Though Kenny Dreer wasn’t able to Norton back to life, he did create a small batch of Commandos called the VR880. If the general shape looks familiar, it’s because Stuart Garner acquired the rights to the Norton name and Dreer’s prototypes in 2008 – and he’s been rolling since. Heard about their upcoming 200 horsepower V4 superbike? Or the plans for a new 650cc twin? The name VR880 came from the displacement as well as the name of Kenny’s shop, Vintage Rebuilds – but this isn’t one of his original builds. It’s a custom with some VR parts.
This bike pairs a ’74 Commando frame with a refurbished 850 engine. There’s also lots of parts from other bikes – the front end from a Yamaha X650 and the rear wheel from a Honda CB750. It was built by Born Again Bikes, a shop that has done lots of work with Commandos. There’s also plenty of VR880 parts – Kenny’s barrels are filled with J&E 880 pistons, VR880 bodywork, and a VR880 transmission cradle. The seller has a build thread here on Brit Bike Forum, and while there’s a lot to like, there’s some little details that aren’t doing it for me (like the integration of the VR880 tail on the subframe). What say you?
Find this VR880 for sale in Laredo, Texas with bidding up to $10,099