Poll

staticmoves said:

Colin age 34. Bought my first Norton 2.5 years ago and was in the basket until completion this past summer. It now has 1600 miles on it. ( 72 Combat )
2 more commando projects on the go.

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Really really nice bike Colin. Congrats!

batrider said:

staticmoves said:

Colin age 34. Bought my first Norton 2.5 years ago and was in the basket until completion this past summer. It now has 1600 miles on it. ( 72 Combat )
2 more commando projects on the go.

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Really really nice bike Colin. Congrats!

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Well a good chunk of my thanks is to this Forum.... So thank you and my hats off to the forum members.

Age 59. At age 21 bought a brand new 1973 750 Norton at a dealership. Drove it for 2 years and sold it to my cousin. Didn't ride for about 10 years and got involved with Harley Davidson Hummers during the 80's. Sold them and didn't ride again until 2003 I won at E-Bay a matching #'s 1972 Combat Roadster. Have that now and is my everyday rider. Currently I'm at a slow process restoring a 1973 Norton 850.

I'll be 54 in a couple of weeks. Wanted a Commando since the late 70s, but got a BSA Lightning instead, followed by a couple Yamahas and then a Speed Triple when my youngest no longer needed to be chauffeured.

found my '73 as a basket case 5 years ago next week and the '69 Ranger, also a basket case, 2-1/2 years ago. Seems they had both been off the road since sometime in the mid- to late '70s, about the time I started riding!

BSA and Yamahas are long gone, but I've still got the Speed Triple. All 3 bikes are ridden regularly.

A scholarly astrology expert at FSU asked me what year i was born. I said name a bad one, she said '51 and '52. I"m a '51 model so over 61 orbits so far. !st bike was P!! Ranger champion dragster which essentially blew my mind and all others on Norton twins. Did a Green Acres life replant in '99 and with last money and no place to work yet, went through a week long turmoil of used mower or used motorcycle with myself and my Alicia, till we just decided to go for it in Dixieland paradise that's never been sane since thank goodness.

I'm 37, will be 38 in a couple months.
Bought my first Commando at 23, a 72 Combat, sold it in 2009 to a friend.
Now I have a 71 Roadster.

Used to get teased at classic bike meets when I'd rock up on my first Norton, "Does yer granddad know you've got his bike?"
Even my first road bike at 16 in high school was older than me, a 72 CB350, when everyone else had CBRs and Ninjas. It's just the way I roll.

Cowboy Don said:

I'm 37, will be 38 in a couple months.
Bought my first Commando at 23, a 72 Combat, sold it in 2009 to a friend.
Now I have a 71 Roadster.

Used to get teased at classic bike meets when I'd rock up on my first Norton, "Does yer granddad know you've got his bike?"
Even my first road bike at 16 in high school was older than me, a 72 CB350, when everyone else had CBRs and Ninjas. It's just the way I roll.

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LOL, I remember a classmate scoffing "HA! a TWO cylinder!" when I was 16, junior year. Since I was 10YO, I lusted after a "snortin Nortin" finally got one in 2011, after dozens of other bikes (Asian, American,Euro). I'm 50 now, loving the old bike I wanted for 40 years

Age 59

First Norton 850 MKIIa. JP Blue and Red on White in 1980. Exhaust was rusted out. Got a Boyer unit and a Hooker header. It was a great bike.

I have always had bikes since I was 15 that was 48yrs ago but my first Norton was bought in 2011. Mine is a 75' MKIII that was a basket case that has been completely gone through with lots of help from this forum . Oh ya, I am a 49' model so that make me 63.

52 here, Purchased my first Norton (75) in 2006 and second one (72) in 2008. Currently doing a restore job on the 75 and getting it ready for the Wyoming Rally!!!!! :mrgreen:

Age 36
Got my first Norton 2 years ago free. boxes of parts and a frame with locked motor. Other than that many of British and other bikes over the years

I better fess up and say I'm 69. Have to admit it's getting harder and harder to get the gumption up to ride, I doubt if I put 500 miles on this last summer. But it keeps me pushing. First right shifter was BSA B33 in Monterey CA when I was in the army language school. Bought a Honda CB450 in 71 or so, but didn't like it, so found the 69S in April 72. $1/CC. Rode it into the 80's, put it away with desire to restore, and started restoration in 05 or so, finished and started it in Oct 2010. Only bike I've really liked or wanted.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

I better fess up and say I'm 69. Have to admit it's getting harder and harder to get the gumption up to ride, I doubt if I put 500 miles on this last summer. But it keeps me pushing. First right shifter was BSA B33 in Monterey CA when I was in the army language school. Bought a Honda CB450 in 71 or so, but didn't like it, so found the 69S in April 72. $1/CC. Rode it into the 80's, put it away with desire to restore, and started restoration in 05 or so, finished and started it in Oct 2010. Only bike I've really liked or wanted.

Dave
69S

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Yer a lingy. ASA?

C'mon, you kids are making me feel old! I'll be 71 this month and still going strong (well, maybe strong is a bit of an overstatement, but still going at least). My first Norton was a '71 Commando Production Racer that I bought from Dan Gurney in '72, when he decided he had too many bikes, and sold a few to thin the herd, and I've been hooked ever since. I paid the grand sum of $1100 for it. It only had a few hundred miles on it, but he had painted it a dark purple because he thought the bright yellow attracted cops! I immediately painted it back to the original yellow. I rode it on the street for a short period, and then used it to enter my first road race. I raced it in club, and eventually AMA races for the next 20 years, going through all sorts of modifications, and painting it various colors before ending up back at yellow. I eventually sold it to a friend who restored it to original, and it's now in a private museum. This is the earliest picture I have of it, probably somewhere in the middle or late '70s.



Ken

Old enough to know better. 68

I'm 55 now. Got my first Norton, a 1973 850, when I was 18. My dad bought it new and gave it to me as a graduation present. I sold it in 1981. It needed some work, technical info was hard to come by back then (no internet, didn't know of any local owners' clubs), and NVT had gone broke. I figured parts would dry up and become impossible to find.

Always regretted selling it though and got my current 72 750 in 2004. I tore it down a year later and did a complete rebuild. This forum and our local club were very helpful. A few years later I got my 74 850. I bought it as a parts bike off ebay and did a complete frame-up resto on it too.

30 years ago I couldn't have imagined we'd still have these bikes on the road and would still be able to get parts for them. I've had a lot of bikes over the years but the Commandos are my all-time favorites.

Well here goes my story and I hope it doesn't make some of you feel a little older than you already are haha, just kidding. I got my first Norton when I was 19. The day was May 26 2012, I am now 20 so I haven't even had my commando for a year and I love her to death. I'm from California and I grew up with my dad telling stories on how he used to ride one back in the 80's and I never really paid attention to him untilI first saw one. MY LIFE CHANGED FOREVER! I was Hooked after graduating High School and researched all the videos on YouTube until I saw ALL OF THEM! I decided to go with a commando because it was very classic looking but It could also be made into a really cool streamlined bike, and that's what I did. I ended up buying a 1971 commando 750 and fell in love immediately after I saw her. I'm in college now and go to SJSU an the looks I get on my motorcycle always make my day. There's not one day I don't get complemented and I'd be fine I'd I didn't because as long as I am happy that's all that counts but having other people think my Natalie is cool is flattering. Now, back to my dad...because he saw that I had gotten one he couldn't stand the jealousy any longer an went ahead and bought one for himself ( its amazing how some tables turn haha). He bought a beautiful 1974 850 commando and he is 42.

So as a 20 year old, in my Norton club -NCNOC- thy call me the puppy I the group and I'm curious as to why there aren't more younger people involved in bikes like these. I told the president Of my NOG that I would do my best to bring the age average down and recruit younger folk and so far I've convinced one person and that was my Principle from High School. Although its not the age I was looking for its a start and soon enough ill have my own gang to ride with. Have fun riding guys and be safe. If you see a young kid on a commando its probably me so don't be afraid to stop and say hi!

Monjebrick

Just turned 54, my late wife bought me a basket / box case JPN for our first wedding anniversary in 82, and it's just gone back on the road in 2012.

Thought I'd chime in for my first post in a few months. I'm 17, almost 18 now and have been slowly restoring my dads '72 combat interstate for the past 2.5 years with him. He bought the bike new in '72 when he was 19. Making him 59 turning 60 this year??

Matt

willy mac said:

Just turned 54, my late wife bought me a basket / box case JPN for our first wedding anniversary in 82, and it's just gone back on the road in 2012.

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Willy there has to be a lot more to your story.
Your late wife sounds like a real catch.