Description
Additional photos of this Norton Commando 750 are available here for your perusal.
Introduced at the 1967 Earls Court show, the Commando was an instant classic – Motor Cycle News named it Motorcycle of the Year in 1968…and the next four years in a row as well.
1971 was the last year of production before the infamous Combat motor debuted, and the 746cc parallel-twin motor produced 58 horsepower.
This example is titled as a 1972, however the matching numbers (VIN: 151909, Engine #: 20M3S 151909) correspond to a 1971 model.
The seller acquired it six months ago from a private party who had to move out of the state. “He had owned and cherished the bike for 25 years with a full frame-off restoration and enjoyed the bike locally. It is well-known within the SoCal Norton Community.”
During the last six months, the seller has covered approximately 1,000 miles. The odometer now shows 36,847 miles.
The seller is letting it go as “I have three other bikes, all BMWs, each more well-suited to my chosen riding type which is exploring, adventure, and travel. I bought this Norton as a bit of nostalgia on a whim, and I’m glad I did. I thoroughly enjoy it, but it’s not going to get ridden much and will just take up garage space. It belongs with somebody who will enjoy it and ride and tinker in equal amounts and that’s not me yet.”
During his ownership, the seller cleaned and re-jetted the carbs: “I raised the needle (dropped the clip one notch) for the hot summer months to richen it up, so right now I’d recommend raising the clip to drop the needle to lean it out just a bit so it’s a little more crisp.”
The custom orange and gold leaf paint was done in North Hollywood, California.
The stock ’71 Commando had a 8″ twin leading shoe drum front brake, however this example has a disc brake conversion.
In addition, it has a tombstone taillight.
The sale includes some spare parts and a series of receipts from Chatten Cycle for plenty of restoration work.
There are also some historical photos.
Cosmetically, the seller says that it “could use a serious detailing, but nothing that can’t be resolved without time and elbow grease.”
Mechanically, the seller states that this is “an absolute strong runner,” noting that it could use an oil change, some tightening of the wheel spokes, and new spark plugs. He highly recommends utilizing the same NGK spark plugs as this Commando is “sensitive to plugs.”
Steve the Professor replaced the kickstart lever last week.
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment if you’d like to inspect it), this Commando is offered on a clean California title with registration current through May 2021.
Have any Commando stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the comments below!
