The engine. gearbox. and primary case were completely torn down and rebuilt. including the installation of additional oil seals at common points of leakage. All components that were found to be even slightly worn were replaced.

 - A new factory H4 head was fitted. New stock-bore Hepolite pistons and rings were fitted to the original connecting rods. which were found to be in perfect condition. The original camshaft showed pitting on the lobes. so a new factory camshaft in the standard grind was fitted. The crankshaft was examined and found to be perfect. and was refitted with FAG Superblend main bearings. New stainless top oil lines and rocker end caps were installed. The engine barrels were sandblasted and powder-coated.

 - The gearbox was upgraded with a case-saver layshaft bearing. The gearbox sprocket was replaced with a genuine Norton 20-tooth unit. as originally fitted at the factory. The kickstart lever/crank was replaced with a new genuine Norton unit. as the old one had some top pivot wear and flaking chrome.

 - In the course of the primary rebuild. the clutch plates were sandblasted. and replaced as needed. Two Barnett plates were added into the mix for better clutch action and travel. A new factory hardened clutch center was installed. The primary chain was replaced with a new one from Renold.

 - New non-crossover header pipes were installed. along with new pea-shooter mufflers. All exhaust mounting hardware was replaced in stainless.

- All cases and covers were professionally polished. and reinstalled using stainless allen capscrews. wherever appropriate. In general. stainless hardware was used extensively.

Fuel system:

 - The Amal carburetors were sleeved and completely rebuilt. A K&N air filter was fitted.

 - The fuel tank was re-lined with an alcohol-tolerant coating.

 - New fuel valves and lines were fitted.

Braking and suspension system:

 - The braking system was improved by upgrading the front master cylinder. fitting a new rear master cylinder. and rebuilding the slave cylinders with stainless components and new seals.

 - The shock absorbers and springs were replaced with new adjustable ones from Hagon. The front forks were completely rebuilt. nbsp;including new fork tubes on both sides. The triple-clamp was prepared and powder-coated in silver. The steering head bearings were replaced.

 - The isolastic suspension system was completely rebuilt. including refitting and adjusting the NORVIL RACING head-steady.

 - New Excel 19" WM2 alloy rims with stainless spokes were fitted. along with Avon Roadrider tires. The front and rear wheel hubs were professionally polished.

 - A new stainless chain-guard was fitted. as were a new drive chain and adjuster. A new genuine Norton rear sprocket was installed on a stainless axle. The cushblocks were found to be in excellent condition and were simply reset.

Electrical:

 - The electrical system was completely rebuilt to the latest standard using all new components. including a new main wiring harness and headlamp-shell harness. A new alternator. stator. and rotor were fitted. A new electronic ignition from Pazon of New Zealand was fitted. Phil Radford considers this unit to be superior to the Boyer because it will fire at a much lower voltage.

 - The starter motor is a four-brush conversion. and along with related wiring upgrades and a new solenoid. provides a genuine and reliable electric start.

The above outline is considerably condensed. Complete documentation of every phase of the rebuild will be provided to the buyer. in the form of invoices and written progress reports from Phil Radford.

This item is sold with no warranty. and with no returns. California clear title and a bill of sale will be provided to the buyer at the time of pickup.

Within 24 hours of the close of the auction. a $2000 deposit must be made via Paypal.  

Pickup. shipping. and all related fees are solely the responsibility of the buyer.

The bike will be available for pickup with 48 hours notice. after payment in full is completed and verified.  The balance must be paid within 7 days of the close of the auction. via a cashier's check. drawn on a major US bank.

Also published at eBay.com