Predestination

Is a Moto Guzzi "Dingo" 50 cc.
You ask what has that to do this small Italian motorcycle, with a Commando?.
Look at it well and you will understand!
"Dingo" was introduced in 1965, two years before the completion of the first pre-series exemplar of the Norton Commando.
Who copied who?.
Well, Dingo was my first bike, my 14 years.
Then I was a predestined?.
That's why I have a Fastback, an S and an SS!.
Ciao.
Piero

Piero,

I'll bite. It looks like the engine and rear wheel are isolated from the frame. I wonder why? That tiny little two stroke wouldn't be able to vibrate you much...maybe it was so soothing people fell asleep while riding

Dennis

Hi.
Not isolastic system here!
Look at the seat like Fastback, at the high pipe and exhaust and heat dissipator and stay like S and SS, at the front mudguard and stay like SS, at the handlebar like SS.
Dont you think there are much parts seemed?.
Ciao
Piero

pierodn said:

Hi.
Not isolastic system here!
Look at the seat like Fastback, at the high pipe and exhaust and heat dissipator and stay like S and SS, at the front mudguard and stay like SS, at the handlebar like SS.
Dont you think there are much parts seemed?.
Ciao
Piero

Click to expand...

Yes, but lots of bikes back then had these features. Upswept pipe was pretty common around that time (scrambler) look. I will say the the seat wrapping the tank is unique. It does sort of look a little like a mini Norton...but styling on bikes was trendy, and most manufacturer's copied what sold.

I still am trying to figure out the frame though...looks like the engine is hung under and the back is separate.

If you take it another direction, how about the Japanese copies like the Kawasaki W1 650?

Here's a 1966 version (around the same time) and who do you think they were trying to copy with this bike?

http://www.sportscargallery.com/Images/ ... or%203.jpg

Ha! A little more BSA than Norton, but makes the point...

Yes, a copy, but nice the Kawasaky,
The beauty will be ever copied, sometime ugly too.
Ciao
Piero

Did a little more reading on the Kawasaki W1 650. The design was BSA A10 based and came from Meguro licensing agreement between Meguro and BSA. Kawasaki acquired Meguro and thus held the rights and introduced the W1 in 1965.

Found an interesting BSA fact. I've been studying the history of the British motorcycle industry so find these tidbits quite interesting. Bert Hopwood designer and engineer who at that time was at BSA and also the writer of "Whatever Happened to The British Motorcycle Industry" saw a Kawasaki W1 in 1965 and said he was amazed at the quality of the bike. Thought it was better than the bikes BSA was producing at the time...funny that 4 years before the Honda CB750 a key player couldn't see the threat completely...he blamed poor management in his book...maybe it was already too late by then, but it just shows they weren't completely unaware of what was going on.

http://www.sportscargallery.com/Images/ ... or%205.jpg

Nice, very nice this Kawa, looks very solid.
I know, at the end of 1970 nobody wanted more english and italian bike too.
But, today, the price of a 1968/75 Norton or Ducati is much more than a japan bike of those age: why?.
Piero

pierodn said:

Nice, very nice this Kawa, looks very solid.
I know, at the end of 1970 nobody wanted more english and italian bike too.
But, today, the price of a 1968/75 Norton or Ducati is much more than a japan bike of those age: why?.
Piero

Click to expand...

I think we know why the values are there. Iconic motorcycles. Particularly the British bikes. Ducati survived and products continued to improve to the point they are today. I think complacency was the biggest issue with the failure...it was the first time such a fast and furious threat occurred in a major industry. History repeated itself in many other industries and continues today. Companies are better prepared, but still world competition is stiff and majority of buyers are still price sensitive more than ever.

We can say what we want about quality of or value of Japanese motorcycles. Long ago I said I would never own another one, but look at my signature.

Those pictures of that W1 is a museum quality example and the price is $15,000 US so not that much different...it's a pretty rare example.

Yes,
Ducati survives but now is ....... Deutsch!
Piero

think you need better ventilation in the shop Piero - that glue is getting to you! :lol:

pierodn said:

Is a Moto Guzzi "Dingo" 50 cc.
You ask what has that to do this small Italian motorcycle, with a Commando?.
Look at it well and you will understand!
"Dingo" was introduced in 1965, two years before the completion of the first pre-series exemplar of the Norton Commando.
Who copied who?.
Well, Dingo was my first bike, my 14 years.
Then I was a predestined?.
That's why I have a Fastback, an S and an SS!.
Ciao.
Piero

Click to expand...

mikegray660 said:

think you need better ventilation in the shop Piero - that glue is getting to you! :lol:

Click to expand...

Hi,
I dont have a shop!
Ciao.
Piero

pierodn said:

mikegray660 said:

think you need better ventilation in the shop Piero - that glue is getting to you! :lol:

Click to expand...

Hi,
I dont have a shop!
Ciao.
Piero

Click to expand...

Language problem fellas....

Piero, the common US use of 'shop' is not as in 'store'....'store' is the preferred US for where you buy things

If our colonial friends say 'shop' they mean workshop or garage, or maybe in Italian 'box'......meaning......

....the place where you keep your bikes and/or do mechanical repair and assembly work...and maybe where you glue things together ;-)

Ciao

Steve

Hi Steve,
thank you for your help in my better acknowledge.
Ciao.
Piero