1970 Dunstall Norton Commando
With any sports bike offered by a manufacture there is someone out there who wants to improve it. This is the case with Paul Dunstall. He started as a club racer, started to produce his own race ready parts, and by the mid ‘60s was the go to guy to make your street bike much more then the bike that rolled out of the factory. This Dunstall Norton offered on eBay now is a nice looking representation of effort of Paul at the turn of the 1970’s.
From the seller
1970 Norton Commando
Dunstall Kit
750 CC
Rear Sets
Re-Sleeved Amals
Lucas Rita Electronic Ignition
Rebuilt Tachometer and Speedometer
Bike runs good, but does wet sump. I have two anti-sump valves installed, but I still get smoke from time to time, out of the left hand side, when starting. Could need valve guides, I’m not sure. Mileage is unknown. I noted 85 because that’s what the speedometer reads since it was rebuilt.
If you were to walk into your Norton dealer in 1970 you would have been able to get a couple different styled Commando’s. Performance off the showroom was near to 58hp at 6800rpm from the 745cc engine fed by 30mm Amals. Before 1973 you could order Dunstall kits which would address braking, exhaust, engine performance and styling. You could choose the full meal deal, or just add some mufflers. After 1973 Dunstall shipped complete bikes to US dealers. He had also started producing Honda and other Japanese performance parts. When you hear someone say Dunstall, you have to wonder to what extent they were able to take their bike.
From the history of Dunstall
Dunstall was closely linked to the launch of the Commando. At the launch there were brochures listing custom and conversion or tuning kits. The conversion kits provided three levels of tune and resulted from collaboration with Dunstall. The first stage raised the compression ratio to 10:1 and included a pair of long tapered megaphone shaped silencers to push the speed up to 120 MPH. Stage two brought in a new camshaft, exhaust pipes, inlet tracts and inlet valves to go to 130 MPH. Stage three added a hotter camshaft, racing exhaust system with megaphone, bigger carburettors and a further 7 MPH. All the kits included various other odds and ends, but in the end, none were ever produced.
One of the major improvements offered by Dunstall were in the front end. Twin disks were relatively new to the scene, and Dunstall offered some of the first after market upgrades. This Commando appears to have the stock twin leading shoe front brake, and this leads me to wonder how much of the catalog was used, or how little. There is really no way to know without taking the engine down, and since the seller doesn’t let us know, you can only use your eyes, and not assume things you cannot see. BB
1936 Ariel Red Hunter
I have never learned a lot about Ariel Motorcycles, but I have always liked them. This Red Hunter from 1936 offered up on eBay now is the single cylinder from the company that started making powered bicycles in 1898. The singles came in 250cc, 350cc and the big 500cc and were popular for both grass track racing and trials competitions. The Red tank and rims are obvious highlights to this big British single, an advertisement as it goes down the road.
The seller tells very little about the bike
Motor number CB2815
Frame F4674
Reserve less then the Buy it now $14k
One of only 10 Bronze Head versions
An eBay shopper corrected the seller on the year of the bike, and I would be surprised at the limited number of Bronze Cylinder head examples listed by the seller. Before aluminum found itself into cylinder head, bronze was a performance upgrade that you would see in competition bikes. Even thought bronze was not an improvement in weight, it did give better thermal conductivity, dissipating heat from exhaust valves and valve springs who’s metallurgy was not yet up to the wear and tear of competition. As you can see the valves are un-covered, allowing the rider to quickly remove and replace broken valve springs.
The Red Hunter was offered from 1932 through 1959. The engine was designed by Val Paige who had come from J.A Prestwick, and improved upon by Edward Turner who would become an icon for anyone who rides a Triumph. The girder forks up front and rigid rear end did not stop riders from taking these bike off road in trials events, and the high exhaust pipe, and bronze head lead you to believe that this bike was special ordered to compete. Number I found give the 500cc engine 17hp at 5600rpm and a top speed of 80mph. This may not seem a lot, but you have to remember that the speed limit in England was 30mph for many years.
Ariel was bough by BSA after WW II and like other names purchased by what would become AMC, the Ariel did not gets its opportunity to fight for market share. They went through a period when the badge found itself on scooters and not motorcycles. Which is too bad because with designers like Val Paige and Edward Turner the Ariel had what it takes to compete. This Red Hunter is proof of that.
1975 MV Agusta 750S America
When I first saw this MV Agusta, I thought that this would be a great Eye Candy post. One were you just highlight the pictures, talk a little bit about the MV Agusta history and be good. The first thing that changed that was thesellers description of this 750S America. When I read about how the America came to be, it showed again the power that the American market had on the motorcycle industry.
From the seller
For Sale a original MV Agusta 750 S. This MV Agusta was rebuilt from a 750S to aAmerica.
I owned this MV Agusta for over 30 years, but i retired and so someone else can enjoy this very nice Motor.
Building Year: 1975
Frame number: 2140536
Lock head brakes rear and front disc brakes from Fontan
EPM wheels
This MV Agusta is in a very good condition and technical 100%, see pictures and when you have more questions please mail or call. No oil leaks, gearbox 100% and drives great. The MV Agusta is registerd and all the papers are here, so no problem for export or import.
When I tried to figure out the differences between the 750S and the 750S America, the story was more about two guys and what they wanted. Chris Garville and Jim Cotherman were from Commerce Overseas Corp., the importer of MV Agustas to America, and in 1974 they took a trip over to Italy and knocked on MV Agusta’s door. What they asked for, what all Americans ask all motorcycle manufactures, is for more power.
MV Agusta appears to have had a new prototype ready for the 1975 model year, so with the two Americans showing up at the door, there was already a place to start. The first step always in getting more power is to get more displacement. With only a 2mm change in the bore of the stock engine, the displacement increase was nominal, but a starting point. Next up was the top end. A redesigned intake track, larger intake and exhaust valves, and a reshaping of the combustion chamber were the major changes to the engine to get the desired results. With these changes, and an increase from 10.1 to 10.2:1 compression ration, horse power appears to have increased from 66hp at 8000rpm to 75hp at 8500rpm for the new American.
Changes were also made in the carburetion, going from and older designed 24mm Dell’Orto to a newer, more modern 26mm unit. The front end was also improved with 38mm Cenani forks with dual disk, an improvement to the smaller forks and Four Leading Shoe drum brakes from earlier. Transmission and final drive were not changed.
So the question you have to ask when looking at this 750S to 750S America conversion offered now on eBay, is how did they do it? How far did they go to replicate the bike that the two Americans wanted? Did they just do a parts swaps? Add higher compression pistons? Different paint scheme? With the description given by the seller its hard to tell. Either way, a regular 750S or 750SAmerica, the bidding will be high for this bike. BB
1970 Kenny Dreer Norton VR880 for Sale
The British biking industry has recently undergone a renaissance, with Triumph’s modern machines winning comparison tests and awards. They compete with the clinical precision of the Japanese Big Four by offering something a bit different: a potent combination of just slightly left-of-center styling and real-world performance.
But it wasn’t always that way.
By the mid 1970’s, the British biking industry was well into its decline, and wouldn’t really reemerge until Triumph’s current era: they simply existed in the 80’s and 90’s, limping along with models that couldn’t truly compete with the Japanese offerings, except in terms of the abstract qualities of “character” and “nostalgia”.
Norton wasn’t so lucky.
In a saga reminiscent of so many Italian brands of cars and bikes, the brand disappeared and resurfaced under different ownerships, with varying ideas of what a British bike should be. Some seemed to be aiming to make the bike into the “Lamborghini of British Motorcycles”, missing out on the honest, real-world appeal of the classic bikes.
But one man involved more recently had a better idea.
Kenny Dreer owned and operated a vintage bike shop in Portland Oregon, restoring and rebuilding vintage British and Italian bikes. In the Late 90′s, he began building his VR880, which was basically a “resto-mod”, a ground-up rebuild of an old bike using many modern improvements and a bored-out motor. He eventually progressed to manufacturing new machines using his upgraded design of the vintage bike and produced an number of his new, hand-built 961 SS Norton’s before financial problems caused production to cease.
The bike for sale is one of his original experiments: a massively rebuilt classic Norton Commando that, from the video, starts, literally “on the button”:
Considering that the original Norton electric start was considered more of an “electric assist”, that alone seems a pretty significant achievement.
This bike should be a nearly perfect Norton: rebuilt to as-new condition and improved in every way possible while remaining absolutely true to the original style and feel of the original bikes. The “idea” of a 70’s Norton distilled.
You can find the original listing here: Kenny Dreer Norton VR880 for Sale
I’ve no idea what this bike is really worth: the seller claims only 50 were made. Bidding is up to about $14,000, with several days left. If you’re into old Nortons, it’s certainly a bike that should not disappoint.
-tad
1975 Honda CB400F
You will usually find a couple different Honda CB’s on eBay at any one time. From the small 350’s, medium 400-500’ and the largest 750’s. This 1975 CB400F currently on offer is a little bit different, in that it is not a perfect original, or a rat café racer. It falls somewhere in between. So if you are unsure which way you would like to go with a Honda Four, this one would fit right in the middle.
From the seller
This bike has always been garaged since I took possession in 1986 with 3327 miles on it. It comes with a clear Kansas title.
Original engine was removed and replaced with an engine that I hopped up from another bike in 1992.
7,336 miles on chassis before new engine
6,930 miles on new engine
I was able to find some stock original numbers for the 400 Four, but I think the modes done by the seller may outpace the factory. Back in 1975 off the showroom floor, you would get a 408cc engine by way of 51x50mm bore and stroke with 9.4:1 CR. Four 20mm Mukumi’s would power you to 37hp at 8500rpm. Now some of the upgrades that the seller points out would help to bump all these numbers up.
Highlight of the sellers upgrades
Yoshimura 455cc big bore kit with 10.5:1
WebCamDrag race camshaft
Valve train work
High pressure oil pump
Now when I saw this highlighted CB400F, I also saw right above it was this stock example. The seller of this bike was nice enough to give us some great information about the bike, and I will add it here for all our knowledge.
The CB400F was a very successful motorcycle in club or privateer racing. KazYoshima and other racers were able to take Honda’s little 408 cc engine up to 490 cc and with the addition of other racer options, this small bore was considered a ‘giant killer’.
Confusion often arises over the two models that were produced. Earlier ‘F’ models had a plain red or blue tank and side-panels running to frame number 1073399. The tanks only bore the words HONDA Super Sport, and the side-panel logo used a font wherein each character was represented by three parallel lines depicting 400FOUR. Up to frame number 1056883 ‘F’ models had swing-arm mounted pillion footrests, but from then on the ‘F’ models had the pillion footrests moved to frame-mounted brackets; it is often assumed that this feature only started with the F2 model but this is not the case. The F2 model commenced with frame number 1073400 and featured a new paint scheme: ‘candy antares red’ or ‘parakeet yellow’. The new paintwork featured stripes on the tank and had a different, angular, font for the ’400FOUR’ label on the side panels. The F1 model was not shipped to the United Kingdomor Europe. It featured typically a plain yellow tank and black side-panels with the F-type early logo..[3] Today it is not uncommon to see examples restored with F2-type paintwork but F-type logos on the side panels, or F-type early frames with F2-type paintwork.
So if you are in the market for something to shine up this winter before you can start riding there are two nice CB400F for sale now on eBay. This one that I have shown pictures of with its upgrades, and this one from a seller who educated us all. BB
1931 James Road Racer
This eBay auction for a1931 James Roadracing bike was sent to us by a CSBF reader in theUK. Over the last 6 months I have seen it posted previously, but have not been able to find a lot of information about James motorcycles. A little deeper digging did find a few bits of information.
First from the seller
This is James own engine NOT a J.A.P Very rare….Good working condition, regulary used and raced….A unique bike that is always the centre of attraction….Will take car or bike in part exchange…No time-wasters please…If you want to stand out from the crowd this is the bike for you.
What I was able to find out was the Henry James made his first bicycle in 1880 and his first motorcycle in 1902, the appropriately named Model A. These first motorcycles were powered by Minerva and then FN four stroke engines. After WWI James moved onto smaller 2 stroke engines until the 1930’s. During the between war period, James appears to have offered a single cylinder, a flat head (side valve for the English readers) and OHV engines like this road racer.
This website has information on motorcycles offered by James and indicated that their Speedway racing bikes were well liked by racers because of the James designed all metal clutch. No indication about the engines used, or if they were James originals. This Road Racer does look a lot like a 1931 Model C1 Delux Super Sport Twin.
After 1934 James moved back into the small, lightweight 2 stokes and continued on this path through WWII. AMC, owners of the AJS and Matchless brands, purchased James in the 1950’s and this likely kept them in the lightweight market. AMC would need a small bike, read Brand Name, to expand its market coverage, and keep the number of competitors down for their heavyweight brands.
The seller tells you that you will be able to stand out from a crown with this James road racer. This is a fact. The question will always be the price. Is it worth the starting bid? That all depends on the bike itself. I would think if this was an all original Speedway bike, since they were only made for a few years, it would be rare. But if there are bids and parts from other years or models, the value will be less. I am a big fan of pre-war race bikes, so if I had the Pound Sterling, I would be bidding here. BB
1965 Velocette Viper
It may seem that I post a Velocette every time one comes up for auction. This may be the case, but it wont be that often as they don’t come up for sale that often. I think it might be a combination of the limited numbers that appeared on our shores, but more likely the owners are very devout and don’t let them go. This 1967 Velocette Viper is offered up on eBay now, so you might take the chance to grab it, because it will be a while until you see one again.
From the seller
I have owned this really nice Velocette Viper 350 for a couple of years during which time I have ridden it only about 500 miles. It is a pleasure to ride but it is a duplicate in my fairly large collection and I have decided to let someone else enjoy it. This fairly rare Viper is well known in the Velocette club with it’s history going back many years.
What makes this bike that little bit more rare is that it is still a Viper. The 349cc Junior bike from Velocette often found itself a donor for a cubic centimeter enhancement. As we can see from this CSBFS post from last April many owners wanted a little more, so they added the bigger jug and plug, to get themselves a Venom.
More from the seller
Although only 350cc this bike really “thumps” along very nicely. You have to rev it a bit more than a Venom but with 27 bhp (compared to the Triumph 3TA Tweny One with 18.5 bhp) this lovely bike still performs very well. Excellent road holding and a smooth gearbox.
The Viper offered its rider 28bhp from its engine with a top speed of 91mph, and to compare my 500cc BMW from the same time only had 26hp. In a world were bigger is better I can see why owners want to up the ante. But the Viper was such a good package, and the British had spent years developing and racing 350cc bikes that they did a good job at it. This Viper on eBay now will get a lot of attention, and it will mostly get the attention for what has not been done to it. BB
1967 Bultaco Metralla
As many people know there was a time in motorcycle history when the 2-stroke was King. Any company that had any desire to compete and win, offered a bike that would scream load and send up clouds of blue smoke. Bultaco was a company who competed, and this Metralla offered up on eBay now is a road bike from a company known for its off road bikes.
From the seller
The Metralla’s were produced in very small numbers and were the street legal version of the Bultaco’s road racer. They outperformed much larger bikes and will top out at over 110mph. They are Simply on of the most beautiful motorcycles ever produced. This motorcycle starts, and runs as nice as when new, it is exceptional and too nice to be used except on special occasions, yearly cruses and for shows and display purposes. You may never see another of these again in this shape. I restored this bike with all the best parts and NOS when ever possible. Super fun and super fast. Front and rear tires are the correct Avon SpeedMaster 18”, the pipe is road race spec. Seat is a café style lather, Custom Rear-Sets, Tommaselli Bars and Throttle assembly, Matador levers, Red Wing rear shocks, Regina drive chain.
The Spanish firm Bultaco had made their name in light, 2 stroke off road bikes. Started by Francisco Bulto in 1958 after Montesa Motorcycles, in which he was a director, closed its racing department. Bulto invited what was left of Montesa racing department to his new company and set to making winning motorcycles. With victories in International Six Day Trials in 1968 and 1970, Bultaco had a very large presence in America with their off road offering. What Bultaco did not offer to the US market were its bikes based on its road racing entrants.
The Metralla was offered as a road going version of its racing TSS model. Numbers I have been able to find show a 250lb bike being pushed along by a 32hp 2-stroke. This was good to push this 250cc bike over 100mph. A unique feature of Bultaco 2-strokes are the way which they metered oil/gas mixture. Instead of having to pre-mix, or having a complicated oil jet system, the Spanish company had and oil tank with a plunger. Every time you filled the tank, you would give a couple plunges, and oil would be pumped into the tank.
The seller believes that this Metralla offered up on eBay is too nice to ride. I don’t think that there are any bikes to good to ride. In fact this bike is such a nice Bultaco it needs to be ridden. Put on a full fairing, clip-ons, rear sets and go out to your local track and enter it in to win. BB
1932 Norton International
When I first saw the auction for this 1932 Norton International, there was hope for me because it was a “Make an Offer” bid. I can make an offer, but will it be accepted? Not likely.
From the seller
According to the VMCC this Norton was supplied to Imperial Motors, Bedford on 8th October 1932 but was only sold nearly two years on, to a Mr King of Bedford in 1934, as for the engine it was supplied to Colmore of Birmingham on 4th Jan 1938, maybe a replacement for the bike?
The International was an Arthur Carroll redesign of CS1 which was designed for Norton by Walter Moore before Moore moved to NSU. (the joke right after Moors departure was that NSU stood for Norton Spares Used) The model 30 in 500cc was first offered in 1931 and continued on until 1957. The model 40 was the same engine design but in the Junior 350cc design. I wish that it was required to keep a log of all changes made to a motorcycle. I have often cursed the PO, and would love to read the reason why they had done what they did. The reason why this bike when from 500cc to 350cc would be a good read.
More from the seller
This bike has not been made out of bits and peices, it has always been a complete machine. The previous owner restored the bike over ten years ago and had the bike 30 plus years before he restored it and was in many boxes, so it has been in the same family for over 40 years. This Norton has only ever been on static display in a house and has never been run since it was completed, no fuel or oil has been in either of the tanks. This is a stunning example with many nice features, it has a smith’s 120mph speedo, smith’s rev counter, left hand side oil filler neck, Amal T.T. carb, Andre stearing damper, rear sets and Brooklands can.
The two components that stick out to me as being must haves on a racing bike are the Brookland can and the left fill oil tank. If you wanted to circle the 2 ¾ high banked racetrack at Brooklands from the early 19’teens until it closed in 1939 the fishtail style exhaust was a requirement. It was developed to quiet down both motorcycles and cars to appease the neighbors of the famous track. The oil tank with a fill to the left means that it is perfectly set up to race around the other primer course of the time, the Isle of Man Mountain Course, as the pit lane was on the left side. So these two items were a must if you wanted to compete at the highest levels.
I will always be excited by pre-war race bikes. They may not have no real suspension. They may be down on power even comparing to classic Honda’s. The bare minimum to make you go the maximum speed has its appeal, and this 1932 Norton has (or lacks) that. Even if I would be limited to lapping the neighborhood a few times before the police were called by the annoyed neighbors. BB
1954 Harley Davidson KR750
Harley Davidson is not the first name you think of when we say Classic Sports Bike. But during the 50’s and 60’s the majority of motorcycle racing done in America was flat track racing, and HD dominated. The weapon of choice was the KR750, and this 1954 Harley Davidson Flathead offered on eBay now can deliver the buyer back to those bar banging days.
From the seller
I finally had it restored in 1996 by former pro dirt-track tuner Jimmy Nichols at Star Cycle here inTucson. The KR is set up as an authentic dirt-track racer, circa 1967-69, complete with fiberglass tank, Tillotson carburetor, big-valve cylinders and full-length straight pipes.Like any other KR it can also be converted to a KRTT for anyone interested in AHRMA road-racing.
First offered in 1952, the K model was a unit construction 45 cubic (737cc) inch motor that was developed to attract buyers who had been exposed to European bikes during WWII. Faster and lighter then the conventional Harley, it was only natural that people start racing them. To support this Harley offered the KR as an over the counter racer.
It is not a surprise that the racing body of the AMA allowed 750cc flat head motors to compete against 500cc OHV engines. The rules had a direct effect on motorcycles offered for sale in America. The rules allowed Harley to continue builing flathead motors until 1969 (when the rules changed). But it also forced British manufactures to build 500cc bikes when they could have increased displacement to satisfy buyers.
From the seller
“-R” model crankcases and cylinders, front-mounted magneto, and ball-bearing crank and camshafts. … I also have a smattering of spare parts, including a Linkert MR-3 carburetor, Smith’s chronometric tach and cable, original friction steering damper, alternative camshafts, an additional cylinder and a few other odds and ends.These I’ll include if the bidding goes high enough.
Flat Trackers are becoming more and more popular, what was once old is new again. This KR750 is the inspiration for flat trackers of today. Simple, light, fast, and not hunched over and riding on your hands. If you are someone who is looking more for a road racing bike, this same KR flat tracker on eBay now can easily be converted to a KRTT with a nice replica full fairing. That is what I would do. BB
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