Commando suspension setup

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JimC said:
I agree with Carbonfibre. It's pretty tough to put up with a stock Commando if you want to ride it very much. I would venture to say the stock Commando disc brake was the worst performer from the era. The list gets pretty long when it comes to modernizing the Commando.


Yep, IMO, the best stock brake of the early/mid 70's was the iron unit that came on the Yamahas.

Still the Norton disc brake, back in that day, sure looked good, and about half way down a fast hill, the wooden feel and performance of that disc was still better than that of the earlier double leading shoe unit.
 
I think the British realised half the population was seldom sober , and were incompatant riders . As it was pissing down
and freezing , more often than not , A touchy brake wouldve had half of them on there heads. Failing that , run over by
all the drum brake rubbish on the road behind them , if they used the brake in traffic .
 
If we are honest about our Commandos, most will admit the attraction is; appearance, sound and it's not Japanese. It has a certain cache that no other bike from the same era possess. My first Commando was a 1969 I purchased in 1971. I had a 1969 Trident before that, but the Commando had appeal in spades. I rode that Trident like I'd stolen it and never had a problem. The Commando was a very different story.
 
There is a very big difference between a few sensible upgrades for regular riding, and fitting the latest and best MotoGP stuff to a Commando. Although a totally stock Commando isn't a poor performer, by any means, AND had one of the better suspensions of the day - what does that say about the rest...?

BTW, if you go out for a weekend ride with the vintage and veteran crowd, they don't even have front brakes - or even gearboxes if you go early enough !!! While they tend to avoid motorways, suggest to them their bike isn't suitable for modern riding - they take pride in the originality. And taking modern traffic in their stride......
 
IMO, most of the upgrades greatly enhance the enjoyment of owning a Commando. In all likelihood a lot of the upgrades would have been included in the production Commando had it not been for the bean counters.
 
You only have to look at the 961 to see what the Commando would have looked like 'if it had stayed in production'.

Some would argue that it DID stay in production. And they may be right.
 
JimC said:
If we are honest about our Commandos, most will admit the attraction is; appearance, sound and it's not Japanese. It has a certain cache that no other bike from the same era possess. My first Commando was a 1969 I purchased in 1971. I had a 1969 Trident before that, but the Commando had appeal in spades. I rode that Trident like I'd stolen it and never had a problem. The Commando was a very different story.


a trident that didn't go Boom Jim? surely you jest !
 
mikegray660 said:
JimC said:
If we are honest about our Commandos, most will admit the attraction is; appearance, sound and it's not Japanese. It has a certain cache that no other bike from the same era possess. My first Commando was a 1969 I purchased in 1971. I had a 1969 Trident before that, but the Commando had appeal in spades. I rode that Trident like I'd stolen it and never had a problem. The Commando was a very different story.


a trident that didn't go Boom Jim? surely you jest !

No. How many 1969 Tridents did you own?
 
Funny how these modern upgrades work better, I fitted a C'do TLS brake and front wheel to my 1958 500 Domi in a wideline F'bed back in 1975, did I think i was cool and it made it stop way better that the original.!!!! see how we have evolved!!!
Regards Mike
 
Rohan said:
You only have to look at the 961 to see what the Commando would have looked like 'if it had stayed in production'.

Some would argue that it DID stay in production. And they may be right.


quote="Rohan"]Matt, each subsequent model being an improvement over the previous model goes back to the dawn of motoring. Motorcycles, trains, ships, airplanes, rockets, etc etc.

You can generally d1975 model as a first year GSXR is to the most recent.

Trabants perhaps being the exception....[/quote]
ate old motorcycle photographs fairly accurately by the yearly features shown.
A 1896 de dion bouton is as different as a 1902 model as a prewar Norton is to a postwar model, as a 69 Commando is to a


Somewhat Contradictory . ( unless its a BM or Guzzi ? ) Any 69 machine has been through maybe four generations, Ducati
Noteably .At the time probably the closest to Nortons approach , though perhaps less muddled ( Rotary , Cosworth etc ) .

Therefore we'd expect something akin to a four valve twin cam fuel injected contraption perhaps evolved from the Cosworth

Personally Id retain the isolastics , and no way consider unitary construction for a ' Interstate ' Roadburner Tourer .

If you consider the Roadster & Hi Rider as city slicker derivitives , and the Fastback and Interstate as the true to type ,
in respect of being an equal to a BMW ( 1970 ), with the added benefit of a built in anti corrosion system for those that live near the Coast . :D

Mass production dispoable oriental devices being for commoners and peasants , are irrelivant to the equation . :lol:
:p :shock: :wink: generally vehicals of the preceeding error wernt built to withstand mindless abuse by incompetants.
Also they generally failed to function satisfactorilly if not maintained competantly and to a acceptable standard .

Half a centurie on from the instigation of the design , we could expect something more the likes of a two wheeled Aston Martin , or Jaguar , perhaps .Massed produced tripe unfortunately these days , but no worse than the 'German Cortinas ';
bmw & merc .

The get what you pay for being noteable . ( a broad range )

However , if the rotissary had been nudged into operation in its original NVT guise , El Cheapo high volume rocketships
could well have stood the tide of the asian invasion . Along with other cancelled ( at the 11th hour ) British Machineary .

I personally consider the likes of the Heskith as a delusion and irrelivancy , though .Laughable to all but rivet counters .

Blinded by the Trees , again. Young Man .

For a manufacturor to be viable , I would think the staple of their range would be bread & butter machineary for the masses ,
even if tarted up as related to the ' race proven ' range leaders .Sounds like the rice burners all over. But as allways , They wernt the first , or the last , to market proven machineary .

Basically , I think NORTON would have something that could knock LeMans etc ( the 24 Hr Races ) on the head. If they were still on there feet .

So There .

Next tirade on ' entrepeneurs ' as opposed to ' industrialists ' . :roll: :mrgreen:
 
JimC said:
mikegray660 said:
JimC said:
If we are honest about our Commandos, most will admit the attraction is; appearance, sound and it's not Japanese. It has a certain cache that no other bike from the same era possess. My first Commando was a 1969 I purchased in 1971. I had a 1969 Trident before that, but the Commando had appeal in spades. I rode that Trident like I'd stolen it and never had a problem. The Commando was a very different story.


a trident that didn't go Boom Jim? surely you jest !

No. How many 1969 Tridents did you own?

mine was a 71 actually - went boom twice !! (once when i had it, then sold it 2 my brother who rebuilt it, went boom on him too)

was fun on the pipe though (maybe thats why it blewup!)

have to admit i have a fondness for 3 cylinders - while i don't have a trident anymore my laverda 3 is more stout than the trident was and a bit faster too ( of course probaly has a 100 lbs on the triumph). i tried one of the new 3 triumphs - and while thought they are nice, the short stoke rev things just don't have the charisma the old triples have/had - though that being said the new triple triumphs used ones are going for so cheap they are almost worth while to have in the garage for a beater
 
I have had a "front row seat" to Tricycles asploding twice and I must say they put on one heck of a show doing it!

Vince
 
JimC said:
I agree with Carbonfibre. It's pretty tough to put up with a stock Commando if you want to ride it very much. I would venture to say the stock Commando disc brake was the worst performer from the era. The list gets pretty long when it comes to modernizing the Commando.
Quote: "It's pretty tough to put up with a stock Commando", Fact is Jim it's tough being without power steering and a mobile phone these days :lol:
My first ride on a Commando was 1970, it was great! . My stock MK 3 feels rough for the first 5 miles,then "my" 62 year old chassis gets used to it, We would throw a leg over "what ever" 40 years ago,and soon adapted to the bike.
I was reading about some old boy riding 200 miles to visit is girl on a pre-war vincent. I am afraid its us,not the bike these days ,that is the problem.when i was 50 i rode 1050 miles in one day...200 miles none stop in the car is enough today :!:
 
Interesting thread, I'm keen on fitting a set of Landowne internals and a DT head steady to my Combat this year. I have been looking at suspension as I'm in the final stages of building up a classic racer BMW R90. I have read and re read a lot on suspension.....sure is an area of hot debate.
I've ditched the progressive springs and gone for linear ones based on my weight and Race Tech emulators to control compression damping. The original fixed orifice damper rods are drilled out and 15 weight oil controls rebound the compression is done via the adjustable shim stack......testing will be in a week or so.....
Sadly any adjustment involves taking the springs out....
Oil level seems to be an area that is worth exploring....seems a few mm up or down can make a big difference.
On the rear I have pinched the IKON shocks off the Commando ....as its not currently on the road... :roll:
A friend of mine who is an Ohlins convert recently pulled an old set of Konis apart for his 850, with new seals ( from IKON) and modern oil....5wt and 85ml from memory he said he could not believe how good they were.
Happy New Year :D
 
Matt, Rotaries dont need `em, you see, as they are virtually, gulp, a 2-stroke...L.O.L.
Oh, & the new computers will operate on quantum principles, so your programming saw/motto needs updating too..you dont want to miss the singularity cut , as a 'useless mouth'. L.O.L.
 
Im dreaming of getting twelve H2s. putting them in a shed . And starting them all up simultaeneously .
Oh , I see . somebodys allready done it . Be sure to leave the door open . Next time . :mrgreen:
 
Sad,-if dreaming is all you can afford, Matt, `bout time you pulled your head in to line & got a paying job, eh?
 
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