Ms Peel?

Hey hobot,
I have read a lot of post with you referring to Ms Peel. Is this your bike?
From what I've been able to gather, it sounds like it could possibly be the greatest commando ever assembled .
I have searched for pics here but haven't found any.
Do you have any? If so, please post a few.

Yep that's the right picture, depending on how you want to qualify 'greatest'.
What made her great to me in past > was not able to upset her going way beyond what I could get away with on race like bike on race tires on race track. Totally Neutral handling, no tendency to fall down nor fly back up no matter the angle, just stayed there, under increasing or decreasing throttle or shifts at apex max outs. She revealed 3 more faster phases of handling faster accelerating decreasing radius turns, than leaned counter steering.

Had run out from under power d/t accidental small head installed on other wise race built basic Combat engine. Pulled right up to 130 before had to wait much on more. Smooth as a new born's bottom yet good heavy cargo mule, cases of beer and 50# feed bags and was a blast to play with trial/MX bike in their severe raw tight dangerous elements.

But a stuck throttle over rev event that disappeared tach needle - for a few seconds after throttle shut, waiting and waiting for it to slow to be seen again then waiting some more to lower to top of red zone then some more to stop. TooK the zip out of her about the time Ducati 1098's came out and realized even a supercharge 750 was not going to catch em in the straights, so only thing worth keeping in new Ms Peel is modified frame plus rear rod link and hobot/Greg Fuath and Bob Davis 6" travel Roadhoders. The 920 10.5 CR 10+ PSI boost is just icing on cake to be able to explore corners harsher, not really thinking so much about her 1/4 mile times as torque to mass ratio will be world class and forks will suck down 3" to take it as much as tire can. She'll run on off road 91 octane and creek water.

I'm bit later comer here so not really giving details on full scope, some still being thought up. i had a lifetime's worth of adventure on her over a few years can't wait for more. Here's some random collections to get some flavor if ya can wade though it. Webshots has the past history Photo bucket the future.
http://community.webshots.com/user/hobot
http://s184.photobucket.com/home/hoboter

So...... it's this one?

Yes and No, that is plain Combat - pre-Ms Peel, when I thought it just a quaint hog like low rpm lugging smooth cruiser and no sense of style but for crossing rough stuff comfortable and carrying cargo handly. That view is a few months after my avatar photo wheelie tire fold up drag strip crash event in summer '99 on 7 th day of owning it. Freaked out to try to follow the Harley riders down the famous Ozark Pig Trail they took to get there. Its the version that taught me a normal Commando is not up to real sports bike squid games, not even close. 14 leaks, many $1000's and 5 yr later I learned I could hunt them elite sports bikes down in glee then get bored with their corner cripple rates to leave em for real solitude in road orgasms. I only ever got passed over 140 mph when I slowed up d/t fear of blind crests or turns I'd had prior crisis at, never again EVER! No ego for me to move over for any one as I never ever ride to scare myself EVER.
This means I also have nil respect for isloactic Commando in road racing no matter their power or lightness. To me they are hog like smooth lugging cruisers.

What made Ms Peel so special is Bob Patton's rear link, Brian Tryee's front link and hobot 1st ever top link -all at once- plus light steel flywheel and small port head on basic Combat with 34 mm carb, which did flow more for top end than dual Amals and took a bit more trhottle twist below that to get the smaller Amal response. She also weighed in ~360 lb or less. Only time I ever held on in 1/2 mile open top out till steady - speedo read 137 mph. I tucked down near 130 to get the extra over what I often did just commuting daily back then. I was fooled to put on dual Amals but then could only hit about 125 mph and longer wait to even get there.

If I was to do only one thing to best improve the speed and handling of a Commando it'd be the rear rod link, period end of story until games get over the ton, but for sports bikes that means purely straight lines, tri linked Cdo don't really need to slow up, similar to 125's just stay on it while everyone else and their pets are hard on brakes. Forks don't matter that much at rates of power a rear link allows front gets so light or ligfted its a non issue. What else can I say but I don't think yo'all know what ya missing out on w/o a 'rump rod' to build rest of Commando around. Other links really smooth up handling sense and may fool ya as don't prevent the floppy fish threshold hitting faster harsher. A sealed belt drive added taller ratio and better response.

hobot said:

Only time I ever held on in 1/2 mile open top out till steady - speedo read 137 mph. I tucked down near 130 to get the extra over what I often did just commuting daily back then.

Click to expand...

Yeah, like I said earlier....... This could possibly be the greatest commando ever assembled.

Power wise and handling wise and scope of Peels doing everything well plus
accessories invented and planned, I prefer to think of her as the worlds funnest motorcycle. She whispered her name in my ear the day after final 1000 mile run in reached and I tired to see if I could break her. Since then I'm the one broken up inside and out.

I just read a depressing piece of new, they are paving Pike Peak all the way to the top : ( What this means is I may not have any more advantage over 1000 hp 4wd on THE Gravel as I think they can take Peel on pavement turns. I don't see bikes taking the turns like Peel, just the rally cars. But all pie in the sky until more money in parts and machining. If not for the insane handling it'd be dangerous stupid to over power a Commando I'd planned to live on

What I liked best about Peel - after how she just disappeared from pilot sensation, was the drag racing straight into tight turns and staying in the drag race wrist stained brain slosh back butt pressed deep in seat towards the axle and staying on the fast increasing power band right past everyone hard braking
point like they were parking lot cones, right into and out of apex to fling upright for some real power planting out of there.

Peel is un- believable to me, hope to live long enough to get er done and ask for a show down shoot out with a magazine - bring what ever and who ever and lets find the pecking order, vintage air cooled push rod steam engine on skinny tires with articulated chassis vs the world of computerized pilot over riding wonders. Hehe they have problems with backing off in corners don't ya know, slipper clutches and traction control. THE Gravel teaches All, ain't no way decreasing power for a trun is a fast fun way around to me on Peel. Peel needs big block boost power to stay as loose on tarmac as she gets on THE you know what.

Before the contest got going I'd yell out,
"Hey Ya'all Know Them Thumb Commercers Lower One's IQ"

This is only photo of the day I did 90 in 2nd before side slide into next 10 mph switch back so sharp trucks can't make the turn w/o taking out inside guard rail.
Ran some deer down when I surprised them a bit later, similar to surprising the sports bikes hanging off all tucked donw, when on my commuting rates on Ms Peel, loaded milk crate and jacket flapping bolt upright, zing on by em in the opens over powering their screaming engine with Norton roar as I pass.