Tanshanomi's review of the 850 Commando

Status
Not open for further replies.

ML

Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
853
Tanshanomi's web site is impressive list of bikes the man has owned or ridden enough. He's pretty honest, fair and balanced opinions on well over a hundred bikes. I jut love his description of the 850 Commando -

Performance
A Norton Commando that's been properly tuned and 'fettled' can run with an fuel-injected 1200 Sportster, courtesy of the 1970's total lack of emissions regulations.

Handling
The Isolastic rubber mounts may have made things more comfy for the rider, but they demand rigorous maintenance to ward off that 'hinge in the middle' feeling. Even when adjusted properly, skinny 19-inch rims, rigid footpegs and ancient suspension make approaching the edge of the envelope a dicey proposition.

Looks
The Norton 850 Roadster is one of the most classically proportioned motorcycles ever.

Reliability
They can be kept in fairly reliable riding condition, but only with constant attention by someone who doesn't mind a day in the workshop for every day on the road.

Practicality
Having the Venus de Milo or a B-24 Liberator in your garage wouldn't be at all practical; the Commando 850 is like having both.

Desirability
Heart votes 5; head votes 1.

Overall
A Norton 850 is not so much a motorcycle as a force of nature. Like a tornado, you should run from it, but you're just as apt to be fascinated by it.
 
Not a bad review, but I totally disagree with the statement " can be fairly reliable as long as the owner spends a day in the garage with every day on the street" , or some such nonsense. A properly fettled Commando will run reliably for a very long time with minimal time in the shop.
 
What a load of crap, one day of riding is one day in the workshop, well I have owned mine for over 39 years now and it only gets maintenaces when its due, oil change every 2,500 miles, if I had a bike that you had to work on it after every ride and I would have given up on my Norton the first year of ownership, I jump on my bike tomorrow and do a 800 mile run without even thinking about it, the only time it has let me down was with a broken chain and that was only a few months ago so not bad for 39 years of riding it, where do these so call experts get off there high horses, probly only rode jap bikes all there lifes and never owned a britist bike in their whole life, I have also owned Triumphs and none have ever let me down.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
...one day of riding is one day in the workshop, well I have owned mine for over 39 years now and it only gets maintenaces when its due, oil change every 2,500 miles, if I had a bike that you had to work on it after every ride and I would have given up on my Norton the first year of ownership...

Ashley

We all know this to be true for the most part, but anything that's not produced in such mass quantities as Jap bikes and cars is inclined to show variabilities from one unit to the next, potentially allowing some to be "sub-standard". My '84 Nighthawk has a hydraulic clutch (automatically adjusts the free play) hydraulic lifters, automatic cam-chain adjuster, doesn't leak any oil from anywhere, and looks and rides exactly as any other '84 Nighthawk. Blah! Historically, helicopters require an hour of maintenance for every hour they're in the air, but no one seems to scream about that. It's just absorbed into the operating costs.
The only time the Commando ever stranded me was when I incorrectly re-installed the headlight switch, and it shorted out against the headlight bucket while crossing the railroad tracks by my house. It had popped the fuse, but fired up and ran as long as I didn't turn the headlight back on. My bad!
I checked the valves recently from between 10,000 to 10,500 miles as a baseline for wear (they hadn't moved one bit in those 500 miles), and adjusted the rear chain once it settled in. I agree with Ashley whole-heartedly; if I had to do much more than routine maintenance, I'd drain the fluids, polish it all up, place it on the mantle, and go back to the Nighthawk. Fortunately, that doesn't look to be happening anytime too soon.
Let them think and say what they may; we know better!
Nathan
 
If it was properly 'fettled' then it should not need that much work as has been indicated. Mine only gets used about 100 miles at a shot, and that happens about every 2 months when it comes up in the rotation. Granted I have to drain the sump most times and refill the tank before starting. But other than that....it's pretty much kick and go. All I do after my ride then is top off the tank and drain the carbs then it gets hooked back up to the tender and covered back up waiting for the next ride. Same process for all my bikes (except the drain the sump part). I'm willing to put up with that little bit of extra work for the enjoyment of riding it. If it was uber sanitary like my old 750 Hondas it likely wouldn't be as much fine to ride, or I wouldn't marvel at how nicely it goes down the road at 75mph for a 41 year old machine.

My 94 HD could be so lucky as to go down the road that nice. At 75mph that HD would be shaking parts loose and vibrating like a bitch.I wouldn't even attempt to go that fast on the triumphs, and the dream couldn't go that fast. Now the Guzzi on the other hand......
 
Comparing a commando to a modern bike is like comparing your wife to a beautiful young dolly bird. It all depends on values. If you love a commando, you learn to live with it.
 
He obviously hasn't spent much time with a Commando. I've had my MK3 for about 20 years and like previously stated, I follow the schedule I'd say it was closer to a day on the lift for every three months on the road. Tanshanomi would freak if he had a Trident. Now there is a maintenance hog until you convert to electronic ignition I've had my trident for 38 years and it requires twice the hands on that the Commando needs

Cheers
C
 
I think this ride 1 day and fix it the next is a figure of speech. Compare a jap car and a British car of the "80s and yes I would agree. I worked on cars most of my life so wont compare bikes of that era, but I suspect a Honda would outperform a Norton when it coms to reliability. The Hondas were even finished off better. BUT a Honda isn't a Norton and that's that. The Honda sold for $2100.00 nz and the Norton sold for $1700.00 [ 1971-1972 ish ]
Someone once told me a story about a jap car the was built to compete with the Ferrari 348. It didn't only out perform the Ferrari but it didn't require the servicing and was far far more reliable. The second part of this story is that a bunch of hoons saw one in a car park and thought it was the cats whiskers until one of them had a close look and said ". Ah f..k man, it's only a f....g Honda." [ NSX ]
 
[quote="Commando Cam" Tanshanomi would freak if he had a Trident. Now there is a maintenance hog until you convert to electronic ignition I've had my trident for 38 years and it requires twice the hands on that the Commando needs

Cheers
C[/quote]

I guess you didn't read his Trident test.
 
Time Warp - No I didn't . But if he thought the Norton needed hands on, he never did a valve adjustment and set timing on a triple.
 
Commando Cam said:
Time Warp - No I didn't . But if he thought the Norton needed hands on, he never did a valve adjustment and set timing on a triple.
I had one once (operative word: had). The Norton's smoother, gets better gas mileage, leaks much less oil, and I'm confident I can get on it and ride. Plus, I think the Norton's just as fast! Yes, setting the points was insane...
Nathan
 
Don't get too hung up on Tanshanomi's thing about fettling and the day per ride in the garage. I think he's alluding to the type of person who enjoys spannering bikes. I know I certainly enjoy time in the man cave and I think my Norton loves me for it too.

Its true - " Look after your bike, and your bike will look after you".
 
What vale adjustments. I don't have to touch mine. sometimes I check them, but last time was over 4 years ago and I didn't adjust them then. If they don't tick more than they should, [ IE if you can hear them I might check. ] If the feeler gauge goes in and is not too loose I don't make any adjustments. More often than not, these machines might loosen up with wear, but not the other way round because the valves and seats are of good quality, and should not wear much at all. If it "aint" broken don't fix it. If it don't leak, leave it alone.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top