Do you RIDE the Norton Commando?

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4 bikes at present , one on lift for winter resto ( ct-90 Trail) mostly I ride Ducati ST3 10000kms per yr, the Griso gets the next most 3-5000 kms a year the Norton is Sunday solo rider usually couple or 3 tanks of fuel a year , keep thinking next year I will ride it more , but ..... Back when I bought it , was my way back and forth to work daily in all weather .... time changes everything ....
 
There's a little herd of them out there, 12 at present but the Commando does get ridden.
This year is a washout with Covid but last year it did about 2500 miles or so.
With Electric start and comfy suspension it sometimes wins over the more primitive machines.
Lots of full sumps, can't get to them all. When I know the sump on one is jammed full and needs draining I move on to something with some oil remaining in the tank. Usually the Commando or 47Vincent. Or the Special with the valve fitted.
It's nice to get on and go, not spend half an hour faffing about first.

Glen

Travelling Commando below, headed for Winthrop, Washington precovid days
 
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I ride a bike about once a week and never more than 20 miles. Riding in the Washington DC area of Virginia is no fun. I mostly do test rides on the bikes I work on or rebuild. I do have a 74 850 "rider" and a 74 Trident "rider" and they get out once in a while. My other personal bikes get out so little it's not worth mentioning. These days motorcycle enjoyment for me is rebuilding bikes, fixing bikes, studying Nortons and Triumphs and providing info as a community service, and this forum. I'm certainly not the oldest person on this forum, but with my age and medical issues, I cannot imagine a long ride like I used to do in the 60s and 70s.
 
I have 5 bikes , down on what I had a few years ago from 8 or 9. I guess if I have problem it's that all the bikes are similar to each other, ie I have 2 x 850 mk3 Commandos and 2 x 990cc T160s, apart from maybe a square 4, I only really want what I got. I get em out in rotation , maybe 3 in one year and leave one unused for a year. I do have a small 400 Honda that is used as an errand bike.
 
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trident sam said:
I have 5 bikes , down on what I had a few years ago from 8 or 9. I guess if I have problem it's that all the bikes are similar to each other, ie I have 2 x 850 mk3 Commandos and 2 x 990cc T160s, apart from maybe a square 4, I only really want what I got. I get em out in rotation , maybe 3 in one year and leave one unused for a year. I do have a small 400 Honda that is used as an errand bike.
Click to expand...
Funny you should mention having the 400 Honda as an errand bike
I do the same with an Indian Enfield iron barrel 500
Complete with paniers/leg shields/handlebar muffs!!!!!
Oh the shame !!!!!!
 
4 bikes: HD Fatboy, Ducati 900ss, 750 Commando (FCRs, Maney engine and crank, Lansdowne Dampers, electronic gauges, etc), and a standard 750 Roadster.

I almost exclusively ride the standard Roadster for reasons I really can't explain, other than I built this bike from a frame and know every nut and bolt.
 
I try to ride once a week when I'm not out on a trip; spring through fall on 45-60 mph roads - 50-100 mile rides at most. I never have time for more than that but nothing brings a smile to my face like my Commando.
 
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have a 68 BSA A65 72 Triumph T120 75 Yamaha X650 2005 Honda Aero Cruiser Thing the 72/73 Commando I finished building from ground up 2 years ago work 2 jobs for 30 years now... only ride each bike 500 miles a year hope to turn 1000 mile mark on commando this weekend gotta thin the herd so maybe one day I can retire
 
I don't mind riding in the wet as long as its not pissing down, the Norton has seen many wet days out when it was my only transport and its been caught out on some very heavy down pours with no wet gear only a socked leather jacket, jeans and boots, most bikes stop till its over but once I am wet I just keep going and if it stops it don't take long to dry out when riding, I just ride for the conditions, and the best thing when riding with the mates on our Sunday rides is if its overcast and a bit of rain about there not many other bikes out and of course no Harley's to be seen at all, we have had some great rides in light rain, but the rain does stop with only a few patches of rain here and there.

Ashley
 
Just ordered a new oil pump for my '73 750 Roadster - she's got my love. Lots of fast miles so I fear I'll be tightening big end side clearances. Lower end hasn't seen daylight since Wolverhampton. She's been good to me.

Right now, my "go to" is an '03 KTM 525 EXC on its road wheels - button start, light fast agile with a big front disc. A bit tall.

Don't care for touring but for long rides or groceries, my '02 1200 Bandit excels; fast comfy handler with a top box. Ethanol in our gas got to the carbs.

The SoCal BSA club has a ride almost every month, alternating dirt and street; it was gauche to show up for their dirt rides on the KTM on its dirt wheels so that's where my "new to me" '67 TR6 comes in. Trail gearing. Trials tires. Tight, good runner.

While Commando is down, my back up for SoCal Norton and BSA Club street rides is a '76 T140. Vibrates, leaks, troubled 3rd - bought it cheap so can't complain; nothing wrong that time and attention won't fix; in the meantime, she's a runner.
 
I have 3 bike that I clock up between 10k to 15k miles a year sometimes more if traveling but this year with this world wide virus, lockdowns and restriction these miles have been cut right back and our Sunday rides with the mates have been non happenings, but been on a few rides during the week with a few other retired mates as well, but that has also slowed down, instead I been doing reno work inside my old house which was long over due but every so often I take the 1200 Thruxton out with the wife, its the only one rego for two up riding, but this weekend all the mates are getting together for our Sunday ride, so a early start as I have a 60 mile run to meet up with the mates at 7am up the coast its the only highway run that I be doing to meet up with them, from the meeting point will be all back roads heading out to Blackbutt, the mates have found some new tight twisty roads to show us so looking forward to catching up with the mates I been riding with for over 45 years, it be a big ride as well, all day in fact, we ride hard and fast when together so looking at a 500km plus ride.

Ashley
 
" I been doing reno work inside my old house which was long over due"

I can sympathize with the "reno" work...!!! Our house in Bath was built in 1748 - darned old by US standards...not so old in the UK! Just finished two weeks of work on getting all 13 of the original sash windows working again. All were painted shut for years, no sash cords, missing weights, etc. Definitely cut into our motorcycling lately. ;)

Last time we were out was two weeks ago - nice ride from Bath to a village whose name I can't remember where we had lunch at a nice little pub. It was only about 30 miles each way but much of the ride was on single-track roads with big hedges on either side so took a lot longer than "30 miles" would indicate. My first bike, a Kawasaki 125 two-stroke, could have easily kept up with my current Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe on the roads we were on. Great fun, though.

Again, the Norton would be great here. I occasionally think about shipping it over but I don't think it's worth the trouble/expense/customs/registration issues. Frankly, although I really like the Z900RS, a great bike for what we seem to usually do would be the Royal Enfield 650 interceptor! I had thought about one last year before buying the Kawasaki but at the time, I felt I couldn't deal with only 47HP! ;) But the 110 HP of my 900RS was about 90 more than I needed on our last ride! Heck, on every ride we've been on here, the RE would have plenty of power - as would the Norton! :)
 
I've been doing bugger all this year I'm afraid. Bikes have not even made it up out of the workshop :-(
A combination of having eye surgery (still waiting for the double vision to receed) and the Covid stuff placing some restrictions on what I felt I could & should do. Dropped Spa this year as well - the other 2 who did go said they had a great weekend, lots of track time :)

I'm trying to get the T160 out though since this has to go through the local version of MOT before I can start the registration process though (its a US import from some years ago, and this process takes a lot of time to go through, so I would like ot de it this winter).

The last few years though I have been using my 850 as my daily rider - I have about 100km round trip to work, so its been either the 850 (with PR tank & seat, clipons and rearsets) or the Ducati Sport (roundcase, clipons & rearsets - do I see a pattern here..).
Mind you my riding season here is fairly short, mid May if I'm quick to end October, so its not very impressive, but who cares? I ride for fun these days!
 
freefly103 said:
I almost exclusively ride the standard Roadster for reasons I really can't explain, other than I built this bike from a frame and know every nut and bolt.
Click to expand...

I find the psychology of what we subconsciously gravitate to really interesting. My humble T140 is by far the least ‘fancy’ and slowest bike in my shed, but it’s the one that’s done the most miles this year by far.
 
MexicoMike said:
" I been doing reno work inside my old house which was long over due"

I can sympathize with the "reno" work...!!! Our house in Bath was built in 1748 - darned old by US standards...not so old in the UK! Just finished two weeks of work on getting all 13 of the original sash windows working again. All were painted shut for years, no sash cords, missing weights, etc. Definitely cut into our motorcycling lately. ;)

Last time we were out was two weeks ago - nice ride from Bath to a village whose name I can't remember where we had lunch at a nice little pub. It was only about 30 miles each way but much of the ride was on single-track roads with big hedges on either side so took a lot longer than "30 miles" would indicate. My first bike, a Kawasaki 125 two-stroke, could have easily kept up with my current Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe on the roads we were on. Great fun, though.

Again, the Norton would be great here. I occasionally think about shipping it over but I don't think it's worth the trouble/expense/customs/registration issues. Frankly, although I really like the Z900RS, a great bike for what we seem to usually do would be the Royal Enfield 650 interceptor! I had thought about one last year before buying the Kawasaki but at the time, I felt I couldn't deal with only 47HP! ;) But the 110 HP of my 900RS was about 90 more than I needed on our last ride! Heck, on every ride we've been on here, the RE would have plenty of power - as would the Norton! :)
Click to expand...

Why don't you buy a Commando to use while you are in England ?
 
I use my 2 bikes almost exclusively for traveling.
Solo or with my younger brother.
On average 10-15000 km a year.
But with increasing restrictions on European roads, ( and getting older..)
I am more inclined to my N15, which is better for slow and dirt roads.
And can carry more stuff.

Do you RIDE the Norton Commando?


Do you RIDE the Norton Commando?
 
Ashman ... just a small niggle , getting wet while riding in Australian temps is a whole lot easier than getting wet while at speed where I live .... we have a quick spring , then 2 months of summer and 3 months of fall .... other than summer , you can really freeze your balls here riding in rain .... not saying I don’t ride in rain , saying it not as much fun as a dry cold ride ..... good gear helps but
 
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