Here’s a first year example of the Norton Commando, one of the first 2,200 that were ever built – the seller claims it’s a ‘show bike’.
From Walter Barlow’s “Brief History Lesson on the Norton Commando“:
The Commando was introduced in 1968 with the Fastback model-a very pleasing if understated cafe racer style bike. It solved the vibration problem that pretty much plagued all large displacement motorcycles of the time with an ingenious system that rubber-mounted the driveline in the new frame. The system flat out worked, as Norton overnight went from a company with arguably the worst vibrating motorcycles to just about the smoothest. It combined this smoothness with the power and handling for which they had been justly know to create what was arguably the first modern (if I can use this term in referring to a bike with an engine that was pretty old even then) superbike.
This Commando Fastback (VIN: 128011) comes with the original engine as well as a 1972 Gus Kuhn motor that has been rebuilt. The gauges have been rebuilt and zero’d out, and with the exception of side cover graphics (which are waiting to be installed) this bike is ready to go. Find it for sale in San Marcos, California with bidding up to $6,400 and the reserve not yet met