Pictures of your Norton Commandos

rightshiftrick said:

Is that the old Gunstock track? If it is, I remember that bike walking away from many competitors. When I commented on it, one of the other Norton guys stated that Carl's bikes are always fast. If memory serves me correctly, the bike was also much quieter than many of the other race bikes. It was quite impressive.

RSR

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After years away from the Dragstrips, I took the Old original bike Myself, Duhamel and Wood and others rode to New England Dragway. The times could have been better. I wasn't doing real hard launches, But I did some good MPH speeds of 107.91 and 108.12 in the quarter. The engine had many miles on it from Track time over the 5 years + or so at the time maybe as high as 2000 miles. It ran strong all its life. Quiet is good and it shows you don't have to make noise to make power.

Ron L said:

Not show bikes, but they're still fun. (I need to take some better quality photos as well.)

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Lucas Rita ignition. Cool.

Mark Savage said:

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At the 41st “Vlaaien Treffen” in South Limberg, Netherlands.

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Mark,
Nice set-up!How big is that tent when packed?
Thanks,Mike

Mark Savage said:

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Tent only in the first picture and tent, bed, sleeping bag, blow up mattress and folding chair in the second one.

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Very neat

Some good riding today, Squamish BC.

!978 New England drag way racing my " Big Red" Mk2a Interstate. It wasn't the fastest of my Nortons , but it was the funniest and after 1000s of all out hole shots on the street and drag racing it primed me up for fast starts in road racing. One wheel take off make it one heck of a wild ride
At the Honda Hills Norton rally, they had a drag strip day for the members. I had built and rode my newly restored 1972 Combat to go out and do battle, The road racers there were easy prey, but I did beat a Vetter Triumph Triple and a highly modded Commando. I was the Fastest bike there! I was even letting off in each shift as I didn't want to blow a gear box as I had to ride the bike back home from Dick Klamfoth's Honda Hills Campground in Ohio. Funny years later I became a good friend of Klamfoth and took phots for him and he rode my bike in several Vintage events in New Hampshire years later, I did all the photos for his Daytona Monument he worked so hard to get built. You meet the nicest people with a fast Commando.
Smoking Fast.

The Atlas/Commando Todd Henning #454, rode it first time out in Daytona to a 3rd and he won the AHRMA National Sportsman 750 at Loudon beating the #1 plate holder Rob Tuluie on his Commando. Then it was used as a second bike for racers who needed a bike for a few years. It shifted on the left, and I could never get the hang of it like others did. Great Torque, even with WEB Cam's most radical cam for Nortons. Don Vesco #11 rode it and just used the torque to pull him out of the slow turns at Loudon NH and solved the sloppy, long shifter travel by reaching down and hand shifting it down the short main straight. Vesco adapted and made it work, and took a third place against USCRA's best riders. On a track and bike he never saw before.

Rob became what he was destined to be, more than a top racer, much more than a "Rocket Scientist".

https://londontechweek.com/speakers/robin-tuluie

Dudes taking his weight saving seriously !

Is that what they mean by "Good Bones" ?

My grandkids, ages 7 and 9 put this together as a Halloween decoration for our home...I was wondering what they were doing out there.

I thought it was tribute to Dave Aldana.

My tribute to "Dem bones, dem bones dem bones' David Aldana on the #13 bike, But my #13 Commando was plagued with transmission problem and both David and I were disappointed in the fact he was up with the leaders at the 1997 Daytona AHRMA Sportsman race. The rider was good enough and the bike was fast enough, but Daytona is not the place to bring a newly built bike.

Lineslinger said:

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I hear lifePoe batteriescare a better way to shed pounds of a bike...

Could be one the last outtings today before going off insurance for winter layup...Sea to Sky, Porteau Cove BC. My heated liner stood me in good steed.

Purchased this 1973 Commando this year. Quite the pleasure to gaze upon and ride. It was mostly as you see it when I purchased. Since purchase I changed the clutch stack height, added a kill switch, oil pressure gauge, voltage indicator and led lighting front and rear. I also converted the clutch from Bowden cable to hydraulic.
This is the first Norton I have owned but am enamored sufficiently to likely try and find another.

ktmal said:

Purchased this 1973 Commando this year. Quite the pleasure to gaze upon and ride. It was mostly as you see it when I purchased. Since purchase I changed the clutch stack height, added a kill switch, oil pressure gauge, voltage indicator and led lighting front and rear. I also converted the clutch from Bowden cable to hydraulic.
This is the first Norton I have owned but am enamored sufficiently to likely try and find another. View attachment 122624

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Looks a cracker. Lots of lovely cNw goodies too. However you do seemed to be missing a carb

Yes, the carb is lonely in there but will probably remain so.

My first road racing bike. I went to the Oho National rally on my restored from a basket case 1972 Combat. I spent the winter camping with her in the Keys and carried all my camping supplies on the rear rack. Then came home and went to work to get it wired up and ready for USCRA racing. It was used for my first season , before I set up a new bike that became a Class Champion 4 times in a row and some major AHRMA several 1st in Sportsman 750. and in the AMCAM races held in New England. The bikes proved to be fast and the riders that took over proved them to be what a Commando was built to be. The ultimate warrior and something to be respected for its grace under fire.

Year Y2K (2000) The Laconia reunion race at the original Laconia track, there were more racing stars from then and now that I could ever imagined. My two Racing legends and hall of fame members put on a heck of a show. It was the 50th anniversary of Klamfoth's win of the Laconia AMA national and as the race started Dick K#2 took off and was riding comfortably up front, Dick Gariepy on the #55 bike had stalled at the start line and had to restart and get going about 15 seconds later, so he was way, way behind and the front runners were already starting to go down the long downhill backstraight and reaching speeds of 100MPH

But as Gariepy said the faster I went the better it got and began his long march to the front. A few laps later, #55 was blasting by the back markers and with one lap to go he passed The front runners, The other Commando and a Manx Norton and left everyone in the his wake. He built a big lead and when he crossed the finish line and got the checkers, he did not know he had won!, He slowed and did the cool down lap he came back around to receive and unexpectedly be haanded the Checkered flag to do the ultimate lap of victory and show the crowds who actually won.

It must have been really exciting for the crowd viewing from the backstraight to see the little white Commando zooming by and time traveling at warp speed and coming back from so far. But It was a One , Two finish for CHR Commandos, and Third to the Manx Norton . A Norton clean sweep! and what a show for the many legends and spectators that were there reliving the old days of racing and living to race.