The infection of stupid has spread to Norton Commandos.

Status
Not open for further replies.
sportsroof said:
Those of us who know how the world turns just need to keep a steady hand on the tiller. Leave the fools to their own devices. Commandos were special in their day (Isolastics) and to me and others, still are today. IMHO, choppers and bobbers are things to justify the existence of lesser, inferior bikes. OK for others, not for 'us'
Fact: Commando is best. Believe it. HTH
Cheers, Martin
Click to expand...

Best post in months! :D
 
I once bought an Atlas that had been made into a hardtail. 2" of water pipe added to the swing arm and welded in struts where the shocks should have been. A hideous king and queen seat which doubled as a reserve gas tank.
 
I think that with Brit bikes in general modifications should be limited to what can be "put back" without a welder. I've responded to a few ads where a previous owner had begun a "customization" that left only the ancillary parts and motor usable. There are so few customs that really hit the mark or improve on the original design. Commandos that are radically altered really depress me especially. There is a reason that our bikes are regarded as the pinnacle of Brit bike development. In my novel, "All Of My Heroes Are Ghosts" I bag a bit on the custom and cafe crowd. I got some grief from friends but it is a reflection on all of the times that I had eagerly pursued ads for bikes that turned out to be lost cause or hack-job efforts.
-RW :cry:
 
Baz, that's a beautiful bike. I wouldn't call your bike a bobber... it's a hardtail. By my definition, a bobber is more of a "cake decorator" type modification where the person cuts off the rear hoop and leaves the working parts of the frame unchanged. Maybe they put different forks or handlebars on it, along with hiway pegs.


cNw said:
Many, many moons ago I had a 10 foot chopper. With a Commando engine and gear box, it was pretty unusual. Denver's Choppers frame, Fury girder, Morris Mags, no front brake and a Grimeca disc in the back. No front fender and a TT exhaust. It was hard to ride slow, really tough when it was raining and didn't really stop but I loved it and put a lot of miles on it.
Then I decided to build a bobber. Cut a Commando frame down and did an extended swing arm set up. Ape hangers. Drum front brake that didn't really work and a hand shift. No front fender on this one either. Modified roadster tank. Felt great

To me it was a learning experience. Countless hours in the garage working with what was available. Get your hands into something and change it up to make something different. Something unique and 'yours'. No, they didn't always work but it didn't matter at the time.

Things have a changed a bit for me but I never regret the seriously modified machines as they were just part of what got me to where I am today....still tinkering with these old bikes

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

http://www.coloradonortonworks.com
Click to expand...

Matt, any and all pictures of the bikes you mentioned would be greatly enjoyed... 8)

At one point I was so disgusted with the handling of my bike, that I seriously wanted to make it a rigid frame bike.(but not a bobber) My bike is handling better than ever now, and I really appreciate it in it's current configuration, which is not stock, but not drastically different either...
 
I have no problem with modified bikes, not when they're done intelligently and although I've never owned one I really like cool choppers and really well-done bobbers of the correct type. But this trend the kids have of chopping off the tail section of everything even if it's not the right kind of bike just looks stupid. for the record I'm not against modifying things, none of my bikes are stock. My Nortons have always had rear sets and clip on bars with several other mods like better brakes etc. It's the stupid ones that are trending like bobbing off the rear frame section to put a stupid looking short seat on it with that rear wheel sticking out that are just dumb mods trying to make a bike look like something from an era way before it that it can never be. I just laugh when I see it done to other bikes but it bothers me to see it done to a Norton commando and I fear will start seeing more of them before it's over. I mentioned this to one of the guys on eBay selling one and he reported me to eBay. Ha ha ha. I wasn't caustic but I guess it hurt his little feelings.
 
gtsun said:
It's the stupid ones that are trending like bobbing off the rear frame section to put a stupid looking short seat on it with that rear wheel sticking out that are just dumb mods trying to make a bike look like something from an era way before it that it can never be. I just laugh when I see it done to other bikes but it bothers me to see it done to a Norton commando and I fear will start seeing more of them before it's over. I mentioned this to one of the guys on eBay selling one and he reported me to eBay. Ha ha ha. I wasn't caustic but I guess it hurt his little feelings.
Click to expand...

embrace your fears, cos, others can & will do whatever they like,

nothing new about this,

Co makes a product, public/buyers then take over, good, bad or ugly to whoever, hardley lol is a good example & worked good for all

for classic norton stuff, the result for one, has been an escalation in value and interest from noobs,

last i heard, the tc dragster dude(s) ran a 16" rear tire on his personal ride

topic-t12069.html
 
Torontonian said:
One of our O.N.O. members here in Toronto has hipster image influenced thoughts of getting a second Norton to turn into a Bobber. We went to the Etobicoke burbs to look at one for this cool dude idea 2 months ago . He commented that very few Nortons abandoned in GTA garages come up for sale anymore. This 72 was very rusty with smashed instruments for a firm $3200 Cdn. I know he went home thinking hard about it , but then a storm attacked his house and priorities changed. It would be criminal to lob off the back of a Commando frame , maybe Hamilton Norton people would know of a potential starting point frame with say a bent rear frame loop ? If a buggered frame is available then I would help him continue this search next year, but I would not help or allow him to hurt a good one. Lots of hipsters here downtown.
Click to expand...

I think its that gluten-free diet that he is on. Makes his brain go funny. :mrgreen:
Cheers,
T
CNN
 
cNw said:
Many, many moons ago I had a 10 foot chopper. With a Commando engine and gear box, it was pretty unusual. Denver's Choppers frame, Fury girder, Morris Mags, no front brake and a Grimeca disc in the back. No front fender and a TT exhaust. It was hard to ride slow, really tough when it was raining and didn't really stop but I loved it and put a lot of miles on it.
Then I decided to build a bobber. Cut a Commando frame down and did an extended swing arm set up. Ape hangers. Drum front brake that didn't really work and a hand shift. No front fender on this one either. Modified roadster tank. Felt great

To me it was a learning experience. Countless hours in the garage working with what was available. Get your hands into something and change it up to make something different. Something unique and 'yours'. No, they didn't always work but it didn't matter at the time.

Things have a changed a bit for me but I never regret the seriously modified machines as they were just part of what got me to where I am today....still tinkering with these old bikes

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

http://www.coloradonortonworks.com
Click to expand...

You know what they say... "Pictures, or ithe didn't happen. " LOL
 
Taste is a matter of taste.

I remember lusting after an Iron Sportster with extended forks when I was a pup. I saw a couple riding two-up on one the other day and I just had to chuckle. There, but for the grace of maturing taste, went myself.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top