Commando in the Mountains

Had a glorious day yesterday on the Commando riding in the "American Alps". I have been mostly riding other bikes for the last couple of years and forgot how nice the Commando is.
For starters it is such a comfortable ride when the road gets a little patchy. I hurt my back two days ago doing some split rail cedar fencing and really appreciated the smooth ride. The Triumph Daytona, though considered a soft rider in sport bike world, is more jarring. So are the Vincents. The 650 SS is a good rider but I think the 25 extra pounds of the MK3 maybe helps it ride over the bumps a lot better. It has me rethinking the need to build that super lightweight Commando.

There is loads of power for passing and climbing big grades in top gear. The bike is easy to toss around on the curves. Then there is that big Madass brake for moments when you get carried away. I needed that a couple of times yesterday.

Yes, couldn't agree with you more. I have some lower back issues as well as C6&7 in my neck. I can ride the Norton (with rear sets & clip-ons) all day & night without the pain I get from 100 miles on the Ducati. There are stretches of freeway in my area I will not even go near on the Duck but the Norton just glides through them.

Where are the American Alps?

Only thing moderns have going for them is warranties and higher top speeds for freeways so lighten up your Cdo to respond better, adjust air pressure and spring settings and keep the 6 gallon tank mostly filled for the inertial dampening mass that helps keep front down better on expressing old fashioned joy ridding. I detest feeling the modern cycles valve train buzz, sports bikes to Goldwings though rubber mounted Harley do not but still feel like loose clattery tractor. pashaw.

Very nice setup and not a hint of color on your headers! Please, what are the bags you're using?

The black bags are Cortech, the green bag is a 10 litre dry bag by Sealine.
The American Alps are actually the Cascade Mountains in Western Washington. We are currently in Winthrop, WA.
I went back down hyway 20 to the west today and took this photo.
Glen

Hwy. 20 is nice. Winthrop too. Lots of bikes.
ride safe!

Back home again, the bike ran like a dream. I had to come home early due to the back problems. On Saturday I remembered that before the split rail fence last week I was jumping the 490 Maico quite high in our field one evening. I felt fine afterward and even had designs of taking it to Washougal to compete this year. Maybe time is up on that kind of activity. Hate to think so!

Still managed to cover a lot of miles with the Commando and it was perfect.

Glen

worntorn said:

Back home again, the bike ran like a dream. I had to come home early due to the back problems. On Saturday I remembered that before the split rail fence last week I was jumping the 490 Maico quite high in our field one evening. I felt fine afterward and even had designs of taking it to Washougal to compete this year. Maybe time is up on that kind of activity. Hate to think so!

Still managed to cover a lot of miles with the Commando and it was perfect.

Glen

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Don't give up Glen, I love riding my CRF450X and I am 56 years old, I might not do the jumps I use to but I still ride it hard just love the way it handles the dirt, when you do any work that involves working your back massels, you just got to be aware what could happen get yourself a good back brace which will help in the long run of things also good to wear it when riding, by the way great pics, I don't know why a lot of poeple on this site are affraid to take their Nortons on long trips, I have been doing it for over 40 years now on mine and only failed to get home once with a broken chain, lucky I wasn't far from home.

Ashley

Hi worntorn.
What is the 'gadget on a stick' on the RH bar? (PS: You need a better massage therapist for your back).

Hi ashman.
I'm with you on distance confidence - I've always made it home although I have never had a chain fail (that would stop me, I reckon). The ride to/from Hamilton Vic (National Rally) last November, I had a jet holder loosen and a float bowl banjo bolt lost completely (both issues were overcome 'in transit' and are now permanently resolved). Are you on the Blackdog ride this year?
Ta.

Hi ashman.
I'm with you on distance confidence - I've always made it home although I have never had a chain fail (that would stop me, I reckon). The ride to/from Hamilton Vic (National Rally) last November, I had a jet holder loosen and a float bowl banjo bolt lost completely (both issues were overcome 'in transit' and are now permanently resolved). Are you on the Blackdog ride this year?
Ta.[/quote]


My Norton is is semi retired at the moment as I have to pull the oil tank off and the alloy tray that it is mounted from has cracked and split where it was folded, once I get it welded up be all good forever, since buying my new Thruxton 2 1/2 years ago my Norton is no longer my everyday ride, but still ride it regular, its like me semi retired but it will be ridden till the day I die.
If you keep thinking if your bike is going to break down, then it proberly will, I never give it any throughts, I just ride my bikes do the maitenance when needed and haven't had any problems in the 43 years of riding motorcycles and I don't even have a mobil phone (cell phone) if I did break down on the road, just don't think about it.

Ashley

Hi ashman.
I try to pre-empt failure modes before they occur on the road. If there is a glitch to slow me up I fix it forever (if practicable). That's why I was so pissed with myself recently: I knew I should have grubscrewed the jet holders first time one vibrated loose in Nov. but 'hoped' filing and peening would hold them. All 3 sets are now uprated. Happy trails!
Ta.

needing said:

Hi worntorn.
What is the 'gadget on a stick' on the RH bar? (PS: You need a better massage therapist for your back).

Ta.

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It's a TomTomRider GPS. I bought it when in England in 2007, so it is quite ancient for an electronic item. I'm sure it saved our lives the first morning I used it. Stuck it on the bike, read the "quick start" instruction page then rode diagonally across Manchester(4th largest city in the UK?) to locate a friend's elderly father, whom we had a photograph of. He wanted to see us and the Vincent while we were in England.
I was mostly following the audio instructions as the intense traffic kept my eyes too busy to watch the screen . Riding on the wrong-to-me side of the road added even more stress. Heard the soothing words "you have reached your destination" for the first time and looked sideways to see this beaming familiar face over a picket fence.
It's old hat now but in 07 this was amazing technology in my books.

Glen

Most peoples pains are central cord level which can get a shock from impact or vibration and not feel a thing till later at rest-still with less circulation pumping activity, cord swells to radiate refer pain to old injury and new places seeming w/o reason. Bending decayed spines with bony crust, swollen discs or scar tissue intruding into its canal is similar to clothes or limb positions cutting off circulation slowly over time w/o much sense of it - till ya try to move them. All the best postures and supports from cycles to work/home will only slow the decay and/or ease temporary, which is very good thing but does not regrow the basic cause, bad posture like bad tire alignment. Only thing I know that reverses-solves it essentially permanently is similar to orthodontics that regrow teeth position in jaw bones, but in neck over some seasons by traction and stretching. Yesterday Wes invited me on rough ride on 125 cc dirt bike I swear ran fully bottomed out most the time over the wash outs and ruts - showing me the flood damage til stopped after 16 miles but bridge out with car size blocks and rock rapids. So bumped our butts back up. My bottom was tender to touch after yet nothing else but nice muscle work out sense today. Wes and I travel similar pot hole, wash boards on Commando w/o much jarring thankgoodness.

worntorn said:

I had to come home early due to the back problems. On Saturday I remembered that before the split rail fence last week I was jumping the 490 Maico quite high in our field one evening. I felt fine afterward and even had designs of taking it to Washougal to compete this year. Maybe time is up on that kind of activity. Hate to think so!

Glen

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I am 60 and still do a 4hr enduro regularly on a real quick 450. I have a good kidney belt, back brace, neck brace and body armour etc. Don't give up. The older you get the more you have to ride to stay "Bike" fit. Less air may be smart.

Hi worntorn.
Did you notice any change to running or to change the jetting for the mountain ride?

Re: Tomtom. Thought so.
GPS maps are on my gadget phone (doubles as speedo too) and the direction advice is sent to the bluetooth earpeices I fitted into my helmet. I plan club runs and can then focus on riding instead of looking out for signage. If we re-route on the ride, the gadget phone re-maps to suit so we still end up at the same meet point. Last club run, I took a phone call in my helmet from 2 riders running late then waited for them to catch up. Functional technology!
Ta.

Never bothered to touch the carbs and there wasn't any noticeable change in running. Though the peaks are around 11,000 ft, the highest summit encountered was 5144 ft. Still, a long way up from near sea level, which is what the bike is set up for. Even at 5,000 ft the engine pulled hard to 6000 rpm shift points, also idled and started well.

Glen

Of interest, the owner of the Vincent in the first photo also owns a 1973 Commando 850 Interstate. He purchased it in 1978 from a friend who purchased it new. It had 22,000 miles on it at the time. It now has done 125,000 miles and has never been apart. He tells me that there is about. 060" of end play in the crank, so he has stopped riding it, though it still runs reasonably well. It is down in power with lots of compression leakage both thru the rings and valves, as would be expected at that kind of mileage.
But 125,000 miles without a problem or even a need to pull the head has to be some kind of record.

Glen