At the Risk of Opening a Can of Worms

Status
Not open for further replies.
We did a major renovation of an old house a few years ago and wanted to paint a lot of the internal wood white.

It was an old house and we wanted traditional colours. White would be simple right? Hell no!

Turn out there’s dozens of shades of white, and most of what we think of as white is actually very, very light blue!

It was educational. And a bloody nightmare!
 
Build it the way that you want. I think all Commandos are gorgeous, even the 16” over sprung front end chopper I was reading about in a 1973 “Big Bike”magazine today. All that really matters is the build quality of a project and the SOUND of the motor on the pipe.
 
Fast Eddie said:
We did a major renovation of an old house a few years ago and wanted to paint a lot of the internal wood white.

It was an old house and we wanted traditional colours. White would be simple right? Hell no!

Turn out there’s dozens of shades of white, and most of what we think of as white is actually very, very light blue!

It was educational. And a bloody nightmare!
Click to expand...

I learned that it is best to stick with motorcycle paint colors and leave home interior colors to the boss. Lots less friction!
 
Just carry the cans and slap it on when & where directed for marital bliss.
Oh, I rode mine about 20 today.... Sunny & 68F with a slight breeze... Someone mention in another thread oiling ptfe washers on the rear ISO's for vibration( the forgotten ones)…. The man is a prophet.
My 850 was almost candy apple red until I came to my senses.
 
Last edited:
Norcoastal said:
Thanks Rick, I am absolutely leaning Gus Kuhn racer...
Click to expand...
Do you have all the Gus Kuhn embossed brackets,these are hard to obtain now.If you go with the Gus Kuhn PR I have available some of the side cover decals.They are not originals ,but repos of the original that is on a bike I purchased back in the 1980's.The original owner raced it and broke lots of bits then put it back as a white Roadster with all the other stuff in boxes and sold it to me,another ongoing project .
 
I’m starting with a Gus Kuhn tank and going from there. I have nothing else.

I have a lead on a rear set
 
Hello Norcoastal

This is a pic of a Gus Kuhn Commando taken at the classic bike show held at Shepton Mallet last weekend taken by my mate 'Geoff the Bonnie'.

At the Risk of Opening a Can of Worms


This is in a metalflake blue. I once had the pleasure of test riding a metalflake green one of these back in the early 1970s. The bike went really well. So well I attracted the unwanted attention of the local police motorcyclist who could not keep up on his Triumph 650 Saint!
Thankfully just a severe 'ticking off' was received. The distant days of my mispent (well spent) youth.

I expect you've found the Gus Kuhn's website but link here for info http://www.guskuhn.net/GKMLtd/GusKuhnMtrsLtd.htm?LMCL=m0aIty

As I've mentioned metalflake I think we can now safely say that the can of worms has been well and truely opened.;)

Andy
 
jbruney said:
My 850 was almost candy apple red until I can to my senses.
Click to expand...

Another worm in the can.
Trying to make it look like an Atlas? The factory offered them in candy apple red.

Norcoastal, seems you can build your bike as you like it. Seems there is at least as many ways a Commando can look as there is Commando owners.
 
Last edited:
That's what I'm talking about.... Men see the world in basic colors. Life can be simple if you allow it.
 
One thing that does strike me looking through all the lovely photos of Commandos is that it's visually important that the bottom of the tank and seat form a straight line, parallel to the rear frame loop. In the thread above, there's a photo of a PR replica where it's gone all droopy, as if it was left out in the sun for too long....

The same thing applies to a Fastback - essential that those long lines do actually match up.

I acquired a Roadster tank & seat as a swap for an Interstate set last year. I've only done a test fit, but the seat seems to have a bendy shape, so that the front part angles upwards. I don't know if this is normal for some types of Roadster seat or not, but it does bother my eye a bit.
 
SteveBorland said:
I acquired a Roadster tank & seat as a swap for an Interstate set last year. I've only done a test fit, but the seat seems to have a bendy shape, so that the front part angles upwards. I don't know if this is normal for some types of Roadster seat or not, but it does bother my eye a bit.
Click to expand...

The bend to the roadster should be pointing up at the back and the front part before the bend should be level with the rear hoop. Check you have the rubber buffers fitted to the underside of the seat and they are touching the rear mudguard which lifts the rear of the seat up to the right height.

At the Risk of Opening a Can of Worms
 
kommando said:
The bend to the roadster should be pointing up at the back and the front part before the bend should be level with the rear hoop. Check you have the rubber buffers fitted to the underside of the seat and they are touching the rear mudguard which lifts the rear of the seat up to the right height.

At the Risk of Opening a Can of Worms
Click to expand...
Now that is a lovely looking Commando!
 
kommando said:
The bend to the roadster should be pointing up at the back and the front part before the bend should be level with the rear hoop. Check you have the rubber buffers fitted to the underside of the seat and they are touching the rear mudguard which lifts the rear of the seat up to the right height.

At the Risk of Opening a Can of Worms
Click to expand...

Ah, a light goes on over my head.... Thanks, I'll check this.
 
Build what ever you want to build, everyone will have a different opinion but go by your own thinking, first Norton I rode when 17 was a 750 hot rod Commando engine in a Featherbed frame I fell instantly in love with it and 2 weeks later brought my 850 new and in 1980 convered it to the Featherbed frame, its all about motorcycling you can build what ever you like, the way you want your bike to be and not everyone opinion will be the same as yours and you will have a one off bike that is the way you want and if I listened to everyone at the time I would never have built my HOT ROD Commando/Featherbed, but I am glad I didn't listen to them and after 39 years of riding my built Norton, I still get a big smile on my dial every time I ride it and its one of a kind where I live and it gets a lot of attention where ever I ride it or park up, as its built my way.

Ashley
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top