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Orriginality

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Just spotted a very  nice Norton for sale, described as orriginal and unmolested.. It has many wrong parts fitted or missing..,Rear enclosure,side panels seat,tank badges, center stand ,oil tank, light switch,front mudguard,rear mudguard,battery holder, frame brackets,silencers,numberplate,chainguard.kickstart.steering stop frame coverplate,.Paint colour. If you are paying a premium for an orriginal bike check carefully.  Sadly if the bike had been orriginal it would be the first I have seen in my 55 years of Nortoning.and probably the only one still in existance.Don't think the vendor is intentionaly miss describing it, just does not know.

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Robert many bikes are described as this, on Ebay and I think a lot of it is known not to be true by the vendors. I knew very little about Norton's in depth, so ended up with a mismatched box of bits, with re-stamped engine! However,  slightly less than £2,500 is less of a hit than say £6,000-£8,500 for an unoriginal product for those wishing for originality.

phclassicandretro@hotmail.co.uk seem to be a firm to be avoided, generally bullshit and inflated priced abound through out the Classic bike world, but this is a prime example, I hope someone doesn't fall for it thinking they have a Classic!

It has all become about money and scamming the unwary!

People are paying "Top-Dollar" for "completely professionally, restored" examples and finding them to be "A crock of shit" on later inspection by those in the know, especially in the engine department.

 

"Buyer beware" comes to mind!

John

 

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I don't think orriginality is that important. A handsome bike that is obviously a Norton is fine by me. I enjoy the process of looking over the bike and trying to determine what it was before it became what it is. If I were 10 years younger I would be buying that bike selling off most of it and starting the long process of bringing it back to something resembling what it was. Not because it was an especially brilliant bike,but because I would have something very rare that no one else is likely to have (or maybe even want!) .I get bored with rows of immaculate BSA gold Stars or Vincents. Different is my thing.

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.. with Robert - I like originality but am quite happy to see a well built hybrid. But the term "well built" is key.

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Robert, 55 years ago I bought an all original blue metallic 99. It lasted original all summer. Then came the winter.

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Hello now on EBay this is a deluxe 650 said to be in original contion minus its tin wear including the mudguards are aftermarket stainless steel along with every other componat and in black and silver ,witch delux  650 are not they were in polyscente blue   a and Dove grey it would make a nice bike but its over priced yours Anna J 

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Anna , the ad's been changed!

And while we are on it, re paint and colours the Factories bought,War Department and Government surplus stuff. Paint more than often wasn't about aesthetics, but more about how cheap it was to buy in bulk; hence, sky blues, battleship greys, sea greens.... just right for a dozy motorist not to see you coming along the road!

I emailed him early morning after reading Robert's take and sent him a picture of a Deluxe, he got back and said he had altered the advertisment, was selling for a a friend and knew nothing about Norton's.

 

John

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Is no one else has one like it - Like artwork, there is either the original or a copy. Mine was already a mongrel when I got it, and I've made it into 'My Original'. 

Luckily mine wasn't anything like a 1967 bike or complete when I was given it, so I had no reservations on making it back to what it would have been like when originally built. Here are some pictures of how my bike has evolved during my ownership.

hello john if we're on the same page this eBay add says the bike was rebuilt four years ago if the guy who rebuilt it had just done his research a bit more and found the right tinware  IE The rear end parts a set of nice tank badges and done research on his paintwork this bike would now be worth near twice as much as he asking, As there are not that many in this country  all most all were exported and anyone with my talent could make a top bike from this,  something that looks like it's just come out of the factory back in late 1961    As these were made from September 1961  to September 1962 how many were made only the factory records knows  all 650 deluxe had 18D stamp marked in the engine numbers  These are interesting machines  and very hard to find Now  I do hope it ends up in the right hands,    Yours   Anna J

 


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