Arguably the most collectable of Commandos, the Norton Commando Production Racer (affectionately known as the Yellow Peril) was a street-legal factory racer made available to privateers for a princely sum. At a time when you could buy an Austin Mini for less than $1,500, the Production Racer would set you back $1,900.
Norton didn’t care about making money – this bike was all about homologation under FIM and AMA. So for your $1,900, you got higher compression pistons, a racing camshaft, shortened pushrods, and options including 32mm carbs and electronic ignition. Thanks to some careful tuning, Norton was able to eke out nearly 12 more ponies from the 745cc twin, yielding a bike that could hit 131 miles per hour. For more information, head on over to Motorcycle Classics for an in-depth writeup on the Production Racer.
This specific Norton Commando Production Racer (VIN: 20M3S145108) has 8,649 miles and was rebuilt 22 years ago by a Norton specialist who only used certified Norton parts (there seem to be invoices to prove that). Since being rebuilt, it has never been started. How depressing. The seller has some history on the bike, including the fact that it was a NVPS (Norton Villiers Performance Shop) racer, one of three special Nortons imported into Canada (the other two were wrecked in races). It’s claimed to be a museum-quality bike that has won Best of Show. It looks so beautiful – I hope the next owner decides to ride it.
Find this Norton Commando Production Racer for sale in Ayer’s Cliff, Quebec with bidding up to $9,100 and the reserve not yet met