AMA Sears Point Racer?

I just picked up a 1972 Commando 750 in rough shape. All the numbers match and it has 50000 miles on it. The received paperwork goes back to 1978 and suggests that this bike was an ama racer that was raced at Sears Point. Upon preliminary inspection we found signs that it may be true, as in the drain plugs counter sprocket and a few other connection points are safety wired. Low race bars and minor motor alterations that lean towards a racing bike. I am going to restore this bike but the question is take it back to factory or embrace it's racing heritage. Any advise and info on the Norton's raced at Sears Point would be greatly appreciated.

May 1 , 1975 ? ? ?





Not Likely , but pretty picture ?



andan other ? ? ?



" The leader here is wearing borrowed leathers and borrowed some gas to get to the track after he ran out on the way! Did it again on the way home! Don't chuckle too much, this guy also kept a Lola T-70 for a pet and was a real 'go faster'. His mount is a 1969 Commando "S" with a Dunstall dual disc front brake (worked surprisingly well), fuel tank and seat hung on it. Those who tried unsuccessfuly to keep up with him and this bike on country roads included a current AFM Number One Plate holder!

Even though this bike was ridden constantly for back road recreation and never had racing tires, it always acquitted itself well on the track with no DNF's. That wasn't allowed: He had to ride it home!

Engine and cylinder head work was done by the Phantom Oiler Publisher.

The second Norton is a '73 with "S" pipes; they were the only ones that would stay off the ground in Prod racing. " http://vintagenet.us/phantom/abadie_1.html

I just threw ' Norton / Sears Point ' , in google pics . maybe a lead ? ? ?

Nice Bike , by the way .

Racers don't fit mirrors or speedos so looks like a Combat half cafe'd by owner that Bombed and got set outside in disappointed too expensive frustration. It could well of been entered in stock class races but its not got any competition race features and un-tamed isolastics are crazy stupid to race around near limits on, no sir ree bob. I love my Combats as do other's theirs and with just normal rebuild to correct factory short comings its lasts as long as other commandos but with extra speeding ticket pull. Looks like 6000+ bux extra to me and who knows how much time to get road worthy.

If you can get the infernal thing , fifth down , on the right , to tok , youll see to disagree . Ya just stuck it open , and carved through the weavers , there'n'then . :lol: :lol:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reg-Prid ... n=timeline ( labled June 15th ) .

UM. Oh Thewper , JUST CLICK HERE . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3EkiuoA ... VSOkAtCC_w . saves a bitoffabother .

The Name ' Kerker ' Rings a Bell. TOO . :lol: 8) .

George Kerker Norton Racer
George Kerker is a household name around here in Motorcycle circles and will forever be tied to both Nortons and Headers. This is his Purple "S" type that he used to flog to victory in AFM club races in the late 60's and real early 70's. The Norton Wrecking Crew from Bakersfield Norton Dealer ,Jack Simmons consisted of Jack,George,Reg Pridmore and Bill Manley all riding high bar,stock footpegs,hotted up Commandos in the Premier class called Heavyweight Production. They did best at the little OCIR Drag Strip and back road race course.They trounced the Clip on ,rearset crowd and weren't appreciated by the traditional Road Racers.George went on to race his beloved Nortons in other organizations but the antics from Orange County International Raceways are legendary. Lots of sideways action fighting a slew of Triumphs twins and triples,BSA,same, Kawi 500 triples and wobbly dangeous looking Honda 4s. This was the start of the so called Super Bike class in the States. The name Super Bike was copied from the Australian series with the same kind of bikes at that time.




More Pic tuers , thank you , Mr WEhellie : http://pwheelie.blogspot.com.au/2012/04 ... racer.html

" George Kerker, Jack Simmons and Bill Manley were better known to their fans, journalists and fellow competitors as the Norton Gang. Rather than run the conventional road racing machines of the era with clip-ons, fairings and rear-sets, the Norton Gang elected to race production Norton Commandos, high bars, low pegs and all. While in retrospect the Norton Gang were simply harking back to the traditional AMA Class C concept (production-based racing) the Norton Gang were consider rebels among the road racing traditionalists of the late 1960s " ( facebook . )

I've got two diaphragm clutch compressors that were made by George Kerker and Jack Simmons rebuilt/stroked several Ducati cranks for me.

My guess is that it might have been club raced in support races at AMA events at Sears Point; entirely plausible.

I got another paper repair order from T T Motors and Machine in Berkeley CA. Comment from Mark says I think this is an old AMF race bike from 83-84 Nice shape good to see it. Maybe a weekly commuter raced on the weekends I don't know

Tyger, I think it is likely it was raced at Sears with AFM, not AMA. I raced a Norton PR (and a Yamaha) at Sears Point with AFM in the '70s, and there were several Commandos that raced there. I remember a green Commando there, but can't recall the name of the rider. I don't recall any of them racing in the AMA races though, although I did enter my PR with Eric Schwartsfigure (sp?) riding it in an AMA National there once, and I talked my friend Rob Tuluie into racing the monoshock Norton in an AMA National there right after I bought it from Jim Schmidt.


This is a picture of Eric on the bike at the Sears AMA race. I don't recall what year it was, but from the Commonwealth Racing t-shirt I'm wearing in the picture, the year had to be sometime after 1985. Unfortunately, a wire shorted out under the tank from rubbing, and Eric didn't finish the race.




Ken