How many Commandos here?
- Thread starter grandpaul
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DogT
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Would you be willing to share your ID number and manufacture date with me? Can you tell me if it was a Roadster or S model originally? So far I have a list of about 19 early bikes (before 71 with the centre stand on the frame).DOXFORD said:
Dave
69S
I have a 1970 810 Dunstall Norton that I have owned since 1974. I cant swear the bike was original Dunstal but it had all the Dunstall parts when I purchased it.
I have replaced the fuel tank with a Norvil tank after the dunstall was holed and I threw away the original front guard as it was useless in the rain. the original fairing cracked and was about to fall off so I removed it and left it at the side of the road near Wilcannia in far west NSW (Australia) I have also replaced the gearbox with an 850 box after jumping the bike and coming down with a wide open throttle. Not 1 gear in the original 5 speed box survived. Unfortunatley I left the remnants of the original box with George Heggy Motorcycles so I now dont have matching numbers. I have noticed that someone is making replica dunstall fairings on the NSW central coast so I will buy and fit one sometime in the future.
Ando
I have replaced the fuel tank with a Norvil tank after the dunstall was holed and I threw away the original front guard as it was useless in the rain. the original fairing cracked and was about to fall off so I removed it and left it at the side of the road near Wilcannia in far west NSW (Australia) I have also replaced the gearbox with an 850 box after jumping the bike and coming down with a wide open throttle. Not 1 gear in the original 5 speed box survived. Unfortunatley I left the remnants of the original box with George Heggy Motorcycles so I now dont have matching numbers. I have noticed that someone is making replica dunstall fairings on the NSW central coast so I will buy and fit one sometime in the future.
Ando
Ando
Always great to see yet another Ozzie on board ~ Welcome ~ maybe we even crossed rims some time as I am from NSW and moved all over .. from Canberra to South coast and MIA/ Riverina ~
Grew up and moved to the land of the Gods ~ Far -Far north QLD ~
Always great to see yet another Ozzie on board ~ Welcome ~ maybe we even crossed rims some time as I am from NSW and moved all over .. from Canberra to South coast and MIA/ Riverina ~
Grew up and moved to the land of the Gods ~ Far -Far north QLD ~
Stuart
I used to live in the Sutherland Shire, a southern Sydney suburb but moved to Nowra on the south coast about 15 years ago. My bike used to be blue but I resprayed it gold about 1980. It used to be distinctive as there were very few bikes with rearsets and clipons in the 70s and early 80s. it is currently silver.
Ando
I used to live in the Sutherland Shire, a southern Sydney suburb but moved to Nowra on the south coast about 15 years ago. My bike used to be blue but I resprayed it gold about 1980. It used to be distinctive as there were very few bikes with rearsets and clipons in the 70s and early 80s. it is currently silver.
Ando
I bought my Combat in 1978 from a guy I knew who came to my house one morning in a panic...seems he owed the IRS some cash immediately. Back then I was delivering beer for a Miller distributor and my "bank" was literally under my mattress. I reached into the bank for 14 Ben Franklins and he handed over the title. I dug it out of a snowbank (January in Pennsylvania) the next day, threw off the tarp and kicked her over. The streets were dry and as I eased the clutch out and headed out, I remember saying "Holy $hit" under my helmet!!
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I just tabulated the possible numbers indicated both total owned in past and currently owned now on forum. Total C'do's mentioned being owned 191, total now in possession both running or not yet, subtract 25-30 bikes, as the commenters were not very clear at times to tell for sure. A non-double checked quick count of posters here so far 101. So about 1.8 Commando's per poster represented as non sense average. I say only about 10% of C'do owners bother with online lists at any one time. So multiply at least by 10 what we hear of here and there online.
Personally I think all mono shocks are a mere fad except on light dirt bikes and even worse a feature in the isolastic C'do, of which there are a number of them out there by very respected machinist builders, beside's Paul's concealed clean clever rendition of it. We all fuck up now and then but I've seen how much GP is giving of his time to various motor sports events outside Norton-doom, besides the vintage events he adds to in bikes brought with him or broken down on the tract events. Of course no one else's racers fail anymore so poor Paul is ripe to be picked on. He may have sold some lemons but I just can't accept he did it intentionally. My hobby next decade is to prove the isolastic Commando is the best load handling chassis ever conceived for pilot comfort and attacking harshest corners, as sweepers are just a series of accelerating straights to Ms Peel.
Personally I think all mono shocks are a mere fad except on light dirt bikes and even worse a feature in the isolastic C'do, of which there are a number of them out there by very respected machinist builders, beside's Paul's concealed clean clever rendition of it. We all fuck up now and then but I've seen how much GP is giving of his time to various motor sports events outside Norton-doom, besides the vintage events he adds to in bikes brought with him or broken down on the tract events. Of course no one else's racers fail anymore so poor Paul is ripe to be picked on. He may have sold some lemons but I just can't accept he did it intentionally. My hobby next decade is to prove the isolastic Commando is the best load handling chassis ever conceived for pilot comfort and attacking harshest corners, as sweepers are just a series of accelerating straights to Ms Peel.
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Just got back from camping for 5 days.I was behind 3 full pages of post just got caught up. 75 MKIII 850 74 850 Both on the road. 72 750 COMBAT allmost half done. And my brothers 70 750 that iv not gotten to yet. So 4 here. Iv said it before cant we all just get along.
Phil
Phil
grandpaul
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One of these days I'll find someone who works with finite element analysis and will run a standard Commando chassis, then one of my monoshock conversions, side-by-side.
There is virtually NO DIFFERENCE in the way the isolastics are loaded on my monoshock bikes, and the monoshock design MIGHT slightly better (across the range of motion) with the higher, more forward upper anchor point of the single shock at the main tube. (dosn't ANYONE else wonder why all the modern bikes went that way?)
I ran this stuff by my Stuctural/Architectural/Mechanical engineer brother, my Mechanical/Electrical engineer brother, and my Structural engineer uncle, and all agreed that the design was sound (actually, they all agreed it was OVERDESIGNED for the loads imposed). I also explained to one of my brothers and my uncle the basics of the isolastic system; the other brother is a fellow Nortonphile (although he's a classic Triumph Bonneville owner/rider) and understands it completely. So, that WAS taken into consideration.
Sadly, I don't think it will be let go of 'till I produce a hard copy of a duly certified engineering design analysis report...
...just realized i may need to also have weld integrity x-ray analysis done as part of the test's basis, that might take a bit longer...
There is virtually NO DIFFERENCE in the way the isolastics are loaded on my monoshock bikes, and the monoshock design MIGHT slightly better (across the range of motion) with the higher, more forward upper anchor point of the single shock at the main tube. (dosn't ANYONE else wonder why all the modern bikes went that way?)
I ran this stuff by my Stuctural/Architectural/Mechanical engineer brother, my Mechanical/Electrical engineer brother, and my Structural engineer uncle, and all agreed that the design was sound (actually, they all agreed it was OVERDESIGNED for the loads imposed). I also explained to one of my brothers and my uncle the basics of the isolastic system; the other brother is a fellow Nortonphile (although he's a classic Triumph Bonneville owner/rider) and understands it completely. So, that WAS taken into consideration.
Sadly, I don't think it will be let go of 'till I produce a hard copy of a duly certified engineering design analysis report...
...just realized i may need to also have weld integrity x-ray analysis done as part of the test's basis, that might take a bit longer...
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To sum up to get on with the C'do counting - the main reason for mono shock was 1st to get more range with shorter shock in drit bikes and 2nd to get more constant dampering d/t less travel motion in dirt bikes so less heating of fluid. There is no real advantage as to handling beyond that and its less stable for the size of components needed compared to dual shock swing arm. It can move mass more central too for dirt and road racers. Mostly just looks sexier to new age'rs to buy.
But can we still call a mono a C'do?. I say yes as retains the isolastics and all the rest.
Sure hope Paul's after thought scab on don't fall out on the road somewhere : )
But can we still call a mono a C'do?. I say yes as retains the isolastics and all the rest.
Sure hope Paul's after thought scab on don't fall out on the road somewhere : )
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