sounds like a serious case of hording!

 

thats what I want to do have huge amount of crated motorcycles that I still didn't get to ride or enjoy then die . Seems like a waste to me...

"what's in those boxes sir?"

"Rare motorcycles son."

"Sometimes I come down here and just stare at their beauty."

 

Any pilot worth a **** will tell you that the ship has to be flown just as the pilot needs to stay fit. I have a HS classmate that still flies a 310 Cessna. He admits that exercising the machine is almost too much for him now. It needs to be flown every 30 days. It's got a short stubby wing with gobs of power which makes it twitchy. 100mph over the fence to the landing strip and a bitch if you miss.

If it's been in a crate that long, is it trustworthy? Over-the-road or otherwise? If it's best a museum piece - well - so be it.

 

I'm thinking about listing my left one on eBay to raise some quick bid cash

 

I remember when Norton went belly up. A dealer just south of Mpls. was blowing out the brand new Mk.III's for $1299. They had gone to the left side shift and five speed, electric start, added a bunch of weight to the bike and a full second to the quarter mile E.T.

I bought a used '73 instead.

That Commando is still about the best looking bike anybody ever produced.

 

I wouldn't put gas in it and drive it out of the crate, but those bikes are as good as you can get for a restoration.

 

How do you "restore" a bike that was built in 1975 and then crated for 35 years?

My guess is that you need a couple new tires, a battery and some gas.

 

I'd think all the rubber bushings would be dried out and cracked. And due to possible rust on the cylinder walls and rings, the plugs should be removed to give a look at the cylinder walls with a scope. Same for the transmission bearings and gears, sitting high and dry for 35 years. Then again the engine and trans might be okay, hard to tell what the humidity was like inside those crates. Maybe a shot of oil down the plug holes and an oil change would be all that is needed.

Still, I think I'd take a 2010 Commando 961 SE instead.

 

Probably every rubber bit would need replacing, seals hoses, etc. If it has brake fluid, that's probably the consistency of jelly by now. I had to replace all the brake lines on my Healey because the fluid had hardened.

 

AFAIK they would be delivered dry (shipping rules and all that)... And again for shipping purpose I'd imagine the cylinders and gearbox would have been given a shot of oil long time ago, so once you have replaced all rubber parts, fill up all fluids and fill and charge battery it should run fine... I'd probably spend the time to take apart and inspect all of it though...

And yeah, I'd still have a 73... Anyone find one of those in a crate let me know...

 

If you guys haven't looked, check out the auction link that shows the 461 pictures of what they're auctioning. Aside from the 11 new Nortons, there has to be another 100 bikes there in various state of use and condition. Lots of Triumphs from lots of years! Guy musta been one strange dude!

 

part of the problem was nobody really wanted them when they were new. the quality, performance and reliability had fallen too far below the competition. its interesting now that they would be sought after at all. nostalgia is a beautiful thing.

 

See the last sentence in Post #10.

 

very neat

 

VTRsurfer and Gregw;

I was gonna buy the whole lot of these Nortons and give you each one as a present. Now that you've enlightened me as what a PITA it would be to restore these zero mile crated junk buckets, I've decided to spend my fortune on 35 year old bourbon, 18 year old bimbos and class III weapons!