Norton 850 Cafe Racer - Riding home tomorrow - wish me luck!

Hi Everybody,

Many thanks for allowing me to join this very informative forum.

Having owned a multitude of Japanese and Italian motorcycles, (during the past 50 years or so), I thought it was high time to purchase a classic British Norton motorcycle.

After a great deal of searching I came across a 'hybrid' 850 Norton that has been professionally built back in the 90's and it is still in stunning condition today.

It has been built around the Featherbed frame, (dating back to my birth year - 1959), but the engine is from a much later, (mid 1970's), Commando complete with later gearbox and belt drive.


All of the alloy and chrome is spotless and it has the aluminium 'Manx' petrol and oil tanks and she has the Robinson 4 Leader front drum assembly.

I am hoping to pick her up tomorrow afternoon and then ride it home, (approximately 115 miles), whilst trying to avoid any rain!

Wish me luck!

Regards,

Martian.

Martian999 said:

Hi Everybody,

Many thanks for allowing me to join this very informative forum.

Having owned a multitude of Japanese and Italian motorcycles, (during the past 50 years or so), I thought it was high time to purchase a classic British Norton motorcycle.

After a great deal of searching I came across a 'hybrid' 850 Norton that has been professionally built back in the 90's and it is still in stunning condition today.

It has been built around the Featherbed frame, (dating back to my birth year - 1959), but the engine is from a much later, (mid 1970's), Commando complete with later gearbox and belt drive.


All of the alloy and chrome is spotless and it has the aluminium 'Manx' petrol and oil tanks and she has the Robinson 4 Leader front drum assembly.

I am hoping to pick her up tomorrow afternoon and then ride it home, (approximately 115 miles), whilst trying to avoid any rain!

Wish me luck!

Regards,

Martian.

Click to expand...

Ride fast and take chances.

Hi and welcome. It sounds like you have yourself an interesting bike. Good luck with the ride home. Enjoy the adventure, and hopefully stay dry. Please post some pics when you have it.

Welcome We really like pictures!

Pics or it didn't happen....

Good luck.

Be careful if you end up in the rain and are traveling on wet roads with that 4LS front brake. They are not like a modern disc brake. Keep the rubber side down and have fun on your new toy.

Congratulations, and good luck. I also have a '59 featherbed framed bike with Commando engine(s). It has the engine tilted forward as in the Commando and I used it on the street, then for vintage road racing, and finally for landspeed racing. It's a lovely combination, and I'm sure you will enjoy it. However, mine does have updated disk front brake, and I would concur with Schwany's recommendation on being careful in the wet with the 4LS front brake.

Ken

Martian999 said:

Hi Everybody,

Many thanks for allowing me to join this very informative forum.

Having owned a multitude of Japanese and Italian motorcycles, (during the past 50 years or so), I thought it was high time to purchase a classic British Norton motorcycle.

After a great deal of searching I came across a 'hybrid' 850 Norton that has been professionally built back in the 90's and it is still in stunning condition today.

It has been built around the Featherbed frame, (dating back to my birth year - 1959), but the engine is from a much later, (mid 1970's), Commando complete with later gearbox and belt drive.


All of the alloy and chrome is spotless and it has the aluminium 'Manx' petrol and oil tanks and she has the Robinson 4 Leader front drum assembly.

I am hoping to pick her up tomorrow afternoon and then ride it home, (approximately 115 miles), whilst trying to avoid any rain!

Wish me luck!

Regards,

Martian.

Click to expand...

Good luck
Get back to us with a full report and photos if possible
I'm particularly interested in how much it vibrates
Cheers

Sounds like a cool bike. Would love to see some pics and hear about how it rides when you're all set.

RSR

How did the ride go?? And yes pictures are always welcome.

Another 850 Commando/Featherbed combo, love them, a 59 frame be a Wideline frame me thinks as the 650 Manxman was the first of the Slimelines me thinks, if the Commando/Featherbed has been set up right and engine balanced right you will have one great bike to enjoy with the 850 motor it will handle great and have a very torquey motor with more herbs in the tank, I built mine back in 1980 and was the best thing I did.
It will take you a little while to get use to it, learn how to ride it before you start to throw it around, let the bike do all the hard work, once you get use to it you will push it through corners and look back thinking "did I go through that corner just then" lol they handle so well.
Enjoy it as every time I ride mine it puts a big smile on my dial and it always draws a crowd when ever I am parked up or get the thumbs up from others while riding.
Look forward to seeing pics and your thought on the set up and welcome.

Ashley