Riding an old unaltered Norton Commando is a specific experience. Thump, thump, thump, and you don't realise how fast you are going. There is nothing else like it.
I have a black '71 Norton Commando Interstate. Has 30,936 road miles on it. Have not ridden it in 25 years and it sits in my back room just so that I can look at it. Got a roadster seat and tank for it so I can change its configuration if I chose to. And I have all the correct Norton tools to work on it, too. Looks great either Interstate or roadster setup. I dd a lot of work on this motorbike years ago, the head, valves, and such. I'm 74 now, whether I ride it again, even for a short jaunt on a single lane winding road... Oh but my wife, horrified at my dream says NO! But I still look at that black, beautiful '71 Norton Commando sitting idle in the back room dreaming of me riding it, being on the road again.
I have a 1970 Roadster, which it the same machine with low pipes. There are a lot of differences between these and the later Commando's. Mine was originally "Fireflake" red, and has the same silver metalflake tail light housing. Typically the solid color bikes had a black tail light housing, and the metalflake bikes got the silver flake on the tail.
The Norton Commando "S" type was my dream bike in the early 1970's. Charles Deane did a road test in The December '69 edition of Motorcycle Mechanics in the UK.
Love the high pipes on the 'S' model. The left leg gets a little warm on a hot day when idling at a stop but on a cool day the left side is nice and comfortable. The heat shields on the pipes look good and work well also.
The Norton Commando 750 front brake is good as long as the owner keeps the adjustment correct, that is on highway and paved roads, out bush bashing through water, mud and dust I don't think that they will work as well as disc brake. The most horrible feeling is to ease on the front brake only to have the lever touch down on the throttle grip.
Mine was red.. fiberglas tank, side covers, and (sob) SEAT PAN.. the Amal carbs were cast of pot metal, and when they got hot, the barrel turned eggshaped, suddenly it was IDLING AT 3000 RPM. Dumped that for a single Mikuni.
False. The barrels never turned eggshaped when they got hot. The idle can start to speed up and not settle when the springs on the auto advance became too weak. Been there. The Amal idle circuitry is prone to plugging due to ethanol gas left for too long in the carbs. That's a fact. I've rebuilt over 40 pairs of Amals and know not of the egg shapes you speak of. Why put on a single Mikuni if you know how to adjust and set up dual carbs? The single Mikuni does a good job of compromising the performance, acceleration and the torque of the Commando. The Commando/Combat still has some torque with a single Mikuni only because of it's undersquare design and not because of the benefits of a single Mikuni.
@@throttlecompany They are con artists...like that Black Ghost Hemi rust bucket with fake story that sold for $1 million on a shit car that was worth $100K at best.....everyone knew it was bullshit..except the fool who bought it. .They are getting worse than B/J auctions in AZ.
Riding an old unaltered Norton Commando is a specific experience. Thump, thump, thump, and you don't realise how fast you are going. There is nothing else like it.
I have a black '71 Norton Commando Interstate. Has 30,936 road miles on it. Have not ridden it in 25 years and it sits in my back room just so that I can look at it. Got a roadster seat and tank for it so I can change its configuration if I chose to. And I have all the correct Norton tools to work on it, too. Looks great either Interstate or roadster setup. I dd a lot of work on this motorbike years ago, the head, valves, and such. I'm 74 now, whether I ride it again, even for a short jaunt on a single lane winding road... Oh but my wife, horrified at my dream says NO! But I still look at that black, beautiful '71 Norton Commando sitting idle in the back room dreaming of me riding it, being on the road again.
I have a 1970 Roadster, which it the same machine with low pipes. There are a lot of differences between these and the later Commando's. Mine was originally "Fireflake" red, and has the same silver metalflake tail light housing. Typically the solid color bikes had a black tail light housing, and the metalflake bikes got the silver flake on the tail.
The Norton Commando "S" type was my dream bike in the early 1970's. Charles Deane did a road test in The December '69 edition of Motorcycle Mechanics in the UK.
Love the high pipes on the 'S' model. The left leg gets a little warm on a hot day when idling at a stop but on a cool day the left side is nice and comfortable. The heat shields on the pipes look good and work well also.
The Norton Commando 750 front brake is good as long as the owner keeps the adjustment correct, that is on highway and paved roads, out bush bashing through water, mud and dust I don't think that they will work as well as disc brake. The most horrible feeling is to ease on the front brake only to have the lever touch down on the throttle grip.
One vote for looking awesome!
I had a 71 750s , i miss it every day.
Marvelous.
I want one so much....
Mine was red.. fiberglas tank, side covers, and (sob) SEAT PAN.. the Amal carbs were cast of pot metal, and when they got hot, the barrel turned eggshaped, suddenly it was IDLING AT 3000 RPM. Dumped that for a single Mikuni.
I thought they warped from over tightening.
False. The barrels never turned eggshaped when they got hot. The idle can start to speed up and not settle when the springs on the auto advance became too weak. Been there. The Amal idle circuitry is prone to plugging due to ethanol gas left for too long in the carbs. That's a fact. I've rebuilt over 40 pairs of Amals and know not of the egg shapes you speak of. Why put on a single Mikuni if you know how to adjust and set up dual carbs? The single Mikuni does a good job of compromising the performance, acceleration and the torque of the Commando. The Commando/Combat still has some torque with a single Mikuni only because of it's undersquare design and not because of the benefits of a single Mikuni.
Mecum is a ripoff
I’m sorry but you are incorrect.
@@throttlecompany They are con artists...like that Black Ghost Hemi rust bucket with fake story that sold for $1 million on a shit car that was worth $100K at best.....everyone knew it was bullshit..except the fool who bought it. .They are getting worse than B/J auctions in AZ.