Commando Versus Modern

Just because you can doesn't always mean you should.

Time Warp said:

Just because you can doesn't always mean you should.

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Very philosophical.
A few bikes missing from your signature.
I hope you didn't sell them for my sake

I'm about to start talking about the 22 Japanese bikes I've owned.
Seems that's okay in here.

Phil

72Combat said:

By Joves , its another fascinating post from the Mittagong pub...." whats Jappo Crappo Binky?"

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Says here two thirds of our population has gone to Australia.
I guess that means only you and I are left.

what about some pics and detail of tearing down, puttin back together and finding new ways to do stuff?
Thats what this site used to be about, threads like this keep the stalwarts at bay and no doubt wondering about the monster they created
Need to get back to basics or join facebook

Jed said:

what about some pics and detail of tearing down, puttin back together and finding new ways to do stuff?
Thats what this site used to be about, threads like this keep the stalwarts at bay and no doubt wondering about the monster they created
Need to get back to basics or join facebook

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+ 1

baz said:

Jed said:

what about some pics and detail of tearing down, puttin back together and finding new ways to do stuff?
Thats what this site used to be about, threads like this keep the stalwarts at bay and no doubt wondering about the monster they created
Need to get back to basics or join facebook

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+ 1

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I agree, as creator of this topic, I have received nothing but abuse for doing so. Not even what you could call nice abuse. No, the real bad stuff.

If someone wants to read and see pics about tearing things down and putting them back together (maybe sand castles? I don't know), why bother even looking at this topic, let alone read the posts?
This is a broad church, plenty of other threads running. The fact that this one turned nasty and went wildly off topic is nothing to do with me.

Phil

It matters not to me where a motorcycle comes from. It did back in the early 70's, basically there were two camps, you were either pro British or pro Japanese, pretty much.

We all knew the Japanese were producing reliable non oil leaking and technically advanced machines. We knew the end was nigh. But their machines were heavy and couldn't handle, they seemed more interested in rider comfort re handling and weight wise, there was too much hanging off them, including spare cylinders. They were getting there but we hung our hats on light weight and good handling, not to mention the sweet note of a British twin exhaust. Brakes on nearly all bikes were pretty ordinary. Interestingly, in the 72 Cycle Guide 7 Super Bike comparison, the combat front disc was written up as being too powerful and the rear end wanted to come around and meet the front under heavy braking. My combat never did that. The brake was shit. So I don't understand that report at all.

So all these years later, the scene is very different. England survives with new Triumphs and now a new Norton Commando. I've tried the Triumphs (didn't like them) but not the Norton.

So taking out the country, the trend I don't like is heavy bikes and crazy fat tyres. The Commando is light and nimble by comparison. I love heading out the drive on a crisp morning and weaving (intensionally) all the way down the street just to enjoy that beautifully precise steering. But at high speed, my Kawasaki was more stable straight line. The Commando to me, feels comparatively a little light at very high speed when you encounter country road bumps. But at lower speeds, I'll take the Commando any day over a heavy fat tyred modern machine. You ride a Commando around corners like Ron Toombes, on the seat in line with the bike. I like that style. I'm too lazy to be swishing my butt left, right, left anyway. The Commando does it for you.

I personally don't give a cracker what anyone prefers, it's about choice. One guy in the pub would not stop hounding me about fitting a hydraulic clutch, so smooth and light. He went on and on until I dragged him outside and made him pull the Commando clutch lever in. He went very quiet. So it's horses for courses. Same thing re MkIII versus earlier Commando. When I first started reading this forum, there was a lot of MkIII rubbishing going on. So for fun, reverse the rolls and everyone starts yelling and screaming like you had smacked their baby. A little bit hypocritical I think. In any case, the comparison should be MkIII versus the world!! I loved my three pre MkIII Commandos.

So we all know modern motorcycles are incredibly fast amazing technically advanced weapons.
But for my money, the Commando is the machine for me. I just love riding it.

Still waiting at the lights, who's next to be hosed off?

Phil

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCh7fRO24VQ[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I1ksEz6oSI[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8F25RFHn0g[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CugNxr9aXC8[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1x8CMqtzj0[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR-ETxQkbQU[/video]

hobot
Not exactly street machines but interesting.
I still like my picture of Geoff Duke riding a Commando around the track in 1975 demonstrating Avon tyres.
To me, Geoff epitomised what we saw as a classy Norton rider. And very very fast.

Phil

When only 16, but owning my Dominator and waiting to be old enough to hold a licence, we were down town very late one night to view the new Holdens in the dealership window with dad (who hated Fords but loved Holdens). There was a local guy who owned a red Roadster and apparently was selling it the next day. So that night was out for his final ride. He burned up and down the main street at speeds and acceleration I'd never seen a road bike do, and the crackling howl of the exhaust note exploded the cool night air. That memory is burnt into my brain and from that night on I knew I would be getting a Commando one day and would be riding one for the rest of my life. I was fascinated and addicted and I still am.

I'm just glad the one I eventually bought wasn't the one being utterly thrashed that night.
No, I bought a combat instead and utterly thrashed it myself.

Phil

I helped Mike Hailwood have a ride on the Dunsters' manx at Winton in the 70s. At the time we had just started getting the gumball tyres, so a lot of the guys used to hang off the bikes and lean a lot in corners. Hailwood was notable different, he just tucked in sitting upright and rode with a super smooth style, and was extremely fast. It was interesting to watch and learn. I watched Geoff Duke on the Gilera at Fishermans' Bend in 1954 - he was from another world. I don't know if it was the bike, however he made it look so easy.
In my own experience, I am always ready to climb off and drag the bike around a corner while keeping it upright, if I get badly out of shape. However I find that these days the tyres are so good, that situation rarely happens because you can put so much sideways pressure on them without crashing.

phil yates said:

baz said:

Jed said:

what about some pics and detail of tearing down, puttin back together and finding new ways to do stuff?
Thats what this site used to be about, threads like this keep the stalwarts at bay and no doubt wondering about the monster they created
Need to get back to basics or join facebook

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I agree, as creator of this topic, I have received nothing but abuse for doing so. Not even what you could call nice abuse. No, the real bad stuff.


Are you seriously gonna play victim now?
After the vitriol and bile you have ladled over the last 12 pages
Bashings of Japanese bike riders? And generally masogynistic, bigoted drivel and now YOU ARE A VICTIM?
FFS, I'd love to share my thoughts further but I don't want to hurt your feelings

acotrel said:

I helped Mike Hailwood have a ride on the Dunsters' manx at Winton in the 70s. At the time we had just started getting the gumball tyres, so a lot of the guys used to hang off the bikes and lean a lot in corners. Hailwood was notable different, he just tucked in sitting upright and rode with a super smooth style, and was extremely fast. It was interesting to watch and learn. I watched Geoff Duke on the Gilera at Fishermans' Bend in 1954 - he was from another world. I don't know if it was the bike, however he made it look so easy.
In my own experience, I am always ready to climb off and drag the bike around a corner while keeping it upright, if I get badly out of shape. However I find that these days the tyres are so good, that situation rarely happens because you can put so much sideways pressure on them without crashing.

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Yes, but you are a racing rider acotrel. I'm sure you could/can do lots of things I could never do. When I was a youngster I was fearless on my Norton. Until one day I came off at high speed around a left hander with peg hard on the ground grinding away. The fall was nothing, I was so close to the ground I was almost on it anyway. The subsequent road slide ground one knee to the bone, plus an elbow. So I learnt that a Norton could actually fall over going hard around a corner. I only ever did that two more times in my early years of riding, eventually getting a lot smarter. I think even Hailwood might have struggled to beat me in a corner because I just went harder and harder until I fell off. How do you beat a lunatic like that? Like fighting a kamikaze pilot.

Thankfully, those days are long behind me.
And I'm still alive.

Phil

[
Are you seriously gonna play victim now?
After the vitriol and bile you have ladled over the last 12 pages
Bashings of Japanese bike riders? And generally masogynistic, bigoted drivel and now YOU ARE A VICTIM?
FFS, I'd love to share my thoughts further but I don't want to hurt your feelings[/quote]


I am very sensitive.
And yes, you have hurt my feelings.