1974 Norton Cafe Racer

For some reason I seem to be on a Norton kick at this time. I want one. That big long stroke motor, watching the front wheel shake at stop lights…wait a minute, we’re heading into a way different topic of discussion here…uh, back to motorcycles.

I think the main reason I’m on this Norton kick is because my friends at ‘Left Coast Racing’ and I are getting ready for another Bonneville LSR run in couple of months with a pair of Norton’s. We currently hold a Land Speed Record with a rather built up 1959 Norton.

The very first Norton I ever took for a ride was a ‘rode hard and put away wet’ 750 Commando back in the early 70′s that my step dad rescued from some guys back yard. It was a lot different from the BSA’s and Triumph’s I had been riding, and honestly…at that time, I liked my Lightning 650 a lot better. But, being the good motorcycle souls that we were, we went about resurrecting it…a project that took over a year and a lot more money than my mom knows about.

During that same time, we were also upgrading a Triumph Bonneville from a standard 650cc to a Weslake 750 model (again, another story for anther time…and a really good one??). The Commando rebuild was a lot easier thanks to people like Brian Slark, Domiracer and Berliner. At the end of the year both motorcycles were finished, broken in appropriately and then taken out for a proper thrashing…Sunday morning on Angeles Crest Highway.

I fell in love with the Norton. Up to that time my motorcycling life had been with high revving two strokes, and somewhat high revving (by then current standards) English and Japanese twins, the Norton was a different feeling altogether. Where my BSA would feel light at the bars, the Norton was dead steady, the BSA needed some revs to get off a corner quickly, the Norton just needed a nudge on the throttle…the BSA needed you to pay attention, the Norton just went along with however you were riding that day (even with a minor (major) hangover).

The Norton was sold to a friend of a friend of a friend or their third cousin by marriage twice removed (no Alabama jokes here…) and was never seen again. I had grown to love that motorcycle and was sad to see it leave the garage…the guy didn’t even ride it home, he put it in a pick up truck!??? After all the work we did?… and he didn’t even live 20 miles away!! This was way before the days of ebay and buying a motorcycle on the other side of the world was easy.

So today, while working on our other websites, http://www.ilovecaferacers.com and http://www.themotoworld.com and cruising ebay looking for yet another project bike for a friend, I came upon a very nice Norton that is ready to ride and has some very nice bits and pieces.

This is a 1974 850 Commando that is a runner but…it has been sitting for years according to the owner so if you buy this bike you really need to go through the carbs, change the fluids, probably the tyres…all the standard stuff but I think this bike will be well worth the effort.

The bike has been outfitted with the Dunstall bits that really make it great, starting with the Dunstall 2 into 1 into 2 exhaust system. This exhaust is worth the price of admission alone, it is a work of art in every respect…performance and looks. The beautiful tank and that very slim front fender (I put one of those on the front of my H2, it was pretty worthless as far as fenders go, but I loved how it looked), the 850 also has what looks to me like Lester mag wheels. This Norton only has only 8800 miles on the clock and like I said before, with just some standard service, should be a wonderful ride.

Click on the pics below for more pictures and a little more info. This is a great bike for the money.

74 Dunstall Norton

1971 Norton 850 Commando (relist on eBay)

Here’s a relisted Norton cafe racer that I liked a lot the first time around, and I don’t like it any less now. There is no reserve on the auction, so it should sell this time. Maybe it was a non-paying bidder last time? No idea. Current price is $2,550 with over 4 days left and a few bidders. Here’s the link to the original bike, or you can click through to the new listing through the pics below…
ORIGINAL POSTING

A Couple Of eBay Relists…

I noticed these two relists on eBay this morning, and I wonder if they will sell this time around. I am kind of surprised that the Honda has 20 bids thus far (but still not meeting reserve), whilst the XS650 has zero bids. I get that the Yamaha needs a small amount of completion work, but still…

Relisted bikes on eBay?

What’s going on with all of the relists of bikes (specifically cafe racers) on eBay right now? Are buyers falling through? Are they all not meeting reserve? Maybe the economy is keeping these bikes from selling. Enquiring minds want to know.

As always, watch out for second chance offers on any eBay item as they are often fraudulent.

Tarozzi Folding Rear-Sets For Your Cafe Racer

Here’s a nice set of Tarozzi not-really-used rear-sets that might make a good addition for your cafe racers. Like most, they don’t come with a bracket, so it’s up to you to find a suitable place to mount these footpegs/controls. Because they aren’t technically new anymore (although they have never been used), the seller has started the auction at a very low price, but reserve has not yet been met…

2004 Triumph Thruxton 900 (Project bike hell…)

Sometimes when I’m surfing the web, a bike catches my eye at first glance, and I get really excited. Then I look closer, and that original excitement diminishes as I see the small problems, and then the larger problems, and then wonder why I wasted the time on the bike.

This eBay listing suckered me with the thought of a bike I love at a pretty great price. $2,900 and no bids yet! And I even read the first two lines of the copy:
“Up for sale is a 2004 Triumph Thruxton 900 with only 7593 miles.
Runs, and drives mint! Perfectly straight. One owner bike.”

Then I got to the pictures…

If you decide to buy this bike, please be aware that it has been crashed. Crashed such that it is no easy project to repair. A bent subframe, broken controls, trashed instruments, and broken fenders (plus miscellaneous other problems) are all going to contribute to a migraine the size of the factory in Hinckley while it was on fire.

I’d love to see if someone could make this a nice build for a minimum of dollars, but I suspect there is even more here than meets the eye. If interested, please look at EVERY photo and talk to the seller. And be very afraid…

Almost passes the 20 foot test...

Except for that rear fender/seat, it almost looks better from this side...

Uh oh. Now we see the problem up close...

Maybe a torch and some straightening before trying to put a cafe racer seat on here...

Only 7,593.5 miles on the clock!!! /:-\

1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR (Daily Rider)

Unlike most of the Harley-Davidson XLCRs that come up for sale, this one is actually a daily rider (or at least that’s what the seller claims). But who are we to doubt this claim? And why would anyone claim that if it weren’t true?

Overall, it is a relatively clean bike, although it does have some indications of the fact it is no trailer queen. A few chips on the gas tank, road grime, and a reasonably used look are all indicators of this. But maybe the reserve is set lower than some of the other XLCRs that have been appearing on eBay lately. And you wouldn’t have to feel too bad about buying this bike and then riding it a bunch more…

Best Harley license plate ever!!!

1970 Honda CB350

I found this Honda CB350 on eBay, and I almost think I shouldn’t be posting it here. It is really nice as is. It isn’t restored per se, it is just in really good condition.

That being said, it would make a really good basis for a cafe racer project. Just think, you could start with a clean motorcycle, not some rusted out garage find that will take a month of elbow grease just to get it prepped for the build (let alone start attaching cool parts to it like a seat or rear-sets). And you could ride it before starting the tear-down. And maybe, just maybe, you would decide not to convert it as it is too nice for that…

The Detroit Brothers Sportster Is For Sale Again?!?!?

How many times am I going to find this bike for sale on eBay? About 3 or 4 apparently…

I’m a little bit suspicious of this bike being for sale again. The seller gives some kind of light-weight explanation of the reason for the resale — “I won the Detroit Brothers Cafe Racer #26 from James about a month ago on ebay. I just want to go in a different direction.” Whatever.

If you are bidding on this bike, please do some My Messaging with the seller and with James from Detroit Brothers to try and track this bike down. I would hate for anyone to end up getting scammed…

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…