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Norton Commando John Player on the block August 2020 The next Shannons online classic auction – August 19-26 – features this rather nice 1974 Norton Commando John Player, complete with the lightweight replica race glass. It carries an estimate of Au$24-28,000 Under the clothes it's essentially a MkIIA 850 (actually 829cc), which means kick-start only. The JP replicas were to mimic the high-profile F750 racers of the time and pretty much instantly became a collector item. The bodywork is a thin fibreglass, with a sheath covering the 12lt steel fuel tank underneath. Tuning is absolutely standard, so we're talking 60 horses at 6200rpm and a four-speed transmission. Though made in small numbers, the model breathed some much-needed life into Norton showrooms at a time when the marque was suffering major industrial disputes. It was priced at a substantial premium at US$2995 when a stock Commando was $2500. However a Ducati 750SS was priced at a heady US$3500, while a 750 Sport was $2600. See this link for a spec sheet and contemporary road test from Cycle magazine. See the auction catalogue here. See a feature on our Commando MkIII here. ------------------------------------------------- Produced by AllMoto abn 61 400 694 722 |
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