Desert Commando for hobot

1970 Norton 750 Desert Commando
TRACKMASTER 750 Vintage MX MotoCross Enduro Desert SIMONS CURNUTT custom build

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261603211688?fo ... SS:US:3160

Hokey Smokes, that needs to go to someone that can RIDE....

Wonder if all that stuff would be eligible in its class ?
Anyone know ?

Yeah man my wife says its so ughly its sort of cute : )
To get the most out of a desert racer requires standing on the pegs catching air plus some involuntary screaming. Peel's sticking with 19" front/6" travel as the 21" tire and long forks hinders serious road racing security. Crazy thing to me is don't need so much fork travel or bigger rim if can stay on power hook up enough to keep front light enough not to be much involve with steering until slowing down. Bet its property flat tracker LOUD too.

That's one screamin machine!

Tranny is sure close to the engine, cases look like atlas for the cylinder angle however the timing cover makes it look like it was just canted back that way. What happens when you put a commando tc on an atlas case, does it get that tilt?

No Isos... You think it would vibrate like a beast?

If you click on the picture , you get a whole pile of Big ones .




probly requires proton energy pills . :mrgreen:

Trackmaster oil-in-frame built specifically for desert racing-- beautiful original nickel finish. Custom Trackmaster swingarm with dual shock positions. 1970 Norton 750 Commando motor - balanced & blueprinted w/extensive head work. Norton 4 speed transmission - blueprinted. Massey Ferguson points Magneto ignition. Custom built aluminum desert skid plate protects all vitals. Vintage Hurst Airheart drilled disc brakes w/stainless braided lines – front & rear (cutting edge trick for 1970's). Leo St. Martin high seat w/ new velour seat cover. Steve Simons 38mm forks & triples. Charles Curnutt long travel desert shocks. Buchanan built wheels w/custom stainless hubs and stainless steel spokes. Dynamic Machine rear and front axles. Charlie Cavallo open megaphone dual exhaust (these are a work of art). 40mm Del Orto carburetor w/ K&N filter & ACK intake manifold. Charlie Cavallo custom primary housing. Custom billet aluminum magneto cover & various bits. Lightened bolts and nuts (mostly titanium & aluminum). Lightened sprockets and discs. Vesco desert tank. 1970 vintage Husqvarna aluminum fenders with custom mounting brackets (see last photo). Preston Petty front #plate / tool box w/vintage desert number plate. 3.25x21 front tire and 5.00x18 rear. All high risk bolts & nuts were safety wired for racing.

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If the motor has been built right and balanced it won't get to much vibrations, but when you are going flat out on a dirt bike you won't be to concern about vibrations, you be to busy hanging on for dear life, I have a Honda CRF450X its like having a V8 between your legs, so quick in the dirt, but lots of fun, I enjoy riding fast dirt bikes as much as riding my Norton and any other bikes i ride.

Ashley

If the motor has been built right and balanced it won't get to much vibrations, but when you are going flat out on a dirt bike you won't be to concern about vibrations, you be to busy hanging on for dear life,

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No kidding, Kelly George's with similar make of frame felt old tractor Harley like just sitting or puttering around but becomes so Loud and Quickly Violent over rough surfaces in power band - frame vibes disappear in the turmoil. Trying to tolerate this light power house in city and hwy cruise would soon make your retinas bleed and bar grips to feel like swollen ankle size to hold on to. I have learned where the flat trackers race but not where off track cycle like this one compete at.

ugh, seeing desert racers conveys sense speed and brute power joys but for me it also brings up images of teeth out back of head with un-natural limb angles. Hey looks like this one is for fale. See if ya can stay in its seat desert racing...
http://www.bike4sale.co/detail/oAmeAmoc ... ert-SIMONS

Hound & Hare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a64niu0db8

Desert racers were the daddy of Commandos, 388 lb/52+hp/6400 rpm.
Scan down a bit to see the lovely old school wonders
https://straightspeed.wordpress.com/cat ... rt-racing/

RennieK said:

Tranny is sure close to the engine, cases look like atlas for the cylinder angle however the timing cover makes it look like it was just canted back that way. What happens when you put a commando tc on an atlas case, does it get that tilt?

Click to expand...

Close gearbox looks P11 style ?
Close up pics don't really show if its Atlas, P11 or Commando engine,
with stray bits added on.
And no numbers quoted to show.
Can't see any tacho housing either, but detail pics don't really show that area...

Seller is well known in the vintage mx community for being kind of a rip off artist. This bike is probably best suited for putting on display in the buyer's office or game room. Buyer Beware definitely applies here. The bike does have some interesting period items though.

The number plate on the front is a genuine AMA District 37 Desert plate from 1975. That brings back memories! It's for the 250cc class though, not the Heavyweight class (251 - open) that this bike would have competed in.

Good eye to catch the close gearbox mounting. Ken Augustine of WSC fame told me his trick that surprised the rest of the field with Commando road race handling was shortening cradle to move gb closer and shorten wheel base.

I don't feel very confident off road but learned hard way ya can't pussy foot it on steep crooked rough loose stuff but must charge it beyond good survival sense - which is wonderful high getting away with it but a downer knowing next instant may be all tangled up in a bent up pile. Off roading on a hot rod gets me into a state of violence that's too fast-crazy for the animal fear sense of survival to tolerate so just have to ignore its involuntary screaming till it gives up and lets me nail it more beyond reason. Peel is basically a off roader with tag, lights and crash cage as even jerking one or both tires up in over powered-over sharp dangerous Mt. twisties doesn't adrenalize me like just a few seconds trying to ride my spring branch and climb back out of it. Right behind my house is steep paths up to plateau top you must charge it or just spin rear into ground to drag back around to get free, but keeping momentum up on slightly roostering tire spray gets the job done in glee.

Every now and then I surprise some deer in pasture and can out accelerate them to thier 40ish mph top speed so they zig zag on sharp hooves but at those speeds Peel could zig zag at well till they jump over tree falls or fences. Strangely the deer does with white tails lifted exposing the good stuff appeals to the wild buck part of me...

If one has the desire is to ride a vintage style mxer, which is sort of what this Norton appears to be, might as well be on the best open classer ever built, according to Dirt Bike USA and pretty much anyone who has ever had the pleasure of riding one. For the ultimate mx thrill , it still has to be a two stroke, and the Maico powerband and handling is unequalled. Like a two stroke Mxer lightweight Featherbed. The sale bike is interesting, but not the best use of a Norton engine, IMHO of course.

Glen

http://twostrokemotocross.com/2008/12/1 ... -marshall/

Well Glen I sure want to find out if tri-linked and lifted/lightened Peel can run with the tricky 2 toke mono shock long fork moderns. If not it will be killer diller thrills to find out. The off road handyness increase with full links on Peel was biggest surprise pleasure security carrot to me and found the knack of handling the violent upsets recoveries upright paid off in spades for easy road racing strains. I was told so knowingly and sternly but others before this forum that its conflicting interests to set up for off road or on road but I found just the opposite, especially when a tire or two gets air borne while not going straight.

That old phrase Maico Breako comes to mind......

Started by the Japanese competition . These were the same companies that after getting thoroughly trounced by Maicos in 1981 quietly purchased new 490s to take home to Japan for disassembly and copy.
This improved their machines a lot, but they never quite reached the Maico power levels nor handling ease.
I've tried very hard to break mine, no luck yet!

Glen

Ugh, I've hit stuff so hard/fast in pastures and Gravel paths, gopher holes, roots rocks and tree falls across blind turn its slammed my helmet on yokes or my butt up into skull, knocked breath and wits out of me so worry that I'll break Peels frame so another reason her crash cage made as another triple triangulated back up layer of protection. Road holders with brace may be the weakest link if landing wrong - which I have a few times nose down getting into a hidden grown over rut or hitting bottoms of V shaped ravines to get some bounce back to start launch up even steeper taller far sides. Amazing how much violence Peel could take so far.

worntorn said:

Started by the Japanese competition .

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I've only ever heard it from owners.
Or ex-owners....