Why bother with a Commando?

Thanks for the input chaps,

An old Scots song used to say 'Ships frae the Clyde hae a nation in their hold'.

Trying to write an article on British export drive in the Seventies: sounds like I can go to press confidently saying Nortons are appreciated because of their technical abilities rather than where they're made.

We have a phrase here: BOLLOCKS! Is no one going to say they bought a Norton because it was made in England?

CMon shoot me down!

No input yet from the old country!! :mrgreen:

Never mind the bollocks, here's the Norton Commando!

And it is 3 AM in blighty. Give the lads a chance to wake up.

And Boz, Ann Margret rode a Moto Guzzi (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x58m4a ... shortfilms).

Something about the Norton has fascinated me for years. I have owned Japanese metrics (Kawasaki H1 and Z1 900) I now have an HD Fatboy which I waited 50 years to own. The Norton came out of the blue. Belonged to a friend for 30 some years and has had to give it up. Its small compared to the HD but has a mystery about it. I cant wait to get it running and actually ride it. For now, it is just a pleasure to have it in the garage.
MikeM

BrianK said:

Never mind the bollocks, here's the Norton Commando!

And it is 3 AM in blighty. Give the lads a chance to wake up.

And Boz, Ann Margret rode a Moto Guzzi (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x58m4a ... shortfilms).

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She rode a Guzzi in that clip but she owned a Triumph.

1. Follows British tradition for light construction
2. Torquey hot rod with engineered ascetics men can look at long than a woman.
2a. Sounds so good with bigger sonic signature than its size.
3. Smooth to nervous systme and things attached to the isolated frame parts.
4. Best female pillion seat sensation according to survey
5. Mostly an affordable exotica.
6. Its one of the few vintage cycles that can more than hold its own in modern traffic rates and not beat up pilot or cycle doing it in purely factory form.
7. Except when surrounded by other Commandos it will be the most noticed and commented on cycle no matter the gathering custom show to biker events.
8. By far i get more - Oh I had one, or my dad or uncle had one, plus some tall tales of their exploits on them when they were the force to be reckoned with.
9. Its British which in last century meant from an ally not in competition with USA in economic politics or industry.
10. Its got the best support groups world wide for hand holding.
11. Its got great after market upgrades for never ending process of perfection, what ever that means to someone doing one up.
12. Rest of the cycles feel like mere road appliances compared.

13. Has potential I've found to be the best handling cycle ever fielded and no need to be athletic conditioned to do it either.

For me it is all the attributes everyone's listed and also the technical challenge of getting and keeping it running well. It can be such a fickle machine, but when it is running right, it's pure joy. Tonight, I cranked her up and after shifting into 3rd at about 65 mph I found myself laughing out loud at the shear joy of it. After 40 years of riding, the Commando is the only bike that does that to me. She's beautiful, powerful and....sexy. Even my girl friend agrees!

crusadersports said:

I'm especially interested in why non Brits don't just buy Japanese or Milwaukee!

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My only other bike is a Ducati 999s :wink: I love 'em both, one makes 40 feel like 80 the other makes 80 feel like 40 :mrgreen:

The Jehovah's Witnesses used to come to my door telling me the death and taxes issue has a solution on the death forever part, I'd hoot out Great! come on in and let me tell about no more Taxes! They'd excuse themselves...

Well I've got good news about Commandos there is cheap simple way to make em feel sedate at any speed while really feeling it for more more more! See point 13.

Thanks Hobot, I liked your no .9 point about allies- getting close to why folk like the Norton.

I guess we're widening things into 'why do Americans like British bikes?'

Which I didn't want to do.

OK, let's put it another way: Does it matter that the Cdo is British?

Sorry All, I'm deliberatley being provocative. Trying to assess whether the fact that it was a British bike was an advantage or a hinderance when it was in the showrooms- or now- did you get one coz it's a British bike or because you like how it does what it does.... (gasp! :mrgreen: ). or are these qualities inseperable?

Looking for prejudices or otherwise. Would you like it so much if it said 'Wobbleshitfastasaki' on the tank?

You guys don't have the excuse that your Dad/ Uncle etc worked at the factory.... :mrgreen:

Do you see what I'm getting at?

Yeah, that's my problem, I'm not athletic enough any more. But the chicks still love it!!

Dave
69S

I also think it reminds us of Ralph Cramden?

Dave
69S

Dave :mrgreen:

Should have said at 38 I know what you mean but can't use that excuse just yet... :mrgreen:

DogT said:

I also think it reminds us of Ralph Cramden?

Dave
69S

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Sorry Dave, crossed posts. Who is Mr Cramden? (Sorry, ignorant teenager- can I just about :mrgreen: still use that excuse??

Low RPM torque, 4 speed transmission, able to corner like you are on skis, and it feels like you are flying an open cockpit, radial engine biplane. What else can you ask for? It might have its faults but it is a joy to ride.

Russ

I'll share with y'all my personal git out. I didn't know Jack about bikes until my Dad brought home a brand spankin' new '67 TR6C. I thought that was the most beautiful piece of machinery I had ever laid eyes on (I was 14 & hadn't met Carol yet). He became ill shortly thereafter & passed, leaving me the Triumph (I still have it). Many years later I got my first Harley, '03 RoadKing, but recognized I didn't need all the crap they sell to chrome/encumber. I next purchased an '08 Vrod & although it seems like a Porsche on two wheels, that purchase experience ended my propensity to endear HD. The HD is heavy and that has it's place but the Triumph and Norton are nimble & make me grin. I picked up a '67 TigerCub and that balanced out the US vs Brit thing going on in the stable. The britBikes seem so much more regal next to posers. Sort of like Billy Bob Thornton meets Prince William. Then one Sunday (a few months ago) a friend calls from outa the blue & knows a '74 CDO for sale. I jumped on it for a grand & drug it home. I've just gotten it dusted off & tuned. Already done a ton (don't know just how smart that was). Now I saunter out to the garage & all I see are the brit-Irons. I hardly ride the Harleys and they start with a button. You might figure that since the '67 650 was my father's, it would hold court, but I am inexplicably drawn to that Norton with a locomotive for an engine. It's quite possible that it brings out the regal hooligan in me. I hope I don't die on it (the Triumph has tried to kill me twice).
#1. We had to have a fistFight with England to win our independence, now England is a steadFast friend on the world stage. No harm there.
#2. I've never had an Asian car or motorcycle. I know they do a marvelous job. Just not my cup of tea.

Darrell in Texas

As for it being British...

In the early 70s America was in love with things British. John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Steve Windwood and some guys called The Beatles (just to name a few). By 1975 things had changed considerably...the Sex Pistols ruined punk rock for the average kid and a bunch of idiots started dancing to disco. It was a difficult time. It's not surprising that we lost track of what was important.

& did I mention I love the smell of carburetors & oil leaked all over my garage floor?

Great question.
For me the Commando was the bike I lusted after while in college but knew once I was out in the world of work, marriage, mortgage and kids I would probably never have. 2 1/2 years ago at age 59 I was finally ready to catch that dream.
I was born in England and grew up in Canada and with my family came to the states when I was 14, so the Englishness of the Norton had a special appeal to me. My dad had a BSA with a sidecar in England and there were stories of when he would take my mother on dates with it.
The machine itself is elegant and powerfull looking. Serious business.
At the same time it has recognizable parts, motor, primary, gearbox that with some exceptions (horn) allow a non professional like me the possibility
to maintain or repair it with the help pf people on this board and good manuals.
To revive from the dead and feel it come back to life is unforgetttable.
After I rebuilt my non-runner after being kept in a garage since 1977 it started on the first kick. That was wonderful.
Maintaining and running a Norton is character building for sure but the greater the effort the greater the satisfaction.
Pulls like train.

Bob

As a young american, my grandparents were 2nd generation irish catholics who would rant and rage about the brits in ulster... this was in the late 60's early 70s, and I started riding with little hondas, eventually ended up with a 71 cb450, back in 1975. I can't tell you how many times bolts would strip with just a little torque... really crappy steel.

Well those grandparents influenced me in a few ways. They disliked anybody who wasn't irish catholic. anybody. though I loved them, I knew them to be simple-minded bigots.

my second year in college, I was looking at used bikes in a shop, and came across a '69 T120R. My friend worked there, so I got it for $500. that bike changed my life. made of real steel, sounded like a monster, and the girls loved it. just like there were never enough girls, I always wanted something more fast and powerful, like a trident or better yet, a commando. Well one friday afternoon I got broadsided by a drunk in a buick, and broke my left leg in 5 places. I sued the asshole, his insurance company gave me enough cash to buy a small mountainside spread in hawaii, so I left chicago for good.

fast forward 15 years later, married with a young son, and a small business owner. But I never forgot the commando, and shipped a rolling basket case over from california. that was 16 years ago, I still love that bike more than anything I own, why? I like to call it je ne se qua. because while all the attributes other rides have described here are right on, there's just something that words can't describe, but I think it has something to do with the authentic, hand made british quality of it.