Commando in Context.

From Sept `12 Classic Bike mag, 'Star letter' excerpt;
"Last year, an Italian friend asked me to find him a Norton Commando. I found him one through your adverts, a 1971 Interstate 750 in original condition. Here was a chance after 34 years to try one - it was fantastic. I have never ridden a bike with such a smile on my face. What have I been missing out on all these years?
Needless to say, I just had to keep it."
Editor comments, ' The Commando is a fine machine indeed..."

Wait till some editors try out a compliant tri-linked version with some grunt thrown in to boot. Ms Peel Commando context to me is best tool I can imagine to whip around turns smooth as can be leaving farts hinting of caster bean fumes.

Again from Phil Schilling, on the Commando;
"The British adapted. The old engine received another update in an effort to yank & shove it toward the `70s. Among other things it got a new clutch, since the old item had never been designed to cope with a 750cc engine. A 5-speed gearbox would have been a welcome improvement, but the gearbox shell didnt lend itself to expansion..The Norton engine itself belonged to an earlier technology. The Commando version, while improved in details & quality control, reached a natural limit. The Norton Commando S was as fast as it would effectively be, despite enlargement to 850cc later on."
Re that last point, my understanding is that emissions legislation [noise & fumes] negated that 850 performance potential, similar to the H2, 750 Bonneville & Detroit muscle...

I never believed in Norton Commandos back when I was racing as a kid. I only built my Seeley because as an historic bike it had some sort of authenticity. It sat around for about twenty years because I couldn't believe you could race a motor like that sucessfully against Z900 and H2 Kawasakis. When I eventually got around to trying it in a race , I was utterly amazed. We had all the usual problems - stupid gearbox, dangerous steering geometry, poor brakes. However after a slight upgrade it became a beautiful thing to ride. When I used to race my 500cc short stroke Triumph, I always had terrible anxiety. It could grab you by the throat in a flash. None of that with the Seeley 850 - it d oes everything perfectly. Even with its near standard motor, it is fast enough to win races. Great machine !
I had to laugh. Yesterday I was talking t o my mate who originally built the short stroke Triumph. I mentioned the way it had all t op end power. He said be absolutely shit himself hen he took it down conrod straight at Bathurst, and almost ended up taking the escape road at Murray's Corner. He crashed it up at skyline corner, and sustained a broken arm and a broken leg. If you ever build something like that, don't fit 4 inch megaphones.