Comparison of H2 with Commando 850
- Thread starter acotrel
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
- Messages
- 567
Are you refering to Manfeild in Feilding? I was there last weekend ( pre 1976 Open Class) thrashing the BMW R90 round the track....man its a rough old track...my vision was going blury on some of it..... still had a good time getting past the 1000 cc Harleys, 750 Triumphs and a fun battle with an 850 Dominator.....got him a couple of times.
Managed a 5th as I cant touch a Triumph Trident that runs on methanol and very worked Guzzi 1000's, BMW 1000's, and Commandos....saying that the British bikes feature a lot in the DNF's.
The Bavarian tractor managed 3 track days, and 20 races with only 1 DNF ( blown fuse). I get to do a lot of wandering around th pits between races.
Not bad for a basically stock BMW with 36mm Dells and a sports cam.....and the original 1973 pistons..... LOL.
I built up a T110 in the early 90's....man thats some poor design of swingarm..... and front forks......still they look nice, the nacelle with the budget revulator :lol:
....one day I might get around to rebuilding it.....no hurry as the Commando satisfies my Brit Bike Masochist fix.Commando engines were quite popular in those WASP sidecar racing outfits, for quite some years.
Didn't H1 H2 etc engine life make Combats look good - I've heard of cranks and pistons being worn out at 12,000 miles ?? With all those bearings, that is not a trivial rebuild ?? And thats 50% more pistons and rebores to get done, too....
Didn't H1 H2 etc engine life make Combats look good - I've heard of cranks and pistons being worn out at 12,000 miles ?? With all those bearings, that is not a trivial rebuild ?? And thats 50% more pistons and rebores to get done, too....
Poor old Manfield has indeed taken a fair pounding from heavier vehicles [bloody truck racing].
Rohan, any 'trivial' rebuild, even of a low comp S.V., is not recommended...Certainly it pays to have a skilled rolling element crank-fettler do the job,with premium components but does it occur to you that 6 mains on an even firing 120` triple vs 2 on a 360`Commando are going to have less individual burden stress-wise.
Abusive/careless/moronic owners can root anything, but as per Commandos, that is less common these days, esp` given the relative market values of these bikes.
In fact, it is fair to say that both machines benefit from active use in the manner intended by the maker rather than being parked up by poseurs , or babied by reflected glory types who ride only on 1/4 throttle below 4 grand..
Rohan, any 'trivial' rebuild, even of a low comp S.V., is not recommended...Certainly it pays to have a skilled rolling element crank-fettler do the job,with premium components but does it occur to you that 6 mains on an even firing 120` triple vs 2 on a 360`Commando are going to have less individual burden stress-wise.
Abusive/careless/moronic owners can root anything, but as per Commandos, that is less common these days, esp` given the relative market values of these bikes.
In fact, it is fair to say that both machines benefit from active use in the manner intended by the maker rather than being parked up by poseurs , or babied by reflected glory types who ride only on 1/4 throttle below 4 grand..
J.A.W. said:
In case you hadn't noticed, H1 H2 etc are 2-STROKES, which means the bottom end gets very little oiling - since it all comes out the zorst pipes as smoke. This doesn't give the big ends or those 6 roller bearing bottoms ends a very long life, at all.
In fact, $ for $ in bottom end rebuilds, less life than even a Combat in full cry ?!!
I've heard of H1 etc bikes/engines being scrapped (back then) because owners were horrified at the cost of all those bearings/pistons/rings/rebores/fitting ...
Rohan, rolling element bearings require very little lubrication compared with plains - which tribologically, are far more fraught.
In fact the H-series Kawasakis pump metered quantities [ & modern 2-stroke oils, designed for mills with far higher specific ouputs/stress can be used with +ve benefits at ratios that dont produce much smoke, but smell good] direct to the crankshaft, as well as with the fuel. Actually, thats another thing in common between Commandos & Kaw triples, all the bullshit horror stories, usually promulgated by those -"well thats what I heard"- types who have no direct experience or mechanical awareness, as the case may be..
In fact the H-series Kawasakis pump metered quantities [ & modern 2-stroke oils, designed for mills with far higher specific ouputs/stress can be used with +ve benefits at ratios that dont produce much smoke, but smell good] direct to the crankshaft, as well as with the fuel. Actually, thats another thing in common between Commandos & Kaw triples, all the bullshit horror stories, usually promulgated by those -"well thats what I heard"- types who have no direct experience or mechanical awareness, as the case may be..
These days, how does the labour time/cost fraction of a rebore stack up, ratio-wise? An H2 engine topend rebore strip requires undoing 12 sleeve nuts, lifting off the heads & jugs, the 3 piston circlips & you are done..I`m fairly sure a Norton has a few more fasteners/processses to undo/undergo..
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2010
- Messages
- 5,870
Now , even old Grame had to concede it was faster to get tucked in obn a motorcycle that steered ,
after looseing his power advatage which could be exploted requireing wrestling the ' lacking in neutrality ' earlier chassis .
the XR69 is quasi RG 500 GP componentry in the suspension .Doesnt come in the Cornflakes.In fact, they Dont give it away .
Meet the Walbys .
NOW , not that hed concede it , Young James as much as anything else , got half his early rideing experiance on the rear of the Bonneville , and a little later on the rear of the commando .
At the time his experiance ( lack off ) level would preclude his opening the throttle if on the front . The not from attempting to direct opperations , despite his short sightedness , as per his brother,
Pete. Who had vast hours as a Courier / transport Driver & a not totally decrepd 58 speed twin . Its this chassis characteristics , largely the result of their unfamiliarity of spanners , not to mention ' meticulous '
in regard to the work enviroment .
Now , a motorcycles stability two up is determined by the pillion .Sir James Henerys Grandson , Mike was a stable pillion . In a dice with a 351 falcon we'd passed into a bend , who would pukll 90 past us trundling along out of the curves , wed have to get past the obstruction into the next . Running the machine ( Commando ( Note HEADING < JAWs ) at the bend , in a mood of indifferance . He would Nudge it over .
At the appropriate moment . A swim mayve resulted if there was negligance on his part there . Duties required of the pilot was to ' catch ' the lean on the throttle , which would hold it on the bend . Not being
A DRAMA QUEEN , the next straight would have the Falcon , useing the throttle on the Straight rather than the bend , recomense the ' acceleration , past . Geavy footed Id say . Or maybe the throttle had stuck.
And he tyrned the ignition off as a corner came up .
or had learnt to drive on a Kawasaki ! . 
The POINT being , The ' Operator ' in this situation was controlling the machine ( For His Part ) purely with the Throttle . :?
NOW , young walby , would worm , not keep his head still .Or Freeze . pillion . Dragging the pegs on the Commando , or near , he wouldnt hold his place . Unlike our young Engineering College,
who was unruffled despite his plastic thongs wearing the edges , ditateing our angle off endevour .
Corporal walaby however , with his constant arm waveing tended to direct operations by waveing his arms about , which infulances the machine in the manner of hanging a knee out .
As is popular for altering the balance , weight & drag wise , to ' wrestle ' a behemouth , into a bend under brakeing .The general gyrobatics and instability severly limiting the senseability
of the continued endevour .To the point where the instantaenoeous flinch if one was to hook down a gear & bring up the throttle . One had to tread wearilly .
2
Unfortunately E=MC , and a chain reaction resulted . PRECIESELY to point . if a p.o.s. is set up so you HAVE to WRESTLE it , its got a lot of unnessesary waste of inertia .
This is Typified by the Superbike race Pre Xmass 2010 . The New Honda wotsit out . The intrepid pilot Tucked In , smoothest Rider on the Track . Rossi & thw Aussie behind
leaping and lurching and flapping there elbows out in the breeze . EVERY flinch createing lost motion , fractions frittered away . and No Power to regain the lost ground .
The Norton running gas Girlings aft , with the Two way dampening , didnt tend to drop at the rear as the machines with rebound damping only will . ( Thats how theyer set up )
Off Camber the tendancy is to understeer under throttle . bringing up the throttle to neutralise that will encourge the rear to take more intrest . Leaveing the gymnastics to the machine,
opperateing the controls will promote a drift .
Bar getting a few blokes to climb on top of it to hold it down , getting hysterical and upseeting the equilibrium will interfere with its progess , Just like a Thewper bike . :shock:
in fact theyre both related. Theyre Both MOTORCYLES . and , the LAWS of PHYSICS apply .
after looseing his power advatage which could be exploted requireing wrestling the ' lacking in neutrality ' earlier chassis .
the XR69 is quasi RG 500 GP componentry in the suspension .Doesnt come in the Cornflakes.In fact, they Dont give it away .
Meet the Walbys .
NOW , not that hed concede it , Young James as much as anything else , got half his early rideing experiance on the rear of the Bonneville , and a little later on the rear of the commando .
At the time his experiance ( lack off ) level would preclude his opening the throttle if on the front . The not from attempting to direct opperations , despite his short sightedness , as per his brother,
Pete. Who had vast hours as a Courier / transport Driver & a not totally decrepd 58 speed twin . Its this chassis characteristics , largely the result of their unfamiliarity of spanners , not to mention ' meticulous '
in regard to the work enviroment .
Now , a motorcycles stability two up is determined by the pillion .Sir James Henerys Grandson , Mike was a stable pillion . In a dice with a 351 falcon we'd passed into a bend , who would pukll 90 past us trundling along out of the curves , wed have to get past the obstruction into the next . Running the machine ( Commando ( Note HEADING < JAWs ) at the bend , in a mood of indifferance . He would Nudge it over .
At the appropriate moment . A swim mayve resulted if there was negligance on his part there . Duties required of the pilot was to ' catch ' the lean on the throttle , which would hold it on the bend . Not being
A DRAMA QUEEN , the next straight would have the Falcon , useing the throttle on the Straight rather than the bend , recomense the ' acceleration , past . Geavy footed Id say . Or maybe the throttle had stuck.
And he tyrned the ignition off as a corner came up .
or had learnt to drive on a Kawasaki ! . The POINT being , The ' Operator ' in this situation was controlling the machine ( For His Part ) purely with the Throttle . :?
NOW , young walby , would worm , not keep his head still .Or Freeze . pillion . Dragging the pegs on the Commando , or near , he wouldnt hold his place . Unlike our young Engineering College,
who was unruffled despite his plastic thongs wearing the edges , ditateing our angle off endevour .
Corporal walaby however , with his constant arm waveing tended to direct operations by waveing his arms about , which infulances the machine in the manner of hanging a knee out .
As is popular for altering the balance , weight & drag wise , to ' wrestle ' a behemouth , into a bend under brakeing .The general gyrobatics and instability severly limiting the senseability
of the continued endevour .To the point where the instantaenoeous flinch if one was to hook down a gear & bring up the throttle . One had to tread wearilly .
2
Unfortunately E=MC , and a chain reaction resulted . PRECIESELY to point . if a p.o.s. is set up so you HAVE to WRESTLE it , its got a lot of unnessesary waste of inertia .
This is Typified by the Superbike race Pre Xmass 2010 . The New Honda wotsit out . The intrepid pilot Tucked In , smoothest Rider on the Track . Rossi & thw Aussie behind
leaping and lurching and flapping there elbows out in the breeze . EVERY flinch createing lost motion , fractions frittered away . and No Power to regain the lost ground .
The Norton running gas Girlings aft , with the Two way dampening , didnt tend to drop at the rear as the machines with rebound damping only will . ( Thats how theyer set up )
Off Camber the tendancy is to understeer under throttle . bringing up the throttle to neutralise that will encourge the rear to take more intrest . Leaveing the gymnastics to the machine,
opperateing the controls will promote a drift .
Bar getting a few blokes to climb on top of it to hold it down , getting hysterical and upseeting the equilibrium will interfere with its progess , Just like a Thewper bike . :shock:
in fact theyre both related. Theyre Both MOTORCYLES . and , the LAWS of PHYSICS apply .
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2010
- Messages
- 5,870
in those days the seal was all black , the lines curve over the southbound lane , by the shelter , we were standing in , out of the Rain .
A Commando fell over on em . Id been trying to grab his atention waveing and pointing . Didnt see till e was on top of them.
near parrallel theyll have you down no mater what. Gotta crossem at as square as possible .
Youd see a few bikes go down on them there . Even in the dry .
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked
