Do you RIDE the Norton Commando?

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My arguments against riding in the rain (apart from the fact I hate cleaning the bike afterwards) is that it seems so much more dangerous to me.

As a spectacle wearer, I struggle with visibility. But many cars do too, it seems people don’t understand how the ‘recirculating air’ button causes internal misting.

And this is with drivers already distracted like crazy with sat navs and mobile phones and paranoid about speeding cameras!

And (and I’m certain this is due to all cars having ABS etc these days) traffic does not seem to change it’s speed or distances in the wet like it used to. Folk just seem to drive the same, thinking that the ‘safety aids’ will cover their arse if needed.

Then there’s the wet, greasy, diesel strewn roads, they’re just so slippery sometimes around here, most likely as a result of trucks and buses.

And that’s before you add in the terrible degraded road surfaces we have here.

Or maybe age is just making me more aware of my own vulnerability these days?!

All in all, I’d sooner take the car. With zero guilt !
 
trident sam said:
Why don't you buy a Commando to use while you are in England ?
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I didn't want to "start over" sorting out a Commando; I wanted a new bike that I would just get on and ride. For that matter, I have no space to work on a bike anyway. Our motos are parked in an underground apartment garage about a mile away.
 
I agree Nigel , only time I ride in rain these days is when caught out on bike far from home .... during my cross country solo ride I got caught out badly a couple times early on ..... later on I took laundry days for rain and holed up in road side motels ,that had facilities and would get my stuff clean and dry and rest up .... it was NHL playoffs time so most of those few evenings were spent in motel pub watching the game with locals , not a bad way to waste a day .... added 6 days to my planned 10 day ride , but made it home safe without a drop or worse ... first full day on road was worst when got up on big dual hywy to save time in rain at dusk , rode alongside an endless train of 18 wheelers loaded with very big logs heading same direction , missed my exit and had to circle back to small logging Town in BC (Kamloops) after that , I watched forecasts much more closely ....
 
I put on my new Ikons just. Ordered in july! But the on topic part is I want to go for a test ride and well the wx isnt friendly. FE hit most of the reasons why riding in the rain is off the table. But the biggest is cleaning the bike. Stuff gets under the washers....:-(
 
Well road surface is pretty poor around here. A374 is a big biker route, has those heart warming
signs informing us how many motorbike deaths in the past five years. I hate it because it is mostly
shaded so not only poor surface but a wet poor surface. We blame incomers hauling a caravan but
worse is a tradesman in a Transit late for a job...
 
I don't enjoy riding in the rain but it's inevitable in the UK
I'm not really into bike cleaning either that's why all of my bikes look like crap
I got soaked earlier today but never mind
 
Nice, most all agree on one topic ! ... still I will ride if the rain is forecast with less than a 90% chance to happen , I do use the gear , often it seems in my location
 
I do hate riding in the rain when its pissing down but when your bike is the only transport on the day the rain don't stop me , when I brought my new 2013 Thruxton the day I brought it it was raining, it rained every day for a week after picking it up but I still clocked up the first 500 miles and taken in for its first service with in 4 days of picking it up, just got to give the bike a quick wipe down when I get home if been caught out in the rain while its still wet, but Aussie land is a dry place so plenty of good riding weather to be had all year round.

Ashley
 
Lucky Ashman, and anyone else that gets the good weather year round. Sadly it's winding down
here for this 60 year old guy. 53 degrees Fahrenheit this afternoon. Sure we get rain, but snow is looming sooner
than later. And a main hazard here, farmers are harvesting the crops in my rural area, slow traffic,
and deer ! Jumped on the Commando, first kick, LOVE IT., and rode up to my friends today
a few miles, clad in leather, that's why I bought a good set. Made sure to get home before dark,
was a good short ride. My motor sure loves the cool weather though.. Going to continue to clock on the rounds
as long as possible. Between my 3 main bikes, all running good and sorted out, I've been fortunate to
get more on this year, than in a long time, as planned. I have dealt with a major health issue for 4 years, and that is all done. There's been ample time to think about riding as much as I can and as long as I can while I was down,
....Oh, I love all of them in the stable, including my 1974 Harley Davidson Super Glide that I've had for 40 years. The Norton for 43, and it gets the most seat time of all of them. And the most SMILE time !!!
 
In the spring of 77 I was attending a trade school in St.Louis, Mo. and riding a 350 Yamaha. I needed some sparkplugs so I stopped at a Suzuki dealer. They had a list of used bikes for sale including a 73 Norton. Made me an offer I couldn't resist. Rode it for about 5 years and parked it because it was difficult to find parts. Bought a 76 BMW in 1984, rode that for 8 years and parked it next to the Norton in the old barn. Couple years ago I dug out the Norton, covered in dust and bird shit, got it running then did a bit of restoration over the winter. Now that I am retired I try to ride it every day that the weather allows. Average about 50 miles.It's a contest to see which will last longer, me or the bike. I think it has the advantage because of better parts availability. More reasonably priced too.
Do you RIDE the Norton Commando?
 
Bill C. said:
In the spring of 77 I was attending a trade school in St.Louis, Mo. and riding a 350 Yamaha. I needed some sparkplugs so I stopped at a Suzuki dealer. They had a list of used bikes for sale including a 73 Norton. Made me an offer I couldn't resist. Rode it for about 5 years and parked it because it was difficult to find parts. Bought a 76 BMW in 1984, rode that for 8 years and parked it next to the Norton in the old barn. Couple years ago I dug out the Norton, covered in dust and bird shit, got it running then did a bit of restoration over the winter. Now that I am retired I try to ride it every day that the weather allows. Average about 50 miles.It's a contest to see which will last longer, me or the bike. I think it has the advantage because of better parts availability. More reasonably priced too.View attachment 18935
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Nice Interstate. I am down to 8 bikes, 2 race bikes, Hailwood Replica needs finishing..,two RE S2 Interceptors, Velo Venom, Commando and a KTM790Duke. First the KTM - it is awesome, 97bhp, 167kg and a parallel twin with character and all the modern stuff lean sensitive traction control blah blah. Plus I'm getting 70mpg and don't ride slow. Norton would have been proud of producing an engine like that for sure. I get off it and think I will never need another bike. I even took it to Picos Spain last year with a very well packed Kreiga R20 and a 10Litre tailback. Not the ideal sports tourer but panniers and top boxes arent for KTM IMO.
But... Then I get on the Commando, Interceptor and the Venom and think I could manage with either of those bikes if I never rode another bike again. I'm thinking of getting a BSA for my wife's pension but that will be the last britbike, for now.. Each does a few hundred to a 1000miles a year as racing take up a lot. I have enjoyed road riding more this year than for some years where I just wanted to go ballsout all the time - it was such a feeling to be free on a bike again after he covid lockdown here. Safe riding...
 
Craig said:
I agree Nigel , only time I ride in rain these days is when caught out on bike far from home .... during my cross country solo ride I got caught out badly a couple times early on ..... later on I took laundry days for rain and holed up in road side motels ,that had facilities and would get my stuff clean and dry and rest up
Click to expand...
Summer here in New England is "afternoon thunderstorms" pretty much every day. I did a ride from Connecticut to upstate New York some 9 years ago about 300 miles each way. Me on the 850, my brother on his VROD and my nephew on a Yammie XJ700. On the way home late in the afternoon we got caught in torrential rain comming down the NY Thruway and onto Mass I-90. The Yammie decided to stop running ... it just quit on the highway. We were drenched by then and still 150 miles from home. A flatbed took the Yammie and we spent the night in a motel tyring to dry out. The next morning it still wouldn't start. My brother's friend (who we had been visiting) came down and hosed the ignition coils on the 700 down with WD-40. I found out exactly what "water displacement 40" meant that day. The bike fired up and we made it home safe & sound.

Rain sucks.
 
Like several other commenters, I ride the Norton every day that the weather is at all decent, and I've gotten a good bit of riding in so far this year. Usually multiple days per week, and regular use back and forth to work. I missed a few weeks waiting for parts, but generally she's been a very reliable machine. I also have a Yamaha TW200 that I use in bad weather and for off-road riding. Very fun bike too. But there is nothing like the Norton.

I haven't had any issues with wet-sumping so far this year.
 
Like most of you, I have several bikes to choose from. When the weather allows, I try to get the Norton out at least once a week for a 50 mile ride.
 
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