Your Norton Defining Moment (2012)

Neat that you still have your original Commando. I wish I still had my original 750 as opposed to my current 850. My memory, (questionable at best) recalls my 750 as quicker, more "snarly," than my 850 though the brakes REALLY sucked.

...since I was 12YO when I saw, and wanted a "snortin' Nortin"! Had many American, Asian Euro bikes along the way, but finally got what I had lusted after :twisted:

Mid 80's and I'm looking at a 40 ft container load of ex-USA brit bikes just newly arrived, my only other bike a rubber framed 250 suzuki blue smoker, fell for this black 73 750, still got her today and still only my 2nd bike. (If only I'd known to check for a leaky master cylinder), one of days I might give it a polish. Always thought I'd sell it when I was too old to kick it over but with retro fit ES I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Growing up, my dad had an injury...a divet of sorts on his left quadricep. He told me that back in England he rode a Dominator into the side of a double decker bus while traveling through London...his biggest injury was the handle bar punching through his leg ...he could never understand how he missed seeing a 40X20 ft red bus....

Dave, really pretty bike; what fairing do you have? I constantly go in/out of the "I want a cafe look" but the fairings I have seen on any website I have found either take a headlight but look clunky or look good like your fairing but don't take a headlight.

When my buddies on Norton 850 Commandos left me in the dust while riding a piece of @#$#@ Yamaha 400 four stroke back in the 80s. I do remember seeing a brand new black Norton in the show room window and thinking it was BIG!

" I do remember seeing a brand new black Norton in the show room window and thinking it was BIG"

That's what's really funny now - the Commando was big at the time, now it feels tiny compared to my wife's '12 BMW F650GS.

1974, I was recovering from major physical and minor mental issue sustained in an little aircraft incident in Southeast Asia. Waiting in traffic across from a Norton dealer in Salinas California and spotted a blue and white motorcycle on their show room floor. I had no idea what it was, but thought t was the most beautiful motorcycle I had ever seen. I turned around, went into their shop and bought a 1974 850 Commando and drove it home. I rode the cdo for a couple years until involved in an accident fracturing my right tibia, right fibula, right scapula and a couple of ribs. While the ambulance was carting me off, someone came by and stole my cdo.
2010, No motorcycle in my life since 1976. I was contemplating my second and final retirement. I had always wanted to build a 1934 Ford Roadster, but was beginning to realize I was no longer capable of doing all the work myself and did not want something built by others. I discussed this with my wife and in the discussion she asked if I would ever be interested in getting another motorcycle. I relied, I would if I could find another 850 Commando. Long story short, I was surprise with a beautiful ’75 850 Roadster for Christmas. My wife and the cdo are both keepers!

Thank you Chuck for what it took to survive till now and share life with us. I get energy to keep going form tales like this knowing I may have to again.

mike996 said:

Dave, really pretty bike; what fairing do you have? I constantly go in/out of the "I want a cafe look" but the fairings I have seen on any website I have found either take a headlight but look clunky or look good like your fairing but don't take a headlight.

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If you're over 50 don't bother with the fairings that look good. They require clip ons and unless you're as limber as a gymnast they will be nothing but pain. :mrgreen:

Well, I understand the concern but I was riding a 996 Duck as my only bike at age 60. The 996 probably has a much more extreme position though I don't know that for sure. I rode a BMW S1000RR a few months back (I'm now 66) and nearly bought it with no issue re the riding position. It was just not a practical choice for riding in Mexico. Still thinking about getting one to go in the garage in MD though...

swooshdave said:

mike996 said:

Dave, really pretty bike; what fairing do you have? I constantly go in/out of the "I want a cafe look" but the fairings I have seen on any website I have found either take a headlight but look clunky or look good like your fairing but don't take a headlight.

Click to expand...

If you're over 50 don't bother with the fairings that look good. They require clip ons and unless you're as limber as a gymnast they will be nothing but pain. :mrgreen:

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Slick-looking fairings, clipons and rearsets during your ride = 3 Advils after your ride. DAMHIK. :wink:

I guess the defining moment is every time she starts up with or without griefage. Like a wifey. Saber 13 ,where in S.E. Asia ? I'm off again in 2 mos. for 2 in Thailand 7 th trip . Thinking about bringing re-chroming things as no enviromental laws and stoopidly cheap labour. Mike 996 we be older now. My buddy just bought the 1200 SS at 167 H.P. Terrifying. Mexico 18 X now , 2 mos per time. Best country in my humbleness.

mike996 said:

Well, I understand the concern but I was riding a 996 Duck as my only bike at age 60. The 996 probably has a much more extreme position though I don't know that for sure. I rode a BMW S1000RR a few months back (I'm now 66) and nearly bought it with no issue re the riding position. It was just not a practical choice for riding in Mexico. Still thinking about getting one to go in the garage in MD though...

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Those bikes are not the same. They actually had some concern for the rider's ergonomics.

Riding a vintage racing style bike in traffic is near suicidal. In Mexico it would be laughable.

They are like super models, they look great but once you try to mount one it's all pointy elbows and knees and a lot of complaining. :mrgreen:

Found some b and w's of two 1970 Commando's we bought in London around Sept of 1970. These pictures are at home around Dec to Feb of 1971. Mine is a blue metal flake and my brothers is mellow yellow. We purchased the bikes in North Finchley from a small motorcycle shop. The owner did have about 7 bikes in a shed in his back yard. I remember all the lovely colors to choose from. I rode mine around Europe and then shipped it to New York. I then rode from New York to Houston and then from Houston to Los Angeles. What a thrill it was to ride those bikes and it still is today. Nearly forgot the picture link.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1076014174 ... NORTONS02#

But youre not wearing a helmet .

Matt Spencer said:

But youre not wearing a helmet .

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Man O Man that picture takes me back. It looks almost identical to my brothers bike, which is the one that got me hooked, Fantastic Glossy Fireflake Blue paint job with the halo ring around the headlight, semi polished aluminum everywhere, & sounding like a motorcycle should. It was 1977 and I was 15 years old and had a red 100cc Suzuki single cylinder two stroke. I asked my big brother If he would let me ride his new bike and he said sure....but my Dad said no way.....after what seemed like forever (probably 2 weeks, looking back now) I wore my Dad down and he finally gave in saying I could ride it, as long as he'd accompany me around the block on my little suzuki. Fair enough. I think I weighed all of 120lbs. at the time and while going around a left hand corner I gave it too much throttle...the back end broke loose and now I'm doing a power slide on concrete right towards the curb. The only thought going through my mind was Damn it, I'm gonna wreck Russell's bike. Well I let off of the gas a little bit and the rear tire started to hook up and the ass end sort of wallowed from side to side a little bit, at which point I nailed it and that Snortin Norton took off like a rocket. Man what a ride ! Of course I had some "splainin' " to do when my Pops finally got back to the house, but boy was it worth it......and that memory/feeling has stuck with me all these years, through the XS750 tripples and CB750F's and all the rest of 'um, there's just something about that long stroke twin that keeps me goin'.

Mine was riding over the Key Bridge from Arlington into DC in 1927 test riding the 70S I now have. It was like, 'I need this'.

Dave
69S

Growing up when and where I did, we all had Huskys, Pentons, Bultacos, Elsinores, ect...

When we got old enough for street bikes, choppers were the thing.
CB750s, XS650s, T140's, ect..... Sportsters were OK too, just not the Big Harleys or BMWs (they were "old man" bikes).

One day while sitting along side of the road in our old broken down International 2 ton water truck, I first heard and then saw a Norton pass by.
I never seen one before, but I knew I liked it.
I ended up seeing it again later that day at the gas station in town. I read the name on the tank, committed it to memory and decided one day
that I would own one.

My first taste of Norton was as an impressionable fourteen year old, the local council had recently resurfaced a road near my home, Baynes park Rd near the swimming pool, this road has a straight stretch followed by a descending right hand sweeper and then a steep climbing straight, two guys on loud bikes were giving it the berries fast down into the sweeper then hammering it up the steep hill, they did about four or five runs up and down the hill, the noise thundering through the valley, awesome! Then it seemed like they had had enough and stopped in the park for a Durrie, I wandered over for a closer look at these two awesome machines, there they were the toughest looking bikes I had ever seen, all polished alloy with chrome peashooters and a purposeful lean to the massive engine, chrome header pipes exiting the finned head, the blue metal flake of the tank shimmering in the sunlight with the flowing script “Norton proudly emblazoned on the tank, soon the guys finished their smokes pulled on the helmets and kicked the beasts into life and thundered off up the road.
You could say they left quite an impression on me, such that found a Commando confidence poster and proudly hung it on the bedroom wall.