Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part - EDITED 2/26

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Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Mark said:
. That little electrical PTO plug/outlet deal - I have yet to see anyone who actually uses it.
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:!: :!: :!:
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

The little plug is for your electric razor. In case you ever feel like pulling over and having a shave.
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

gortnipper said:
Mark said:
. That little electrical PTO plug/outlet deal - I have yet to see anyone who actually uses it.
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:!: :!: :!:
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I've used it for battery charging (and measuring battery voltage) since I've had the bike. Kind of an early version of a Battery Tender plug. :roll: The mating plug came with the bike new. Good news is... the plugs are available again!
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

It’s the Loose Nut holding the handlebars of a Commando. I thought that you all knew that already. :lol:
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

I've owned my Commando for a bunch of years. At 5000miles on the clock while on a ride back to my home town from Colorado to Massachusetts a valve seized, WHAT THE F. This was back in 1976 and from that day on I've realized you could have bought a Commando and ridden it as is and dealt with it as is, or gotten rid of the damn thing, or in the case of many of us here, "made it our own". We could have said f' it and bought a Honda or other soulless POC but who among us has ever been to a "ride in" or a cruise night for bikes and not felt eyes on you when kick it over once or twice and it settles down to that shaky steady idle as you get your gear on. And you pull away with that perfect "brrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr". And you say to you're self "that 's right people, not the fastest, not the most reliable, but what just left was a real motorcycle". Good Day!
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Biscuit said:
I've owned my Commando for a bunch of years. At 5000miles on the clock while on a ride back to my home town from Colorado to Massachusetts a valve seized, WHAT THE F. This was back in 1976 and from that day on I've realized you could have bought a Commando and ridden it as is and dealt with it as is, or gotten rid of the damn thing, or in the case of many of us here, "made it our own". We could have said f' it and bought a Honda or other soulless POC but who among us has ever been to a "ride in" or a cruise night for bikes and not felt eyes on you when kick it over once or twice and it settles down to that shaky steady idle as you get your gear on. And you pull away with that perfect "brrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr". And you say to you're self "that 's right people, not the fastest, not the most reliable, but what just left was a real motorcycle". Good Day!
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BEAUTIFUL!
I never intended this thread as 'why did I buy this POS' thread.
Just wanted a chance to rant about poor design / cost saving original parts that are driving us nuts - but probably fixable.
I love this (very flawed) machine because I owned a new one when I was young, dumped it (& sold it) too soon, bought soulless Jap bikes subsequently, and always longed for a bike with SOUL!
Now I have one! AGAIN!

Why do people hate the horn so much??!!
Mine is not bolted and just happily lays in the oily muck back there in the 'anal' section. It works!

tomas
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

BEAUTIFUL!
I never intended this thread as 'why did I buy this POS' thread.
Just wanted a chance to rant about poor design / cost saving original parts that are driving us nuts - but probably fixable.
I love this (very flawed) machine because I owned a new one when I was young, dumped it (& sold it) too soon, bought soulless Jap bikes subsequently, and always longed for a bike with SOUL!
Now I have one! AGAIN!

Why do people hate the horn so much??!!
Mine is not bolted and just happily lays in the oily muck back there in the 'anal' section. It works!

tomas[/quote]

Now… now be nice. I concider that area (tho the sun never shines there) can be cleaned up nicely with shop rags. :mrgreen:
CNN
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Horn? What's the problem with the horn? Mine works, sits there undisturbed, 40 years later, covered with guck and gunk.

My gripes - auto advance unit and zinc slides in the zinc bodied Amals - two faults that IMO gave Brit bikes a bad reputation during the '60's boom in motorcycling. Too many bikes wouldn't reliably start or idle because of those two simple to fix faults.
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Horn? eh, so maybe I shudda sed Dimaggio?

The horn is like an old joke that keeps coming around. It is the one part of the motorcycle you are least likely to ever touch unless you are doing a complete rebuild because...you can't! Is it really the most disliked? I dunno, count up the votes! That or there are a bunch of clowns here who would run in honking horns and waving rubber chickens, but we don't have those icons on the smilies list.

Which part is really my least favorite? The part of the year when I put the bike away knowing I won't get to ride it again for months! I hate that part!
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

xbacksideslider said:
Horn? What's the problem with the horn? Mine works, sits there undisturbed, 40 years later, covered with guck and gunk.
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Exactly!! I get criticized for hating the threaded exhaust rings which chew up the exhaust threads and cause you to have to remove the exhaust system, carburetors, and head..... ship it to the machine shop to be fitted with new inserts, and the subsequent cost of all that... and oh, might as well do a valve job and machine the face flat before getting it back for the reinstall. No Problem!! But incredibly these same people say that the rear chain oiler and the horn are their biggest complaints???? Watch carefully while I solve your gravest problems:

1) pinch off rear chain oiler
2) buy new horn, relocate if desired. Done! NEXT!
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

rvich, thanks for the lesson.

Larso1 - If the bikes didn't have a reputation for leaking oil back when, then the automatic chain oiler idea might have had a chance.

Maybe some guy at N-V thought "Hey if we put an automatic chain oiler on it, then we don't have to fix the leaks because they'll be blamed on the oiler?"

As for the head pipe nuts; it's hard won experience; knowing/anticipating that they are a slight problem if handled immediately the moment ANY looseness appears, knowing what that sounds like, then aligning and tightening them while wiggling/moving the head pipes so they find their seat, their home, then re-tightening, then safety wiring.
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Worst thing, chain oiler which added to the puddle and I removed immediately. Best thing is the torque and 20 to 70 in second.

Dave
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Any effective chain oiler will make a mess if set to actually be useful beyond just messing. I don't count it as useless at all just to effective to stand for most us.

Talk about the exhaust moves the exhaust lock tab washer up near top of my list as its beyond disliked useless to damaging item in same manner as safety wire - if they actually come into play - the alloy thread life clock is ticking harder faster.

Close to above item to me is the cheap iso shims instead of proper adjuster the beat counters let out the box rather too late.

Not too far lower is the spindle cover oil zerk filler that made too many clog with grease.

But absolute most useless disliked item to me were my late great Assimulator gizmo and indicator.
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

Well, I think the horn and chain oiler drew fairly equal disdain. Mine works, but it sounds like the horn on the Playmates "Little Nash Rambler". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDSk4zwjg5A 'Course, if I want to get someone's attention, I just give them a blast from the Dunstalls!
And then, Biscuit puts it all in the correct light; Thanks, Biscuit! :D
Biscuit said:
I've owned my Commando for a bunch of years. At 5000miles on the clock while on a ride back to my home town from Colorado to Massachusetts a valve seized, WHAT THE F. This was back in 1976 and from that day on I've realized you could have bought a Commando and ridden it as is and dealt with it as is, or gotten rid of the damn thing, or in the case of many of us here, "made it our own". We could have said f' it and bought a Honda or other soulless POC but who among us has ever been to a "ride in" or a cruise night for bikes and not felt eyes on you when kick it over once or twice and it settles down to that shaky steady idle as you get your gear on. And you pull away with that perfect "brrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrr...ba, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr". And you say to you're self "that 's right people, not the fastest, not the most reliable, but what just left was a real motorcycle". Good Day!
Click to expand...
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

My pet hate on Commandos is the non ridged and too short intake/outlet pipes on the oil filter mounting head.
sam
 
Re: Most disliked / Least Useful Commando part

The rubber electrical connector block should get honorable mention. In fact I can't believe it didn't receive enough votes to put it on top of the POS list!
 
Frail cam thrust washer tabs and rear brake light switch pop to top of our lists now and then pretty commonly. The cluster flock of the main loom junction nest definitely a drag to deal with but I got to see a virgin loom on a barn find brought into Baxter's Cycle, which was so dust-grim covered couldn't see what color were under it, They power washed it to reveal absolutely beautiful pristine colored artfully arranged well thought out bullet cluster, that would be impossible to retain once parted to fart with.

Somewhere on this list should be the muffler rubber mount destructing support bodge. I keep 4 to 6 Lord's mounts on hand to stay ahead of the decays.
 
My vote goes to those nasty fat bulbous handlebar grips that everything British had in the 1970s. Designed to cause cramp and prevent sensitive throttle control. The standard footrest rubbers are pretty ugly too. One day I'm going to get round to putting proper Norton bolt-up rubbers on, as Norton used before AMC made them follow the cheapskate route.
 
I always install those fat grips on all my bikes. They suit my hands. The last a long time and they are comfortable. I have a custom made seat with a Triumph cushion and last summer my girlfriend and I rode about 5000 miles on it very comfortably. Maybe the standard seat is to small. (0r your ass is to big!)

I have all Lucas on my bike, still positive ground and with a Lucas Rita ignition. Some of it must be the original from 1974. I think it was good quality stuff. It lasts a long time. I don't have a horn though. Someone did say I even have the original orange tinted headlight bulb.

The whole bike is great but there are small things that don't suit everyone. Some parts seem to be designed to fail. The speedo drive gears, I think the originals may have been better than what you can get now. I have eliminated that on my bike, I drive the speedo from the front wheel. The rubbers that mount the mufflers seem not to last very long so I have eliminated them as well. I wonder if the originals could last though the warranty period. It is amazing that the exhaust mounting system works at all really.

The sidestand is way better than most modern bikes. You can park the bike on soft grass no problem. I added an extra tab to make it easier to deploy. A friend of mine has bought two new Hondas in the last two years and had me modify the sidestands on both of them and they are still not nearly as good a stand as the Norton has. I think it might have been better for drainage of the head though if the drain hole near the right intake valve had been on the left so that the oil would drain while the bike is parked on the side stand, instead of pooling around the left intake valve.
 
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