cNw #101 Norton Commando 850

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Hi Guys,

Been lurking in these parts for a while now but feel it’s time to put my head above the parapet and make my first post.

As you’ve probably guessed, both from the title and my avatar I’m the the proud owner or I should say, soon to be to be more specific, of cNw #101 Norton Commando 850.:)
Now let me start by saying that this is not just any cNw (not that anyone should ever call these ‘any’) but actually, in all probability, the worlds best known example of Matt’s incredible creations. Those of you with a great memory for numbers (#101) will know immediately but for the rest, here’s a reminder.



With over 300k views (many of which are mine I must confess) this video was posted eleven years ago shortly after Bill Greene, a retired Hollywood Special FX exec took delivery. You’ll note that the bike is lowered from stock for Bill but it’s been returned since and also now benefits from an cNw electric start kit. As for the overall spec, well Bill covers that so I won’t further.

I cannot possibly fully express my excitement. Up until quite recently I confess I’d never heard of cNw, indeed it wasn’t until Bill’s video popped up in my YouTube suggestions but was immediately struck by the bike’s beauty and incredible attention to detail. Exactly a year ago I bought my Kawasaki W800 Cafe partly because in my mind this was as close to owning an old Brit bike from a new machine partly by looks and it’s 360 crank. I’d previously discounted buying a classic due to lack of knowledge, tools and engineering expertise I associated with their ownership. So this certainly whetted my appetite.

Having found the cNw website I was astonished to find that this very bike was indeed up for sale and by sheer luck, by dint of it no longer meeting Matt’s sky-high standard of polish due to its coastal abode, was actually a financial possibility.


Long story short. After a number of email exchanges and ultimately a 2hr + phone call with Matt, whom I know you all know is just one incredible guy, I pulled the trigger.

It has to be said that there is no way I could countenance the idea of buying any bike let alone one of this value from thousands of miles away, unseen let along un-ridden had it not for the massive reputation and regard the entire Norton community holds for Matt Rambow of Colorado Norton Works. I too can attest to this. Matt has already carried out some requested improvements including some at his own cost, eg a new swing arm, the current one being damaged by the previous owner due to an inappropriately sized exhaust fastener, I mean, there’s service and then there’s service!

Anyway I won’t ramble any further. Yesterday Matt informed me, now that his ‘bulletproof’ crate is finished (he constructs them himself of a welded steel frame and plywood), his preferred shipper is 2 weeks away from collecting from Colorado to be driven to Oakland for a waiting container ship bound for Blighty, #101’s ancestral home.

Like Bill, who put on over 10k miles, this wonderful machine is for riding not just showing and I can’t bloody wait to swing a leg over for the first time.

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850

(After) Replacement inner rotor & repolished calliper


cNw #101 Norton Commando 850

Replacement swing arm and repolished Z plates

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850

(Before) Pitted chrome inner rotor

The photos show some of the progress but I’ve also had all new stainless clutch and brake hoses fitted. The only real issues remaining and they are all purely cosmetic are the chromed parts. Most if not all show some mild pitting although the header pipes do look a bit further gone from the HR pictures Matt has supplied. If I fail to get them how I want them I’ll wait until the winter and get the necessary parts re-chromed. The rest, which is all aluminium just needs a good polishing to get closer to cNw show standard which I actually quite enjoy; it’ll be a bonding process.

Simon

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850
Kawasaki W800 Cafe
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Reborn
 
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Lucky man Simon!

Something tells me that your Kawasaki and RE might gather rather more dust in future !

There aren’t many cNw bikes over ‘ere. But mine has a LOT of cNw parts on it so it’s a kinda cNw look-a-like.

Where in the U.K. are you Simon? Praps we could meet up for a coffee?
 
Lucky man Simon!

Something tells me that your Kawasaki and RE might gather rather more dust in future !

There aren’t many cNw bikes over ‘ere. But mine has a LOT of cNw parts on it so it’s a kinda cNw look-a-like.

Where in the U.K. are you Simon? Praps we could meet up for a coffee?
Oh I don’t know, the W800 is so comfortable for long trips. The Classic is just the ticket for narrow lanes and small B roads but it’s feasible I’d let that one go but being so cheap I may hang on.

I’m south Oxfordshire (you?) area so if you’re not too far off that would be great.
I’m not expecting it to ship for a couple of weeks, it’ll be bobbing along for 6-8 weeks then I’ve got to register it with DVLA all of which could seriously eat into my dry season riding time; I’ll keep you posted
 
Oh I don’t know, the W800 is so comfortable for long trips. The Classic is just the ticket for narrow lanes and small B roads but it’s feasible I’d let that one go but being so cheap I may hang on.

I’m south Oxfordshire (you?) area so if you’re not too far off that would be great.
I’m not expecting it to ship for a couple of weeks, it’ll be bobbing along for 6-8 weeks then I’ve got to register it with DVLA all of which could seriously eat into my dry season riding time; I’ll keep you posted
I’m in Oxford Simon !

So do keep me posted and let’s have that cuppa !
 
I'm jealous because that's a beautiful looking 850 you've gotten for yourself. I do see quite a few W800's on the roads over here where I am (which is just south of Yokohama) :) but ya gotta love the Nortons, they're just so "right". Cj
 
Obviously being my 1st Norton, or indeed, 1st British bike I have a lot to learn. I’ve been doing a lot of homework here and elsewhere but very few machines outside of cNw builds have the Keihlin FCR35 carbs fitted but I would like to here from anyone who is familiar how they find them in comparison to Amals or Mikunis?
 
I'm jealous because that's a beautiful looking 850 you've gotten for yourself. I do see quite a few W800's on the roads over here where I am (which is just south of Yokohama) :) but ya gotta love the Nortons, they're just so "right". Cj
Whereas you rarely see a W800 here. Indeed, I’ve never seen another W800 Cafe on the road. According to ‘howmanyleft.co.uk’ there are only 152 in the U.K. half of which are laid up. They were very pricey here, close to a T100 with 50% more power but I scored a new one at -30% so less than an Interceptor, a no brainier really.

As that point, last Mach, I had not even thought of a Commando although I did wonder about a 961 and seeing one at the Birmingham show in November last, was somewhat struck by it but tbh I found the ergonomics odd and the turning circle limitation ruling one out due to where I was planning to park it up, that and the astronomical insurance quotes; the 850 being eligible for ‘Classic insurance’ made it viable. That was its first hurdle, and a fall there would have ended my dream (I lusted after these as a teenager in the 70s) there and then. It was from there I first made contact with Matt where he said he had another interested party who, 2 weeks prior was ready to buy but failed to do so I didn’t procrastinate unnecessarily.
 
Obviously being my 1st Norton, or indeed, 1st British bike I have a lot to learn. I’ve been doing a lot of homework here and elsewhere but very few machines outside of cNw builds have the Keihlin FCR35 carbs fitted but I would like to here from anyone who is familiar how they find them in comparison to Amals or Mikunis?
They’re fabulous carbs. My dyno man said that my Commando was the best fuelled carbureted bike he had ever had on the dyno !

They’re racing carbs, so they don’t have any cold start function. But…

They have accelerator pumps that squirt petrol into the intake ports in order richen the mixture when opening the (very quick action) throttle. A gentle ‘squirt’ before starting when cold acts like a cold start function. So, especially when combined with a cNw e start, it’ll start immediately every time.

Do not allow yourself, or others, to idly twist the throttle when it’s parked up, because you’ll be squirting neat petrol into the engine and potentially petrol washing the bores.

There are some rubber seals and o rings inside which can be degraded by ethonol over a prolonged period, so my advice would be to use Super Unleaded which has much less (sometimes zero) ethanol.
 
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This is mine currently Simon, but it won’t look like this when we meet up….

View attachment 113164
Looks great mate, and like mine, far from stock, as you say, not that dissimilar. What clocks do have fitted, I can’t see the original speedo drive so assume electric. If there is one specification I would have change were it my original build it would have been the option on the Smiths clocks rather than the one he chose but at least he didn’t opt for the white version eh?

How has yours changed then since this shot? Interesting you have cNw on your side panels too; don’t show Matt, he may sue:eek:

I’ll tell you what confuses me most with these bikes, it’s the plethora of different roadster tanks fitted. Yours has a distinct seem, mine looks like the old fibreglass seamless tanks of the Mk1 although I’d rather doubt it is. Do you know the history?

Going back to the carbs, Matt did tell me that my Kawasaki routine of warming the engine up whilst I get kitted up is out of the window (something about may induce backfires) rather, prime the carbs with 3 small twists and hit the go button and drive off after having increased the idle a tad with his extended idle knob/screw and then backing that off after a few minutes. I did read on his site in the description of the Keihins that the internal seals are ok with ethanol but not many additives. Regardless I always use Esso 99+ when I can as reputedly it’s ethanol free.
 
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Looks great mate, and like mine, far from stock, as you say, not that dissimilar. What clocks do have fitted, I can’t see the original speedo drive so assume electric. If there is one specification I would have change were it my original build it would have been the option on the Smiths clocks rather than the one he chose but at least he didn’t opt for the white version eh?

How has yours changed then since this shot? Interesting you have cNw on your side panels too; don’t show Matt, he may sue:eek:

Going back to the carbs, Matt did tell me that my Kawasaki routine of warming the engine up whilst I get kitted up is out of the window (something about may induce backfires) rather, prime the carbs with 3 small twists and hit the go button and drive off after having increased the idle a tad with his extended idle knob/screw and then backing that off after a few minutes. I did read on his site in the description of the Keihins that the internal seals are ok with ethanol but not many additives. Regardless I always use Esso 99+ when I can as reputedly it’s ethanol free.

Matt knows about the stickers. I’ve earned the right having had to sell my kids in order to send him money. Every penny well spent though.

I’d play with it and see what it needs, IMHO 3 squirts is a lot, I only use 1 squirt.

Mines gonna be an interstate (pic of tins attached) still gonna have a Corbin seat though (thanks to Matt) but no cNw stickers this time !

I use Smiths digital clocks and do not use the stock alloy pod things.

cNw #101 Norton Commando 850
 
This shows my clocks Simon. Also shows how easily it starts on the cNw starter, it was freakin’ hideous to kick start due to some idiot making it 920cc and 11:1 compression ratio. If you listen you’ll hear me give it one twist of the throttle before pressing the button. This is from cold…

 
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