Big Question - what should I pay for a good Dommi ?

The alloy heatsink sounds like a zener diode has been fitted as part of a 12v conversion.

I doubt if anyone will really want to pass an opinion on a bike they have not seen. But I've just seen a 650ss on sale for 1500 less than that. Looks good...

Its not easy to determine if a machine is worth the asking price,the last three machines I bought had all been restored to a decent visual standard and all ran with no smoke or significant noises. However they all needed a full mechanical strip and had serious problems . Unless you know the restorers reputation or take a real expert to assess the bike and take it for a long ride I would assume that they are all restoration projects and will need 1 to 2k spending on them. My best bike is reliable and fast but looks to be unrestored and well used, its the way I like it,no worries about getting dirty ,the odd scratch, and minor misshaps without recriminations. If the bike has been in regular use with many years of MOT's then its a fair bet in my book. See as many bikes as you can to gain experiance. for 8k it would need to be restored mostly orriginal,all there and a good rider. Anything less and I would offer5k.

Difficult to answer - at least from my side of the pond . Wideline Dommies are pretty rare in the USA.

I won the bidding for a 1956 Model 99 on eBay some years ago . The bike was in bits and large lumps as they say and as I recall I paid something over $ 3,000. U.S. for it . I drove 9 hours to retrieve it and the seller failed to mention in the ad that the crank cases had been welded up from an obvious attempt on the part of a connecting rod to escape the confines of its environment. The cylinders also had vacant spaces where fins once resided. What was one to do ? I was more enthusiastic at that time than I am now - I had already invested a day in traveling and would spend another returning - it had a clear title which is of significant value , and as stated earlier they don't come up very often so I brought it home. It is waiting in the wings for my attention and hopefully will receive it one day.

What I am trying to say is that the value of the bike is dependent on many things - supply vs demand obviously but also on how bad you want it .

If you get one I hope you will update this thread and share some photos with us .

Cheers - Richard

I would avoid an immaculate restored example with only a few recent miles on the clock. So often they turn out to be mechanical disasters. Look for one which is in current use, starts and goes well. £8,000 is not cheap. You would have to be very sure you were getting a good one for that.

I would just add that "restored" means less than nothing unless you know who did the restoration.If a bike is really good it's worth overpaying for it, but the only way to know if a bike is really good is to know the seller and the bike's history. Otherwise, at the very least, price in a full mechanical rebuild. Hate to be so negative, but it's based on hard earned experience.

I agree with all the above comments; from bitter experience!

And me too. Been there ,done that,got a whole wardrobe!, Easy to be dazzled by a beautifull bike but then to find out later that the restorer was a complete twatt with mechanics. I am the other side of the coin, anyone who buys a bike from me will rightly assume from the looks that the bike needs a full strip but will waste thier time as in the last 50 years of riding I have only had to be recovered once when the current non cleanable NGK plugs fouled up. Now running some Vintage KLG's with a spare set of Lodge in the tool tray!!. They were good enough to run in a Spitfires 12cylinder Merlin so will do for me.

In 1998, I paid 3,250 for a ?54 Dominator 88. The machine had had a complete (cosmetic) restoration, 14 years previously, and still looked very original. The bike had obviously been trailed to shows, and put on static display, as it had done very little mileage, since the restoration. When I got it home, I found out why! It started, and ticked over fine, but was completely gutless, and would not exceed 60 m.p.h.. I don?t want to think how much I have spent, since then!. Unless you know the full history of a bike, and are allowed an extensive test run, it might be better to buy a "Tatty" runner, then restore it to the extent you are happy with.

In 1998, I paid 3,250 for a ?54 Dominator 88. The machine had had a complete (cosmetic) restoration, 14 years previously, and still looked very original. The bike had obviously been trailed to shows, and put on static display, as it had done very little mileage, since the restoration. When I got it home, I found out why! It started, and ticked over fine, but was completely gutless, and would not exceed 60 m.p.h.. I don?t want to think how much I have spent, since then!. Unless you know the full history of a bike, and are allowed an extensive test run, it might be better to buy a "Tatty" runner, then restore it to the extent you are happy with.

i bought a Norton on an age related plate i thought i would check the info on it using ( text check ) system to see if it had been stolen or wrote off ect it come back ok. so i bought the bike then about 18 months later i used the AA car check system to check out a car i was interested in. as i had a couple of AA checks left i thought i would put the bike number in i had bought 18 months previous i found out it had been an insurance write off under its previous number. so i think its a good idea using similar system to help check its history.

Barry

Whoops....double entry again, sorry!

Previously mike_haworth wrote:

I am looking for a well sorted Dommi 99. Looked at one today. Although documentation is sketchy it appears to have only done 17500miles since 1958. Strangely it seems to have had a major engine rebuild when it was only three years old ! Other documentation shows a full restoration job in 1995. Since then it has only done a few hundred miles. Although it starts easily and appears to run well obviously the restoration work is now tired. Is this worth £8000 ??

New to Nortons I'm not sure what to expect. I'm refurbishing a Model 50 currently and have discovered how much this costs ! The big question is where should I set my sights when seeking a well sorted Dominator. I want a bike to ride, with not too much additional expenditure and that looks good. Is £8000 enough to secure such a machine or should I expect to pay more/or less ?

This bike has something aluminium and finned mounted beneath the head stock. It has a wire to it, but this isn't connected to anything. What is this device ?

Mike Haworth

never take the mileage for granted it been clocked , things to look for A matching engine and frame numbers and remove the tank and on the top lug were your head steady is there is in very small letter and numbers of the date the bike was made like my 1960 650cc Norton Manxman dated M/12/60 and my 1954 dominator rebuilt from ground up dated D/4/54 this is just how you find the numbers stamped cut in to the top edge of the top lugs head steady and have a long screwdriver handy to have a listen to the engine on tick over for rumbling noises and rattles and light knocking sounds by putting you ear to the handle end and screw drive end to the engine cases and sit and listen carefully yours anna j