From day one buying my 850 Norton new at 17 years old it was my only transportation so it was a everyday rider, for going to work to going out every night to meet up with the mates to every weekend out on it, even when raining, so average 10K + miles a year, then 1980 I did the conversion to the Featherbed frame motor built for the Featherbed, took 2 years to build, after the build it was back to everyday use, I had a car but the Norton was what I used.
If you do the maintenance when due the Commando motors are very reliable, I ride my Norton hard but don't over rev it even with the 2S cam no need to rev it flat out as my cam works better between 4K and 7k RPMs, my crank is also balanced, my Norton has well over 160K+ miles and was semi retired back in 2013 when I brought my new Thruxton, it still gets ridden regularly but being retired now its not clocking up the miles it used too, this year has been the longest it has sat in the shed unridden since my accident and lost my lower right leg, but it is now my only road going bike so be back to riding duties soon.
My motor is not stock built for the Featherbed frame but still running my original valves, the head has been shaved and the ports opened and 40 oversized Heliolite piston on very tight final hone to piston/cylinders clearance, am running higher compression.
It has proven to me and my mates how reliable 850 Norton's can be, I also mix STP in my oil since 1982 and has help with my motor long life, the rebore was done in 1982 and still running the same pistons, I boil that down to using STP in my oil, snake oil, I don't think so, I also run a Lochead oil cooler all year round since 1978 for our hot summers.
So don't labour your motor, don't pussie foot it and do regular oil changes/maintenance and pat the tank and thank it after every ride and you will get long life out of it.
Ashley
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