We all know what a barn find usually looks like, some rusty hulk stuck in the back corner of some out building comes to light, the original pieces intact but usually in very poor condition. This “barn find” is a bit different. The owner of Motoshop Podevyn in Aalst, Belgium passed away and the contents of the shop are going up for auction. It turns out it’s quite a collection, among the discoveries are 11 1975 Nortons, brand new, unassembled, still in their original crates, that’s about as original and unmolested as you can get.
Along with the Nortons, there’s a Matchless still in the crate, too, plus lots of other bikes and parts. As the fellow got a bit older, you might think he would have gradually wanted to sell these off or at least make sure they went to owners of his choice, but whatever the case, these are going to be an interesting purchase for the future owners who can assemble them and put those first miles on them, something I would encourage them to do. Interesting.
Thanks to the dozen or so emails I received on this.
Link: Troostwijk Auction via Motorcycle Classics
Phoebe says
*Drool!* Absolutely amazing. I would love to see the un-cratings in person. =)
lostinoz says
Lowest priced “new” norton, 6900 euros…. bit rich for my blood when you add in the shipping to America. damn shame, but an AMAZING find!
NextVoiceUHear says
Maybe some enterprising person(s) could set up one or more “NORTON IRA” financial packages in which individuals can buy shares as part of their IRA retirement accounts. This would seem little different than the way one can include Gold as an IRA investment.
As long as a given Norton remains in its unopened (officially sealed?) crate, it’s value should only increase. I’d like to own even “one share” of an old Norton in a crate.
NVUH
Nicolas says
Awesome … it’s like a dream, the find of a lifetime, I’d have a heart attack if I found 11 brand new crated nortons in a relative’s barn/attic … awesome
Landy G. says
That really is the find of a lifetime! Talk about time capsule!
crisby says
OHHH MYYY!!!!!!! that is all I have to say…sounds like the dude suffered from Alzheimers…there is no way one would just let these go to auction…but then again, my grandfathers early set-on of dimensia resulted in his selling of his mint 1929 Model A Station Wagon on the cheap to some rip off artist before consulting with a reputable appraiser! dang shame!
The Ogre says
So, so not fair that I cannot afford any of the bikes. I really hope that the people who buy the new-in-crate bikes buy them to ride rather than show…
kim says
Registering the new bikes for the road may be a problem, at least here in Europe; wasn’t there a rush a few years ago to get previously never reg’d bikes – like race bikes and such – MoT’d, as after a certain date any bike being reg’d first time would have to pass the new Euro5 noise/pollution tests, regardsless of when the vehicle in question was built?
Not that it should be too big a problem with these few Commandos; put all the parts on an old previously reg’d frame, or find the bikes good homes in a country outside the EU.
woody eckes says
Back in the late 70s Norton and Triumph combined their distributorships. They had some leftover 850 Norton Commandos/Interstates and 750 electric start Tridents. I believe an individual dealer from Minneapolis (Leos’ North if memory serves me correctly) bought all the inventory they had. They had contacted us if we wanted to purchase any of them and were also selling them retail from their shop. With the state of the British motorcycle industry at that moment and the possibility of not having any replacement parts available at a later date for these customers who would of taken advantage of the great deal at the moment we passed on the business oppurtunity. Hindsight states otherwise…..but……Everyone who drools over the possibility of owning and riding an older English bike seems oblivious to the fact that they will not run on what is currently sold for pump gas due to the ancient combustion chamber design and materials used. Modern electronic ignitions and more tuneable carburators help but when you can mix race gas/pump gas 50/50 and come up with a higher idle, more performance and no run on after shutting off the engine; the machine is telling you what it wants/needs….. Fun to ride but not daily use without considering what you are riding and the special needs to keep them running. Good to see something in decent shape coming out of the woodwork. Woody Eckes
Mule says
Back in 1991, I bought a TZ750 Yamaha roadracer that had been in the crate for 11 years. It also came with a complete spares kit. The bad news was, the crates were not intended to store a bike for much longer than an airplane flight to it’s destination. The good news was, I bought it cheap and made more money re-selling it a week later than I could ever imagine. That bought a lot of Sushi I can tell you!!! It had 3 sisters and I bought 2 of them and did the same thing again and again. Those two needed a bit more work and I had a bit less profit, but still a copius amount. The 4th one belongs to a prominent motorcycle author/celebrity/restoration expert who shall remain nameless.
Kim, I wish I had the problem of a bunch of new crated Nortons in my shop. I’m sure I could figure out something without a single complaint.
Walt says
Oops . . . must go change. I think I wet myself.
john says
no offense to anyone, but i would hope these stay in the crates. you can find lots of nortons to fix, ride, and enjoy, but i don’t think you’ll find many more brand new nortons still in the crate. they’re probably worth more and are of greater interest as they are in the crate than assembled and ridden. they have zero miles only once in their lives, and once they are assembled and ridden, they are no different from the thousands of other nortons out there and a piece of history will be lost.
johnny says
I agree with john, leave it in the crate. There’s something very special about a brand new, very old motorcycle in a crate, it’s like it’s been preserved in a time capsule.
JustJoe says
The best loved lawns are the barest. Would be a shame to see them molder away never having been loved, like some old spinster.
JCB says
Ride em……Life is short .
Fred X1 says
…send two to the louvre (or museum of your choice) for historians to ogle and study. leave one in the crate, the other assemble and display. the others ride or just enjoy owning as a work of mechanical art.
re: woody’s “…they will not run on what is currently sold for pump gas due to the ancient combustion chamber design and materials used.” … my commando runs just fine on pump gas. even the dreck they sell here in california.
Walt says
Woody,
My 1972 Bonneville T120RV runs fine on gas station premium and has for the 14 years I’ve owned it. Starts second kick after a six-month winter layup or I start wondering what’s wrong. My brother pulled this bike out from under a tarp in a Virginia back yard back in the mid 1990s. A stuck clutch spring fooled the owner into storing it for later, with 5000 miles on the clock. I’m embarrassed to admit I do minimal maintenance on the machine, which just keeps running. I’m still running points. I think I replaced them once. From my experience, old Brit bikes are paragons of reliability. I know some feel differently.
tony says
yes this is a great find but really sad at the same time.you can bet someone that thinks it`s worth more in the crate than on the street where i would like to see it will end up with it .what`s the point .had a few 750`s over the years fun bikes
steve w says
In the 90’s there was still a bunch of new brit bikes to be had. They just kept showing up. I haven’t seen that for a long time now so this is really cool.
The other Larry says
One thing about these 1975 Nortons is that before you would even start the motor you should be tearing them (and the gearbox) apart because this year had a notable run of soft camshafts, tight exhaust valve guides, and a layshaft bearing that fails. So other than the top end, the bottom end, and the gearbox you’re fine. And I’ve owned mine since new. And had to do all the above. And I dig it the most!
B*A*M*F says
That is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.
pabsyboots says
Hey Tony
Its a legitimate opinion to want to keep these treasures unmolested in a crate as is yours to want to ride them
Erick says
It’s an amazing sigh!!!.Checking my bank account , credit card, assets…
(T_T) not enough…
Sportster Mike says
Re: the Nortons, yes, ride the bikes.. not look at the thing in the crate. Guide price of 3900 euros is about the going rate for a good running one in England so price will go a lot higher
Did anyone notice the ex Army MZ with 3km (yes 3) on the clock for guide price of 900 Euros or so – any colour you like as long as its green. A good winter bike methinks
Bikes are for riding not looking at
Look at this nice website
kim says
Methinks John is right. Much as I love Nortons, there are enough out there to be fixed and kept running, so keep these in their crates for display, as time capsule artifacts. Ok, maybe make Buell-inspired cubes out of a few of them, just for the hell of it.
Benjamin @ EV says
This is phenomenal. I’d love to get my hands on a fresh out of the box Norton.
joe says
Keep them for display exibits and save people from mechanicle headache and back pains from pushing them home.Look nice run crap!
Nicolas says
Are you guys crazy ? Are you the ones who think that beautiful women should be on the cover and center page of the magazines, but not in your bedroom ? I can’t believe it … bikes are made to be ridden, not stay in a crate.
Nicolas says
where is the gotcha/captcha stuff ?
Mule says
You guys are forgetting or maybe never knew what Nortons were like when they were new! I suspect most of the “ME-Now” generations wouldn’t tolerate the quality of these bikes and I doubt the engine sealing would be much worse now after sitting for 35 years than it was when they were new.
A huge bonfire with the bikes still in the crates would make for a killer party! Just kidding!
Walt says
I’m with those who say they should be left in the crates, and I’ll bet the eventual high bidders agree. What’s extraordinary is that they are not just Nortons, but brand new ones in the box. Assemble one, fuel and start it up and you’d see the value plummet. Think of how the value of a new vehicle drops when you drive it out of the showroom. This would be far worse. Nortons you can ride are relatively plentiful. These are not.
Dr Jim Webb says
One of my dream’s before I die, would be to get one of these Nortons or any Other Bike . or Bike that have been in storage , Like these , I heard Montesa , Had Some , I could not find them Any one with access , to any Old bike , That I can Buy Please Advise Me , Thank’s Dr. Jim ,…….. God Bless , My Phone Number is in My Web-Site, I just found what I think is a Old Bennelli Battery ,Driven Mostly complete Bike , I want to seel it, any know anything about them , Its Cheap.
CCW says
Drool….. I agree, what a find, there are plenty of pristine or back to original resto’s out there. But there are very very very few still in the shipping crate originals, what a truly magical trip back in history!!
Judy LaParne says
“Oh, snap….I wish I would have made that find!”, she said with a dreamy look in her eyes…..
frozen prairie says
Leaving these bikes in the crates won’t preserve them. Nature will always win in the end. Brake calipers will seize up, carb boots and seals will deteriorate (as will all the rubber parts), the oil in the engine, gearbox, forks and shocks will get all syrupy, and rust will inevitably happen if there is oxygen present.
I can see wanting to display some of these machines in museums, but it would be best to set them up, ride them from time to time and do regular maintenance. They’ll look better out of the crates too. After all, nearly every new bike was in a crate when it left the factory; we don’t do them a disservice by uncrating them and riding them. It’s what they were built for.
To me, these bikes are like post-term babies that have gone past 40 weeks gestation (waaaay past, in this case). It’s time to induce labour or do a C-section; breathe some life into them. (Ok, that may be an odd simili, but I work in NICU).
For the record, my 1974 Norton never leaked a drop of oil in two years of riding, and I didn’t own a car for the first year, so I rode everywhere and in all weather.
Ralph Verbouw says
Hey
Kim is right, it will be nearly impossible to register these in belgium due to EU regulations. The sale has been placed on several bike forums and everybody has this
“too bad” attitude. The bikes will probably go outside Europe or end up as spare parts.
Gr Ralph,
Dave Pingleton says
Yes, most all bikes come in a crate. I took lots of bikes out of crates as they came in and should have kept more of them in the crate when the business was ‘winding’ down.
These bikes would need quite a few things replaced to be able to ride them.
They will cost a lot of money still being in the crate and will lose 40 to 50% of their value as soon as they are taken out of the crate.
Nothing wrong with displaying one in a crate along with your collection of ‘regular’ bikes.
There’s plenty of bikes to be bought and ridden..
How many guys do you know that has a 1975 bike in a crate? Dave Pingleton, the Britishbiker, Austin, TX.
Bob Nedoma says
Looks like someone, the highest bidder, bought them all. I am sure he knows what to do with them, never mind registering (or riding) them. No issue! There are many showrooms, dealerships and museums that will pay top buck to buy and display a brand new ’75 Norton. FORGET the crate.
frozen prairie says
To all of you who think these bikes are worth more if left in the crates:
Have I got a deal for you ! A genuine Van Gogh oil painting, never hung in any gallery, never looked at even. In fact the paint has never been squirted out of the tubes. And these tubes of paint that contain a genuine, original Van Gogh can be yours for a buy-it-now price of hmmmm…. let’s say an even hundred million dollars.
It’s rare that a painting such as this becomes available; usually the artist has smooshed the paint on a hunk of canvas or a board or something and then gone and displayed the darned thing, which of course sends the value down.
So, bid now and bid often for this masterpiece-in-a-tube and if you win the bidding war you can keep it in a box and never look at it, so as to preserve its value.
Payment by Play-Pal only please.
P.S. check out my other auction, a Blower Bently, still in the iron ore mountain.
bob wark says
Hands down, ride them, ride them all, ride them far. First sort them out to modern standards,,,single Mikuni, Boyer ignition, get the rubber mount widgets just right. If they leak add oil.If they leak horribly, fix.
Barnstormer says
THere was guy in Portalnd OR that had a whole warehouse full of Triumphs, some new and parts. He told me that some Autrailian folks made him aan offer on the whole lot.
alan says
do you know when and where this bikes are going to be auctioned ?
Paul says
Joe and Mule, Both of you are incorrect. I was 19 years old when I bought my new red 850 Commando in 1974. The bike ran flawlessly with minimal maintenance, I rode her year round for 9 years, As I didn’t get a car license till I was 28 years old. 36 years later she still rides like a champ. The cases have never been broken or split, also still with the points and amals.
Roger Vandevert says
I am starting the New Old Norton for Roger Foundation. I am nearly 59 years old and upon graduation from High School in 1970, I flew to London to purchase a brand new, silver Commando 750 in the crate. It cost $1,195.00 out the door, not to include the $295.00 plane ticket on Jupiter Airways in San Francisco. I spent that entire summer exploring all of Europe and the Mediterranean on-board that wonderful machine. My dream has been to return by age 60 and do it again. Help me buy this Norton! It would be a good movie…