LOT 772
Formerly the property of the late Keith Emerson 1973 Norton Commando 850 Roadster Registration no. YND 594M Frame no. 304746 Engine no. 304746
Sold for £12,650 inc. premium
Lot 772
Formerly the property of the late Keith Emerson, 1973 Norton Commando 850 RoadsterRegistration no. YND 594M Frame no. 304746 Engine no. 304746
Formerly the property of the late Keith Emerson
1973 Norton Commando 850 Roadster
Registration no. YND 594M
Frame no. 304746
Engine no. 304746
1973 Norton Commando 850 Roadster
Registration no. YND 594M
Frame no. 304746
Engine no. 304746
• The second of two Commandos owned by Keith Emerson
• Bought second-hand from Elite Motors, Tooting
• Alton electric starter fitted
The machine offered here is the second of two Norton Commandos owned by the late Keith Emerson, keyboard maestro with legendary rock bands The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Keith had bought his first Commando – a new 750 Roadster – from Elite Motors in Tooting, South London and used it to commute from his Sussex home to the recording studios in London. When that Commando was stolen, he went back to Elite Motors for its replacement: the 850 Roadster offered here. By this time Norton had gone bust and the Commando was no longer in production, so Keith had to be content with a low-mileage second-hand one. The final Commando model was the electric-start Mark III, and in 2012 Keith had his earlier example updated with an electric starter, albeit it a modern Alton unit vastly superior to the feeble NVT original (see bill on file). No alterations to existing parts are needed to fit the Alton starter, so the modification can easily be reversed. In 2012 Keith and his Commando featured in a Classic Bike Guide article written by Phillip Tooth, and a photograph taken for that article showing Keith on the bike is included in the sale. The machine also comes with a V5C document. Keith Emerson died in 2016 and the Commando is offered for sale by the family; last run in April 2021, it will require re-commissioning before further use.
• Bought second-hand from Elite Motors, Tooting
• Alton electric starter fitted
The machine offered here is the second of two Norton Commandos owned by the late Keith Emerson, keyboard maestro with legendary rock bands The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Keith had bought his first Commando – a new 750 Roadster – from Elite Motors in Tooting, South London and used it to commute from his Sussex home to the recording studios in London. When that Commando was stolen, he went back to Elite Motors for its replacement: the 850 Roadster offered here. By this time Norton had gone bust and the Commando was no longer in production, so Keith had to be content with a low-mileage second-hand one. The final Commando model was the electric-start Mark III, and in 2012 Keith had his earlier example updated with an electric starter, albeit it a modern Alton unit vastly superior to the feeble NVT original (see bill on file). No alterations to existing parts are needed to fit the Alton starter, so the modification can easily be reversed. In 2012 Keith and his Commando featured in a Classic Bike Guide article written by Phillip Tooth, and a photograph taken for that article showing Keith on the bike is included in the sale. The machine also comes with a V5C document. Keith Emerson died in 2016 and the Commando is offered for sale by the family; last run in April 2021, it will require re-commissioning before further use.
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