May be giving up this Commando thing...

Status
Not open for further replies.
mike996

mike996

Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
1,075
Or, more accurately, relegating the bike to occasional "special" use.

I have no intention of selling it but the riding I'm doing here (Central Mexico) is tough - though it's taking it just fine (thanks to safety wire), it's more me!. It's great on good roads, and doesn't give up anything to any of my fellow riders' bikes but once we get into the darned cobblestones, vast number of speed bumps, dirt roads, occasional river beds, it's just too much work!

The good part of riding it is that anywhere we stop for refreshment, no matter how small the town/village, people look at the Commando. The other day we were out and a friend with a brand new Tenere (sp?) found that nobody paid the slightest attention to his bike, they all clustered around the Norton. That's definitely neat and if we ONLY road on paved, decent roads, the Commando would continue to be my only bike. But when a ride was posted the other day, the poster stated that it was not suited to the Norton because of about 10 miles of rutted dirt roads. :(

So I'm going to look at a Triumph Tiger 800 next week. I don't want a Vstrom or KLR - they are ubiquitous here among Gringos. There are no Triumphs so I'd like to have something at least a bit different than what everyone else rides. The triple sounds appealing if I'm really going to retire the Norton.

Anybody have any thoughts/experience with the Tiger?
 
mike996 said:
I don't want a Vstrom or KLR - they are ubiquitous here among Gringos. There are no Triumphs so I'd like to have something at least a bit different than what everyone else rides.
Anybody have any thoughts/experience with the Tiger?
Click to expand...

So how does this affect spare parts when the inevitable happens?
Hows the market for older airhead BMW GS's ?A lot easier to maintain than anything OHC and fuel injected in a not so good enviroment IMHO..
 
There are Triumph dealers here so parts/service shouldn't be a big problem. In fact, if I buy a new bike, whatever the brand, I will probably buy it here to avoid the hassles of keeping a US-licensed vehicle in Mexico. You cannot get a Mexican plate for a vehicle not purchased in Mexico. You can get a 6-month tourist sticker at the border (400 USD deposit) but to keep it here longer than that you are required to return to the border, get your deposit back, exit the country, turn around, come back in and obtain another 6 month sticker/do the deposit at the border. It's really cumbersome. Obviously, you can ignore the whole thing - lots of people do - and just drive the car/bike, hoping for no problems. But if the Federales decide to stop you for that purpose, if the bike/car is here beyond the sticker expiration date, they can confiscate the vehicle immediately and there is no legal recourse - it's gone. Admittedly although I've heard of that happening, neither I nor anyone I know here has actually seen that happen or knows anyone who has seen it happen.

Re fuel injection/modern electronics - most of the people I ride with are on modern bikes and nobody has had any issues at all with the electronics/FI. Quite the contrary - they all seem pretty much bulletproof. A good friend here has a two Commandos but his normal ride is a Vstrom 1000 though he did ride one of his Commandos to Canada/back for a rally up there a year or two back. But normally, when we are going on a ride and I ask him if he's going to ride a Commando, he just laughs. ;)

My wife's probably the most "enthusiastic" about me getting a new bike. She thinks the Norton is really cool but says, "This is just the wrong place for it." ;)
 
Well then as long as your not scared then I say go for it. My buddy Concours has an 07 Triumph Tiger 1050, and if I wasn't so happy with my 07 Suzuki Bandit I'd have the Tigger in a heartbeat.
Enjoy!
 
I have a Tiger 955i and love it, but personally feel it is too big, tall, heavy, and especially top heavy for anything more than easy dirt roads....but from what I've read the 800 is a bit smaller and lighter. Absolutely love the engine, torquey like a twin at low rpms but pulls and accelerates hard like a four when wound up...and sounds much better. One thing to be aware of on the 800 Tigers is that the passenger peg mounts stick out quite a bit and are welded to the frame....a good spill can trash the frame and maybe total the bike, has happened to a few people. My Commando does get a lot less miles now but have no plans to sell it and enjoy it as much as ever...I often take the Tiger out intead for night rides, long distance (especially freeway riding), rides w/ friends that are on modern bikes, etc
 
Prolly a wise decision saving your nerves and beating up the Commando. I like my tri linked isolastic Cdo best on rough stuff but takes a tear down to install the main rump link. I hope you have ridden other cycles to see how much work they are on bad surfaces too. I face similar decisions - conditions just to ride out to pavement regardless of what I'm riding and yes its nerve wracking and fatiguing to point of not fun enough to make me not wonder how long I'll tempt fates knowing I'll be slammed again if I keep at it. I decided like 7 yr ago to put a Cdo together that was at home as any bike on any surface, as other life fates delayed my dream machine, including some dozzies of off road take downs not my fault but butt in saddle. Hopefully this year might have some video to re-access what a Cdo can do in glee.
 
I've ridden my wife's '12 BMW F650GS some and find it quite "pleasant" (OK, maybe that's an exaggeration) on the rough stuff that beats me to death on the Commando. I have never ridden the Triumph tiger 800 - or any other Triumph, old style or new - but it seems to be getting excellent reviews and, as I said, I'd like to have something different than what everyone else here is riding. But, sadly, I can't get away from the fact that I don't care for the look of the dual sport/adventure bike style at all so basically, if I buy a new bike to ride here, I'll essentially be buying a motorcycle that I don't really like. Now a new Triumph 675 Daytona? THERE"S a new bike I would love! But it's probably even less practical here then the Commando. :(

Definitely a conundrum... ;)

I suppose a REAL brittbike rider would say, "You're a weenie, quit whining and ride that Commando. We used to ride those bike's everywhere." :)
 
If you want to get something that gets as many looks as the Norton try the Triumph Scrambler. Might need to adjust the suspension to be a little softer but it would be a hoot.

May be giving up this Commando thing...
 
I've ridden the KLM 650 single endro off off and on freeways and there's nothing about it I like to attract me d/t its too utilitarian experience. I'd be looking at a super motard set up but with big-ish engine not to get left behind on the open pavement. i like the Ducti Asian knock off like the SV650 or SV-Storms with nice engine pulses and dang handy and low maintaince, but suspension definitely must be upgraded at both ends and good tires fit.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I81nLai-YVE&list=UUPYptSBefG8VVdgykSJuXxw[/video]

I bet the lack of Norton sounds might be sorely missed...
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpdHnjjoPF0&list=UUPYptSBefG8VVdgykSJuXxw[/video]
 
hobot said:
I've ridden the KLM 650 single endro off off and on freeways and there's nothing about it I like to attract me d/t its too utilitarian experience. I'd be looking at a super motard set up but with big-ish engine not to get left behind on the open pavement. i like the Ducti Asian knock off like the SV650 or SV-Storms with nice engine pulses and dang handy and low maintaince, but suspension definitely must be upgraded at both ends and good tires fit.

snip


Supermotos do work great on rough roads and make kind of a modern day scrambler, I have a DR650 version myself and it works great on our back roads which are not maintained well anymore...and would not want one smaller than a 650 myself for general use including freeways, riding with others on larger road bikes, etc...may go to a 19" front wheel eventually for looks, off road use, and so that it will run the same ADV size tires as my Triumph, have 17's at both ends now
Click to expand...
 
Sorry to hear you retiring the old Norton, but you won't be dissapointed with a new Triumph. I had a test ride the other week on the 800 Tiger and also the 1200 Tiger Explorer and the 800 won! I just thought the 1200 was too much of everything, height, weight, gizmo's, price etc. The 800 was really easy to use and the engine is a peach, comparing the new bike to my 900 Sprint which is getting on for 20 year old now and time for retiring (my Norton is in pieces) it was suprising how much horse power the engine makes, very similar, and everything is so much more new and works as it should :D .
So before I take the plunge I will be having a blast on the very new Tiger Sport with the 1050 engine, test bikes should be out at the end of March, hopefully the weather will improve coz we have really bad snow here in the UK at the moment. Have you considered the new Tiger Sport?

CB
 
The modern Tiger SHINES when the road turns junky. Here we live with Frost Heaves all winter driving cages, when they thaw and go down, left behind is broken and mismatched pavement. A suspension that isn't compliant is simply punishing on these back roads. The triple engine has great torque down low and wails almost like a four. Happy trails!
 
I haven't yet actually seen ANY of the Triumphs - only pics/videos/reviews. My general sense is that the 1050 is more bike than I need/want but I will take a look at one as well as the Tiger 800 later this week when I'm in Texas. THere are several dealers in San Antonio and I'm hoping I can come away with a decision on what to do and, if it is to buy one to replace the Norton, then I would do that here sometime in the next few months.

Thanks for the info/thoughts!
 
mike996 said:
I haven't yet actually seen ANY of the Triumphs - only pics/videos/reviews. My general sense is that the 1050 is more bike than I need/want but I will take a look at one as well as the Tiger 800 later this week when I'm in Texas. THere are several dealers in San Antonio and I'm hoping I can come away with a decision on what to do and, if it is to buy one to replace the Norton, then I would do that here sometime in the next few months.

Thanks for the info/thoughts!
Click to expand...


When I test rode the Street Triple 675, the front wheel was off the ground every time I accelerated.... the 800 has received glowing reviews..
 
Though someone of a more traditional outlook may lean differantly . :)

May be giving up this Commando thing...


May be giving up this Commando thing...


if theyre not adverse to pushing it occasionally . :lol:

The Olde T120 isnt a bad weight & size for boondocking . The T675 should be gottable down to a comparable weight .

If Doing a Street Tracker / enduro device from one , might be cheaper to buy a low milage write of , with all the prettty bits munted , & go from there .
Or get a T800 Engine , T675 R frame , shoehorn the engine in & select the rest as suits .

Come on . PROJECT . We want . E.T.C. , no shagging about . Hop to it . :wink: :lol:
 
Hi, pity about the Commando, they were ment for the smooth.The old N15CS was a lot stronger and very popular in California for desert racing in the late 60's and early 70's. The frame was a brazed lug Matchless with longer Roadholder forks. I reckon a BMW GS650 will do you, light and economical to run. The old GS1150 breaks frames on the rough, watch the boys in Long Way Round, one needs a large support crew with them! Have fun, Paul
 
Put your Commando motor into a Featherbed frame, mine handles just as good on the dirt as it does on the road, because the frame is shorter as well the whole bike is much lighter, I ride on a lot of dirt and rough roads and it don't worry me at all, put a set of knobby tyres on and I could probly go any where :D

Ashley
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

F
  • Locked
Giving up.
2 3 4 5 6 7
Replies
139
Views
14,395
Mike40M
Mike40M
grandpaul
  • Locked
Need help to positively I.D. this Commando cam
Replies
0
Views
1,057
grandpaul
grandpaul
Back
Top