Hello from new member

Hello

In 1985 I bought a mint Mk1 850 Interstate Reg. number OCE60M in Huntingdon, Cambridge for £1000 after getting bored with the Jap stuff (GS750 & others). Kept the bike for 11/12 years whist racing a TZ350G at club level. When it was going that bike was great. Could have wrote a book about the breakdowns (many) and engine rebuilds, knackered cams and wish that I had as the memories have now faded. Used to ride with a mate who had a Yamaha Tenere who could really scratch. We never got passed by anything unless the roads were real fast. We really screwed those bikes and were neck and neck everywhere. Remember one night 'slowly' passing him with 115mph on the clock down Lee Lane in Royston Barnsley in the pitch black; neither of us prepared to roll the throttle. Very childish but great fun. Most of all loved the torque and the 4 speed box - who needs more gears.

The pair of us had many debates about getting faster bikes and in the end we succumbed (aided by the regular unreliability of the Norton) buying Suzuki/Honda/Yamaha/Aprilia rocketships. We knew the speeds would get even higher and they did. The Norton was sold to two guys from around Norfolk who looked like they chewed chickens heads for breakfast, £3000 was exchanged (about 1997) and my still very immaculate, virtually all stainless, belt drive big disk etc went. Sob.

In 1999 I moved down from the peoples republic of Barnsley to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire. Early 4am start summer blasts around North Yorkshire were replaced by speed cameras and slower roads in general. Having no close riding buddy my interest for bikes waned and over the past few years have only really enjoyed the longer trips to Fort William, France, IOM and Spain and had no desire to get the Aprilia out for short jaunts. Did a couple of tracks days and was fast, thought about trying racing again but ruled it out due to cost & reponsibilities and being 47yrs old.

Two years ago bought a 1973 T140V. Nice bike. Didn't have the Norton torque but probably nimbler low speed handling. After 700 miles the engine blew completely (earlier this year).

Tomorrow I will pay £8000 for a 750 Norvil Commando, part exchanging the Aprilia Tuono (Mint and 4100 miles) and the Bonneville plus cash! I am so looking forward to riding a Commando again. Just hope I don't miss the torque of the 850 but have heard the 750's are just as good.

Cheers

They are and welcome back, Chuck.

Welcome to the forum, FastFred.


Your new acquisition wouldn't happen to be the one that's been up for sale at Cotswold Classics by any chance would it?
http://www.cotswold-classics.co.uk/view ... ck&id=1680

Whether it is or not, I hope you will let us know how you get on with it?

Hi Fred,

You should be an old hand at these now.

Welcome!

Hi L.A.B

Yes it was that bike at Cotswold but I didn't buy it in the end. Now on the lookout for a very nice Commando if anyone knows one around...

Cheers

Bin ther! Nowt like a good tussel with a equal mate!! You story reminds me of plenty Dice's that was the term..DICE! :evil: If you aint happy with the forks..check out the Lansdowne Kit.. .all the best and wellcome to the forum..Regards John..lansdowne Eng

wellcome Fred

Yes will check out your fork kit when I get a bike! I kind of accepted that my old 850 forks were not designed to respond to road undulations...

Welcome Fred, you could do worse than join the NOC! A generally good bunch of guys ( a bit like this forum in fact) plenty meetings in the UK (and Europe) where you can get pissed with like minded enthusiasts. Good luck in your Commando search, worth checking out the NOC sales page on the www. Funnily enough during my time racing modern machinery (including a TZ) I also kept (and still do ) a Commando, it was I suppose the perfect Ying to the yang :lol:

Interesting. I too have raced a TZ350G on and off for many years and gravitate to streetbikes like the Commando and Ducati singles. I haven't much use for modern sportbikes on the street, probably out of interests of self preservation...it's way too easy and tempting to go insanely fast on a modern crotch rocket on the street.

Many roadracers I know also stick with 70s British or European bikes for the street...

Welcome back mate
belt in for some good reads and a few laughs.
Marshal :lol:

Will join NOC, used to be in it.

Yes I am just so bored with the modern stuff. They're good for long trips and nothing else. The Aprilia Tuono is an awesome bike in every way but one I just can't be bothered to get out of the garage for a quick run.

Looking at the new Commando 961 sport but £12k is a lot for a bike that will be a toy and the one thing I loved about the Commando that sets it apart is the 4 speed box. Also want a dual seat, not that I will get the missus on it but cos it looks proper.

I have kind of written off the idea of getting a Mk3 cos of the left hand change and extra weight but they are more about for sale. What is the general concencus re Mk3's as let's face it I am not after a racer and the weight is low on a Commando. Once swopped bikes with a Mk3 owner when I had a Hailwood replica and he couldn't keep up..

Cheers

Ay up.
Going to see a few Commando's in the next few days. Any comments on Mark 3's in general, buy or avoid? Going to fit a Mikuni, my old one had a 36mm but some recommend a 34mm?
Thanks

Bored at home and should be rebuilding the Landrover.....

FastFred said:

Any comments on Mark 3's in general, buy or avoid?

Click to expand...

There's nothing basically wrong with the MkIII version in my opinion, however I am slightly biased, because I own a MkIII.

There were many detail improvements made to the MkIII models, as well as the more apparent things like left foot gearchange and electric starting (which can be made to work), and the effect (and amount) of the increased weight has been exaggerated to a certain degree in the past I believe (I think a JPN 850 weighs just as much, but that never gets a mention!).
As you have already said, ultimate performance isn't the reason why you are thinking of buying a Commando, so if a MkIII was a little slower, then what does it matter? And with a less restrictive intake and exhaust system (which most will probably already have) then there's no reason why a MkIII can't be made to go as well as any other 850 model, but that is just my own biased opinion.

Personally I have a secret lust for a MK 3. The performance would certainly not be a big issue at my age as I probably would not use all the MK 3 has anyway. I'd quite like the left side shifting and electric starter as I think those could extend the time I'll be able to ride a Norton.

At sixty-five (me), kicking over my Norton is not fun. I vote for the MK III, too.

Since LAB has the amazing memory I wonder if he (or anybody else) recalls an article in a classic bike type magazine a couple years back?
An Englishman had a MK 3 that had blown up to restore and he built it back up as a 750 because of what he had for parts.
He ended up with a 750 with a starter and left foot shift. It seems to me that could have made quite a nice bike.

After a long absence from bikes (which I'm afraid will probably continue) I can understand your reluctance to get into left foot, upside down shifting, Fastfred. Occasionally, while at N-V, I'd ride a friend's Triumph 21, and I had a big enough learning curve just with it being upside down, still on the right!

Where you get into trouble with left-side shift, if you've never had one, is in a potential accident situation, because you'll instictively go for the gear shift as a brake, as you haven't time to think about it.

frankdamp said:

After a long absence from bikes (which I'm afraid will probably continue) I can understand your reluctance to get into left foot, upside down shifting, Fastfred. Occasionally, while at N-V, I'd ride a friend's Triumph 21, and I had a big enough learning curve just with it being upside down, still on the right!

Where you get into trouble with left-side shift, if you've never had one, is in a potential accident situation, because you'll instictively go for the gear shift as a brake, as you haven't time to think about it.

Click to expand...

But from what FastFred has told us about the other bikes he has owned, he doesn't appear to be unused to a left foot gearchange?

I haven't been riding the Norton with quite the verve since last year when I shifted instead of braked in a fast corner. Everything else I have has the brake on the other side and I'm not sure the old neural circuits rewire as quick as when I was a kid.