Heavyweight Contender or rope a dope,Mk 111 commando

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auldblue

auldblue

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We're here because of the Norton Commando motorcyle, never having ridden a Mk111 only read and heard reports on them. They seem to be the model that is selling the best, Electric start, discs front and rear(hobot and me just ain't got that yet) left side shift, metal tanks makes life easier?

So as Nortons go ,Champ, contender or rope a dope?

Most guys I speak to are, frightened of kickback or don't like right shift or pattern , so hard to admit but the mark 111 might just nick the decision!

Auld(4 golds for Scotland)blue
Heavyweight Contender or rope a dope,Mk 111 commando

Just back from a good workout.
On ebay uk reserve not met £5997
 
Kinda depends how far along the physical degradation path we are... The E-start, for some, it seems is the difference between enjoying the vintage stallion, or not being able. :|
I got it all mapped out, Can-Am Spyder when the balance goes :(
 
auldblue said:
We're here because of the Norton Commando motorcyle, never having ridden a Mk111 only read and heard reports on them. They seem to be the model that is selling the best, Electric start, discs front and rear(hobot and me just ain't got that yet) left side shift, metal tanks makes life easier?

So as Nortons go ,Champ, contender or rope a dope?

Most guys I speak to are, frightened of kickback or don't like right shift or pattern , so hard to admit but the mark 111 might just nick the decision!

Auld(4 golds for Scotland)blue

Just back from a good workout.
On ebay uk reserve not met £5997
Click to expand...


Why would it be hard to admit that the Mk 111 might be for you ? .
over 30 odd years I've owned 6 Commandos , 2 x 750 Combat, 1 x Mk. 1 850 and 3 x Mk 111 es.
The last bikes had the strongest motors (soft cam excluded) and creature comforts to make life a bit easier, ie vernier isolastics, elec start etc.
I now have 2 x Mk 111 , one done lots of miles and the other just 15,000 form new.
We go abroad a lot on the Commando and the initial reason for sorting the electric starter out was the ferry nightmare on the dock when you can be moved 100 yds at a time, that was no fun at all with a fully laden with missus and gear 750 Combat with rear sets, I couldn't start the bike with her on it , a mk 111
is a great bike in these circumstances.
sam
 
concours said:
:|
I got it all mapped out, Can-Am Spyder when the balance goes :(
Click to expand...
I like My MK3, pretty dependable starting now on the button. Wasn't always like that through the years but find kicking it over is more of a chore now than when I was in my mid 20's.
I have not ridden a Can- Am but a good friend of mine who has described it as "All the disadvantages of a motorcycle, combined with all the disadvantages of a car". :lol:
 
"All the disadvantages of a motorcycle, combined with all the disadvantages of a car".


Not to be off topic, but I find it an amazing piece of engineering, 80mph on ramps, handles like a slot car. My lifelong snowmobile usage may make me biased. Perhaps that person quoted above prefers the conventional two out back Harley Parade Trike now being marketed? My KXT250 was all the 3-wheel madness of that design I needed. :shock:
 
concours said:
Kinda depends how far along the physical degradation path we are... The E-start, for some, it seems is the difference between enjoying the vintage stallion, or not being able. :|
I got it all mapped out, Can-Am Spyder when the balance goes :(
Click to expand...

I figure that once the knees go, it'll be a MKIII with the green button, then attach a side hack for the balance issues. As long as the right-hand turns are kept to a sane velocity, it should be fine.
 
There is something satisfying about giving the thing a boot while folks are admiring.
I am on the near side of 60 and dont mind the kicking.
This is my first right side shift and it took some getting used to, especially when going back to my HD.
You have to think and reprogram.
I dont mind the old school. I just wish the brakes were a little better.
 
If I was in the market now for a Commando I would buy a Mark 3, for the electric start.

Because I am not, I have an order in for an Alton Estart for my 73 850.

After waiting for two months now I received word that Alton that they had fixed their own back order problem and that my US vender would have units shipped to it next week.

This is quite an expensive upgrade for me with a total cost including a new much more powerful battery of somewhere around $2700.

To me personally an Alton starter is the only way I can keep my Commando going, because after two spine surgeries I still have too much back and leg pain to kick the beast over.
 
concours said:
"All the disadvantages of a motorcycle, combined with all the disadvantages of a car".


Not to be off topic, but I find it an amazing piece of engineering, 80mph on ramps, handles like a slot car. My lifelong snowmobile usage may make me biased. Perhaps that person quoted above prefers the conventional two out back Harley Parade Trike now being marketed? My KXT250 was all the 3-wheel madness of that design I needed. :shock:
Click to expand...
Well probably snow mobile usage does make for a bit of bias as far as how they handle. My bud or I ride neither, oh, but the Harley Parade Trike crack was just uncalled for. :lol: Actually we both respect the engineering of the Can-AM, it was mostly a tongue in cheek remark about the fact that on a Can- Am you can't lean but you can get wet. You have to park in a space big enough for a car, but you can't really haul a lot. And having three wheels make it all but impossible to miss bumps, pot holes, and road kill. :lol: What, bumps in NH?, Nah! He rides a Triumph Sprint GT, and owns an old Katana and a '78 Suzuki GS 1000. So, how about the Kancamagus some day on Nortons? There, back on topic, kinda. :mrgreen:
 
iup/3dn I sure hate reading what you suffer with and highly advise seeking out a Chiropractic Biophysicist with focus on the neck to stay active and restful a long time or else may face another vertebral segment blow out. These spinal decays are usually of the "double crush" type neurological problem, ie: TWO points of compression on same nerve path so just taken out the distal one only relieves secondary level, which may be great for a time but you well know what leaving the main hidden central cord issue unattended to feels like, you begin to think of self as old man needing to spend on various crutches to get about and still squirm after being too still.
 
How I re-destroyed my right knee.
At one of the times my Norton wasn't electric starting but running well and being a 1 to 2 kick beast, I was leaving work when a friend came by to chat. My starting routine before giving it the "start-up" kick was to pull in the clutch and give the kick start a slight jab to free off the clutch. It was when I had the clutch lever pulled that we had our short conversation and being distracted at that point, the clutch lever was still in when I gave the beast the meaningful full thrust of the "start-up" kick. I know what hyper extension means now in real world terms. This was about 8 weeks after having ACL surgery on that same knee. Word of advice...If you have an E-start Commando, get it working. If you don't or don't care to, do not talk to anyone or otherwise let your attention wander while kick starting your machine.
 
I can go one up on that. Years ago when my 750 was off the road while kids were growing up I used to get it out for a spin round the hills once a year. Battery was us, but I started it anyway. Not easy kicking and kicking. Once, while giving it the biggest kick of my life, the starter pawl broke. Yup, over I when I white agony, bike on top of me and luckily the neighbour saw it happen. I was in so much pain I couldn't help my neighbour nor tell him how to put it on its main stand. I have no idea now how long I stayed on the ground nor how long it took for my knee joint to heal. [ I am sure my knee bent backwards (or forwards)].

I now still start the bikes with my right leg, but always on the stand, and I never start them with out knowing the battery is in good order.

dereck

ps in those days I was good at welding, so rebuilt the pawl using high strength arc welding rods and than added a harder face to stop wearing. I am still using it.
 
Mine works perfecty, and can do AT LEAST 600 mile days at 80MPH without pushing too hard.

Heavyweight Contender or rope a dope,Mk 111 commando
 
Re: Commando Mk III shocks

My first Norton was a '75 MK III brand new in '76. Having been raised on Jap bikes, the left side shift was "correct" for me. I've owned 8 Nortons, 4 MK III's, a '71, a '74, and two '72's. In truth, I'd have to say that the 750's are more fun to ride, but I'm afraid of getting killed by stomping on the shift lever instead of the brake lever in the event of an emergency. The left side brake lever is hard for me to get used to because I ride dirt bikes every Sunday. So, the MK III is the Norton for me. # 8 is a MK III.
 
Biscuit said:
concours said:
"All the disadvantages of a motorcycle, combined with all the disadvantages of a car".


Not to be off topic, but I find it an amazing piece of engineering, 80mph on ramps, handles like a slot car. My lifelong snowmobile usage may make me biased. Perhaps that person quoted above prefers the conventional two out back Harley Parade Trike now being marketed? My KXT250 was all the 3-wheel madness of that design I needed. :shock:
Click to expand...
Well probably snow mobile usage does make for a bit of bias as far as how they handle. My bud or I ride neither, oh, but the Harley Parade Trike crack was just uncalled for. :lol: Actually we both respect the engineering of the Can-AM, it was mostly a tongue in cheek remark about the fact that on a Can- Am you can't lean but you can get wet. You have to park in a space big enough for a car, but you can't really haul a lot. And having three wheels make it all but impossible to miss bumps, pot holes, and road kill. :lol: What, bumps in NH?, Nah! He rides a Triumph Sprint GT, and owns an old Katana and a '78 Suzuki GS 1000. So, how about the Kancamagus some day on Nortons? There, back on topic, kinda. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
I knew the intent, I was just pullin yur leg :lol:
I'm at Sunday River Maine European Motorcycle Meet.. Evans Notch is FRESHLY REPAVED!!! However, 113 leading up to it still needs a pass with the groomer :shock:
On the access road up to the Jordan Hotel I grounded out so hard I thought the sidestand was removed :?
 
1up3down said:
If I was in the market now for a Commando I would buy a Mark 3, for the electric start.

Because I am not, I have an order in for an Alton Estart for my 73 850.

After waiting for two months now I received word that Alton that they had fixed their own back order problem and that my US vender would have units shipped to it next week.

This is quite an expensive upgrade for me with a total cost including a new much more powerful battery of somewhere around $2700.

To me personally an Alton starter is the only way I can keep my Commando going, because after two spine surgeries I still have too much back and leg pain to kick the beast over.
Click to expand...

Just curious, I also put a deposit on the Alton back in early June. I have yet to hear anything about back orders being filled. When did you leave a deposit?
Even though my 73 starts with one kick my fear is stalling at a major intersection, having to get the bike up on the center stand to restart and hearing the folks that are waiting to move on yelling "get that old bastard of the road" referring to me, not the bike (I'm 70 years old). Yep, the Alton is the way to go for me and yes, $2700 is what it will cost for the upgrade.

Art
 
I've ridden a few MKIIIs over the years and find them to be more refined than earlier Nortons. They don't have the hard edge of the MKI and II 850s and even less so than the 750s. The extra weight is noticable and they just don't do it for me. Back in the day my mates and I were horrified when they came out and saw it as a sell out. I've mellowed over the years but I still wouldn't buy one. My right knee has had it, it's been bone on bone for years and I can get a flash new knee whenever I like but as long as I can kickstart the Norton I'm happy. I must say the biggest difference to ease of starting has been the TriSpark ignition. Simple and effective.
 
Art,

I ordered my Alton around the end of May, two months ago.

Earlier this week I sent my vender a cancellation email and this must have prompted them to reply that they had just received word from Alton that they should have some units to them by the end of next week.
 
1up3down said:
Art,

I ordered my Alton around the end of May, two months ago.

Earlier this week I sent my vender a cancellation email and this must have prompted them to reply that they had just received word from Alton that they should have some units to them by the end of next week.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll assume that we're dealing with the same vendor in Vt? (Nice folks btw)

Art
 
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