- Joined
- Jan 12, 2011
- Messages
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back in the early 70s we "real riders" had a choice largely between British, Japanese and Italian bikes.
And I bought a new Commando every year from 1970 though 1974 for two important reasons.
One, because the Commandos quarter mile times were by tenths of a second the fastest bikes until the Kawasaki 900 came out, disregarding of course the Flexy Flyer Mach 3's.
Secondly, every month when my Cycle and Cycle World magazines arrived there on the inside cover was the full page advertisement for a new Commando along with a fetching Norton Girl, if she liked the bike I just had to buy one.
I was young and working as a waiter could afford to sell my Commando and buy a new one every year.
But, and please let's be honest here on a Norton forum, as much as I loved my Snortin Nortons they were simply awful motorcycles compared to the best from Japan. With vertically split crankcases they had a great compulsion to leak oil in addition to leaking primaries and leaking tach drive take offs. Even when brand new I dreaded having my girl friend on the back when waiting for a stop light to change when the Amals would simply refuse to maintain an idle because trying to kick start it to life with her on back and a line of honking cars behind me still causes nightmares to this day.
The speedo and tach were impossible to read with the single weak bulb at night along with its ability to vibrate loose and dangle. The side stand needed attention to its securing nut and bolt or it would loosen so much the bike could fall over when parked in addition to a center stand that bounded up and down off the pavement when riding, all the while wearing the once round bushed securing holes oblong. Weakly nut and bolt tightening sessions going all over the bike were a necessary ritual along with plugging back in fallen out coil to plug leads. Gotta reshim Isolastics - WTF?
Clutch slipping cause oil contaminated plates, new tool and skill to master.
But all the above were still an acceptable level of maintenance compared to owning electric start, no leak Japanese.
Because all that work was.....fun...and something to do.....and because Commandos were just so damn cool.
There, I said it. I got my bullet proof vest on so take your best shots at me for denigrating our beloved Nortons a little!
And I bought a new Commando every year from 1970 though 1974 for two important reasons.
One, because the Commandos quarter mile times were by tenths of a second the fastest bikes until the Kawasaki 900 came out, disregarding of course the Flexy Flyer Mach 3's.
Secondly, every month when my Cycle and Cycle World magazines arrived there on the inside cover was the full page advertisement for a new Commando along with a fetching Norton Girl, if she liked the bike I just had to buy one.
I was young and working as a waiter could afford to sell my Commando and buy a new one every year.
But, and please let's be honest here on a Norton forum, as much as I loved my Snortin Nortons they were simply awful motorcycles compared to the best from Japan. With vertically split crankcases they had a great compulsion to leak oil in addition to leaking primaries and leaking tach drive take offs. Even when brand new I dreaded having my girl friend on the back when waiting for a stop light to change when the Amals would simply refuse to maintain an idle because trying to kick start it to life with her on back and a line of honking cars behind me still causes nightmares to this day.
The speedo and tach were impossible to read with the single weak bulb at night along with its ability to vibrate loose and dangle. The side stand needed attention to its securing nut and bolt or it would loosen so much the bike could fall over when parked in addition to a center stand that bounded up and down off the pavement when riding, all the while wearing the once round bushed securing holes oblong. Weakly nut and bolt tightening sessions going all over the bike were a necessary ritual along with plugging back in fallen out coil to plug leads. Gotta reshim Isolastics - WTF?
Clutch slipping cause oil contaminated plates, new tool and skill to master.
But all the above were still an acceptable level of maintenance compared to owning electric start, no leak Japanese.
Because all that work was.....fun...and something to do.....and because Commandos were just so damn cool.
There, I said it. I got my bullet proof vest on so take your best shots at me for denigrating our beloved Nortons a little!
