Truthfully!

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ggryder

ggryder

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I’m not a show going type and my bike isn’t really of a showable standard, but I’m taking it to a hill climb event this weekend (the paved type) and part of the deal is that the entered machines are on display prior to the competition. It seems the right thing to do is to put a placard on it to tell people what it is. Unbelievable that you should have to do that with a Commando! But recently I’ve found that younger people, even if they’re real bike enthusiasts, don’t necessarily know what a Commando is.

So, what do you say about a Commando to put it into historical context? Do you emphasis the fact that it won the Motorcycle News bike of the year award multiple times, beating the indisputably, historically important Honda CB750? and that it had a pretty impressive, if unlikely, competition history? Or, do you mention that the engine design hadn’t changed an awful lot in 30 years, was stretched to the limit in road going form and vibrated like hell even though the rider might be blissfully unaware of the fact on the other side of the isolastic mountings?

What do you say about the Commando to put it into historical context?
 
How about that it was bike of the year from 1969-1974 I believe! Might have to research that a bit.
 
When I come up to a stop light next to a Harley, they just nod. It's understood. No more need be said.

Historically, 110 years and counting. How many can say that?
 
speirmoor said:
"Worlds First Superbike"
Click to expand...

I'M not going to argue with you, but there are folks that give me grief whenever I make that comment on other forums about a certain other British large vertical twin that went over 200 MPH before 1960 at Bonneville...
 
Hi

A true enthusiast would know what it was and its history, if they don't so what and who cares if it's not a show bike, they look better with road grime as it tells every one its ridin all the time and not put on a trailer to take to the shows, as long as it looks clean with a bit of road grime on it.

Ashley
 
Yes to that ,actually the younger generation are interested but are so consumed by Twitter and peer pressures and climbing ladders and fashion and consumerism and ice cream and obtaining their first mortgage and pre-nuptual agreements and oversaturation that you could tell them anything about Nortons and their history and it may or may not go anywhere. Keep the prices low and keep 'em guessin'. Off to a party.
 
Just put a sign on it that says:

"It's a Norton! For more information, go look it up in your Funk & Wagnall's"

(actually with Iphone mania they will probably Google it)
 
grandpaul said:
speirmoor said:
"Worlds First Superbike"
Click to expand...

I'M not going to argue with you, but there are folks that give me grief whenever I make that comment on other forums about a certain other British large vertical twin that went over 200 MPH before 1960 at Bonneville...
Click to expand...
Yes , in a pointed tube, I recon a lawn mower engine will do a 100 in an pencil shape...couldnt see the point :lol:
Records should be made on stock bike's sat upright , Carnt see many Vincent owners flying down the Great north road wearing just Undie's...Sorry Rollie! let alone lying on the seat :!:
 
Id put , its a fearfully modern machine , its designed after the war . A derivitive was the fastest drag bike in the states at the time it was produced . and its pretty hard to find any PLASTIC parts on it . :D 8)

Now if all these show bikes had to go in competetive hill climbs , theyd learn a thing or two priority wise .

Also tell them its in such good condition , as theyre dsigned to lube the Outside as well as the inside,
as the British salted the roads. :roll: :P

Also they were bankrupted by communist elements infiltrateing industry and goverment , and the press .
 
I just tell 'em, "It's British... like a Triumph, only better".
 
chapmanmd said:
I just tell 'em, "It's British... like a Triumph, only better".
Click to expand...

Oh God...
Click to expand...

That's what I usually say. How can you argue with that? Aside from a few delusional people no one ever says they would rather have a Triumph than a Norton.
 
Indeed, Swoosh. You guys have brought me out of the darkness of OIF Triumphs and into the promised land that is everything Norton. Free at last!
 
Of course you all know the Norton Commando is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest production motorcycle in the world.
Oh, but you all knew that, right? :D

That was back in 1973 I think.
Probably been beaten by now.
How's that for history.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. As it turned out I didn't have time to make any sort of a placard, but I liked the "Norton Girls" suggestion, those ads kind of say it all without saying anything. The hill climb itself was a very cool event; I'm grateful to the organizers, SOVREN, for allowing me to take part, the only bike on the hill that day. At this point I would have loved to have inserted some on-bike video, but I'm still having problems capturing anything on my Contour, so here's a link to somebody else's effort to provide a taste of the Maryhill hill climb and there's a couple of stills of me on the Becker Commando in there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY5KoA2U ... e=youtu.be
 
Yeah, the older guys know, for the younger ones, you could probably put something simple such as: The Unapproachable Norton Commando". They'll have it looked up on their smart phone before you could explain it.
 
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