Trick Commando Based Racers

I've been most impressed by the exploits of Doug MacRae and Kenny Cummings. I've collected all the photos and clips of trick commando based racers that I have into one video. I am prepared to add to it. So if anyone has interesting photos and upload to this topic, I will extend the video for the purpose of generating enthusiasm by showing what is possible :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dur8fBGyjqA

OK you got my attention.

That is some nice riding. The rider knows that track well.

I must say if it were me I don't think I'd be here for very long. My skills would leave me at the tail of the pack and I'd probably be a nuisance to guys like the one in the clip.

I had forgotton about the Seeley Nortons. I have seen a few Dunstalls and Gus Kuhn Commandos (or replicas) about. There is a guy over here in WA that has a Seeley (I think). His name is Murray and he runs a business in Perth specialising in Nortons. I thought the race bike he had in his garage had a monoshock rear end. I could be wrong though.

Do you ever come over to WA to race? I was out at Wanneroo go karting a year or so ago and the kart track was next to the motorbike track and they had some classic bikes racing. I wasn't close enough to see exactly what they were but the music they made had me smiling

I've only been to Wanneroo once, but only to look. Don't ever worry about being at the end of the field or lapped, we have all been there. If you want t o do this stuff you must learn to take your bumps. Just don't crash too often in your crash and burn stage . It is all about racing miles and learning. Leave your ego at home. Watching those videos, it is difficult to comprehend the reality, but I saw a few places where I think I would be on the gas quite a bit earlier.

I get the impression that Kenny Cummings uses his brains a bit more, Doug MacRae is a bit scary. But it is all really good stuff, very exciting. My heart is in my mouth watching the flat out bits on the banking at Daytone. I think I would be joining Doug on the deck with lots of shrapnel lying about.

I found this interesting :

http://guskuhn.net/GKMLtd/Racing/1996TrackTest.htm

Kuhn was king of Nortons for a good while. The frame refined handling was exciting to read but found this part also interesting.

Interestingly, this frame seemed to 'talk' to the rider more than Seeley frames fitted with G50 engines, which are almost too stiff and can sometimes step out on you without any prior warning.

Click to expand...

Good to see you used a bunch of my on bike footage in the video from Daytona (and gave me a credit, well done- those are also some of my photographs of the Kenny built Seeleys too); don't forget though- all that on bike footage is from my Commando framed racer, not a Seeley...
It amazes me how much better quality the video cameras have gotten so quickly since the 2009 Daytona stuff, have a look at this video from Mosport just this past August(I have figured out how to edit too...);
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKw6IR-X3BA&list=UUrdIsqkpsY5bR1-LDwMVDSg&index=1&feature=plcp[/video]

Doug love how well the smoke makes following bikes hang so far back : )
Audio has improved too as well and editing multi cameras so well. Too bad about the Seeley sensations.
Can you feel motion of frame-fork twisting between bar grips and feet pegs?

Pretty amazing for a little 420cc Yamaha no :?:

Fun video, Doug. I really enjoyed it. Many thanks for posting it. If only we'd had HD GoPros back when I was still racing. The best I have is a really grainy Super 8 film from Ontario in the '70s with me on the PR, taken through a chain link fence from the sidelines, and a VHS tape from Willow Springs showing my disastrous crash in '85. Not much to brag on there. Actually, that might be good. This way I can still play " the older I get the faster I was" game.

Ken