You just can't beat a Commando for attention!

Well I guess a Vincent wouldn't have any trouble...

But though it would come out 2nd to a Black Shadow, the Commando does pretty well.

Today I was out on the Norton and stopped at a little bar/restaurant here in San Miguel . The bike was parked out front. I was sitting with a view of the street when I saw a car go by then do a hard stop and back up/park. A guy came in, saw my helmet on the table and asked me if I spoke Spanish. When I replied that I spoke only a little (I characterize it as "restaurant Spanish), he immediately switched to English and asked if the Commando was mine. When I said yes, he sat down at the table, ordered a beer, and then told me about his experiences with bikes but that he really thought the Commando was the neatest bike ever.

Then, while he was there I saw two women looking at the bike. They came in, again saw the helmet, and one asked me if the Commando was mine. After saying yes, she then explained that many years ago her boyfriend had a Dunstall Commando and she loved riding on that bike. She asked if she could take pictures and I, of course, said "sure, take all you want." She took 5-6 including one where she was sitting on the bike. I asked if she was still in touch with the boyfriend and she responded, "F$#% no, the only thing good about him was that Norton."

After they left the guy at the table bought me a beer, gave me a card and said if I ever wanted to sell it, let him know.

Ironically, after initially taking the bike out of the garage I started thinking again about a Triumph Tiger 800 but after the encounters at the restaurant I'm firmly back as a Norton rider!

My wife has often commented that no matter what other bikes are parked near the Norton, it is the bike that everyone stops to look at/ask about.

A Vincent wouldn't have garnered you that kind of attention.

Most people wouldn't have heard of a Vincent, and how many people would come up to you and say " My boyfriend used to have a Vincent" ?
Yep , it's a Commando for me, although I used to get people hanging out of cars admiring my '79 Guzzi.

People come up to me all the time and tell me that their boyfriend/uncle/father/brother had one or more Vincents.
"You know, the four cylinder one, the Black Sabbath". No point in telling them that no such machine exists, you won't win that one, I've tried :mrgreen:

Glen

pommie john said:

Most people wouldn't have heard of a Vincent, and how many people would come up to you and say " My boyfriend used to have a Vincent" ?

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That was my take on it too. You're not going to get babes like these with a Vincent. Vincent went out of production in 1955, if you're going to go trolling for babes on one you'd have to cruise the old folks homes. :lol:

Ah yes, the famous Vincent Black Sabbath! It had a sound all its' own!

I was in a bar once when some guy came in and yelled at the top of his lungs "Hey! Who owns that Norton out there?" I didnt know whether to sit up straight, or crawl under the bar, but it all turned out good.

RennieK said:

pommie john said:

Most people wouldn't have heard of a Vincent, and how many people would come up to you and say " My boyfriend used to have a Vincent" ?

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That was my take on it too. You're not going to get babes like these with a Vincent. Vincent went out of production in 1955, if you're going to go trolling for babes on one you'd have to cruise the old folks homes. :lol:

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You've really got the wrong end of the stick on this Rennie.
I have found that the Vincent is a total chick magnet. In fact ladies become positively slinky around an Egli. I tend to downplay this sort of thing as it really impedes my progress :wink:

OK OK, I want one.

RennieK said:

OK OK, I want one.

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First, you would have to be more specific, and second, can you afford either one?

Also, would the Mrs. let you have either one?

Mama Mia ? Tio Lucas? Nevada ?

mike996 said:

Ah yes, the famous Vincent Black Sabbath! It had a sound all its' own!

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Now that's funny

worntorn said:

You've really got the wrong end of the stick on this Rennie.
I have found that the Vincent is a total chick magnet. In fact ladies become positively slinky around an Egli. I tend to downplay this sort of thing as it really impedes my progress :wink:

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I like the bike, but the girl's probably thinking " This bike is no good, the right hand grip is loose, it turns"

worntorn said:

People come up to me all the time and tell me that their boyfriend/uncle/father/brother had one or more Vincents.
"You know, the four cylinder one, the Black Sabbath". No point in telling them that no such machine exists, you won't win that one, I've tried :mrgreen:

Glen

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I've got an old Vincent twin and they do attract a different league of 'stalker'. The 1% of them who actually had one back in the day, I can happily talk to for ages. But the other 99% mostly say things like: "Lawrence of Arabia collected these you know. Raced a Spitfire on one, so he did"... Or... "I had a fabulous machine, Francis Barnet, would be worth a mint today" ... Etc.
My standard routine is to get kitted up away from the bike, approach rapidly, nod and acknowledge the comments where required, then say "excuse me one second"... Kick... Roar... "Sorry sir, can't hear you, nice talking to you, bye"...
Or I'll sometimes answer a stupid question about it by saying "I don't know mate, it's my Dads bike, I just borrowed it cos my GSXR is off the road, it's a bit slow this, but not bad if you really thrash it". Their expression is priceless!!
Or my favourite: I say "oh it's not mine unfortunately, it's his" and I point to my mate, before walking briskly away and leaving him stranded. Makes me giggle every time!
FE.

I parted with my Rap approx 15 years ago for £12.500 . i found the rap's riding postion a bit sit up and beg, seat level with the tank.
Since then i have had 4 others , carnt say they excited me, un-like my RVZR 500! Now thats a proper "whizz Kids" bike , at 12000 RPM its firing 48,000 times per minute :!:
84 bhp for a 500 is still powerfull by todays standards , and can be tuned to 250 bhp per litre and more, kenny Roberts was 300 bhp per litre and 200 LBS :!: thats more than modern Moto GP bikes! not bad for a 32 year old stroker, and a trifle quicker than the MK2, pull up in a bike gathering and boy doe's it get the red carpet.
But its what any red blooder cafe racer wanted in the early 70's, glad i did'nt own one then.

worntorn said:

"You know, the four cylinder one, the Black Sabbath".

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Hee hee

My favorite encounter happened outside of a sub shop. 2 older ladies came out of the shop together. They where both dressed in flowered dresses with gray cardigans and had shiny black patent leather purses slung over their arms. The one stopped knitted her fingers together over her belly and said, "oooo look Gladys, a Norton Commando, our Stephen used to have one of those". It was right out of a Monty Python sketch and I very nearly burst out laughing.

Never fails that I always get offers to buy my bike when I take it out. Answer is always the same....nope. Although someday I might just throw out a crazy price and see if they bite. Even then....I'd have a hard time finding such a clean low miles bike as well sorted. Best not to tempt fate I guess.

Few events come to my mind learning about the attraction of Commandos.
7th day owning a un restored '72 but still nice b/g IS tank, after drag strip wheelie injury, stopped to get gas and a mid 90's yr old guy bored to death with life slumped on counter in rural gas station surprised me by hopping off of stool to amble shuffle out to look bike over then say 'nice motorcyle" then grinning at the start up [me having to straddle bike backward d/t dangling r knee, he ambled back to like die soon after.

Oh yeah drag strip announcer and crowd went wild to see/hear open pipes Combat getting the jump or real wheelie-bared dragsters down the track a ways till go out horsepowered but not out Norton Torqued.

Some weeks later a parking lot bike show with all levels of expensive bikes, I parked my muddy dusty Combat away form the crowd and walked toward it to seen at least a dozen fella leaving the show and then a bunch of showers all staring past me, so I turn to only see assholes and elbows completely surrounded the Commando with flashes going like crazy and everyone grinning and pointing at the show stopper.


On 1000 mile trip to Ohio ralley Wes and I stopped at rural station ya had to leave main hwy and swing around on access road to get to. while we're inside some one swung around and waited for us and greeted us - then recoiled to here the dixieland drawl instead of proper kings english, especially on seeing Wes ubiquitous Brit Umbrella sticking out.

Oh yeah on a break down on that trip fixing in median of a town a 70's year old pulled over to oggle at us till we got going again.

Hell in my 1st year I've swung around in car to catch up with a out of state 850 owner to see the first one ever all polished nice like rally have in spades. I had no idea how beautiful they could be till then myself. There is hardly another cycle that looks so long in tooth and sloppy yuky design than an oil stained mud/dust spatters, dull finish
faded scratched paint Commando, so get your rags out and leave a good impression.

A few weeks back I took Combat to Ducati Club Sat. morning coffee and parked in front of cafe. Not long and a street gent comes in and starts looking around , I see him and tell the guys at my table that guy there will come over and tell us he used to have a Norton.... well eventually he did come over and said " who owns the Norton " I said that it would be me and he said your key is still in it.
Craig