Hi All
I wonder if anyone can help me or point me in the right direction to look? I live in New Zealand and have a Norton Commando 850. From the previous owner, I understand that it was imported second hand as a complete bike from England in or around 1994. It has no electric start and has a disc front brake. I would like to get a more accurate history or at least manufacture date of the bike and hence have examined the engine and frame numbers. The engine number (stamped on the crank case and transmission) is 305834, which places the bike at 1973, which makes sense. The confusing part is the frame number. There is no aluminium plate riveted to the yolk of the frame (which I understand there usually is), however there is a number stamped into the left-hand side of the yolk and that number is 00115 (and has no prefix or suffix). I have heard that this might make sense if the bike was one of the Commandos from that period which had its frame manufactured in Italy, rather than England, and hence it may be a complete, original bike.
If anyone can shed any light on the situation, that would be most appreciated. Ideally, I would like to know if the bike is complete and original and if so, what is its exact model and date of manufacture. If not, what is the origin of the frame?
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Ben.
Ben, don't fall for the n…
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Cheers for this Joe. To cl…
Cheers for this Joe. To clarify; the 00115 is stamped onto the steering head of the frame, on the left-hand side.Thanks.
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Ben, don't fall for the national folklore. Most Commandos had Verlicchi frames, and Verlicchi were and are to date frame suppliers to small, insignificant motorcycle manufacturers like BMW, Ducati, Aprilia etc. Nothing wrong with their frames.
Genuine frame numbers were stamped on the r.h. side of the steering head, but most Commandos left the factory without one.
The 00115- do you actually mean it is on the fork yoke, or on the frame? I suppose it is either a casting number, a batch number, or something hammered into it by some befuddles owner. As frame numbers go it makes no sense at all.
Bike sounds like a standard 850Mk1 of the first model year.