1965 Norton Atlas 750 (Dunstall Dominator)

Wow! The auction closed at $11,601! How cool! See the comment below from a friend of the seller…

Mmmmmmmmmm…

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh…

Beautiful. Nothing much else to say. I might have missed some minor detail that’s out of place and someone will point it out. Don’t care. Here’s some specs and more pictures below. There’s more pics and the seller’s writeup if you are interested in learning more or trying to buy the bike. The auction’s at $8,200 with 2 days left and 17 bidders (reserve HAS been met)…

The engine features the work of noted tuner Leo Goff including a balanced lower end, 10.1 pistons, Norris SS cam, and gas flowed head resulting in a very fast and smooth 750 Norton motor.
Alloy Rims
Steering Damper (Manx type)
Multi Rate Valve Springs (S&W)
Special Camshaft (Norris SS hotter than 2S Combat cam)
Paired Monobloc 1 1/8″ Carbs
Competition Manual Advance Magneto
5 Gal Racing Tank
Domiracer Seat
The tach and speedo were restored by Nisongers.
The magneto was rebuilt by Doug Wood.
The only flaw is some acid stains on the left silencer from a vented battery (since replaced with a sealed unit).
The bike is very strong and smooth and is ready to ride.

1971 Norton 750 Commando – Gus Kuhn

With about 21 hours left in this eBay auction, here’s a chance to own a classic Gus Kuhn Norton that is fully kitted out. It’s definitely not a show bike, and as the seller claims it starts easily and runs great this would probably be a great bike for Sunday morning runs up to Alice’s Restaurant. That being said, I’m sure this bike would attract a lot of attention if it was parked at any classic bike show.

Here’s a list of parts fitted to the bike

Racing 850 Kit
Updated AMAL MK2
Tomaselli clip-on
Morris mag wheels
AP brake master cylinder
Frame and motor number matching

While reserve hasn’t been met yet, I’d bet that there will be a few more bids before the auction ends. The price currently stands at $3,750 with 8 bids.

1971 Norton Commando 850 Cafe Racer

First off, I would like to apologize for the poor quality of the previous bike and post. After taking a month plus off from blogging about the current crop of cafe racers, I was mostly discombobulated while writing that, given a comment or two that I received both online and in person. Be that as it may, it is time to move on to bigger and better things. Below you will see what I hope is my apology in action…

Here we have a really nice Commando 850 that has been entirely cafe’d. I am having trouble finding anything missing from this bike that would need upgrading immediately upon purchase. You could, of course, add higher-performance parts to it. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is basically a turnkey bike that the buyer can hop on and ride. The seller has been honest with the few issues that it has (speedo cable, oil weep, and tank dings), and it has a recently rebuilt engine. If there is anything I have missed that should be there (me not being a true Norton expert or anything like that), please let me know…

Currently, there is less than a day left in the auction, and the price is in the mid $4K range with 21 bidders. Perhaps it will break $5K before the auction ends. It isn’t perfect, but the seller is being very upfront with the issues it does have. Good luck if you bid…

1974 Norton Commando MKII Roadster 850

Here’s a beautiful, clean, and non-restored Norton Commando cafe racer. The price is currently a low $3,150 with 2 1/2 days left in the auction. The seller has it listed on craigslist for $4,100, so I suspect the reserve is no higher than the craigslist price.

I focused on the price first, because the pics tell most of the story. However, there is more to the story. The seller is honest about the flaws on this bike, which include a small amount of road rash from a low speed dump and a couple of instances of cracked glass (speedo and headlight). It also has some nice upgrades other than the cafe racer aesthetics including electronic ignition, new headers, and an RGM brake system.

What’s especially nice about this bike is that it is very representative of a true British cafe racer. And honestly, the only aesthetic thing that has been done to this bike is the conversion to clubman bars. Damn, I wish I could afford this bike!

1963 / 1978 Triton 750

Here’s a beautiful cafe racer that is the real deal. This full on Triton build is at auction on eBay with a current price of $6K with about 3 days left. I expect this bike to close much higher than the current price. According to the seller, it is a ground up rebuild with almost all new parts. It is missing the battery tray, so factor that in if you want this bike. Overall, a very beautiful motorcycle.

1974 Norton Commando 850 Cafe Racer

I thought I had posted this bike already, but apparently I hadn’t. There’s only a little over a day left in the auction, so I’m sorry for the late notice. It is a beautiful bike, though, so I’m glad I caught it…

This Commando 850 cafe racer appears to be a pretty clean bike. The paint appears to be in good condition, and the “engine has fresh service and valve adjustment, all new fluids, runs perfectly…………. easy start hot or cold” to quote the seller. No idea if that’s true or not. It’s got a bunch of new parts and upgrades including 18″ wheels and an electronic ignition. Overall, a really nice Norton.

1973 Triumph T140V 750 Cafe Racer

Here’s a beautiful, professionally built cafe racer that started life as a Triumph T140. It appears the bike has been entirely gone through with lots of new parts, including a full engine rebuild (top and bottom end), new ignition, custom exhaust and seat, new rims/spokes, etc. One of my favorite features is the polished aluminum tank. It and the red frame and fenders really make this bike stand out.

There are four days left in the auction for this bike, and it currently has 8 bidders who have taken the price up to $3,550 currently. Good luck if you are interested, as this is a truly magnificent bike that will make the new owner very, very happy…

Norton Featherbed Cafe Racer (Not Quite Complete)

Up on eBay right now is this Norton Featherbed cafe racer. Or should I say partially completed cafe racer. Most of the major bits are there, but a few things are missing. First, the seller does not have carbs installed, but has a set of Amal 930 carbs that will be thrown in for an extra $200. And then you will need to find some kind mufflers to put on there. The motor is a 1969 Atlas 750 that has supposedly been modded, and the Featherbed frame is a 1962 600SS.

If you can live with the caveats listed here and in the seller’s listing, this might be a great bike that will really turn heads once it is completed. Just go into the purchase with eyes open expecting to have to do a bit of work. Bidding is currently at about $3K with just over 4 days left…

Nice Fiberglass Cafe Racer Seat on eBay

I found this nice-looking cafe racer seat on eBay this afternoon. There’s only a couple of hours left though. Hopefully, the seller will repost it again…

Specs: seat is 8 1/2″ wide at front, 9 1/2 wide at hump, 28″ long, seat area is 16″ long

1973 Honda CB750 Cafe Racer (Kinda Old School)

Up for auction on eBay right now is this semi-finished 1973 Honda CB750 cafe racer conversion. There are definitely aspects to this bike that I really like. It has kind of a Zero Engineering feel to it, what with the old school look of the front end and the white grips. But it seems like maybe the bike needs a few more weekends before trying to get a premium for it on eBay. The seller did lower his original Buy-It-Now price, but I think he might have difficulty reaching either that or his also lowered reserve price. Read the sellers description if you are interested, because there are a few things wrong. I’m still trying to find the muffler(s), as they seem to be missing…