- Joined
- Jun 30, 2012
- Messages
- 13,878
I suggest most motorcycles are examples of 'jack of all trades and master of none',
From what I have read on this forum and my own experience, my opininion is the Norton Commando must be pretty good are what it does.
The discussions about the various models seems to indicate there was a progression towards more tractability and less top end power. Tuning a road bike to give better performance usually has a downside. I think Nigel uses his Commando for road racing. It is 920cc and has a 5 speed gear box. However I do not know if the higher 4 gears are close ratio,
One of the best incearses in performance I had with my Seeley 850, was when I installed the 4 speed close ratio gear cluster. The downside was it was too slow when starting-off from a stand-stil.
A lot depends on how you use your motorcycle. When I was a kid I usually only rode around inside towns. On a highway my Triumph 650 was strggling to maintain 60 MPH in rop gear. To pass a truck was always a problem because of the internal ratios in my gear box. If I changed back to 3rd, the motor used to rev much high and go nowhere fast. When you can change down with less increase in revs, you stay well up where the best torque is, so you accelerate faster.
I know that might sound strange, but the cam in my 850 motor is almost standard. With those timings and a normal exhaust system. the power band should be quite distivct. If you ride your Commando from a standstill in first gear, then change-up to second then hold the trotlle at about a third open, you should be able to feel where the cam starts to work, then as the revs rise there will probably be a slight surge - that point in the rev range is where you get the best acceleration.
Nigel's 5 speed gear box might be a very intelligent modification.
I was once told that 'if you have a toquey motor you do not need a close ratio gearbox'. The guy who said that was a skinflint.
From what I have read on this forum and my own experience, my opininion is the Norton Commando must be pretty good are what it does.
The discussions about the various models seems to indicate there was a progression towards more tractability and less top end power. Tuning a road bike to give better performance usually has a downside. I think Nigel uses his Commando for road racing. It is 920cc and has a 5 speed gear box. However I do not know if the higher 4 gears are close ratio,
One of the best incearses in performance I had with my Seeley 850, was when I installed the 4 speed close ratio gear cluster. The downside was it was too slow when starting-off from a stand-stil.
A lot depends on how you use your motorcycle. When I was a kid I usually only rode around inside towns. On a highway my Triumph 650 was strggling to maintain 60 MPH in rop gear. To pass a truck was always a problem because of the internal ratios in my gear box. If I changed back to 3rd, the motor used to rev much high and go nowhere fast. When you can change down with less increase in revs, you stay well up where the best torque is, so you accelerate faster.
I know that might sound strange, but the cam in my 850 motor is almost standard. With those timings and a normal exhaust system. the power band should be quite distivct. If you ride your Commando from a standstill in first gear, then change-up to second then hold the trotlle at about a third open, you should be able to feel where the cam starts to work, then as the revs rise there will probably be a slight surge - that point in the rev range is where you get the best acceleration.
Nigel's 5 speed gear box might be a very intelligent modification.
I was once told that 'if you have a toquey motor you do not need a close ratio gearbox'. The guy who said that was a skinflint.