Commando prices surprising....

I changed my black Roadster to a BRG fastback! ;) My Roadster's range was a bit lower than I liked re having to re-fuel - about 90 miles.. The fastback tank can manage 130 miles or so which is more in-line with when I'd like to stop/get off the bike for a few minutes anyway.
 
MexicoMike said:
I changed my black Roadster to a BRG fastback! ;) My Roadster's range was a bit lower than I liked re having to re-fuel - about 90 miles.. The fastback tank can manage 130 miles or so which is more in-line with when I'd like to stop/get off the bike for a few minutes anyway.
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The 750 I have now was a fastback I loved the extra capacity it gave
But e5 melted it
So it's now a roadster also
 
KiwiShane said:
I would love to get hold of a steel 6 gallon tank like yours ...beautiful bike mate...it was a red interstate that hooked me on the Commando's...and I still don't have one !!...patience is a virtue ....
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That tank sidecover and seat set-up has a long story and an embarrassing price tag.

Back when I first ownd the bike with a Roadster tank the carbs were completely worn out. But I was a student and lived on about $50 a week and new carbs were never going to happen. The worn carbs and pathetic sized Roadster tank were totally impractical for many trips so I used a larger alloy tank which was made by a friend. Fast forward about 35 years and I found a good India made Interstate tank and after considerable modification of the underneath it fits and works fine. The paint job alone cost a little more than I bought the whole bike for in 1978.

To be honest while I prefer the Interstate look the Roadster tank is generally physically nicer to ride. I wish they had made a tank somewhere in the middle. Say about 18 to 20 litres.
 
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baz said:
My first commando was a red interstate mk2a
I changed it to a black roadster
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Gas stations are alot closer together in the UK maybe. A Roadster tank is just to small especially at night for NZ. I have actually changed the tank on my adventure DR650 to give me a 400 km range for the back roads of South Island NZ.
 
johnm said:
Gas stations are alot closer together in the UK maybe. A Roadster tank is just to small especially at night for NZ. I have actually changed the tank on my adventure DR650 to give me a 400 km range for the back roads of South Island NZ.
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Speaking of gas
Years ago I was heading down to Wanganui with a couple of Tridents following me and came across a hells angel from Auckland on the side of the road out of gas...in a particularly bad part of the country for him...I said to him I'm the one that runs out of gas ...I spotted a flat small soccer ball in the paddock beside the road stabbed a hole in it and filled it up a bit and tipped a about a litre of gas into his tank to get him to the next gas station...we all filled up and I was hard up his screaming eagle big block arse all the way to Wanganui (bike show)(could have passed him easy)...he shouted the boys quite a few beers that night...with out mentioning to much to his buddies what had happened ..lol he would have been easy pickings for the mongrel mob where he stopped....
 

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KiwiShane said:
Speaking of gas
Years ago I was heading down to Wanganui with a couple of Tridents following me and came across a hells angel from Auckland on the side of the road out of gas...in a particularly bad part of the country for him...I said to him I'm the one that runs out of gas ...I spotted a flat small soccer ball in the paddock beside the road stabbed a hole in it and filled it up a bit and tipped a about a litre of gas into his tank to get him to the next gas station...we all filled up and I was hard up his screaming eagle big block arse all the way to Wanganui (bike show)(could have passed him easy)...he shouted the boys quite a few beers that night...with out mentioning to much to his buddies what had happened ..lol he would have been easy pickings for the mongrel mob where he stopped....
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Ha! One of the reasons for the big tank was filling up in Waverley, heading up the Paraparas and running out just out of Raetihi. Probably pretty much where you found him.
 
johnm said:
Ha! One of the reasons for the big tank was filling up in Waverley, heading up the Paraparas and running out just out of Raetihi. Probably pretty much where you found him.
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I found him just out side Te kuiti....lots of red shirts there...lol
Love the parapara's ....with a tank full of gas...:)
 
johnm said:
That tank sidecover and seat set-up has a long story and an embarrassing price tag.

Back when I first ownd the bike with a Roadster tank the carbs were completely worn out. But I was a student and lived on about $50 a week and new carbs were never going to happen. The worn carbs and pathetic sized Roadster tank were totally impractical for many trips so I used a larger alloy tank which was made by a friend. Fast forward about 35 years and I found a good India made Interstate tank and after considerable modification of the underneath it fits and works fine. The paint job alone cost a little more than I bought the whole bike for in 1978.

To be honest while I prefer the Interstate look the Roadster tank is generally physically nicer to ride. I wish they had made a tank somewhere in the middle. Say about 18 to 20 litres.
Click to expand...
I used to do alot of paint jobs years ago...it sux when they come back after they have damaged it (happens alot)
With the base coat clear coat systems available now its alot easier to do specific or custom colours etc...lots of time spent for a small m2 area...
Used to do alot of candy on chrome with the boarder gold pin stripes
A panel beater friend of mine (old school) was hot on metal file finish (for damaged tanks) prior to chrome....polished finish...
Then off to "Fall of and Amazing"(Furlong & Massey) hard to get good chome these days
 
KiwiShane said:
I used to do alot of paint jobs years ago...it sux when they come back after they have damaged it (happens alot)
With the base coat clear coat systems available now its alot easier to do specific or custom colours etc...lots of time spent for a small m2 area...
Used to do alot of candy on chrome with the boarder gold pin stripes
A panel beater friend of mine (old school) was hot on metal file finish (for damaged tanks) prior to chrome....polished finish...
Then off to "Fall of and Amazing"(Furlong & Massey) hard to get good chome these days
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Alan S?

A Mongrel brother whose shop is gone now painted my frame... in my naiveté to NZ mob scene I didn't really realize until I had jacked it up. He was a nice guy, but his old man was into Triumphs.
 
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MexicoMike said:
Re buying a used bike: IMO, you can't trust anybody selling a used anything. I bought my Norton in '06 from a very well known US seller of Brittbikes who stated it was ready to ride across the country! Not being able to go pick it up, I had it delivered via truck and it took me a full day to get it to fire at all and it ran terribly when finally started. The fix to get it running was to replace the bad Boyer (I switched back to OEM points/AAU). Also: it had no oil in either of the internally rusted forks, it had one broken rear shock (rod separated internally from the plunger), and a clutch so stiff it nearly took two hands on the lever to release. There was more but that will give you an idea. The bike was essentially a non runner and UNSAFE to ride. ASSUMING they could have gotten it started, there is no way it could have been ridden safely around the block let alone across the country.

Due diligence is mandatory for such purchases and I definitely failed on that account because I trusted the well-known seller. ;)
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The guy I sold my black 850 Roadster to said he'd travelled substantial distances (by UK standards) to look at three bikes advertised by dealers before he bought mine.
Apparently all three were more expensive by a fair margin, and none of them came close to their description.
 
B+Bogus said:
The guy I sold my black 850 Roadster to said he'd travelled substantial distances (by UK standards) to look at three bikes advertised by dealers before he bought mine.
Apparently all three were more expensive by a fair margin, and none of them came close to their description.
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There are lots out there that are just pretty to look at
I'd always prefer to buy a tatty long term owned bike than a mint one from a dealer
 
gortnipper said:
Alan S?

A Mongrel brother whose shop is gone now painted my frame... in my naiveté to NZ mob scene I didn't really realize until I had jacked it up. He was a nice guy, but his old man was into Triumphs.
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Whats worse is they ride bikes... now a days ...not your preferred repairer :)
 
gortnipper said:
Alan S?

A Mongrel brother whose shop is gone now painted my frame... in my naiveté to NZ mob scene I didn't really realize until I had jacked it up. He was a nice guy, but his old man was into Triumphs.
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My little brother wasn't a great fan. They blew his front window out with a shotgun.

It was a few decades ago. He has grown up a little now. ;)
 
kommando said:
They did, the Interpol tank also fitted to the Fastback LR. its an Atlas tank with a base fitted to suit the Commando.
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I have a LR tank with the 4 holes for a rack I've been planning to respray and fit one day
Are they 4 gallon ?
 
The blue Commando in the photo attached now has the tank my friend made and I used for years. Its now ow on another friends project bike just finished last year. They both did a nice job.

Johnny the guy who made the tank is the A in this project. He is pretty good.

 

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baz said:
I have a LR tank with the 4 holes for a rack I've been planning to respray and fit one day
Are they 4 gallon ?
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That is an Interpol tank, they came with a recess or holes for a rack, both for mounting radios. 4 gal without radio recess, 3.5 gal or slightly more with recess.
 
kommando said:
That is an Interpol tank, they came with a recess or holes for a rack, both for mounting radios. 4 gal without radio recess, 3.5 gal or slightly more with recess.
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It also has 4 petrol tap bosses?
 
baz said:
It also has 4 petrol tap bosses?
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No, well I have 3 Interpol tanks and all have 2 petcock holes but as the Police could specify what they wanted within reason, a individual Force could have required 4 petcocks but I have never seen one. The base was made from several flat sheets all welded together so presumably you could for a short run change the flat sheets.
 
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