How Old is too Old?

gortnipper said:

Then I think you want a multi pot caliper, with better EBC pads.

I put the CNW Brembo unit on and it is just like modern bike. You can get street/track day pads for it that are fantastic. I also have those pads on my modern Duc and they are night and day from the stock Brembo pads or Ferodo.

Another bonus is I use adjustable shorty levers on them, which helps as I have Dupetruyn's.

Colorado Norton Works cNw brake systems for your Norton Commando by Brembo Custom Norton Motorcycles

cNw brake systems for your Norton Commando by Brembo. This is the best system for your bike in the world

coloradonortonworks.net

Another good option is Don Penders kit. Also modern based and gets very good reviews. I assume you can at least get EBC HH pads for those, if not the excellent EPFA ones.

Online store - Norton Brakes 750.00 USD

320mm single disc 6 piston brake kit, includes everything to convert your standard brake, Master cyl fits Lucas switch block, Caliper color choice, Gold, Black,Silver, polished alloy. advise of type of handlebar for correct hose length

www.tritonmotorcycleparts.com

Maybe @Fast Eddie can chime in on the differences as I think he has had both.

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OK Gortnipper, I’ll chime in…

I’ve not had both of those, but similar…

I had a 6 pot caliper from ‘Pretech’. The best thing about these is that are made for Norton’s, so no adaptor plate etc is needed. Braking power is awesome. But the pads can rattle, sounds petty I know but it got to drive me nuts!

So I now have the cNw kit and it’s definitely the winner. I’d say that outright power is down on the Pretech but there is still more than enough for the road, though I confess the disc gets a bit blue on the track. I have fitted the track compound pads to mine.

The cNw kit gives a proper modern ‘feel’. This is something that’s often overlooked when folk talk about the fact their brake ’will lock the wheel’. Well… actually folks… that’s precisely NOT what you want to happen! There is a LOT more to effective brake design than being able to lock the wheel! And a brake with feel helps to prevent this, a lot.

IMHO the cNw kit is truly excellent. So much so I replicated it on my T140 as well. Yes, it doesn’t look original. Yes, it’s expensive. But in modern day traffic, powerful brakes with good feel are more important than ever, and not just in terms of safety, but also in terms of confidence boosting. But, that’s not to say there aren’t other ways of getting a better brake of course.

All only IMHO.

Cliffa: no problems with bleeding the brake. Or rather the feel it has is fine by me. I do not like rock hard lever feel anyway. For me better to have some sponge to it. But I can use it with two fingers.
As an aside, I DO have issues with the clone alloy brake which I think is Wassel (or now branded as Girling!) which seems to be
unbleedable on my Triumph T150v. Apparently I am not alone on this.

Onder said:

Cliffa: no problems with bleeding the brake. Or rather the feel it has is fine by me. I do not like rock hard lever feel anyway. For me better to have some sponge to it. But I can use it with two fingers.
As an aside, I DO have issues with the clone alloy brake which I think is Wassel (or now branded as Girling!) which seems to be
unbleedable on my Triumph T150v. Apparently I am not alone on this.

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Actually I prefer that kind of feel too Onder.

FE went the posh route and is probably correct. Why? Because it is a ton of dosh but your bike isn't free and neither is your life.
He correctly, in my opinion, notes the importance of brake feel and the ability to haul yourself down without a locked brake. Modern bikes have antilock and we don't: guess who needs all the help we can get?

My 'budget' parts bin brake has a very modern feel, and hauls the bike down from any speed swiftly and predictably with 2 fingers of pressure. Lever feel is excellent. It is a Nissin caliper from a CBR 600F4 (HH EBC linings) and a 1/2" M/C from an early 90's 750 Ninja. The Norton rotor is stock thickness; the adapter plate and spacer are made from 3/8" 6061 aluminum. A stainless braided line completes the set up.

The cast iron rotor may seem antiquated, but there is no better friction surface and heat sink.

FWIW

Since Nortons don't have anti-lock brakes, the rider is the "anti-lock system." If the brake system can't lock the front wheel then it's not powerful enough. IF the front brake can lock the wheel and the feel of the brake is satisfactory, then a "better" brake won't stop you any better. ABS is great - surprised there isn't an aftermarket system...

Hmm...remember when ABS came out and everybody b1tched that they were talking control away from the rider? Oh...same as when headlights were decreed to be "on" when the ignition was turned on. Nobody likes to be told what to do, regardless of how good it works! Heck, people were upset when hydraulic brakes came out! And some folks (here) are upset about electric starters!

MexicoMike said:

And some folks (here) are upset about electric starters!

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You talkin' 'bout me Willis?

MexicoMike said:

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Looks pretty clean to me, unmolested.

Dan1950 said:

After 35years of marriage that ended in divorce I ended up with a nice settlement and I think it is time for me to enjoy life again. I'm thinking about getting a pre MK2 850 Commando. I have about 5 years experience with BSA A65 and knew every part on my 1967 Thunderbolt. I never saw any need for electric start on a British bike as long as they were tuned properly and one knew the proper starting sequence. I even preferred kick start on my 1964 86 cu in Panhead stroker.

Is 70 too old to start riding again? I am in b very good health and feel about 1/2 my chronological age.

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My dad came to me at the age of 83 and said sort me out a bike boy, I was a BMW dealer at the time, he had not had a bike since before the war! I took a used R65 out of stock and kitted it out, he rode around the UK for a week then headed of to Portugal to his villa, when he was 87 he called to say did I fancy riding out there to ride back to the UK with him which we did, we rode the entire depth of Spain in one day 660 miles, then another 600 to Cherbourg the next day, so in answer to your question are you too old at 70? definitely not! Bikes keep you young! Come to think of it, he never did pay me for the bike!

Ok, hope I'm not jinxing myself but it looks like I might be close to setting up a deal on this '74 Roadster. 8188 mile indicated, numbers matching, RH10 heads lots of electronics upgrades, clean title and it's in New York State. Not a show bike, it has flaws that might be expected for a 47 year old well cared for bike. Seems like an honest motorcycle. The guy has 7 Commandos and just want to "make some space". Not too crazy about the paint, but I have my own compressor and 2 stage airbrush so that can be remedied this winter.

1977years said:

Looks pretty clean to me, unmolested.

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Was blue metalflake a factory paint scheme?

Dan1950 said:

Was blue metalflake a factory paint scheme?

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Yes

EstuaryBoy said:

Yes

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Then I'll just have to learn to like it. It would be a shame to mess with a survivor.

Personally I think it's an easy colour to like...

Dan1950 said:

Then I'll just have to learn to like it. It would be a shame to mess with a survivor.

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The bike looks great, I think you’ll love the colour when you see it in the metal and in sunlight.

Please, please, please… don’t paint it black !

Anyway, it’s a fact that blue ones are fastest…

Personal choice for sure, but I'm with You, EstuaryBoy, 'easy to like', universal appeal. Admirable
Dan, it is a survivor,and a pretty darn decent example I'd say, that blue and silver just works, IMHO.

My gun, airbrush, and cans of black lacquer are all three twitching about as I view those photos..... compressor is fast cycling also. Everything gets all excited..... I smell lacquer thinner.


I like the blue flake though so's I'll get them settled down and put away.

WOW - that is a find!! Love the metalflake blue!! If the bones are good, I would do a rolling restoration - ride it, and make upgrades / minor repairs as you go.

Fingers crossed it works out!!

Fast Eddie said:

The bike looks great, I think you’ll love the colour when you see it in the metal and in sunlight.

Please, please, please… don’t paint it black !

Anyway, it’s a fact that blue ones are fastest…

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I had a "BLUE" '57 Chevy with a 301 SB Chevy engine. Fastest '57 Chevy in Irwin, PA back in 1968.

My '67 BSA Thunderbolt was "BLUE" terrorized the Sportsters and 750 Hondas back in the early '70s (it was extensively modified)

I had a "BLUE" '70 Dart 340 Swinger 4-speed. Terrorized the big blocks in the Allegheny valley in the mid '70s.

I also had a "BLUE" '78 International Scout, '97 2500 Ram 4 x 4 with factory lift "snowplow package", 2016 Toyota Highlander, 2019 Toyota 4Runner. (the ex got that along with the lease payments)

Guess I'll have to keep the Commando "BLUE".

In the past 15 years I've had a red, a black and a BRG Commando. The first two were roadsters and the last is a fastback. All three are the same bike in its various guises.

Paint it whenever you feel like you need a new color!