Classic bike review

Hortons norton I had H2 in 1972 and the way I would describe it was quick, top speed close to some other bikes around that time. It felt like it was hinged in the middle under hard acceleration and I never came to terms with it. The H1 suited me better even with no brakes, blue one with drum brake, my Atlas stopped better but I guess it was not travelling as quick. I have drum brakes on both my Nortons and for what I do on them ( the way I ride now) they work O.K. and look better than the disc IMO. :mrgreen:
Ian

Cookie said:

I know I'm senile but I think my 750 Norton Commando did mid thirteens, I'm sure the times in the bike mags were from tuned bikes with professional riders.

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I think the numbers that the mags got for the Commando were cooked with a wringer bike and a rider by the name of Tony Nicosia. Tony looked like he might weigh a hundred pounds and a guy I knew said that the motors were anything but stock. The entire marketing push for the Commando was based on the ET's the Commando could clock, they didn't exactly pull bikes off the showroom floor. :shock:

Hortons Norton said:

A friend of mine had a H2 in the 70's and I can say there is no doubt his would walk away from a Norton. But then his was gone through and had all of the top of the line race stuff in it, It would bounce the tire off the ground in the first 3 gears without even trying. I only rode it once and that was enough to know that it was a scary fast bike, And I can say he never lost a stoplight race I heard of. Maybe someday I'll get one, LOL LOL.

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I can believe the H2 outrunning a Commando. My one time experience, 1973, in a light to light run in Palm Springs with an H1 against the combat...Norton 1, Kawasaki 0.

Still, stock or no, I can't off hand remember anybody beating my Commando. I never came up against a Kawasaki or anything too serious on the street. Just mostly British 650s.
I truly put it on a bunch of Hell's Angels on chopped Harleys on Fell street in SF, glad I did too. They weren't the quickest in the world but not bad in the day.
The son of the Palo Alto (maybe it was Santa Clara) dealer was supposed to be a terror, always with the latest and hottest bike his dad had. Never ran up against him on the street. Kurt? He now sells parts at the Honda shop on 25th street in San Mateo. Now we are both old farts but he still has a Triumph triple.