First ride on a Classic Norton

[Travman]

I just rode this 1970 Norton Commando.  I was really smitten. It was very quick.  Zero to 60 feels especially quick and not just for an old bike, but for any bike. It was quite an adventure.  Also, it was surprisingly light weight.  It felt like it weighed under 400 lbs.  It is probably around 100lbs less than my Ambassador.  The brakes were fine considering that I rode in on a 1970 Drum-brake Ambassador. The people at the shop acted like it was not capable of stopping (I'm pretty sure none of them has actually ridden it).

I can see why this was considered a "Super bike" at the time.  It really is a very special experience. 

[Mr Pootle]

A great bike.
I loved my 88. Hated my EL400. Would have killed for a Commando. Never got one.

[kirkemon]

I love those things - great sound! I've ridden a couple of them and I'm not confident shifting on the right side.
Love to own one but just afraid of their reliability. When riding with my friends with Nortons I remember parts falling off.

[Mike Tashjian]

Owned a well used one for a short time. Was going to cost more than my budget allowed at the time to go through everything to get it back to right.  I sold it for about what I had into it and now it's just a fond memory.  Mike

[slopokes]

That was my first bike..in blue..$1,050 out the door !!!

[Travman]

This bike is a combination of a 1970 motor and 1971 frame. It started life as a High-Rider model. That is where the small tank and headlight come from.  It was put together by a local guy in 1984 for his wife (hence the pink paint job).  This same guy owns a very nice Laverda 3C and a few 1970's Ducati's including a bright yellow 750 Sport that I'd love to ride.

I'm not sure how to value this one since it is kind of a bastard. It runs well. Started right up after adding gas even though it had sat for years. It ran great on my extended test ride. Shifting feels typical of older British bikes. I really don't need another motorcycle right now, but I may get it.

[Lannis]

I’ve got one that I ride on long trips, two up, and once you sort out the things that the manufacturer didn’t take care of, like peeling chrome cylinder bores, “startus interruptus”, flaking flat tappets, rear bevel drives that leak, exploding clutch plates, bad hydro-lifters, peeling engine paint ….. no wait, I’m confused, THAT’S some other brand.

Once you sort out the transmission layshaft bearing, they’ll run just like any other 70s bike will run in 2017.

Here’s my one ….



It’ll even hang out with old Guzzis when asked …





Tons of urban legends associated with them, which have the same value and truth as most legends, urban and otherwise ….

Lannis

[yogidozer]

Always loved Norton's! Maybe someday, reasonably priced ones are very hard to find.
Good luck and enjoy 

[Lannis]

Always loved Norton's! Maybe someday, reasonably priced ones are very hard to find.
Good luck and enjoy 

And getting harder to find.   Sort of like Original and Nuovo Falcones, Honda GB500s, or Suzuki GT750s, the price is getting away from me faster than I can save up money.

I just took a deep breath one day in 2014 and pulled the trigger on this one.   It's the only way you can do it ...

Lannis

[Travman]

I�ve got one that I ride on long trips, two up, and once you sort out the things that the manufacturer didn�t take care of, like peeling chrome cylinder bores, �startus interruptus�, flaking flat tappets, rear bevel drives that leak, exploding clutch plates, bad hydro-lifters, peeling engine paint �.. no wait, I�m confused, THAT�S some other brand.

Once you sort out the transmission layshaft bearing, they�ll run just like any other 70s bike will run in 2017.

Here�s my one �.



It�ll even hang out with old Guzzis when asked �





Tons of urban legends associated with them, which have the same value and truth as most legends, urban and otherwise �.

Lannis

You scared me for a moment. It wasn't until I read the third item until I figured out you weren't talking about Nortons.

Your Norton Interstate looks great. Maybe I'll get two. One for around town and an Interstate for longing trips.   

I really don't know British bikes very well. The two 60's Triumph Bonneville I've ridden we're completely different. The seating position was more upright on the Triumphs. This Norton felt like a race bike in comparison. The Norton definitely left me with a more exciting impression.

I've ridden early Honda CB750's. These were very vague. I guess these were fast, but I felt they were a little gutless and flat until you waited a second for the revs to rise. I can't believe anyone bought those when Nortons were available.

[Travman]

Lannis - what is the shift pattern on your Norton?  This one is right-hand shift with 1-up-3 down shift pattern.

[Gino]

They are great but Guzzi's take abuse better! Here's a snap outside McCarthy's bar (check out the book) in the South of Ireland, the yellow one is my wife's, the next mine, the rest my buddies.. That was a 1600 mile long weekend for us, half of it in pouring rain

[Lannis]

Lannis - what is the shift pattern on your Norton?  This one is right-hand shift with 1-up-3 down shift pattern.

Mine's a 1975 MkIII.   A little bit softer tune than the earlier 750s and MkII 850s, with an electric starter, two disk brakes, a better anti-wet-sumping valve, and the legally-required-by-that-time left-side shifter, one down, three up.

The brakes make it the only old Brit (except a Triumph Trident) that I'm comfortable riding with Fay up in the mountains.   Feeling that brake lever on a SLS or TLS drum brake coming farther back toward the handlebar at each turn on a 4 mile downhill is NOT something that I want to compensate for .... !

For hard performance, though, you can't beat a "Combat" high-compression spec 750 Commando!

Lannis

[Gino]

And my buddy and I plus my wife's Kawa at Draculas castle, Transylvania (Romania ) 2008
Proper adventure bikes ha ha, the adventure is wondering what needs fixed next!

[Lannis]

And my buddy and I plus my wife's Kawa at Draculas castle, Transylvania (Romania ) 2008
Proper adventure bikes ha ha, the adventure is wondering what needs fixed next!

Your pictures of touring Nortons all over Europe and the UK is not helping make your case that the Norton's won't take abuse or that there are adventures in fixing them .... !!   

We need pics of connecting rods that have reached escape velocity, or bikes in pieces on a Bulgarian roadside in the rain for that .... 

Lannis

[PeteS]

I bought my '71 new. Today very little original is left. New motor, trans, frame, wheels, brakes.... Tank, seat and sidecovers are original plus few little bits. Mine ran best with the standard (not combat) cam and 10:1 Powermax pistons. It would easily wheelie off the line and stay with 900 Kawi K1s up to about 70. Then they would motor away.
When they are running there is nothing like them. The very essence of a motorcycle. Mine has been stored a few years but I hope to get it back on the road this year.

Pete

[Northern Bill]

As I remember, the Commando won the bike of the year award for several years running when it was introduced.  I had a 1970 Fastback (fiberglass tank and seat) for many years and it never gave me any trouble.  I also had many 650 Triumphs but none of them were anywhere near as fast or smooth as the 750 Norton. I also had a 750 Norton Atlas and this was truly a boneshaker!

[blackcat]

My 68, which is currently apart for a frame,etc. repaint. Hope to start putting it back together in a few more weeks.





Problems with the older Commando's are fairly easy to sort out, but the latter ones are easier to live with, as the one owned by Lannis. Beware, an improperly tuned Norton will cause some physical pain,with a quick launch while kicking it over.  Or so I'm told.

[jas67]

So, Travis, are you buying it?

[radguzzi]

Nice.  Love me some Nortons and Triumphs.  I had many Triumphs and just the one Norton, a '72 Combat Commando.

Man those 750's could turn up.  I never have ridden the 850's.

[swooshdave]

Don't get excited, it's just a participation award.

Nortons are right around 400lbs (especially the early ones) and feel like bicycles compared to a Guzzi (even the small Tontis). And the torque is what makes them fun. Something Triumph finally understood with their latest Bonnevilles.

Mine lost oil pressure (long story) and threw a rod. So it goes on the project pile... Man I miss it. 

[HB1]

I bought a running '73 750 Roadster with pinky purple small steel tank for $300 in the winter of 1978 and did cosmetic work such as paint and new peashooter mufflers.  Rode it for five years with little maintenance except second gear broke. It was an easy $68 fix with quick access to the transmission. The strong prices today reflect the worth of the bike in terms of performance and a large range of spares available in OEM spec.

[Muzz]

Back in '68 I was knocking around with a guy with a Dunstalised Atlas. It was actually geared down for whatever reason and would only do about 105mph. How it got there was freakish!

When I left uni it was developing a slight vibration. Seems like it was a big end nut coming undone. Fritz was giving it a bit of wick and it let go. Basically cut the engine in half. Ended up parting it out. It really was a beautiful looking (and sounding) machine with the Dunstal pipes and megas.

[Gino]

Your pictures of touring Nortons all over Europe and the UK is not helping make your case that the Norton's won't take abuse or that there are adventures in fixing them .... !!   

We need pics of connecting rods that have reached escape velocity, or bikes in pieces on a Bulgarian roadside in the rain for that .... 

Lannis

Lannis
Germany after my primary chain snapped (I know, weird, a first for me also) Pushed it a mile off the Autobahn and found a gas station to mess up, parts arrived within 36 hours from the UK and we were on our way again, I have many photos similar all over europe 

[huub]

my very first bike was a 1972 combat commando, great bike when it ran.
it was also my daily transport.
The commando was a big mistake for a 18 year old.
Ridden like any 18 year old would ride, the thing would break  down at a rate i just couldnt keep up repairing.
i bought a second engine and trans, so could rebuild a engine, and swap complete engines when the engine blew up.
in three years of daily transport i had big ends , main bearings, pistons , camshafts, cam followers , clutches ,primary chains , rear sprockets, exhaust valves, fork stanchions and a couple of gearbox shafts fail, and i probably forget something.
apparently nowadays you can build them reliable.
but i gave up, and bought my first guzzi, wich just ignored any abuse i could throw at it.

i still have the commando, and a couple of go faster goodies to build a "reliable" engine ( short stroke )  but so far ,
my guzzi's have kept me out of trouble.

[Travman]

So, Travis, are you buying it?

Probably. I'm having a friend look at it this weekend. I also have a line on another Norton that belongs to a friend's brother. 

[blackcat]

Probably. I'm having a friend look at it this weekend. I also have a line on another Norton that belongs to a friend's brother.

"I'm not sure how to value this one since it is kind of a bastard."

Low, given it's cobbled together history.         

And if that tank hasn't been lined, plan on a new metal tank.

[Travman]

Mine's a 1975 MkIII.   A little bit softer tune than the earlier 750s and MkII 850s, with an electric starter, two disk brakes, a better anti-wet-sumping valve, and the legally-required-by-that-time left-side shifter, one down, three up.

The brakes make it the only old Brit (except a Triumph Trident) that I'm comfortable riding with Fay up in the mountains.   Feeling that brake lever on a SLS or TLS drum brake coming farther back toward the handlebar at each turn on a 4 mile downhill is NOT something that I want to compensate for .... !

For hard performance, though, you can't beat a "Combat" high-compression spec 750 Commando!

Lannis

I knew the last ones had shifting on the left. I but I didn't know that they switched the shifting pattern. My Ambassador has shifting on the left, but with a one up three down shifting pattern. This is going to get real confusing really fast. Normally I have no problems going to the Ambo because it likes to be shifted slowly so my brain has plenty of time to think. It is harder going back to a modern bike and remembering how to shift.

[Travman]

"I'm not sure how to value this one since it is kind of a bastard."

Low, given it's cobbled together history.         

And if that tank hasn't been lined, plan on a new metal tank.

It is a fiberglass tank and it appears to be lined. There is some gas around the petcocks. I need to figure out if that is from the tank or from the petcocks. Are there any sources for new tanks?

It probably is going to be repainted anyway you look at it. It will be fun to run around on a pink bike for a while, but I don't see that as my long term color 

[swooshdave]

It is a fiberglass tank and it appears to be lined. There is some gas around the petcocks. I need to figure out if that is from the tank or from the petcocks. Are there any sources for new tanks?

It probably is going to be repainted anyway you look at it. It will be fun to run around on a pink bike for a while, but I don't see that as my long term color

There are sources for every part. While finding a new steel HiRider tank may be challenging the Roadster tanks are readily available.

http://www.accessnorton.com is a fantastic forum full of very knowledgeable folks.