Honda Goes Commando?

Excepting that they are way too porky..Commando is like a cute pole dancer [ say, Vanessa Lane] compared to an female Olympic shot-putter, know which one would be the more satisfying [even if hi-rent] ride?

Mark said:

I like my Honda!
is that a bad thing?

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No it's not Mark. I like mine too, but when Cdo is done, theres gonna be a mint CB 750 for sale on eBay.

Commando technology is silly stuff, It dates from the 1930s, and Dennis Poore made a vain attempt to make it acceptable by modern standards. I've never owned a standard commando, but there are things about it which stop it from being fast. The crankshaft balance factor of 58% is unsuited to high revs for one thing, and I'm certain I could easily re-engineer the isolastics to make the frame handle better. I know what the designer intended, but getting a big parallel twin to speed has tried and tested principles. One is the balance factor, the other is cam timing, overlap and duration. What really surprises me about the commando engine are the torque characteristics. The standard gearbox dosn't suit them for fast riding. I believe the standard commando is trying to do two things, and does neither of them really well. It is wrong as a slow comfortable bike, and wrong as a fast bike. I must say though, that I love the motor in my Seeley. The crank is rebalanced to 72% and rigidly mounted with a close ratio box behind it, it is great ! - Horsepower is not everything - it is about the whole package.
If I owned a standard commando, I'd mod it t o go fast reliably, and handle well, and buy a BMW for touring.

beng said:

Major manufacturers of motor vehicles are slowly coming around to the fact that very over-square, DOHC 4-valve engines are best suited to racing and not for practical uses.

Sales and marketing of motor vehicles was fueled for many decades by "win on Sunday sell on Monday". These days however most of the world population does not care so much about that sort of thing as much as transportation value and miles per gallon.

A under-square, low rpm engine will be more fuel efficient for the torque it produces and will be more reliable to boot. It will offer all the power that the majority of riders will want and can use and will require little R&D to develop compared to Desmo, oval-piston, titanium racing replicas, and will pass emissions testing much easier. It is a win-win for everyone involved.

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An out-of-touch post from Ben ?
THE TORQUIEST ENGINE produced in the past few decades was a 4 cylinder 4 valve short stroke from Suzuki, of all folks - that 1100cc mit twin-swirl combustion chamber put out more low down torque than a HD big twin of the same year, AND revved to twice the revs, making power all the way - one of the flattest torque curves from go to whoa of all time. The sidecar guys love them. Solid crank, cheap to build, cheap to hot-rod. bullet-proof. Probably boring, buts thats modern bikes....

Modern bikes are largely torqueless because of the way they are tuned - they don't have to be like that - as the Suzy demonstrates. A 4 valve version of the manx made more power AND torque than the 2 valve versions - but of course are not eligible for historic racing...

??

Hows that Compare to the RIII Triumph ?

At 2300 cc's, the Rocket3 has enough cubes to make enough torque and power that efficiency doesn't even need to come into it ?!!!

Fuel efficiency - bah humbug, performance sells.
Since about the 1880s, when someone made these things go along the road.

Speaking of fuel efficiency, and old time designs, how about this one ?
Maybe not quite what Ben lusts after, but sure to have a market ??
(Euro 3 compliant too).

Ben Hur . only in Japan . They put manx stickers on things to , and Tanks .

Made in Stirling, Scotland.....

Very Good . Possibly better neauclear powered for a true crossover off tecnologies , its the thought that counts .



Flying Scotsman ( the ) .



Cant Somebody build a REAL motorcycle ? wonder how a Manney would go , durability / longevity as a ROAD BIKE .
1000 cc , 8.5:1 C.R. , 5 Speed ( OR SIX ) Egli type Frame , Interstate Tank . and Mufflers That'd be the problem ?

' Oh ' and of course , a Electric Starter . a bloke to run alongside with a red flag and one of the Crank Starts they use these days .
Or they could have them available at all the gas stations .

Coffman starters ?

Just a good Foot Crank . preferably fairly long .and folds away well . And NO splined shaft , :? perhaps .

Matt Spencer said:

Cant Somebody build a REAL motorcycle ?
.

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So have you put down a deposit on a Commando 961, sounds like just the ticket.

Bringing this discussion back full circle.

Yeah Matt, come clean, have ya? Deposit on a NEW 961? I would admit it if I had.. [I may be mad enough to lust after a real Commando, but I`m not THAT bloody silly].

Don't discourage him, sounds exactly like what he's looking for..... ?

(IF they can deliver !)

Cycle World just gave that Honda their pick for best [something or other] of the year...

So have you put down a deposit on a Commando 961, sounds like just the ticket.

looks like a ponce mobile to me , sorry . More likely to butcher a H.D. ( sporster ) into something roadable .
If it cant snot Jap Shit , ive not a lot of use for it . Looks UGLY to me , also . Glad Im not INVOLVED in it .
Embarresing in all repects. Integredy unproven . In all respects . Niether FISH nor FOWL . Soory Chaps .

All but the Apprilla Engine in the M/Cycle store look like theyve come from Willy Wonkas Chockolate Factory .

Typical western motorcycle coustomer 1970


Incedently , The Apprilla V$ WAS designed by a Automotive Design Engineer ( Ex Ferrari ) its just Cosworth had Quill Shafts on the Brain after two years of
drive train ( camshaft ) failures in F1 and though Quill Shafts were Gods answers to all troubles , includeing secretaries .

THEN the damn fools went and made it Unitary. IN THEIR IGNORANCE .Though the City was encroucheing on the Plant , by that stage , and the Traffic Fumes. Presumeably .
Stand Back 100 years , and SOME PEOPLE knew how to do it PROPERLY . Half this new fangled tripe is tripe for tripes sake.

Tripe sells these days - keeps the wolf from the door. And the phone connected.
Gosh, aren't they reliable but....
I must admit I preferred when headlights looked like headlights though.

Ha, saw one of those ducs yesterday, in military green. Sans the backrest etc.
Does that make it a swiss condor ??

Spooky or what?
Cycle World Nov `12 has a more detailed write up of that NC 700 Honda, including stating that they [shhh..no one tell Matt Spencer] basically used 1/2 of their [73mm X 89mm] 1500cc car mill but reduced the stroke to 80mm - now these dimensions somehow seem oddly familiar...
Anyhow, it makes 48.82 hp @ 6140 rpm & 43.67 ft/lbs @ 4680 rpm , but has a curb weight of 474lb so only does a 13.86 @ 94.3 mph 1/4 mile [ but still beats a `62 Bonnie though eh, Matt].