Forgotten how good the Commando is..

I have had my second Commando about four years now. It came with a Corbin seat and high USA bars which was fine for plodding around on. It just never felt as good as my old Commando I had twenty years ago. The gearbox was knackered but I have sorted that this year. After getting it going again though I noticed it vibrated too much. Last week I fitted a Dave Taylor head steady and a new front iso. What a difference the vibrations now almost gone. What was left was traced to a loose RH exhaust nut. I rode it a couple of times though and wondered how I used to make my old one go so well. Well I was younger, even more arrogant and stupid and raced a TZ at the time; that helped.
I wasn't that impressed with the bike but last week decided to fit some standard bars and then decide if to keep the bike or not.
I went out today and had a couple of runs. What a difference the bars made and with Johnny boys Lansdowne dampers fitted and the head steady it handles like on rails. I was zapping past cars at 70-90mph just with a roll of the throttle, fantastic to be able to do that in one single gear (top). Topped the run off with a ton on the clock. When I came home the wife spotted the naughty grin and asked if I had been speeding. Silly question but she is blond.
I can't wait to get back on the bike again and finally remember what a week sorted Commando can be like and why it is THE best British bike.
I had a tough decision coming soon. Whether to take my Velocette Venom, Enfield Interceptor or the Commando to the Manx this year. I think I know the answer now

right on. It was described to me exactly this way when I went for a ride with the Christchurch classic club. We visited this older guy up in Oxford who had this old home built racing car with a flathead v8 engine in it. He started it up for us and it a bloody gorgeous noise. He told us when he runs it, he only takes it up to 4,000 rpm now. He was not interested in going fast in it, but it was the GRIN factor that kept him happy.
We can go reasonably fast on a Commando, but it is the GRIN factor that keeps us interested.
regards, Dereck

Grin factor - I've only owned mine for 4 years now, but I know what that means!

Wait till you have owned it for 39 years, everytime I ride my bike it seems to get better as it gets older, its like a old wine, it just gets better with age.

Ashley

Had exactly the same type of day zipping around on my MK3 today- absolutely flashed back to earlier years. Awesome motorcycle, even more than I remembered. Did have a bit of a mechanical issue that will post elsewhere.

Hi

Over the winter I built a 750 hopper, it has issues but I took it for its M.OT in May ,with a pocket full of plugs 20 mile to the station , passed , kept breaking down on the way back , on country roads . The folk that stopped to see if I needed help, really looked at me funny , sitting at the side of the road , tools out, laughing with a massive grin on my face . Took me two hours to do the twenty miles but most of that time was spent chatting to bike guys that stopped to help. Commandos moving or stationery, rusty or pristine, you've just gotta smile!

750 owner

Excellent post Fred. Great reminder of why we own these beasts.

On Sunday, three pampered Commandos and their proud owners went on a breakfast ride to a good restaurant about 25 miles up the road.
While the road is straight, the ride was made enjoyable by the sounds and feeling of being on these iconic and mysteriously appealing machines.
How can you top green chili breakfast burritos, smooth coffee, and good conversation with new friends (thanks to Access Norton connection)???
John & Chris & I are older than our Nortons, but we still know how to enjoy life!

And the day prior to that, I took a solo ride and strapped on my brother's GoPro so he could enjoy a vicarious ride on the old girl:
http://youtu.be/cGpJBEgajLU

Sousnd nice Tomspro. Had another blast today and the handling is very good with that new head steady and the fork mods. I have a new chain in the post which I hope is going to take the slack out of the transmission. If so then I may stick with the quick action throttle but it is pretty on off with the flat slides at the bottom end and takes some control in second gear corners. Wishing I had fitted an rgm close ratio gearset now...