Norton for a 30,000 mile ride?

L.A.B. said:

HenryUK said:

Compression does seem a bit high, I haven't checked it with a tester but it takes quite a kick! How much should I worry about this

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There are ways to lower compression, however, Commandos often demand a fair amount of physical effort to kickstart them (so just imagine what that's going to be like when you're tired, cold, wet, hungry, miles/Kms from anywhere, and the bike decides to sulk and won't start?).

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Buy a Mk3

GRM 450 said:

L.A.B. said:

HenryUK said:

Compression does seem a bit high, I haven't checked it with a tester but it takes quite a kick! How much should I worry about this

Click to expand...

There are ways to lower compression, however, Commandos often demand a fair amount of physical effort to kickstart them (so just imagine what that's going to be like when you're tired, cold, wet, hungry, miles/Kms from anywhere, and the bike decides to sulk and won't start?).

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Buy a Mk3

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Tired, cold, wet, hungry, miles/Kms from anywhere, and the bike decides to sulk and won't start.....and....it's got a flat battery! :wink:

I guess my other option is a Triumph Tiger, has anyone been able to make a direct comparison of these two? One downside to the Tiger is people thinking I'm a Ted Simon wannabe.....

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I know a girl who done a RTW on a Tiger a few years ago, her partner took a Bonnie, they went south via India and then down the islands to Oz (where she found she was pregnant) , had a child in Taz then continued after fitting a sidecar to NZ before flying to Canada and crossing Canada . 3 year trip and they had an amazing time, I remember a photo she showed us when she did an informal talk at our local Classic club (where her father was a member) of the Triumphs outside a bike shop in India waiting to get wheels re spoked (I think) alongside all the other RTW riders with their alloy panniers and all the gear. She told us black poly bags were better cause if you crashed (which will happen) it was easier to scoop the stuff up and bungee it to the bike again!

So if a Tiger and Bonnie can do it then a Commando certainly will (as long as you have time and patience) , agree with your take on life, everybody always tells you that next door is unsafe! :lol:

HenryUK said:

CONS
1)The crankcase journals were recently reground and + .020 shells put in 150 miles ago so the engine is still being run in (but at least I could run it in in the UK instead of rebuilding a bike myself and the running it in on the actual trip (bad move!)
2)It's already on a +.040 overbore so I might end up having to source a new barrel and pistons on the road, rather than just having to source pistons and a local place that could rebore and hone the old barrel
3)The footpegs had been moved back. The riding position felt OK for the short time I was on the bike but could do with having a sit on a bike with them in the original position
4)Getting into first was a wee bit tricky, but this felt like there was a knack to doing it right rather than there being a problem with the internals
5)I'm not sure the vendor was entirely happy with the thought of his pride and joy being dragged all over the planet

Right now I just can't decide what to do! I want the bike, and I know how much hard work the trip is going to be on that bike now that I've been on one

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2) Get a better barrel and the Jim Schmidt pistons/con rods. The reduced vibrations will do wonders for the bike's longevity.
3) You will love the rearsets when you are leaned into the wind on the long stretches.
4) First can be tricky on some Commandos. Mine's that way, but I need to fiddle some more with the clutch.
5) Never tell the seller what you are going to do with the bike.
:mrgreen:

Henry — from what you say about the bike, it sounds quite good for what you want. Clearly, a lot of work has been done to it and some useful mods. The rear sets are a blessing for anything over 50 mph cruising and I think they give you more control and a more natural riding position. Since you will be doing some off road, which will be hard on the wheels, re-spoking wheels is another skill that will come in handy in the middle of nowhere, and spare spokes and nipples are easy to pack, as is a spare primary belt. Not sure if you mentioned the tank, but if it doesn't have an Interstate tank, get one, or an equivalent that will take a decent amount of juice, since there will be times when fuel stops will be at least several hundred miles apart.

Dave

Les wrote;

Tired, cold, wet, hungry, miles/Kms from anywhere, and the bike decides to sulk and won't start.....and....it's got a flat battery!

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Make sure you have a functioning capacitor.

Don't lower the compression if its stock 850 its around 8 .5-1 and that's good. If its got a fresh rebuilt motor it will feel hard to kick over for the first couple of '000kms the start to free up. With a new 040" bore, it will go many many miles without any issues. Expect 30,000 to 40,000 miles if you change the oil regularly.
Mick

I agree with Dave, rather good set up 850 for your intensions. I'd not bother with spokes, just tweak em tight as possible and tone per row and forgetabout em. If rough over loaded conditions bothered these I'd of sure found out. Boyer has an anti-detonation curve so its a good ignition for crappy fuel, but has weakness in the trigger leads which MUST be simple upgraded to last a long time.

The main strutural weakness to upgrad would be a solid axle as the dumy split kinda are prone to break with loaded and bumped a bunch, DAMHIK>

Interstate tank is way to go as flat and board to load it up and lay on the cushion on long ride legs. Rear sets worked a whOle bunch better for me long hual and handling but got leg stretch rest relief by a foot brace across the sliders, Ahhhh..
Also fairly tall wide bars with pull back handles goes a long way to endure in the wind and good leverage to keep fork aimmed over rough loose stuff.
Its good to be able to stand full upright on pegs and not have to bend to keep hands on bars. Its good to stand full up right to hit the extra rough stuff and climb steeps.

Splash plate, rear sets and luggage struts installed on my past Ms Peel

HenryUK said:

john robert bould said:

Travelling into Russia,
A few years ago i was in the IOM , where i noticed a lad having some trouble wih old German Triumph , We got talkin and the rest of the week had a few laugh's.
In the Quids in [pub] we talked about travelling into Russia..solo.
He shook is head, Nine nine! Bandits , he said if i was to ride into some area's Looking very "tourist" its asking for trouble. "better to go looking a bit scruffy" he said.

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I've been in Russia on my own before, and like everywhere people were dead nice, and surprised I'd been fine in their neighbouring countries - The Russians said Kazakhstan was full of bandits, the Kazakhs said Uzbekistan was full of bandits and so on. A big grin, no money and scruffy luggage opens a lot of doors!

Corrupt officials are only a problem if you are in a hurry and give them attitude, if you're all smiles and patience they either get bored and let you go or chat and give you food/cigarettes/vodka - they're just people.

I think I'm most concerned about the cartels in central America, but as Zapata once said 'I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees'. I might get some bear mace for Siberia though as I'll be wild camping most of the time

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Have you gone yet? ..it's all very quite.

I just wrote an essay reply, and it didn't post - am I back to being modded?

Bugger, guess I hit 'save' instead of 'submit'! Here goes again......

I have been quiet, but not due to lack of activity. I've looked at a load of Nortons, ridden a few and planned my route out. The route planning has taken the most time as there are some really, really, really, good looking roads all over the place. As such my route is now more like 125,000 miles and mostly on gravel and dirt roads. The places that are really calling me are the Bolivian Altiplano, the Gobi , Atacama and Sahara deserts, the Jungles of Cambodia and Papua New Guinea and so on and so forth......

The Norton is a fantastic bike to ride, visceral and fast - it's just what I thought it would be when I used to look up at the poster on my shed wall. It's bloody heavy though and it tracks the bumps in the road. This is brilliant in terms of feel from the wheels and it's a blast on tarmac, but I don't fancy doing thousands of miles of off-road in the arse-end-of the middle of nowhere on one.

So I'm very sorry to announce that I have decided to completely 'wuss-out'! Instead I'm going to build my own 'classic-adventure' bike - a Triumph 650 twin, a Metisse frame and some newer wheels, suspension and cycle parts. I know some people will shudder at the thought of Renthal bars on a Metisse but hey - they don't have to ride it!

It would still be great to meet some of you when I'm on the road - I leave next spring and the route is a rough fugure-of-eight.

First I go south and east through Iran and Pakistan into India and Nepal. Fly from kathmandu to Bangkok (Myanmar [Burma] decided that the title of 'first person to ride across Burma' will not be mine!), then over through Indonesia to Papua New Guinea (the new guinean government have decided that the title 'first to cross the jungles of the second-largest island WILL be mine, cannibals permitting!).
After a blast round Australia and New Zealand it's back up north through Japan into Siberia. Then Mongolia and Central Asia back to Europe. Go home, wash, repair equipment and head off to Africa.
from Cape Town I'll ship to Tierra del Fuego then spend a year exploring latin America. Central America will be followed by a trip through the Southern States to pick up the Trans-America-Trail in Florida (?). Up to Alaska, Across Canada and then home. Did I miss anywhere?