Commando Versus Modern
- Thread starter phil yates
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People who have two or more bikes typically ride one in favour of the other(s). Where the choice is between an old and new bike 9 times out of 10 the old bike gets left in the shed because the owner prefers riding the new bike because they enjoy it more - why would you ride something you don't enjoy? So lets cut all the crap about 'retiring' the Norton etc etc. I ride my Norton because I enjoy riding it. Obviously all bikes are different - it's just that when I first bought the Commando and rode it I fell in love with it and haven't fallen out of love with it - so why would I want to ride something else? Japanese bikes are typically well engineered machines, reliable and good value for money. Always liked the design of the VFR Honda for one. CB250RS another nice design and I despatched on a pre-Diversion Yamaha XJ600 which clocked up 200,000 miles believe it or not with no engine problems (it was getting tired by this point). Carbs, ignition coils, steering head bearings, swing arm linkage and bearings, brake discs, calipers and other things required regular maintenance however. That bike went to the breakers when I finshed courier work. And there's the big difference - the Commando will be kept on the road whatever it takes. It's the only bike I own - I don't see the need for another road bike.
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The second bike I owned as a kid was a 1952 500cc Indian Scout, I sold it for 30 pounds in about 1961 and replaced it with a 1954 model T110 Triumph. The Indian was slow, had rigid frame and girder forks, hand gear change, Left hand throttle, right hand advance, foot clutch. However it was beautifully engineered. I'd really love to have it now as a Sunday bike. With all of that old stuff, you must live with their limitations, however wouldn't a six litre supercharged Bentley be great ? These guys who believe they are really swish on modern bikes are really kidding themselves, those bikes are throw-away items. They are superb quality, however so is a speed boat compared with a three masted sailing ship, if you want to boat around the local lake. The definition of quality is 'fit for purpose with obvious attention to detail' , so the question is always - what is the purpose ?
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I love to ride my Norton...although right now it is in the process of restoration. I have a bad back and have had multiple surgeries. So I have a Trike that I can ride for long distances without problems. It is a Japanese cruiser and is just fine in performance and reliability. I have other Japanese bikes that have their purpose as well. There is nothing like a Norton...in between there are other options and nothing wrong with them either.
I thought about putting a side car on the Norton but just couldn't do it.
I thought about putting a side car on the Norton but just couldn't do it.
phil yates said:
Well they would have to be pretty quick to grab the Commando. When not going here there and everywhere, sitting where it is, I look at it directly through my office window, where I am when not on it riding off on yet another errand. Also have a savage dog who guards it with his life, day and night. But it is safely locked away at night anyway. The Kawasaki Verseys is a very good all rounder. I sold mine to make room in the living room for the Commando, which was later chucked out anyway. The Verseys was never a good seller, apparently because it couldn't do 3000mph. But still would beat most things around town and a good tourer. But from my perspective, steering not a patch on the Norton. Would have made a good chook house, but a very expensive one.
Never underestimate the thieving scum. I had a mate parked his sv650, right outside his office window(ground floor) in a car park with a security guard attendant, locked to a downpipe with a brand name security chain/lock. Bike was stolen mid afternoon, seen at 1500, gone at 1530, and to this day never seen again, no witnesses despite it being a working building, busy thoroughfare, unfortunately no cameras. Still no idea how it was taken, chain gone, downpipe intact. We still talk about that when we get together over beers.
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Al-otment said:
And I'm exactly the same Al.
I had had the Verseys for a few years before the arrival of my new Norton. I very much enjoyed it as an around town bike come weekend country bike, very much. I planned to keep it when the Norton arrived, continuing to use it through the week and the Norton on weekends. But once the Commando arrived, I never got on the Kawasaki again. I was enjoying the Commando so much I just never got off it. I didn't intend it that way at all but that was the outcome. So I sold the Kawasaki (somewhat sadly) and lost 1000's of dollars in depreciation on what was virtually a new bike. It was frightening to lose so much money in only three years. That's one issue also, look after your Commando and it will hold its value or appreciate. But I don't ever plan selling mine, not this time. Only other bike I'm going to own is another Commando. One for this day, one for that. Not entirely sure why I am doing this (well extravagance I guess) but it will be like buying gold anyway.
Phil
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The only 'modern' bike I've ever experienced was a VFR400 Honda. It was an excellent ride, however it doesn't really interest me. I've never been big on Commandos, however I've seen some really beautiful examples in the parking lots at road race meetings. For me that always brings a really feel good experience. I like seeing modern Ducatis too, however everything else looks similarly boring. I would never own a Ducati, however I would own a Commando. I rarely get an adrenalin rush from watching road racing these days, however this did it for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMkLu0ZNtRc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMkLu0ZNtRc
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[/quote]Never underestimate the thieving scum. I had a mate parked his sv650, right outside his office window(ground floor) in a car park with a security guard attendant, locked to a downpipe with a brand name security chain/lock. Bike was stolen mid afternoon, seen at 1500, gone at 1530, and to this day never seen again, no witnesses despite it being a working building, busy thoroughfare, unfortunately no cameras. Still no idea how it was taken, chain gone, downpipe intact. We still talk about that when we get together over beers.
It's a slight risk on that one. But probably biggest risk is allowing scum to know it lives here. I certainly don't leave it out there at night time. It would break my heart if it disappeared, even with its insurance. Much more than a money thing is the loss of your treasured Commando. Mine has no steering lock either, so parked anywhere when on my errands is a risk.
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Rohan said:
I pay him monthly to avoid instant dismissal.
Doesn't everybody?
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auldblue said:
Not only that, she would prefer it I'm sure.
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I found sitting legs-open-frontal of young hippie haired Dianna Riggs aka Mrs Emma Peel but can't print out here for a number of reasons so seeking a partner in crime that can keep it between us. Look hard and long enough and might see it too. Among most beautiful things in the world to me. Ms Peel will conceal her tastefully of course. Sorta of like a patient telling me of work troubles being eased after a kiss tatoo under cover I got to see how she pretended to display its effect.
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phil yates said:
At least you didn't say where you live or post a picture of your house :lol: (Google street view)
If you come across a 1964 1/2 427 8V low riser manifold it might be mine that disappeared in the early 1990's.
On a tangent but the flip side.
Around 1993 I picked up a 1968 Husqvarna MF250 (#26) some time later an engine said to be a 72 (iirc) came up in the Trader.
I rang and went to look at it thinking it might have ignition parts that fit the earlier model.
It turned out to be a complete but stripped 1968 MF360 engine (#9) in a wooden apple crate I brought it as the bottom ends are the same for the most part.
I asked where the rest of the bike was,the story went the bike had had a piston failure many years before and the chassis had been lost along the way he was told.
Fast track some 9 years later,on a local website someone was asking about older Huskys as they had a rolling chassis that had worn out its long term welcome in the fathers carport/shed.
I said I would come and ID it and ended up buying that too.
As it turned out it was the long lost chassis from the engine I had purchased all those years earlier and they were reunited.
Its a small world,my manifold is out there somewhere.....
I loved my time at N-V riding the Commando on tests. IIRC, I did about 25,000 miles in the 20 months I worked there. Even though the "mules" had a horrible-looking tank and had NO stands at all (we had to lean them against a tree or a wall!, they were a blast to ride.
My ride-to-work was a very tired 650SS (about 130,000 miles on the odometer) and I had a 45 mile ride to work until we bought a house nearer to Wolverhampton. Th difference between the SS and the Commando was beer to champagne. Two of us test riders would go out for 8 hours a day each on the same bike - me from 04:00 to 12:00 the other guy from 16:00 to 00:00. Both of us hzd a target of 500 miles in 8 hours. Initially, we ran a figure 8 course around the Midlands, so the van didn't have to go very far for a rescue, but once we got thr reiiability up to snuff, we ventured much further afield.
Good fun - didn't pay worth a damn, but very few jobs for green-horn engineers did in those days. My annual salary was £1500, equivalent to about $3600 at the time. As you can imagine, an offer from Boeing of over $10,000 and a cost of living only about 2x that in the UK, it was no contest. Been here ever since, now retired (since 1998) after 30 years at the "Kite Factory". I never did get another bike after seeing how many bikers got creamed by car drivers who "never saw them". I decided I didn't want my wife to see a very somber State Trooper on the front doorstep.
Most of our families in the UK are gone, so there's no great pull to go back. We live in a beautiful seaside town on the northern tip of Washington State, about 18,000 population. Lots of shoreline (two saltwater beaches within 15 minutes walking distance of home and a marina across the street).and mountains not too far away - There's a 9500 foot dormant volcano about 60 miles away and we have permanently snow-capped mountains all round us. My sister, who still lives in Leyland (Lancs) reckons that Anacortes is "where God goes on holiday'".
It's a neat place to visit. If anyone's interested, drop me a PM and I'll send touristy details.. It's a fairly long haul (about 11 hours from LHR), either into Vancouver BC then across the border or into SeaTac.
My ride-to-work was a very tired 650SS (about 130,000 miles on the odometer) and I had a 45 mile ride to work until we bought a house nearer to Wolverhampton. Th difference between the SS and the Commando was beer to champagne. Two of us test riders would go out for 8 hours a day each on the same bike - me from 04:00 to 12:00 the other guy from 16:00 to 00:00. Both of us hzd a target of 500 miles in 8 hours. Initially, we ran a figure 8 course around the Midlands, so the van didn't have to go very far for a rescue, but once we got thr reiiability up to snuff, we ventured much further afield.
Good fun - didn't pay worth a damn, but very few jobs for green-horn engineers did in those days. My annual salary was £1500, equivalent to about $3600 at the time. As you can imagine, an offer from Boeing of over $10,000 and a cost of living only about 2x that in the UK, it was no contest. Been here ever since, now retired (since 1998) after 30 years at the "Kite Factory". I never did get another bike after seeing how many bikers got creamed by car drivers who "never saw them". I decided I didn't want my wife to see a very somber State Trooper on the front doorstep.
Most of our families in the UK are gone, so there's no great pull to go back. We live in a beautiful seaside town on the northern tip of Washington State, about 18,000 population. Lots of shoreline (two saltwater beaches within 15 minutes walking distance of home and a marina across the street).and mountains not too far away - There's a 9500 foot dormant volcano about 60 miles away and we have permanently snow-capped mountains all round us. My sister, who still lives in Leyland (Lancs) reckons that Anacortes is "where God goes on holiday'".
It's a neat place to visit. If anyone's interested, drop me a PM and I'll send touristy details.. It's a fairly long haul (about 11 hours from LHR), either into Vancouver BC then across the border or into SeaTac.
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frankdamp said:
It sounds absolutely beautiful Frank, I'll send you my address details as we plan to do some travelling over the next few years.
Interesting you talk about the 650SS. My MkIII fastback feels to me like a big powerful and very smooth Dominator. Something that represents the very heart of the feel of a big British twin, but smoother than any other. A magic turbine like smoothness in fact. Not that multi cylinder type smoothness of Japo bikes. No wonder I don't want to ride anything else. I still also love the BMW boxer engine, but the Commando is my special favourite, apart from anything else it is simply in my blood. Has been for over 40 years.
It is going to be funny riding around town on a red MIII fastback one day and next day on a green MIII fastback. People will think I am chewing through an awful lot of fast drying red and green paint. Someone said why not just paint your red one BRG? I said, because then I wouldn't have a red one as well.
At the Lyon Rampit (not my pub) a guy says: Yesterday, I got blown off at the lights by a guy on a red Norton Fastback. And today I get blown off by a green Norton Fastback. Haven't seen one in decades, now they are all over Mittagong. What is going on!!
And I see both parked outside the pub up the road on different nights. Must be a nest of them in there!!
I'll put in a road test, Red MIII versus Green MIII.
Phil
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