I took my norton out for a ride last weekend. Stayed local and only put on 120 miles - but had fun!
The bike did good, the exhaust stayed tight (thanks comnoz)!

Now, the plan is to ride these TT100's off of it and try out some Avons.




Old Steam Train



Herd of Elk

Wow it looks like you live in a beautiful place to ride. I road about 300 miles yesterday but the wind was so strong in the mountains I could barely ride but had no choice to continue because it was worse going the other direction & home. I had never been cought in winds that strong before & hope I never do again. At one point we stopped at a look out and I thought mmy bike was going to get blown over. I could barely get back on it without falling over!!! It sucked.

Weren't you thinking of selling that bike at one point?

swooshdave wrote:Weren't you thinking of selling that bike at one point?

Yep.
I was drooling over a super clean T140 Silver Jubilee and was willing to let this one go to get that one.
Fortunately for me, the deal fell apart.

Mark wrote:

swooshdave wrote:Weren't you thinking of selling that bike at one point?

Yep.
I was drooling over a super clean T140 Silver Jubilee and was willing to let this one go to get that one.
Fortunately for me, the deal fell apart.

Lucky bastard.

That commando is far nicer than a silver jubilee any day.

britbike220 wrote:That commando is far nicer than a silver jubilee any day.

Nicer than ALL the Jubilees put together.

I generally thought the jubilee's were an ugly duckling anyway, but I don't care for any of the meridens past 1970. They just got uglier 71 on.............

I guess I'm just not as exclusive in my motorcycle tastes as you guys.
To me, a nice bike is a nice bike - I like 'em all.

In the end, this norton has been good to me over the years and has become like an old friend.
I'm glad that I didn't let it get away.

It is done very tastefully Mark. I kinda thought you were a bit nuts for trying to sell it in the first place, but everyone needs to graze a different pasture once in awhile.

Absolutely gorgeous bike and ride pics Mark !!! I too, think ya did well keepin' the Norton ... since the deal fell apart. One of my other rides is a Triumph, great bike and fun to ride. Although some here don't care for em'; I've always been a fan of the OIF models. With the stiffer frames I think they handle better than the earlier ones (IMHO). Perhaps you could still buy a Triumph, and keep the Norton ??? There are still some deals to be found on OIF Triumphs if ya look hard enough. They make a great pair, cheers





(Had a nice T160 years ago too, beautiful bike with a great sound, but the 30 mpg was so irritating that I sold it at Mid-Ohio vintage days auction in 2002. Perhaps someone here owns ol' thirsty T160CK02321 ???

Keeping tightening till its finished compactiong does the trick , proper tool O.K.

Original Roadrunners I found SLID in damp / cool etc, came back when they decided too. meantime you were a passenger. Not Nice .

Dunlops had good feedback and would drift as there ' tecnology ' was to increase traction by drifting to a percentage.And you can look like an Ace ! .

Ancient continentals wrought flying lessons. reading fancy mag from then recently, the Rear was Designed to have Lower co-efficent of friction tha front.

Knocking a 4 x 4 post of the side of a lampost and snapping it in two with the front wheels not convivial to an undisterbed disposition,Just like in the movies .

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Id go for a WM 3or 4 on back ( wider than front rim ) and 4:25 TT100 rear ( 18 in ).

Had a pic of Pommie 850 PR raced late 70s . you guessed it.Ran in I.O.M. too . were still a few raceing .

Ran a 4:25 18 ' R ' compound made in USA , and KR76 race tyre on a alloy T-100 Domiracer G.P. Would outbrake Katana 1100s by about five miles,
Hold them on turns , and you could get the trottle on about a half hour earlier . They wert too worried wether they were squealing a bit too, brakeing .

19 in TT100s on 61 Bonnie , not entirely std , though all triump , A logging truck on a 60 mph bend laid over and cranking , a panic stop laid over
was no drama , two up .

The Japanese Tarmac speedway bikes on ' On any sunday II ' are on trigonic Dunlops , wondered were all the Kamakazis went !

Mark you have what I want most in a Commando and desirable place to ride w/o leaving your neighborhood.
Cushy seat, lots of storage that attracts the eyes and crash bars you can stretch legs on the long runs. Glad you still have it to please the rest of us with. If I didn't have my hands full with 2 Cdo's incomplete I'd be hard pressed not to bus out there, drop cash off and ride your white elephant back to live on here. Ms Peel is being built able to spank them hot rods but 99% of the time she'd will be rigged like yours short shifting delight fitting right in with other big twin cruisers comfortably. I'm on the hunt for neat vintage-ish hard bags, already have the King/Queen saddle and some gals interested in snugging in the wind that ain't my refusing to ride wife : )

My buddy Wes on streamlined heave scooter almost had in blown over straddling it after pulling off hwy. I've had bike in downhill sweeper at 60 mph in storm conditions lifted up to slide into far lane, thank goodness no oncoming just then. I sore off enjoying much glee leaned in gusty conditions and after rain with Gravel washes across apexes.

Matt your tire review and antics leaves me tingling and hungry for your descriptions of touching the limits and living. You are one of the few that mentions tire noises getting through, keeping that sound in the right tune for the conditions keeps me restless in bed.