bwolfie said:+1, and Harley pays my mortgage. My wife works for Harley.JimR said:You're already the winner. He's riding a sportster and you have a commando. Who cares if it goes up a hill better. Its still a H-D and will never be anything else or anything special. You're bike is a Norton Commando and that is special. I'd rather ride a crappy looking commando than great looking and performing H-D anyday.
it's the first British bike I've worked on with FLAT topped pistons! It's obvious they were in a pretty low sate of tune as STD.
Those are the same numbers H-D quoted for the 2000 1200 Sportster sport. I put mine on the scale when I had it, it was more than a hundred pounds heavier than my MKIII(minus E-start), can`t remember the exact amount, it`s been a few years. It had the "Sport" suspension and brakes and handled quite well within its limits. I liked mine but couldn`t live with the vibes.htown16 said:My 2004 1200R, which came stock with Buell heads and cam, along with after-market exhaust and air cleaner puts out 70 hp and 80 ft#'s. Granted, its about a 100#'s heavier but I think in the quarter it would probably out run most Commando's. As far as handling the stock Harley suspension bits are junk. I replaced mine with Progressive stuff and added a fork brace. Handles like its on rails. Along with adding a decent seat, good brake pads and ss brake lines I love the thing now. Harley tries to market these as a lower price entry bike, but if you replace the cr*p parts they're quite a nice bike at least the R models which have front dual discs and mid position pegs. Unfortunately they discontinued that model.
htown16 said:HD switched to a rubber mounted engine on the Sportster in 2004, really cut down the vibes and made longer trips possible. You can set at a red light and see the motor shaking all over the place but feel very little. Just 30+ years behind Norton.
Tried one out. I couldn't get over seeing the engine shake around like that. The word epileptic comes to mind :lol: Also more bothersome with the air-filter moving around near the knee. Worse than that is the rubber rear end, ( I don't care for the feel of Buells either). I preferred the solid mount engine chassis for it's "lighter weight" and crisper handling.htown16 said:HD switched to a rubber mounted engine on the Sportster in 2004, really cut down the vibes and made longer trips possible. You can set at a red light and see the motor shaking all over the place but feel very little. Just 30+ years behind Norton.