Wanna get a Commando......which one ????

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moggsy

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Dec 9, 2008
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Hi all.I am a newbie located in Australia and been lurking for a while and have decided to join in the frivolity.

I am looking at getting a Norton Commando and would like to know which model would be best,750 or 850?Any advice would be great and i would be looking at perhaps buying one that i could restore slightly and do a bit of work on.

Look forward to your response.Thanks all.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will get some more sound advice here soon. I would say in general the 750's seem a little more sprinty for around town and the 850's are a little more hi-way. Of coarse either one is fine for both situations but that is how I would rate my bias on a 750 vs and 850. I've logged many hiway miles on my 750.

Which ever one you can get a good deal on 1st. should determine it. Your second machine could then be the other model. (grin)
 
Hey Moggsy,

good luck finding a Commando.

I would suggest if you are looking to do lots of highway miles you look at 850 Interstate.
This has a 26 litre petrol tank vs the Roadster that only has 11 litres and you will be forever calculating if you are gunna make it to the next gas station or hide it in the bushes and hitch to gas station and get more gas to retreive your Roadster.

I have just gone through the pain of changing my Roadster to a Interstate at a cost of NZD $1900 for tank,side covers,seat and paint job.

The Interstate is much fatter and feels a bit like riding a cow!!

However the bigger tank and more comfortable seat make it worth it.

Cheers
 
I like my '75 electric start 850 Interstate really well for highway use.

I also like my '72 dunsTall Combat 750 for messing around in the twisty/fast stuff.

...and I like a plain ol' 750 Roadster for around town.

There you have it, there are no simple answers.
 
I've had a 1969 750 S. Currently have a 1972 Combat (750). If I were to start from scratch, I'd get an 850 MK III, electric start. More than the electric start appeals to me. The rear disc brake, vernier isolastics, boxed head steady, solid state assimaltor, to name a few. The right side brake is a big plus if you have any more modern bikes.The pre MK IIIs have a lot of little niggling items that need attention, as in upgrade. As for go fast performance, let's not kid ourselves. Any 600cc modern bike will leave the Norton in the dust. You'd have to spend a lot of money to approach the performance of today's bikes. Then you have a potential hand grenade. I know I'm going to get flak for this, but the ol' Norton had a lot of basic design flaws. Possibly this is some of it's appeal to us masochistic/narcissistic types. If you want attention, ride a Norton. Anywhere. Just be prepared to put up with, well, some eccentricities, shall we say. If you are are attracted to the Norton and are not mechanically challenged, then have a go at any one of them. You'll have a big grin when you first ride one that you have nurtured.
 
Somehow I quoted my own post, which I have just deleted. Guess I'll have another martini.
 
I like my 73 950 Roadster for highway use, messing around in the twisty fast stuff, and around town. At 55 MPG, my three gallon tank is big enough that I'm not having to stop to gas up all that often.
 
One of the great things about Commando ownership is they can easily be customized with the features you like and still look like a Norton!

I have seen 850 "Interbacks" with S-style pipes that are gorgeous and all Norton. It was a result of the owner taking the features of each model and making what he wanted. These "bitzas" seem to have as much resale value as a dead-nuts original. I have an original paint one owner 750 MkV and a '68 Fastback, but my 850 Interstate with Brembo brakes, rearsets, and a lot of stainless bitts and Mk3/Production Racer replica get as much attention.

They all have their faults that can be improved on, so my advice is find one you like at a price you feel is fair and joint the fun!
 
For me that's half the fun, Working on my bike and then having the satisfaction of it running good and making little improvements along the way. Then making it your own by customizing it, And it is cool the way so many people say "Hey I use to have a Norton" And then to see the smile on their face is pretty special. And that's true they do get a lot of attention too, I have parked next to a line of custom Harley's at the pub I go to and the bike they look at is the Norton, No kidding, But any Norton 750 or 850 is a lot of fun, Ride safe guys, Chuck. :)
 
You will learn a lot about mechanics. They are not for appliance riders! Also you will learn how to swear like a real biker. how to use bandages. how to drink heavily. how to refrain from throwing things. how to use goop hand cleaner...........

Russ
 
Ron L said:
One of the great things about Commando ownership is they can easily be customized with the features you like and still look like a Norton!
...
They all have their faults that can be improved on, so my advice is find one you like at a price you feel is fair and joint the fun!
Click to expand...

That's probably the best advise right there,
I would only add to buy one in the best possible mechanical condition, that you can afford that appeals to you.
They're so different than anything you have probably owned.
750's, 850's, they're all good.
 
Michael, very good advice.

As it turns out, it cost almost EXACTLY the same to overhaul an engine that "only needs a valve job and new clutch plates" as it does to take a basket of Norton engine parts and turn it into a reliable engine.

Best bet is to be able to take an extended test ride over an hour, through city, country and highway.
 
Don't buy a bag of bolts thinking you are getting a deal. Ride as many as you can for comparison purposes. The longer the ride the better. Equivalent bikes are not equivalent. Each has a personality of its own. Some are dogs and some go like the wind. You want to find the latter.
For myself, if you don't kick it to get it going it is not a motorcycle. That said, even though mine is a one kick wonder, as I grow older I have visions of pushing a button to start the mayham.
 
Hi moggsy:
It seems to me that there are some good options "down under" from the posts that I see from your country.
The most important advice that you can get is "buy in" from your Chief Financial Officer (wife) before you commit. If you are your own CFO, than budget for all of the goodies that make improving these bikes so much fun. I get more smiles from riding my Norton than from any bike I own or have ever owned.
750/850 whatever it takes :wink:
Michael
 
G'day Moggsy,

There are plenty of good Commandos in Aus and lots of people who know how to look after them and good sources of spares too.

In my experience, an 850 Mk2 is the pick of the bunch. They had all the good features, relaibility, durable and do street and highway well. Expect to pay around AUD$10,000 for a decent one. If its a bit of a wreck or a shed dweller, allow $4,000 to $5,000 to renovate it so that you have reliability, performance and looks.

Cheers,
Mick
 
Thankyou everyone for your replies and advice.
I am also considering perhaps a Triumph Bonnie or a BSA but something is drawing me to the Norton for some reason (dont know what) and will see what's out there.
I think ideally i would like an 850 mk111 but will check the market out.Hopefully the thing will be mechanically sound and i dont mind having to do it up mechanically or cosmetically,to a degree, and customise it to my liking.Yes thats the Harley part of me coming out.
This place seems like a pretty good forum where you guys chew the fat and i like the comaraderie that comes with it.Hopefully when my scoot arrives i will be able to get together with some of the local chaps and do some riding/socialising.
I will keep you guys updated on my progress.
Cheers and ride safe all......
 
One advantage for the Norton is the availability of replacement parts.
 
Moggsy,

As former Bonnie owner for 19 years and several BSA's, I can tell you once you ride a Commando, there is NO other British bike that compares.
They are just in a class of their own.

Cheers,
Mick
 
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