different engine commando frame

74ok · Aug 17, 2015

having seen all kinda combinations out there, frame/engine, i was thinking of possible options with the commando, then just when i started to look closer at what was out there, i finally realized that all the changes were on featherbed frames,

haven't seen a commando with a non norton engine so i figured the isolastics setup was an issue,

then i became aware of a yamando, so, what's the story with fitting another engine in a commando frame?

Fast Eddie · Aug 17, 2015

NVT fitted a Trident engine into one as an experiment, it is in the National Motorcycle Museum I believe.

I have seen pictures of at least 2 Honda 750 4 engines fitted.

One Triumph twin, a different take on the Triton theme!

There have been some Nourish engines fitted. When you consider that these come in 900 or even 960 format, and are a none unit parallel twin, that makes good sense!

Doug MacRae · Aug 17, 2015

Fast guy Brad Monk on the Toivo Madrus built 'Yamando', a very fast bike-

SeeleyWeslake · Aug 17, 2015

commando-weslake-t12118.html

trident sam · Aug 18, 2015

several years ago I bought a part built special, a T160 motor in a Commando frame - no isolastics.
there was too much gusseting and exposed welding to ever make a good looking bike, and I was apprehensive that the frame could take the weight of the triple motor so I broke it up.
sam

Danno · Aug 18, 2015

Not a Commando, but a Featherbed...

Dude who inherited it from a late friend called it a " Norton Manx" chassis, "Kawaton"

baz · Aug 18, 2015

trident sam said:
several years ago I bought a part built special, a T160 motor in a Commando frame - no isolastics.
there was too much gusseting and exposed welding to ever make a good looking bike, and I was apprehensive that the frame could take the weight of the triple motor so I broke it up.
sam

I bought a commando frame last year that had been run with a trident engine I wonder if it is your old one? ,,,,,baz

74ok · Aug 18, 2015

V twins doable? (1200 sportster engines can pack a punch)
https://www.google.ca/webhp?hl=en#hl=en ... ortster+hp
https://www.google.ca/webhp?hl=en#hl=en ... r+upgrades

also had a look at some modern twins with 360 deg cranks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_XTZ_750 (think dohc 5 valve per cyl heads)

fi - computers at some point

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_TDM850 (shift to 270 deg firing order at some point)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_F800S (wrong side belt drive scenarios, dohc 8 valve head, computers)

along with the twin cam dohc kawi from 76-84 (counterbalanced)

xs 650 yam sohc

trident sam · Aug 18, 2015

baz said:
trident sam said:

several years ago I bought a part built special, a T160 motor in a Commando frame - no isolastics.
there was too much gusseting and exposed welding to ever make a good looking bike, and I was apprehensive that the frame could take the weight of the triple motor so I broke it up.
sam

Click to expand...

I bought a commando frame last year that had been run with a trident engine I wonder if it is your old one? ,,,,,baz

Possibly Baz, I'm sure I saw the frame on ebay. I think the guy who bought it off me just wanted a log book with Norton 750 on it.
sam

The bike never ran while I had it and I'm pretty sure it hadn't run before me either

74ok · Aug 18, 2015

Unusual classic british bitza

https://www.flickr.com/photos/michel_67 ... 343112419/

pix

NVT factory prototype of a Norton Commando frame with a 750 BSA Rocket 3 engine

https://www.flickr.com/photos/900gts/42 ... 343112419/
looks like a triumph front end may not be a huge deal

first time i've seen this

BSA A7/A10 frame with a 750 Norton Commando engine mounted with the famous isolastic

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4137/487 ... e8f5_z.jpg

lcrken · Aug 18, 2015

About the only reason (besides "because I can") for fitting another engine into a Commando frame would be the same reason Norton did it, to reduce the vibration from something with inherently large vertical plane balance forces, like a huge vertical single or 360 degree twin. Not much point in fitting something like a 4-cylinder or anything with a balance shaft. On the other hand, "just because I can" has it's own appeal. How about a Honda CR500 2-stroke, which is famous for breaking parts off due to vibration. On the other hand, a unit engine looks a little small in the space normally filled with a separate engine and transmission.

Ken

74ok · Aug 18, 2015

part of the reason for some folks is the great appeal of easy to find suitable cheap (to buy) good engines that are out there for the pickings,

i bet there will be more of that over time given the value and big (or certainly not insignificant) costs of staying or keeping the bikes original, even today, which is likely to just go up,

there will always be appeal, to just doing something different

baz · Aug 18, 2015

trident sam said:
baz said:

trident sam said:

several years ago I bought a part built special, a T160 motor in a Commando frame - no isolastics.
there was too much gusseting and exposed welding to ever make a good looking bike, and I was apprehensive that the frame could take the weight of the triple motor so I broke it up.
sam

Click to expand...

I bought a commando frame last year that had been run with a trident engine I wonder if it is your old one? ,,,,,baz

Click to expand...

Possibly Baz, I'm sure I saw the frame on ebay. I think the guy who bought it off me just wanted a log book with Norton 750 on it.
sam

The bike never ran while I had it and I'm pretty sure it hadn't run before me either

i bought my frame off a bloke at kempton park autojumble it does look very well constructed its an 850 frame converted to take the trident motor i thought it was probably a t150 because it had norman hyde footrest plates set up for right hand gear change, i bought it to convert back to a commando special but there is no frame number that i can see,so i will look around further for another frame with a frame number! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,baz

acotrel · Aug 18, 2015

Danno said:
Not a Commando, but a Featherbed...

Dude who inherited it from a late friend called it a " Norton Manx" chassis, "Kawaton"

I wonder about the mentality of some people - to me that bike looks like DEATH !
A JAWA speedway engine fitted to that bike with an AMC box would be much better and much CHEAPER !

Triton Thrasher · Aug 18, 2015

I must have a look for the photo I took of a BSA A10-engined Commando, I took at the TT.

ashman · Aug 18, 2015

Danno said:
Not a Commando, but a Featherbed...

Dude who inherited it from a late friend called it a " Norton Manx" chassis, "Kawaton"

Some poeple just waste a good frame or they didn't know what they had, who knows how some think :x

Rohan · Aug 18, 2015

It doesn't have some of the expected brackets a manx would have,
and it has pillion footpeg provision !!, so its not very manx :?:

For an engine that had a reputation of having a pig of a frame, a featherbed makes some sense - put it in the best frame around... ??
Would be interesting to hear how it went, just for curiousity value.

Danno · Aug 18, 2015

New owner says he will get it going. If I hear any more, I'll update.

Danno · Aug 18, 2015

84ok said:
Unusual classic british bitza

Click to expand...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/michel_67 ... 343112419/

pix

NVT factory prototype of a Norton Commando frame with a 750 BSA Rocket 3 engine

Click to expand...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/900gts/42 ... 343112419/
looks like a triumph front end may not be a huge deal

first time i've seen this

BSA A7/A10 frame with a 750 Norton Commando engine mounted with the famous isolastic

Click to expand...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4137/487 ... e8f5_z.jpg

Don't know about the rear section, but the front of that "BSA" chassis has twin downtubes. More Commando than Beezer.

MikeM · Aug 18, 2015

Danno said:
Not a Commando, but a Featherbed...

Dude who inherited it from a late friend called it a " Norton Manx" chassis, "Kawaton"

Do I see a Kawasaki Triple?
I had one of those.
That would be a crazy combination.
That motor in a good frame would be a great combination.

different engine commando frame

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