Question for Norton riders ?

I use my Commando almost exclusively for touring.
Mosty mountains.

Canyons of So Cal. Short but quick, usually toward a destination restaurant. Burger bike and a beer.

xbacksideslider said:

Canyons of So Cal. Short but quick, usually toward a destination restaurant. Burger bike and a beer.

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That describes most of the riding I enjoy. I took my Vincent twin on a few camping trips 30-odd years ago; the destinations were maybe 200 miles from home. These days, rides are usually 50 to 150 miles round trip and food is often involved. A week or so ago, while the Norton tank and covers were in the paint shop, I rode the Vin 120 miles for an ice cream cone!

Oh, a Commando is great at day tripping. The 2.5 gallon tank ensures that you get off about at 90 miles to reshape your butt.
I can do that still after 50 years for midweek fun.
I really like my Duc ST4s for multiple day trips because of the storage capacity. It does have the same type of power on demand and great nimble handling as a Commando, so not much of change.

Yes, commando seats are awful. A former Norton dealer told me about how the factory pitched the innovation of the form that was used in those seats. It was a product of one of the British foam and rubber companies, consisting of a bunch of chopped up junk foam. they pieced it together. I had my seat redone by a local upholstery shop where the only thing they did was replace the foam. Fixed it.

Knucles said:

Do most people cruise longer distances on their Norton or another bike ?
what other cruiser do you ride?
maybe when carrying a passenger a larger cruiser is better?

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Any answer to this question may be right, or wrong, for you.

Some folks are comfortable on a Commando, others feel too "stretched" or too "cramped"

Some folks are comfortable on any give bike all day long; others have a bad back and can only ride 2-3 hours maximum.

Some folks love "seat A", others love "seat B", Still others hate seats A and B, but love "seat C".

Some people only have one bike - their Commando. Others have multiple bikes, specifically to have the right one for the desired ride.

Some people carry a passenger regularly, others are solo riders. Combine this scenario with multiple bikes, seats, etc...

The possibilities are endless.

What is your riding style?
What type of roads surround your locale?
How is your Commando equipped?
How is your physical condition as relates to riding?
Are you willing to modify your bike if necessary?
Do you have a trailer, in order to trailer your bike a half-day away to get to good/better riding areas?
Again, infinite possibilities...

maylar said:

I only have one motorcycle, a 74 MKII... Even in Roadster trim, a Commando is very versatile.

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So true.

As a "standard" bike, like most of it's era, it can be quick-fitted to suit specific tasks, then re-fitted to any other role as required.

Modern bikes are, for the most part, designed for specific riding roles. Not a lot of crossover anymore, without sacrificing one or more major considerations typically required of a 2-wheeler...

Nowadays I only tend to ride my commando on nice sunny days and tend to keep it local, as you will see it was not built with comfort in mind

So for the other days its either the sensible Beemer or the not so sensible Duke

If I want to go fast beyond my capability – I ride my Buell locally.

If I want to smile continuously for rides up to 150 miles in a day – I take the 829 Commando.

If I want to play the king-of-cool (McQueen) on bike night I take my TR6R.

If I want to visit my son in Dayton, Ohio (about 220 miles south on I-75) I pull the dust cover off of my 1976 BMW R75/6. I plug in my battery charger the night before, check the oil and tire pressure and fill with about 6 gallons of so called premium fuel. The next morning, I snap on the Krauser bags and head for the highway. 3 ½ hours later I arrive clean, relatively fresh and ready for a return in a day or so. No worries about what may go wrong – just ride and enjoy. I have owned it since new and figure at 71 I still have another 10 years or so of quality riding left (hopefully more).