CNW

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Depends what you are looking for. Nortons are not a cheap hobby, as you may know.
 
Alternative for what? CNW is high end stuff, and fairly priced for it. It costs serious money to develop new trick bits, and the market for trick Norton stuff is small enough that you have to charge enough to recover your costs, plus make a profit. It's not like selling to the HD crowd. If you're just looking for standard Commando parts, there are cheap suppliers around, but you generally get lower quality along with the lower price. Plenty of cheap tin made in India, turn indicators made in China, head gaskets that don't last, exhaust systems that don't fit, etc., if that's what you're after.

Ken
 
For a completed bike or parts?
If you want a bike as nice as a CNW machine, it's going to cost.
The only way to keep the cost down is to do it all yourself so you don't pay for labor.
Perhaps buy yourself a stocker and add all the CNW parts piece by piece over a few years.
 
I log on to the CNW site periodically and am disappointed in the parts pricing. Some std parts from known distributors have been raised to the point that have to look elsewhere. The prices for services seem ok though. The price for the oil tank mod is still within reach for me!
Great business, owner and service. As local machine shops close their doors, I will also have to pick a # and wait for Jim to fix my cylinder heads, gear boxes and mechanical parts. Well worth the wait. I am lucky to live here in Colorado within driving distance to Mecca! Oops, did I insult an Islamic Nortoneer? :twisted:
Mike :wink: :wink: :twisted:
 
lcrken said:
Alternative for what? CNW is high end stuff, and fairly priced for it. It costs serious money to develop new trick bits, and the market for trick Norton stuff is small enough that you have to charge enough to recover your costs, plus make a profit. It's not like selling to the HD crowd. If you're just looking for standard Commando parts, there are cheap suppliers around, but you generally get lower quality along with the lower price. Plenty of cheap tin made in India, turn indicators made in China, head gaskets that don't last, exhaust systems that don't fit, etc., if that's what you're after.

Ken
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Ken,

Couldn't have said it better. I try to get the best price I can but still want quality because it costs a lot more in the long run when a part fails. With CNW you get quality and support...they stand behind what they sell. The one way to save is to build the bike yourself and fabricate parts if you can. It's all in your skill set and having the time to do it. It's not a cheap hobby, but the Commando is one of the easier ones because the parts are available and having suppliers like CNW and others helps a lot...along with the great technical knowledge from sites like Access Norton.

Dennis
 
Whether a pro built unit from CNW or NYCN, these bikes require fundamental knowhow.
They may have lot of nice new bits, but it's still a Norton with all the idiosyncrasies they entail. There are no dealers and no service centers to rely on, only you and your the god given mechanical talents.
My opinion is to get your hands dirty right from the start. The knowledge, independence, and satisfaction will be profound and people will come to YOU for advise.
 
No, in my opinion there is no alternative.

CNW's stuff is well thought out, beautifully designed and made with no compromise.

People like Matt are perfectionists and are far and few between.
I live in the UK - the home of the Norton, but I find myself sourcing parts from the U.S. more and more frequently, as I cannot find the same quality over here.

Matt works with only the best craftsmen - you only have to read one of Jim Comstock's posts on here to see that these people are absolute experts in their trade.
 
Strange how people need to be experts repairing old pre-war bikes, i was pulling Velos apart at 17, even made a crank alignment jig at training school.
Nortons are easy to rebuild. whats hard about them :?:
 
Lets face it; you can spend as much as you like on one of these things. Billet cases, one-piece cranks, 5-speed boxes, alloy this and that, add-on electric legs, hand-hammered tanks, ,aftermarket suspension, plating, painting polishing, whatever. They were made to have hands laid on them and whether they're your hands or the hands of a professional, it's totally up to the owner how far one opens the spendy tap. The nice thing is, you can do it yourself. It's not rocket science, it is, as Ron Wood once said "typically leaky old British twins." Have fun, that's what it's all about.
 
Basic rebuild, the trick part is getting those dam push rods located , get a good torch and a wire hook, the times when the engine it turned over and there is a clack, when the push rod end slips off the edge into the rocker seat.. :twisted:
 
CNW offer some great Commando upgrade parts and have obviously put a lot of effort in to developing them which reflects in the price you pay

but i can also see the CNW stock replacement parts genrally cost more than from other vendors stainless exhaust nuts as an example $221.95 pair UK vendor £60.00 PAIR = $93.00
if you are restoring a stock Commando and look around for the quality replacement parts FAG bearings surflex clutch plates etc there are lots of good established dealers who can supply
the same parts for less so my advice is shop around before each purchase
 
:mrgreen: Although I have not bought from Mr. Rambo.....yet,,,,,,,,,,,all I can say......and I've said it here before on this forum (albeit in a different thread).....there has never been a better time to own and ride these bikes. It wasn't all that long ago that parts in general, were hard to come by, let alone the large selection of custom parts available today. Alton electric starters for starters :D front fork upgrades, madass140's beautiful custom work, fullauto heads, steve maney's great products, norman white, jim comstock's machine shop, JSmotorsports products, RGM, Andover and Oldbritts too, to name a few :wink:
 
capehorner said:
Is there an alternative to CNW. I'm not rich.
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At the Empire Rally in New York, CNW delivered a completed Commando to a guy from New Your City. The motorcycle was perfect, beautiful. If you can afford CNW, go for it.

MF
 
I got to see this Emprie rally dilivered roadstar after if traveled on back of a van it was still mounted on, dudes 40's to 70's were stopped in our tracks jaws dropped at the incredable beautful sight even among 100's of the best Commandos there and would of asked a naked Ms Universe and her runner ups to please step asside if they were in the way spoiling our transfixed view of the object of our of desires. If I'd known what I been through and still going through money * time on my 2 combats I'd of saved up a few yeas to snag a CNW and be ridding happy turning heads and dropping jaws and melting ears everywhere for last decade.
 
Was it one of those "Not for Riding" as many at Stafford classic bike show now are? I would rather see a oily rag ridden that a show room job.



hobot said:
I got to see this Emprie rally dilivered roadstar after if traveled on back of a van it was still mounted on, dudes 40's to 70's were stopped in our tracks jaws dropped at the incredable beautful sight even among 100's of the best Commandos there and would of asked a naked Ms Universe and her runner ups to please step asside if they were in the way spoiling our transfixed view of the object of our of desires. If I'd known what I been through and still going through money * time on my 2 combats I'd of saved up a few yeas to snag a CNW and be ridding happy turning heads and dropping jaws and melting ears everywhere for last decade.
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First I am a CNW build owner (As a matter of fact I have a second build going on now / 74 Interstate) So I am obviously biased.

I have been a machinist for 40 years, so I have a better than average ability to define quality in manufactured mechanical components.

I have seen nothing out there that compares with CNW's parts / service as to the attention to detail and quality. I ride build #99 on a regular basis, and it is a real pleasure to take it out.

Are CNW parts and builds expensive? Well yes they are, but the quality and support are there to justify the prices, in my opinion. So if your budget can afford the CNW parts or build, then I highly recommend Matt Rambo and his product/services.
 

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