Forty years ago.......(2013)

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marston rhode

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........ this August, a couple of English racers on a private 750 Commando set up a record that AFAIK still stands for a British bike in a race.
The 1973 Liege 24 Hour race at the old Spa Francorchamps long circuit, riders Peter Davies and Peter Lovell finished 2nd to the factory RCB Honda ridden by John and Charlie Williams, to average 100.07 mph.
Forty years ago.......(2013)

Photo taken just after the race finished, Davies on the left, Lovell on the right.
 
The Commando was owned and built by Richard Negus, draughtsman with Norton Villiers, who later became Norton Motors' "Chief of Motorcycles", and even later, Managing Director of our jointly owned company "New" Norton Motors Ltd (post-1996). You find it in Mick Duckworth's book "Norton Commando" (currently out of print, but that may change shortly).

He also rebuilt a Commando engine for a Norton customer in the 1980s that went on for over 100.000km unopened until oil consumption became somewhat excessive and the engine was opened for a rebore. Nothing else was worn out.

These days, he rebuilds the odd Norton rotary for customers.

Many technical drawings we have from the old Commando production times are signed by Richard, even the one for the High-Rider grabrail..... one of his finest achievements? I doubt he'd call it that......

Joe/Andover Norton
 
A tale said this particular bike was built with the left over of the racing dpt and the factory was not so happy to see them nearly winning the race ...................
 
Now all we need is to hear from the chap that owns the bike now and is selling it on e-bay for a cool half-mil...
 
marinatlas said:
A tale said this particular bike was built with the left over of the racing dpt and the factory was not so happy to see them nearly winning the race ...................
Click to expand...

Were they unhappy they didn't win, or unhappy that leftovers were being used ?!
P.S. Why were there leftovers in 73, the race dept was still going strong.

If it had won, would the factory have put out a Spa replica, rather than a JPN replica ??

Anyone know what is in it. ?
That zorst looks interesting - details part obscured though.

P.S. Thanx for an interesting post. Got any more like this ?
 
Well here's mud in the eye for the non-Commando forum scribes that can't help themselves to rubbish Isolastic frames etc'.
 
Itd be neucleare powered & twice as fast , if it was built nowadays . :?

Forty years ago.......(2013)


" If anybody can shed light on the whereabouts of the machine (or major parts of it), Richard would be very pleased to hear about it, possibly even willing to pay MONEY for it (this last statement was not authorized by him).
Seriously, if you can help, please ring Richard at Norton Motors, 01889 586 557.
Picture on the right shows the man himself with his 850cc machine in Barcelona, 1974. "

zoorst . :?

some of the olde grinders here . ( Bol ) http://zhumoriste.over-blog.com/article ... 56269.html
 
Rohan said:
marinatlas said:
A tale said this particular bike was built with the left over of the racing dpt and the factory was not so happy to see them nearly winning the race ...................
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Were they unhappy they didn't win, or unhappy that leftovers were being used ?!
P.S. Why were there leftovers in 73, the race dept was still going strong.

If it had won, would the factory have put out a Spa replica, rather than a JPN replica ??

Anyone know what is in it. ?
That zorst looks interesting - details part obscured though.quote]

Sorry to disappoint, but nothing exotic in that bike. Basically a Combat motor (skimmed head, 2S cam, shimmed rockers, everything else standard) gas-flowed by an ex-BRM engine development engineer, 32mm Concentrics, 33T engine sprocket, the 'Mk3 Atlas' one-off clutch mentioned elsewhere, outrigger bearing in a boss welded into the back of the primary case, Quaife 5-speed, Norton's F750 AMA Racer exhaust with 1.75" pipes and short megaphone, Boyer ignition. Standard frame, forks, wheels, etc..
There was no support or surplus parts from the JPN race team, quite the opposite, but Wolverhampton production 'reject' parts were always available at bargain prices and the factory gave me £50 towards the cost of each race.
We had a home-made quick-filler, designed around a BSA Gold Star inlet valve, which could add 5 gallons in 9 seconds; the body of that was cast in the Villiers foundry from a styrofoam pattern.
The stars of course were the two riders, near-novices at International endurance racing, who consistently lapped at the same pace as each other throughout the day and night.
The 750 crank was standard apart from roll-peened fillet radii at the mainshafts and did over 6,000 racing miles that year.
Next year, we ran an 850 with a 'carefully-ground' standard crank that fractured in the night at Spa. Engine still running, but grumbling loudly. Barcelona was a disaster too in '74 as one of the riders was brought down early in the race and taken to hospital.
 
marston rhode said:
Rohan said:
marinatlas said:
A tale said this particular bike was built with the left over of the racing dpt and the factory was not so happy to see them nearly winning the race ...................
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Were they unhappy they didn't win, or unhappy that leftovers were being used ?!
P.S. Why were there leftovers in 73, the race dept was still going strong.

If it had won, would the factory have put out a Spa replica, rather than a JPN replica ??

Anyone know what is in it. ?
That zorst looks interesting - details part obscured though.quote]

Sorry to disappoint, but nothing exotic in that bike. Basically a Combat motor (skimmed head, 2S cam, shimmed rockers, everything else standard) gas-flowed by an ex-BRM engine development engineer, 32mm Concentrics, 33T engine sprocket, the 'Mk3 Atlas' one-off clutch mentioned elsewhere, outrigger bearing in a boss welded into the back of the primary case, Quaife 5-speed, Norton's F750 AMA Racer exhaust with 1.75" pipes and short megaphone, Boyer ignition. Standard frame, forks, wheels, etc..
There was no support or surplus parts from the JPN race team, quite the opposite, but Wolverhampton production 'reject' parts were always available at bargain prices and the factory gave me £50 towards the cost of each race.
We had a home-made quick-filler, designed around a BSA Gold Star inlet valve, which could add 5 gallons in 9 seconds; the body of that was cast in the Villiers foundry from a styrofoam pattern.
The stars of course were the two riders, near-novices at International endurance racing, who consistently lapped at the same pace as each other throughout the day and night.
The 750 crank was standard apart from roll-peened fillet radii at the mainshafts and did over 6,000 racing miles that year.
Next year, we ran an 850 with a 'carefully-ground' standard crank that fractured in the night at Spa. Engine still running, but grumbling loudly. Barcelona was a disaster too in '74 as one of the riders was brought down early in the race and taken to hospital.
Click to expand...

Very interesting for me, I bought an 850 MkIII engine, actually a collection of new parts with a Short Stroke head and Thruxton cam (stamped TX) from Mike Sadler in late '75 as the experimental shop was closed....it was him that told me to use the 33t front sprocket.....what length were those 1.75" (OD?) pipes? 28" or 32"

He went off to mechanic for Alex George, I didn't know Mike, I was sent to him after talking to Dave Rawlins and Griff Roberts about needing an engine for my Rickman project, guess what I was doing at the weekend, yep, nearly 40 years on I am working with the same frame.....

BTW, who was the ex BRM guy? Baker did the ports for my head, Mike told me he was the only guy he knew who could mike a set of barrels under his coat!
 
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A friend of mine, Harvey Porter, rode that bike a few times in endurance races. I'm not sure which ones but would have been in the early 70's. Sadly he's no longer with us so I can't get more details of which races & how they did. I was due to go with him to a 24hr race in Belgium when he was racing it but work wouldn't let me have time off!

He did one endurance race on a Triumph Bonneville & the vibration was so bad that it took him a year to get proper feeling back in his hands! Thank goodness for isolastics.

Pete Lovell now does the machining work for Norvil (Les Emery).

Ian
 
SteveA said:
BTW, who was the ex BRM guy? Baker did the ports for my head, Dave told me he was the only guy he knew who could mike a set of barrels under his coat!
Click to expand...

A development engineer called Pat Norris, came to Norton from BRM, later moved to Swindon Race Engines, approved by Cosworth to overhaul DFV motors.
 
Nortoniggy said:
A friend of mine, Harvey Porter, rode that bike a few times in endurance races. I'm not sure which ones but would have been in the early 70's. Sadly he's no longer with us so I can't get more details of which races & how they did. I was due to go with him to a 24hr race in Belgium when he was racing it but work wouldn't let me have time off!
He did one endurance race on a Triumph Bonneville & the vibration was so bad that it took him a year to get proper feeling back in his hands! Thank goodness for isolastics.
Ian
Click to expand...
Hi Ian,
I also counted Harvey as a friend, and he was avery capable rider too. He rode both my 750 and 850 and partnered Martin Russell at Spa in '74 when the crank broke.
I think the Bonneville might have been the one we used in '71 or '72 for the Zolder 24 hour; finished about 12th, I think. Co-pilot was Tom Waterer.
 
Fortunately (for him) Tom Waterer also rode a Production Racer Commando, I think in the Isle of Man. Had probably stopped vibrating by then, too!
 
marston rhode said:
........ this August, a couple of English racers on a private 750 Commando set up a record that AFAIK still stands for a British bike in a race.
The 1973 Liege 24 Hour race at the old Spa Francorchamps long circuit, riders Peter Davies and Peter Lovell finished 2nd to the factory RCB Honda ridden by John and Charlie Williams, to average 100.07 mph.
Forty years ago.......(2013)

Photo taken just after the race finished, Davies on the left, Lovell on the right.
Click to expand...

Dear Sirs,
I would to sell the same Gus Kuhn endurance tank like in the photo (i have also the GK seat, but not like in pic)
Ciao.
Piero
 
ZFD said:
Fortunately (for him) Tom Waterer also rode a Production Racer Commando, I think in the Isle of Man. Had probably stopped vibrating by then, too!
Click to expand...

Tom rode just once in the Island; the '72 TT on my 750 Commando. Finished 8th in the Production and 13th in the F750; same bike, just different exhausts. We also had another Commando with a 500 Domiracer motor that he took to 33rd place - but at least he finished on a very under-powered bike at an average of only 88 mph.
 
I think they used the DiFazio steering hub on another bike they build later on, known as "Nessie" , with Laverda or Kawa engine never on the B50.
 
seeing its a Endurance Racer . . .

heres the . . .

Forty years ago.......(2013)


& " Nessie " . . .

Forty years ago.......(2013)


And the Lawerda . . .

Forty years ago.......(2013)


Throwing ' Mead & tompkinson - Nessie ' in google / google pics , gets some attention getting pictures .
 
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