Unique bikes: Norton Commando + Ducati auction

By: Guy Allen

Date: 15.05.2023

Norton's final Seventies fling has come into is own as a classic

All these decades down the track – about five – it’s incredible that a relatively narrow focus and low-volume motorcycle can still hold so much cultural traction.We’re talking of the Norton Commando. (And by that, I mean the originals and not the revival models.)

First shown at the UK Earls Court Show (then enjoying the sunset of its glory as the motorcycle expo to watch) in 1967, the Commando was built in something resembling volume from February 1968 to – several changes of ownership and factory later – October 1977.

For those not in the know, we’re talking of a 750-850cc air-cooled, pushrod, four-stroke twin, claiming 65 horses in Combat form (58-60 in the cooking versions) and weighing in the region of 190kg. Nothing special by current standards, perhaps, but definitely within the performance goalposts.

There are numerous variations on the Commando theme. For example, between the first bike and the 1972 Fastback Mk IV, there was an S, a Roadster, a MkIII SS, an Interstate, and an SS street scrambler to appease an American market that still wasn’t appeased... it goes on. And there were a couple of Hi-Rider variations.

What you’re looking at here is a representative of the final fling for the old Wolverhampton/Andover factories. It’s a 1975 MkIII 850 Roadster – there was also an Interstate equivalent with a larger fuel tank.

It was fitted with an electric start in an attempt to make the bike more competitive with its Japanese rivals, most notably the Honda 750-Four and then Kawasaki Z1 900.

This generation had the majority of mechanical issues solved and tended to be reasonably reliable though they still need to be treated with care.

They’ve proven to be a good place to park your money over the years, with a very good example now worth in the region of $30‑35,000.

More at AllMoto.com.

Auction block: Ducati 1198 Superleggera

ducati continues to be the darling of the international auction market, particularly if it’s an upmarket or limited edition model...

This 1198 Superleggera from 2014 with just 8km on the odo recently sold via Bring-a-Trailer for $83,000. In this case, the combination of exclusive model and super-low mileage were the main factors in the price realised.

The Superleggera was a hotted-up limited edition, with 500 made, and it retailed for an eye-watering $85,000 when new. For comparison, you’d expect to pay no more than $20,000 for a ‘plain’ 1198 with reasonably low kays. More at AllMoto.com.

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From Unique Cars #479, Jun 2023

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