JPS Norton for sale here in the USA

As a bemused bystander of "what's my crap worth", aka The Antiques Roadshow, I have to ask - what difference does it make?

It looks complete, in so far as you can tell from photographs. But would it matter if it was originally a Roadster and someone has spent a lot of time and money putting every last little bit of the JPN kit on it? They were all standard 850s underneath. I could almost understand a higher value if it had been owned by Clint Eastwood, say, but otherwise it's just another Commando.

I'd be more concerned that it has apparently stood around for half a century as an ornament, and the highlight of its service history is an oil change. Surely one that is complete in the last detail, runs well and has been maintained properly is of more value?

I'm not taking the mickey, well just a little bit maybe, but I am genuinely interested to learn why people would part with more of their hard-earned for one that was assembled in the factory, a factory known to have quality and consistency issues, over an exact copy, 'fake' if you like, hand-built by a reputable restorer.

And, if it does matter, the advert claims that it was a JPN from new, so there must be a bill of sale from the original Norton USA dealer - or are the sellers known liars? Can't be good in such a litigious country.

Final couple of questions to the people who know - where does the figure of 200 850 Commandos leaving the factory as JPN replicas come from? I've never heard of it being a 'limited-edition'. And Roy Bacon suggests they were available with the 750 short-stroke engine - were any ever built that way?

If you have engine and frame numbers I suggest you ask Paul Nichols, twinrecords@nortonownersclub.org. Whilst records for these models may be sketchy the Club may be your best bet.