Ridden Where?

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No serious discussion here, snow on the ground, not riding anywhere today. Just wondering where folks have ridden thier Commandos. For me, It has been 17 US states and 4 Canadian Provinces. The furtherest South was to the Carolinas, west was to Michigan. Total of about 75K + miles I have put on the bike. You folks in the UK, et-al I?
I have ridden my '75 to 13 Norton Rallys, never trailered or put in a pick-up truck. After the 2006 Rally in Michigan, Lee Patterson and I rode north then east over the top of the Great Lakes. Some stormy weather at that rally. Riding east thru Ottawa, it started to pour and continued all the way to Rouse Point NY on the shore of Lake Champlain. My rain gear leaked, it looked like I had an "accident" !. We got the last hotel room in the area, BMW was having one of thier huge rallys in the area, in Essex Junction, Vermont, .... Bike sat out in the pouring rain all night. The next morning, it started right up, we rode home. Great ride.
 
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Everywhere in Europe where there are mountains.
Here about to enter the infamous Parpaillon tunnel:

Ridden Where?


Ridden Where?



I just watched the videos Ludwig, I'm afraid now I have to get there and go on both passes.
 
Those handlebar streamers are long!!
I need to apologize for my quip about the handlebar streamers on your bike to appease the motorcycle god's
Because when I went to my garage today I found my BSA on its side !!
It was on an under frame lift not a ramp but if I'd ratchet strapped the bike to it it wouldn't have happened!! My fault entirely
I got away with just a small dig in the tank where the left clipon rolled round
So please accept my apologies I don't need any problems with this bike build :rolleyes:
 
I need to apologize for my quip about the handlebar streamers on your bike to appease the motorcycle god's
Because when I went to my garage today I found my BSA on its side !!
It was on an under frame lift not a ramp but if I'd ratchet strapped the bike to it it wouldn't have happened!! My fault entirely
I got away with just a small dig in the tank where the left clipon rolled round
So please accept my apologies I don't need any problems with this bike build :rolleyes:
Perhaps Baz, like the Norwegian Blue, it was: 'just resting' ?
 
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I freely admit that my Commandos are not my #1 bikes. I've had a collection since 1980, and so always have multiple bikes to ride.

I've ridden in 21 states, mostly Texas. I've raced in 8 states, ridden in Mexico a few times.

My longest riding day ever WAS on my Commando ('75 Interstate). 620 miles thru the Texas Hill Country, AWESOME ride with 2 friends on their bikes. Cruised at 80 all the way over and back (over 120 miles each way just to get to the good riding roads). Google "Texas Trinity" or "Twisted Sisters". If you ask me, That trip highlighted the EXCELLENCE of the Commando Interstate; it was in it's element.

I've ridden over the Teton Pass when there was snow up there (BMW with heated grips), that was a very scenic ride.

Did the "Road to Hana" (Maui, Hawai'i) on a Slingshot (they are registered as motorcycles by the Fed, and plated as such). That was an AWESOME (not 'awesome' the way the numbskull kids use that word, I mean actually AWEsome) ride. If you've never ridden a slingshot, try it; you might not as critical afterwards.

Rode a scooter from Cozumel deep into the jungle to tour the pyramid ruins, that was MISERABLE with mosquitos.

Rode a Honda 550 Four in 28degree weather with light snow falling, 260 miles from Laredo to Austin, with a toolbox strapped to the back seat and one muffler on each pillion peg, to swap out my late kid brothers pipes on a Yamaha RD400. I picked up a hitchhiker just outside Laredo on I-35, and told him he could hop on, but I didn't have a spare helmet. He said "OK", tucked his wool cap over his ears, hustled the toolbox and pipes onto his lap and under his arms, and off we went. At a rest stop about 40 miles out, I pulled over to check on him; his eyebrows, eyelashes, and nose were crusted in ice, he was all red, but said he was fine, "just give me a minute to have a smoke". Off we went. I dropped him in San Antonio (160 miles) at a Denny's restaurant, he said that was far enough. Good thing he got off, it was getting dark and the temperature had climbed to where it was a light drizzle. The last 100 miles was in the dark, and the spray from 18-wheelers was a NIGHTMARE.

My only time on the "Tail of the Dragon", I was in my truck, pulling a trailer with 3 bikes on it. I didn't even know I was on it, till I got to Deal's Gap, THEN it hit me! I THOUGHT that was a mighty tight winding road...
 
One notable Commando ride. A few years ago some friends from work were going to ride up to Wiers Beach, it was bike week. Everyone else was on HD's. My friend Andy asked me if I knew any back roads up there, ( from Haverhill MA), so I led the ride. After an hour of back roads one of the HD riders pulled up next to me at a stop sign and asked if we could take a break, and could I go slower. I actually diden't think I was going that fast, but ithey are roads I know well.
 
On my Commando I've ridden NY, PA, MD, WV, VA, IL, OH, ON obviously. Plus trailered to FL, Daytona bike week through the snow and and went to Nortona turn 6. lately I've trailered (getting more mature :cool: ) and ridden in NC, SC, TN so far.
Also ridden to VT, NH, ME, QC, NB, NS, MI, IN, MO, OK, MS, KS, CO, NE, IA, AK, AL, KY on my Hinckley Triumphs.
 
1985, a tour around Belgium, southern Germany and Switzerland into northern Italy.


Roadster tank was a bit of a limitation, and I had been offered the loan of an Interstate tank but decided to take a chance. No helmet law in Italy at the time, so as soon as I crossed the border, off it came for a great couple of days.
 
I have ridden my '75 to 13 Norton Rallys, never trailered or put in a pick-up truck. After the 2006 Rally in Michigan, Lee Patterson and I rode north then east over the top of the Great Lakes. Some stormy weather at that rally. Riding east thru Ottawa, it started to pour and continued all the way to Rouse Point NY on the shore of Lake Champlain. My rain gear leaked, it looked like I had an "accident" !. We got the last hotel room in the area, BMW was having one of thier huge rallys in the area, in Essex Junction, Vermont, .... Bike sat out in the pouring rain all night. The next morning, it started right up, we rode home. Great ride.
Your rain post jogged a memory. I was headed home from the Lake of The Pines Rally, put on by the North Texas Norton Owners Assocation. I was riding my 1973 750 Commando with two other friends. We were maybe twenty miles from the house and the sky started to get dark. We pulled under the awning of an out of business burger stand and my two companions began to produce rain suits from the depths of their luggage. I produced my only rain kit, a zip-lock bag for my wallet. Once it was stowed in my tank bag I was ready to rock. The weather did not disappoint. The sky opened up and the rain was some of the heavest I have ever ridden through. It was the type of rain that comes down so fast and hard it can't run off the road and through it all the Norton chugged merrily along. I am still kind of impressed with the old girl, still running her points and all.
 
Longest day ride from Houston to Van Horn TX. Shows 9 hrs and 626 miles. Wasted at the end of the day and I was only 32 years young.
Longest trip was New York to Los Angeles via southern route. Bought flake blue 1970 Norton in London , North Finchley in 1970. About $900 out the door
with luggage rack. Rode in England, Belgium, Holland, and Mexico.
 
I need to apologize for my quip about the handlebar streamers on your bike to appease the motorcycle god's
Because when I went to my garage today I found my BSA on its side !!
It was on an under frame lift not a ramp but if I'd ratchet strapped the bike to it it wouldn't have happened!! My fault entirely
I got away with just a small dig in the tank where the left clipon rolled round
So please accept my apologies I don't need any problems with this bike build :rolleyes:
You‘re both unlucky and lucky there Baz.

Thats what you get for tempting fate !
 
You‘re both unlucky and lucky there Baz.

Thats what you get for tempting fate !
I learnt a lesson there although I should know better
I once tipped a gixer off my proper ramp the bike ended up upside down!
The speedo and rev counter were on the oxy acetylene gages of my porta pack
Had to get the ramp down quickly to lift the bike up and turn it over
I'm very lucky with this BSA I can only see a tiny ding in the paint on the tank where the left clipon rolled round
 
I've only had my 750 six years but it's been to the Isle of Man three times, France and Belgium twice for the Begonia rally. I like to ride alone these days and when in France and Belgium take in some of the WW1 and 2 remembrance sites and would like to do some more when all this shit is over. I've got some ideas of where to go.
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St Julien, Canadian Memorial

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Australian Memorial

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American Memorial

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Wormhoudt, where captured British Soldiers were murdered by the SS on the retreat to Dunkirk. The very mention of the word "Commando" would have you strung up by the self called "Master Race" in the latter stages of WW2.
 
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