Norton for a 30,000 mile ride?

I think it's a great idea and by the time you get to Oz I shall be back living in Perth. You are most welcome to come for a visit and a stopover. I ran into a Brit called Adam Lewis who is doing the same thing on a BMW single. He's been most everywhere. Look up his story on the net. Just look for "Short way round". He stayed with us here in Geraldton for a few days and we had a great time.

Re the preparation, I agree with lots of what Hobot had to tell you with just a few variations. Building a bike to suit rather than buying something already done is much preferred because you never know what you are getting. I would never buy another Commando that was complete and running. I now have a pretty good idea of what mods are essential and which ones are useless/unnecessary. Someone suggested radical mods where I would suggest keeping it pretty standard for the sake of ease of maintenance/repair.

Good luck.

I have rode a Vincent 1500 one trip, its was nothing to write home about, even when the clutch packed up and a 1 hour make shift roadside repair ,it was no big deal...why? because i was always a two hour wait for a recovery,and with a bunch of mates...the break down was about the best laugh of the trip because it happened on the Forth road bridge...pushing it off the bridge bought some smiles from passing motorist's.
But that's the point here. I was only a couple of hours from a RAC recovery and with a bunch of mates....now the idea being alone in eastern europe with a burnt out coil. with no recovery is totaly NUTS. Sorry but all these Forum members "egging" you on ...is insane.
Look at Swooshdave's post...10miles after a rebuild and the oil level plug shakes out....If you want to prove something do it , if you want to just enjoy a trouble free trip with peace of mind ..get a BMW gs, wont quite be of interest to the forum lads...but who cares?
Nortons , with there shakey engines are real parts breakers. My belguim friend had a carb shaken off...how ever you do the trip. Good luck.

john robert bould said:

Look at Swooshdave's post...10miles after a rebuild and the oil level plug shakes out….

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Now it was more than 100 miles. :mrgreen:

And a properly prepped Norton will do better than my poor bike.

swooshdave said:

john robert bould said:

Look at Swooshdave's post...10miles after a rebuild and the oil level plug shakes out….

Click to expand...

Now it was more than 100 miles. :mrgreen:

And a properly prepped Norton will do better than my poor bike.

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Sorry Dave i missed a zero, 100 miles trouble free riding....30,000?...i dread to think :!:

john robert bould said:

swooshdave said:

john robert bould said:

Look at Swooshdave's post...10miles after a rebuild and the oil level plug shakes out….

Click to expand...

Now it was more than 100 miles. :mrgreen:

And a properly prepped Norton will do better than my poor bike.

Click to expand...

Sorry Dave i missed a zero, 100 miles trouble free riding....30,000?...i dread to think :!:

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My point is there is a vast difference between the bike that I built and say, someone like Matt from CNW builds. One I would jump on and ride across the country and the other…

I have been a close follower of this forum, the amount of posts regarding faults .break downs etc ,,tells me Norton Commandos are un-reliable..i have read about wiring burning out, switch gear failing, plug oiling, oil spewing, mis fires, brackets breaking, carb jets falling out,headers snapping etc ..not quite the bike you need for a 30000 mile trip..is it?

not to mention wet sumping, the infamous Commando Weave, dry clutch in a wet primary, replacing ISO rubber snubbers, blown gaskets and oil leaks


and ............

It's just terrible owning a Commando. Try taking mine away from me.

1up3down said:

not to mention wet sumping, the infamous Commando Weave, dry clutch in a wet primary, replacing ISO rubber snubbers, blown gaskets and oil leaks


and ............

It's just terrible owning a Commando. Try taking mine away from me.

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No need i have three already!

Go for it, Henry! You've got the right attitude. If the engine and gearbox are rebuilt to a high standard, then you have a good chance it will last mechanically, as long as you learn how to maintain it. I think you should familiarise yourself with the mechanics and especially the electrics, which seem to be the most common cause of breakdowns. Even modern machines break down and it might be easier (and cheaper) to fix a Commando than something with a computer. If you do get stuck, my experience has been that you will meet kind and generous people who will help you on your way, and life is the richer for the experience. If you can get an internet connection, you can study the factory manual online, and if you really need factory parts to get you going again, and if time is not an issue, you can order from Mick Hemmings or RGM who will post the bits to you wherever you are.

Keep us posted on your preparations for your adventure!

Dave

john robert bould said:

if you want to just enjoy a trouble free trip with peace of mind ..get a BMW gs, wont quite be of interest to the forum lads...but who cares?

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very true John, but 'trouble free' isn't what I'm after! 'What is the most suitable bike for a round the world trip?' is a different question though and one with only one 'sensible' answer - a Jap 650 single like an XT/DR/KLR etc. There's only one person on this forum I'm trying to impress and that's me, the fact it would be of interest to others is just a bonus, egging on most welcome!

Cheers Dave, I enjoy the problem-solving of fixing old bikes, so am actually looking forward to the break-downs!

john robert bould said:

I have been a close follower of this forum, the amount of posts regarding faults .break downs etc ,,tells me Norton Commandos are un-reliable..i have read about wiring burning out, switch gear failing, plug oiling, oil spewing, mis fires, brackets breaking, carb jets falling out,headers snapping etc ..not quite the bike you need for a 30000 mile trip..is it?

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Sorry John, your pessimism is incorrectly directed at the machine not the owner. There are more than a few competant owners on the forum who have intelligently restored or maintained their bikes and enjoyed many many miles of reliable travel. Remember all bikes of this vintage will have aged parts. A CB750 Honda wiring harness and carbs are just as susceptible to deterioration and ham fisted amateur work as a Norton. And I can back up my statement by the proof of the mileage and destinations on my 850 over the past 7 years.

Mick

Ha, Commando unreliable. If its got a motor or ovaries or testes, expect some trouble with it - but spend some time on sport bikes forums and magazine reviews for the over sights, failure prone electric components and 'puter brain fog outs, not to mention the plastic decay.

I'd go around the world on an essentially factory but fully fettered Commando. But not the testes to burn bridges to do it. Takes about 1000 miles to literally shake out the oversights and leaks and what not. Commando's are complexly simple and simply complex. Just wish they had more power at times but most the time more than enough.

hobot

Henry,
Newly rebuilt Mk3 Interstate, 5000 miles mainly wet weather and the only major problem was the left exhaust thread stripped because it was worn and came loose then blew the pipe out. Some wire fixed it for the last 1500 miles to get home. Only other thing was water in the kill switch that halted progress for 1/2 hour. It was the most comfortable bike I've ridden on a long trip.Very good on fuel and handled well, enough power to keep up with the wifes 1000 monster, and she got tired and I didn't.
It has a single Mikuni and Pazon ignition. The rest is standard ish.



One problem was the amount of time taken talking to people about Nortons they had and their stories at every fuel stop. Nice but it does slow you down.
I would not hesitate doing long trips on this Commando. It's still an old bike and it pays to have tools and some basic spares. At least if it does stop I have a chance of getting it going again, not like modern bikes with computers. If they stop I wouldn't know where to look or what to bypass.
Graeme

Yeah man GRM, with good seat and bars and foot position and ease of the torque wrist action them Commandos sure are refreshing on the long hauls. I can feel ill and too weary to take my SV650 out in past knowing I'd be more worn down to help people but in similar condition on my Combats I arrive relieved rested and ready to operate. One an older Brit Iron and NOC list, a survey's quiz on which cycle's pillion did women like the best. Goldwings, Harley, modern sports tourer etc etc - to a gal it was the ever loving isolastic Commando.

Its is the best magnet to meet and greet people, but at least is usually quite pleasant people, if you care to indulge the celebrity status it exudes and invites. Helps me when I get lost or need gas or oil or wire or a push, [I go down too much and ride rough] or get lost in spaghetti laid Gravel paths exploring. Its traditional here to get strangers in the middle of nowhere with shot gun in hand.

My intentions with my special Ms Peel, which ain't really Norton no more but guts all come from Nortoneers, is to attempt Iron Butts up to 11,000 miles and see what happens.

Got find another cycle special group more interested and caring about your ride and your progress and adventures both the highs and the lows. In general our families only put up with our addictions but don't share the wonder.

It's slowly starting to sink in that this trip is not about rapid transit, on schedule, with minimal problems. The Commando is a great bike for this kind of trip. There isn't anything on the bike you can't fix without the right tools and parts. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the obvious stuff but forced layovers have been the high points on some of my trips waiting for stuff to be able to continue on. Being stuck is viewed by locals more highly than loitering and it brings the best out of people who see the predicament you're in. Fall in love with a waitress, learn about geo-politics from the guy that welds your stuff back together. Stuff you'd miss if you just sailed through town. The magic ingredient is time,

Take along the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. You're set.

Sounds like a great time to me! When do we leave??

One thing I would recomend is a Throttlemeister cruise control. They are great and take the strain from your right wrist and hand on long straight sections. About $200 and worth every cent.
They don't take up any hand grip space and work very well.
http://throttlemeister.com/index.html

Graeme

I'm not paid to promote this but they are very good.

rpatton said:

It's slowly starting to sink in that this trip is not about rapid transit, on schedule, with minimal problems. The Commando is a great bike for this kind of trip. There isn't anything on the bike you can't fix without the right tools and parts. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the obvious stuff but forced layovers have been the high points on some of my trips waiting for stuff to be able to continue on. Being stuck is viewed by locals more highly than loitering and it brings the best out of people who see the predicament you're in. Fall in love with a waitress, learn about geo-politics from the guy that welds your stuff back together. Stuff you'd miss if you just sailed through town. The magic ingredient is time,

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That's pretty much summed it up!

Royal Enfield favored - off on you own no end in sight journey - picture show.

http://www.dirttrackproductions.com/

Number 5 – Riding Solo to The Top of The World: The only Indian movie/documentary to make it to the list, Riding Solo to The Top of The World, manages to capture Guaurav Jani’s journey from the concrete jungles of Mumbai, to one of the remotest places in the world, the Changthang Plateau in Ladakh. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that the whole movie was shot by Guaurav Jani himself, with only his overloaded Royal Enfield for company!

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