The Combat Question

The incredible exploding combat engine is now part of motorcycle/urban myth. And, like most urban myth, has little basis in fact, in the real world we inhabit now. UNLESS you want to wring the tits off it every time you ride, pick drags with H1's/CB750's/Meriden triples etc, which is how they were ridden when they were new, it is really not a major issue, IMO. And even then, plenty of Combats had no issues in that respect anyway. I know of at least three combats that have simply had the bearings replaced with superblends over the years, get ridden hard but not stupid, and just have nil issues. Maybe some oil build up in the top end at a sustained 80-90 mph :roll: You seem to be just as likely to crack those 750 barrels at the bottom as run the improved bearings, if really going hard. Yeah, if you get the choice, go with the improved cases. Or drop the compression ratio back a bit, which was what exacerbated the original problem.

None of the Bomb Combat versions survive today in their blow up prone state.
All the errors and warrantee work put Norton so behind it never really caught back up. Educational on one thing leads to another and another. To me the Cream of Norton crop, once upgraded a good bit.
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I owned a Combat Norton in 82, my first Norton. I had absolutely no prolems , in 270000 miles.
Then I got an 850 and immediately regretted it, Times change --- now I love ,my 850s

Will have to Compromise . A Combat 850 .

My buddy Wesley had a Combat in the 70's in North Carolina and said it would eat up all brands up to over 100 mph or so, then the hotter ones could over take him, if nil turning-leaning involved, so they could catch up to make it a real race again. Combats = Cream of the Commando Crop, if a hardened heart to flail them to perform.