Magazine road test of a 1972 Combat
- Thread starter Carl H
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I don’t, but do have Sept 1969 Cycle magazine with 750 S 1/4 mile. The 750 S had the 19T counter sprocket as did the ‘72 combat. Article states 13.18 sec at 101.69 mph. The combat would be better than this. These days does it even matter. When my first Norton a ‘72 combat roadster was new nothing could beat it. My current combat roadster could be beaten by many modern vehicles.
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certified quarter-mile time.
Recently I read a claim that a stock Mach IV was capable of running a 12.0 second quarter-mile. Back in the day this was also often said but I am unaware of any stock bike that ever did it. If memory serves the Mach IV was not even as fast as the Mach III but I could be wrong. Does anybody...
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Commando Quarter Mile Times (2014)
I have a book titled Norton Commando Ultimate Portfolio by Brooklands Books. This book is devoted purely to road tests of the various Commandos from 1968-1977. These are STOCK bikes: August 1968 Cycle World Norton Commando 750 13.47 seconds at 96.35 mph September 1969 Cycle Norton...
www.accessnorton.com
Hi Carl, hope this help , best rgds Pierre.
Those are the times I used to run on my stock MK2a , My S did a 12.9. I will have to dig out my time slips, if I can find them
I like to see the cycle mag tests as they have a more average experienced rider on them. I might go to a 1/4 mile and see what I can do someday, and see if I still have it in me to do a full power launch. My #17 race bike that is not high tech at all, did a 12.1 @108. Funny thing was I was running within 1/2 sec of kids with V Maxes and they had been bracket racing all season, so it was not their first rodeo. They were shocked they even asked to see the time slip as they did not think they saw the timing board on the track right. They don't call em Commandos for nothing.certified quarter-mile time.
Recently I read a claim that a stock Mach IV was capable of running a 12.0 second quarter-mile. Back in the day this was also often said but I am unaware of any stock bike that ever did it. If memory serves the Mach IV was not even as fast as the Mach III but I could be wrong. Does anybody...Commando Quarter Mile Times (2014)
I have a book titled Norton Commando Ultimate Portfolio by Brooklands Books. This book is devoted purely to road tests of the various Commandos from 1968-1977. These are STOCK bikes: August 1968 Cycle World Norton Commando 750 13.47 seconds at 96.35 mph September 1969 Cycle Norton...
Hi Carl, hope this help , best rgds Pierre.
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An Oct '73 850 road test obtained a 12.75 1/4 mile time. A Combat should have done a bit better. There was a 12.6 claimed by Norton in their ads for the 750, but I don't recall ever seeing an actual magazine road test of the era with that time. Again, since a Combat allegedly had 5 more HP than either the standard 750 or the 850, in theory it should have been a tad quicker ASSUMING the same gearing.
Heres a link to the '73 article: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Mags/1970s/1973NortonMC-World.pdf
FWIW - the pic at the top of the article shows how many of us dressed back in the day for riding - a helmet and gloves - no other "motorcycle gear"! I rode the Commando to work every day - about 14 miles each way - dressed pretty much as the guy in the pic. Now I'm afraid to get on a Moto without taking 20 minutes to dress in all the stuff we wear nowadays!
Heres a link to the '73 article: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Mags/1970s/1973NortonMC-World.pdf
FWIW - the pic at the top of the article shows how many of us dressed back in the day for riding - a helmet and gloves - no other "motorcycle gear"! I rode the Commando to work every day - about 14 miles each way - dressed pretty much as the guy in the pic. Now I'm afraid to get on a Moto without taking 20 minutes to dress in all the stuff we wear nowadays!
Deckard
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Yeah, jeans and a colored pocket T shirt were the norm for the '70's. Jean jacket if you needed. I wish I had a picture of me going to work at IBM
with a plaid suit and wide tie in 1974. I moved on to a BMW 2002 as fall approached.
Norman White was probably the premier drag racer along with T.C. Christian (before dragsters) at getting the lowest ET out of a stock Commando.
I did have a Cycle mag from '71 when I bought mine, but the the article must have been early '71 because the subject had the halo headlight.
They quoted 12.9 ET.
My '71 was quick, but the clutch eventually would slip. A Barnett clutch pack cured that, but power shifting it with that combo eventually yielded a layshaft gear peeking out of the case. Expensive lesson, I gave up powershifting after that.
with a plaid suit and wide tie in 1974. I moved on to a BMW 2002 as fall approached.
Norman White was probably the premier drag racer along with T.C. Christian (before dragsters) at getting the lowest ET out of a stock Commando.
I did have a Cycle mag from '71 when I bought mine, but the the article must have been early '71 because the subject had the halo headlight.
They quoted 12.9 ET.
My '71 was quick, but the clutch eventually would slip. A Barnett clutch pack cured that, but power shifting it with that combo eventually yielded a layshaft gear peeking out of the case. Expensive lesson, I gave up powershifting after that.
Cool article, I like to read the old magazines and see the old ads, A big plus is the Norton Girl ads, they kinda get your blood pumping. Thank for posting it,, I don't think I every had less than a 20 tooth sprocket as they were my street bikes and I had to ride them a lot. CHAn Oct '73 850 road test obtained a 12.75 1/4 mile time. A Combat should have done a bit better. There was a 12.6 claimed by Norton in their ads for the 750, but I don't recall ever seeing an actual magazine road test of the era with that time. Again, since a Combat allegedly had 5 more HP than either the standard 750 or the 850, in theory it should have been a tad quicker ASSUMING the same gearing.
Heres a link to the '73 article: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Mags/1970s/1973NortonMC-World.pdf
FWIW - the pic at the top of the article shows how many of us dressed back in the day for riding - a helmet and gloves - no other "motorcycle gear"! I rode the Commando to work every day - about 14 miles each way - dressed pretty much as the guy in the pic. Now I'm afraid to get on a Moto without taking 20 minutes to dress in all the stuff we wear nowadays!
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My combat roadster in 1972 came new with 19T. I didn’t know better than to rev it. The previous bike was a Honda 305 Superhawk that rev’d very high. This combat had a power surge right at redline so that must be what you were supposed to do
What a ride.
What a ride.
Deckard
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Went to the Library of Commando sales brochures.
1972 Combat "Under 12.5 seconds, terminal speed over 105 mph"
1973 850 with 21T sprocket and CA 86 dba silencers did 12.53 sec and 104 mph
1974 850 with 19T sprocket did 12.00 and 114.68 mph
All with factory rider.
Norman White was legend with the 850 1/4 mile numbers. Cycle complained to Norton that they couldn't replicate the claimed numbers, so Norton flew him over and he proved the claimed performance in CA. I think Brian Slark may have been involved with that effort.
Deckard
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I misremembered, 1971 brochure said Cycle March 1970 article had 12.69 sec and 103.68 mph
marshg246
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I imagine that about any modern stock 600 would beat any stock Combat. How about 125cc beating them - if you haven't seen this, watch it, amazing:
Notice that the crash barriers are humans!
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A smaller counter-shaft or engine sprocket will not usually help a normal Commando to accelerate faster. A close-ratio gearbox however, will help any bike accelerate faster. There is an article in a current magazine which compares a Velocette Thruxton with a Velocette Venom. The only difference between the two bikes is the Thruxton has the close box - it accelerates faster than the Venom. If you run high gearing with a close box, the bike will be much faster than it is with low gearing and a wide box. With the latter you rely on throttle response. A commando has a very heavy crank and you need to use it to advantage if you want to go fast.
The problem with most close ratio gearboxes is first gear is usually too high for a bike which is used mainly for commuting. As you take off, from stationary, you get a bigger jump forward - not good in traffic.
The problem with most close ratio gearboxes is first gear is usually too high for a bike which is used mainly for commuting. As you take off, from stationary, you get a bigger jump forward - not good in traffic.
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With every gear up-change there is a loss of revs. With a close box, that loss is smaller and the crank does not have to spin up so far to get to maximum torque. The ability to spin the crank up depends on throttle response, which with a Commando motor is relatively poor. If you make the motor pull hard by keeping the revs high, the bike will accelerate much quicker than it will if the revs have further to come up after each gear change. A combat cam probably has a more pronounced torque curve which has a peak higher in the rev range.
In my 850, I use a standard cam but with a bit more lift. If you get that motor revving NOTHING stops it. I don't like first gear in the close box. To get a decent start in a race I have to rev the tits off the motor. I worry about getting hit from behind, if the box gives up. If you had that first gear in a road bike in traffic, you would probably bounce the bike off a car in front of you when you revved the motor too high to get going..
In my 850, I use a standard cam but with a bit more lift. If you get that motor revving NOTHING stops it. I don't like first gear in the close box. To get a decent start in a race I have to rev the tits off the motor. I worry about getting hit from behind, if the box gives up. If you had that first gear in a road bike in traffic, you would probably bounce the bike off a car in front of you when you revved the motor too high to get going..
Or, you could if going racing, fit a Scarborough gear ratios. . . . . . . .
In the Precision Machining ( Black Diamond) catalog, the founder of the company, James Kibblewhite on a 1955 model 88 500cc dragbike had a top time of 11.84 @ 108 on gas, It kind of humbles me some , But Nortons are know for their speed and beauty. Think of it this way an old test of a 427 Shelby Cobra was listed at 12.1 and I doubt Shelby sent a slow one for the road test. All old road tests of muscle cars were slower or about the same as a stock Commando that I have seen .
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Winton Motor Raceway has 12 bends and 5 short straights in 3 kilometers. The high gearing I run would be suitable for Phillip Island on most other bikes
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