Want to ask what fairings were available for the Commandos. I am aware of the Interpol fairing. It's my understanding these were used on police bikes in the U.K. I'm sure a lot of Norton fans would frown at the use of a fairing on their bikes. One of the things I like about them is their classic lines, meaning sans fairing. But, I've been riding behind a fairing for so many years on my daily rider, I guess I'm spoiled, or just wimpy. I even went to the trouble of tracking down and driving a fair distance to purchase an original full fairing and windshiel that was offered as an option by Suzuki for their RE5 wankel rotary powered bikes. It makes riding that bike much more enjoyable, to me anyway, and they were a rare and unusual option. Guess it's just another indicator that I'm old and just as soon have some wind protection. I do realize that one of Craig Vetter's Windjammer fairing could probably be made to work, but don't think that's really what I want either. Can members weigh in here with any info.
Commando fairings
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o0norton0o
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Well, I've told this story here before, but long story short,... I didn't like the wind blast to my chest at highway speeds, but I didn't think a commando was really suitable for a full fairing. I mentioned I was looking for a large dunstall fairing in a post here, and Grandpaul came to my rescue with one he had, which had a headstock mounting bracket too. (thanks GP)
The Dunstall fairings come in 2 sizes. The smaller one is a race fairing and to be aerodynamic you have to lay down on the tank. It's certainly the better proportioned look on the bike than the one that I chose which was the larger one. The larger one does exactly what I wanted it to do. It takes the piano off my chest at 80mph so I don't have to hold on to the handlebars with a death grip so as not to be blown off the back.
I didn't want to mount the fairing too high on the bike, and I didn't want to hunch over with clubman bars or clip on's with a low mount, so I mounted the fairing in the middle and added stops to the mounting plate frame to keep the handlebars from blasting into the fairing. It works ok, but it would look better if it was mounted lower with lower bars, but I don't want to sit in that postion. I have 30" BMW low bars, which have about a 2" rise and a slight pull back on them. I also use one of those 1" offsets to pull the bars backwards and upwards 1" in both directions.
I know "Glass From The Past", still makes this fairing and the windshield is still made too. I think you can buy a few different brackets for it or make one yourself. I had my welder friend cut mine up and change it after doing a mock up the single arm ran into the headlight. I had him turn the "unicorn" bracket into a fork to go around either side of the headlight, so it fit between them and I could see the switch and ammeter. Like every modification project I've done on this bike each one opens a can of worms that takes a few extra steps to resolve, and the fairing was no exception. I also didn't like the standard lower mount that I've seen every mount of this kind use, so I designed a better mount, cut up the parts and had my welder weld it up.
The Dunstall fairings come in 2 sizes. The smaller one is a race fairing and to be aerodynamic you have to lay down on the tank. It's certainly the better proportioned look on the bike than the one that I chose which was the larger one. The larger one does exactly what I wanted it to do. It takes the piano off my chest at 80mph so I don't have to hold on to the handlebars with a death grip so as not to be blown off the back.
I didn't want to mount the fairing too high on the bike, and I didn't want to hunch over with clubman bars or clip on's with a low mount, so I mounted the fairing in the middle and added stops to the mounting plate frame to keep the handlebars from blasting into the fairing. It works ok, but it would look better if it was mounted lower with lower bars, but I don't want to sit in that postion. I have 30" BMW low bars, which have about a 2" rise and a slight pull back on them. I also use one of those 1" offsets to pull the bars backwards and upwards 1" in both directions.
I know "Glass From The Past", still makes this fairing and the windshield is still made too. I think you can buy a few different brackets for it or make one yourself. I had my welder friend cut mine up and change it after doing a mock up the single arm ran into the headlight. I had him turn the "unicorn" bracket into a fork to go around either side of the headlight, so it fit between them and I could see the switch and ammeter. Like every modification project I've done on this bike each one opens a can of worms that takes a few extra steps to resolve, and the fairing was no exception. I also didn't like the standard lower mount that I've seen every mount of this kind use, so I designed a better mount, cut up the parts and had my welder weld it up.
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I fitted a Triumph Thruxton R fairing to the 920 Commando. It was a bit of work.
I've lived with that same model of fairing on the Thruxton R since 2016, so I knew that it worked well in high winds and cross winds. You can tuck behind it in those situations.
For normal conditions I sit up a bit more and let the wind coming over the fairing unload the wrists. This in turn means that the back gets less weight and that is a big help on long days. 1100 kms was my longest day so far on the Thruxton. I felt remarkably good after that, although it was a few years ago now.
I'm sure the riding position and the fairing helped.
The 920 has the same riding position as the Thruxton r.
I don't know what this fairing would be like or how well it would fit on a standard Commando.
I made the tank in the correct shape to fit properly with the fairing.
Glen
I've lived with that same model of fairing on the Thruxton R since 2016, so I knew that it worked well in high winds and cross winds. You can tuck behind it in those situations.
For normal conditions I sit up a bit more and let the wind coming over the fairing unload the wrists. This in turn means that the back gets less weight and that is a big help on long days. 1100 kms was my longest day so far on the Thruxton. I felt remarkably good after that, although it was a few years ago now.
I'm sure the riding position and the fairing helped.
The 920 has the same riding position as the Thruxton r.
I don't know what this fairing would be like or how well it would fit on a standard Commando.
I made the tank in the correct shape to fit properly with the fairing.
Glen
lcrken
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My contribution here is the fairing I liked least, and that I would definitely not recommend. I fitted this Windjammer fairing to my Mk3 10 years or so ago, but didn't keep it on for long. It added a lot of weight on the front end (thick, heavy fiberglass construction) and made it feel much less nimble on twisty roads. It also made a pretty good sail in strong cross-winds, making the front end feel twitchy and erratic.
Ken
Ken
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My friend Pete had an Avon fairing on his Commando that I always liked. I know he had to clearance the interstate tank to clear his clip-on's. I have the same model fairing sitting on the shelf that I have thought about trying to fit up. Need to come up with a mounting system for it first though. He passed away a few years ago, and his family sold off this and his race bike. I wish I could have afforded them at the time. This is a pic of it after we pulled it out of his garage. He hadn't ridden it in about 15 years.
I do like that fairing, even though the windshield looks a little disproportionately large.
o0norton0o
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The exhaust is the early commando low style header pipes, which I bought new from AN last year and the flange broke off at the exhaust port within a few months. I had it repaired and it broke again, so I put the old pipes which are thicker metal with welded flanges back on the bike instead of the new style pipes which are perfect chrome, but a thinner metal with the flanges bronze brazed to them.... The AN pipes looked better than my old pipes, but didn't last.
The seat is custom made. I actually bought it from someone locally who's a norton enthusiast who got it from the person who had it made and I guess didn't like it.... I think it looks great. I also think the longer seats look the best with an interstate tank. Before I found this seat for sale, I had a cut down roadster seat on the bike temporarily as it evolved, and the bike looked horrible. I actually had the horrible seat on the bike when I went to the national rally a few years ago in Elma Wa, and some woman came over to my campsite to look at my bike and to tell me how horrible she thought my bike looked,...
It's lookin' a little better these days 
Fast Eddie
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That’s classic !I went to the national rally a few years ago in Elma Wa, and some woman came over to my campsite to look at my bike and to tell me how horrible she thought my bike looked,...
You should have responded:
“Indeed, but I can easily change things like the seat and make the bike beautiful. However, you Madam will always be ugly. Goodbye”
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ahh, forgot about & or didn't really notice those early header pipes were straight back & first ive seen on a non fastback norton with what i think are non stock norton muffs
also allows easy max bags size along with opening up more/other possibilities
also allows easy max bags size along with opening up more/other possibilities
The exhaust is the early commando low style header pipes, which I bought new from AN last year and the flange broke off at the exhaust port within a few months. I had it repaired and it broke again, so I put the old pipes which are thicker metal with welded flanges back on the bike instead of the new style pipes which are perfect chrome, but a thinner metal with the flanges bronze brazed to them.... The AN pipes looked better than my old pipes, but didn't last.
The seat is custom made. I actually bought it from someone locally who's a norton enthusiast who got it from the person who had it made and I guess didn't like it.... I think it looks great. I also think the longer seats look the best with an interstate tank. Before I found this seat for sale, I had a cut down roadster seat on the bike temporarily as it evolved, and the bike looked horrible. I actually had the horrible seat on the bike when I went to the national rally a few years ago in Elma Wa, and some woman came over to my campsite to look at my bike and to tell me how horrible she thought my bike looked,...
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Something to look into here:
I use the quarter fairing kit.
Cheers,
Tom
I use the quarter fairing kit.
Cheers,
Tom
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Pete Kogut's bike? If so he made the bar clearance indents with a carefully swung bowling pin, at least that is what he told me at the Maine rally years ago.My friend Pete had an Avon fairing on his Commando that I always liked. I know he had to clearance the interstate tank to clear his clip-on's. I have the same model fairing sitting on the shelf that I have thought about trying to fit up. Need to come up with a mounting system for it first though. He passed away a few years ago, and his family sold off this and his race bike. I wish I could have afforded them at the time. This is a pic of it after we pulled it out of his garage. He hadn't ridden it in about 15 years.
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Yes, it is Pete Kogut's. He told me the same about making the dents when I was looking to use clip-on's with my Interstate tank. I never tried it though. He also mentioned that he designed the tail section so It would accommodate a 6 pack.
RSD
