Going Commando: 1974 Norton John Player Special 850 for Sale

We mostly try to focus on sportbikes of the 80s and 90s here on Rare Sportbikes for Sale, but I think it’s important [and fun!] to sometimes get back to our roots sometimes, to understand where the bikes we all know and love really came from. Today’s Norton John Player Special 850 represents a transitional period for the sportbike design and, although somewhat awkward-looking from some angles, it is a striking machine that should be relatively easy for classic bike aficionados to maintain, given its Norton Commando underpinnings.

If you’re a young ‘un, you may be wondering who John Player was… well, John Player wasn’t a “who.” It was a tobacco company that sponsored Norton’s racing efforts during the period. Under the skin, the bike was basically a Norton Commando and featured that bike’s famous 850 [828cc] 360° parallel twin engine and four-speed gearbox, although a short-stroke 750cc version was available to qualify for racing here in the US.

The Commando, in spite of looking like something out of the 1960s, was considered one of the most powerful, best-handling bikes of the era and was an excellent platform for a racing or performance road motorcycle, although it was decidedly old-tech and would soon be eclipsed by the onslaught of four-cylinder machines from Japan…

From the original eBay listing: 1974 Norton John Player Special 850 for Sale

The BEST of BREED…

With the exception of the original racing body work, this JPS Norton has had a nut and bolt restoration completed by SoloMoto in Greenwich, CT and is a fine collectors bike. Aside for two small blemishes on the original painted faring, and some minor non-original modifications, she is in excellent condition.  Comes with clean and open title, no taxes.

Back Ground: The Norton Road race team sponsorship by the John Player tobacco company was a new commando model, the John Player Norton – or “JPN” for short. It was announced for the 1974 sale season, equipped with a streamlined, twin headlight half fairing and matching tank/seat unit in the John Player livery. Beneath the endurance-race inspired bodywork was a standard issue MK2A Commando 850. The “gas tank” is actually a fiberglass cover hiding an elongated steel roadster tank buffered by rubber mounting on the isolastic frame to reduce vibration. This was the first introduction of the revolutionary feather bed frame.

JPS this is a special model, production totaling for 1974 & 75 is approximately 200 units, with only 120 shipped to the US. The factory JPS won 14 international races including the Transatlantic Trophy, the Formula 750cc Isle of Man TT, the British 750cc Championship and the MCN Superbike Championship.

The price for this bit of British biking history is $19,900 or best offer. When new, these were a tough sell and proved difficult for dealers to shift, but they’re certainly considered collectible today. I’d love a bit more information from the seller about those wheels though: I think every other example I’ve seen sports the wire wheels you’d expect of a bike from this period. Are they period-correct? A much later update? Who were they made by? I’m not sure I like them, but they are very distinctive.

-tad