What is your favorite stock Norton Model/Configuration?

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Are we talking favourite to look at or to use?
Just for pure viewing pleasure, it's gotta be this one for me. I have never ridden one so they may be awful in that department, though I doubt it.
Kenny Deer got the styling right and Stuart Garner was smart to leave it alone.

What is your favorite stock Norton Model/Configuration?[/URL

Of the older bikes, a 50s on Manx is such a perfectly developed minimalist machine that it looks beautiful just because you know what has gone into designing it and what it can do. And every cafe racer bike, all of the lovely CNW bikes plus the 961 above would all like to be a Manx somehow. Of the pre Donnington group, it would be my favourite to look at, but obviously not practical as a long haul road machine.

To tour around on, a MK3 Interstate works pretty well. Of all the Commandos, they seem to bring the highest dollar for equivalent condition bikes. I guess that means they are the favourite Commando of the majority?

Glen
 
1972 Commando Combat Roadster in Black is still the most beautiful machine
Craig
 
My favourite looking bike in the sixties, (although I was a Triumph Tiger100 man at that time) was the Norton 650SS Manxman.
 
I'm with Brad, FB with peashooters, second would be my 'S' type then the early Roadster. The least liked one by me is the 'SS'.
 
Roadster for me. Year, engine size do not matter.

What is your favorite stock Norton Model/Configuration?


The other models are good too, but a Roadster still looks the best IMHO. Timeless beauty and elegance, like the Platonic Form of what a motorcycle should be. Everything you need and nothing you don't. :D

And now it's time to take this one out for a little ride...
 
Mine would be the red Atlas. Its what caused me to want a Norton when I was a kid.
2nd is the Orange 71 roadster [ yup I got one ] and yes I do like that drum as well.
3rd is the Purple 850 all weather everyday rider.

Bradley, the only way to keep your commando looking that good is to keep it in your lounge. Get a second bike to ride, [ like me ] that it doesn't matter what it looks like so long as it goes like hell. Norton club members in NZ haven't seen my orange one yet because I cant be bothered cleaning it, so I don't get it dirty. The purple one has looked really filthy when I have got to a rally, but the point of the rally to me is just getting there and having fun, staying up all night and telling lies over a good bottle of malt and a good beer.

Dereck

PS haven't had time to sort out the noisy third gear but going anyway. New front pads will go on this week.
 
I like all Nortons from the late 50s to the Commandos, there is just something about the twin Nortons so when i left school and started working I got my brand new black Roadster a 74 850 when I was 17 years old and still have most of the same bike with quite a lot of changes but still have the same motor, gearbox, frontend with a lot of improvments and wheels, so my favorite is the way I built it for me, its not in stock form but hey, I just improved on it and the best thing is that there is no others about that look like mine around my city, I don't care if my Norton is not clean as I spend my time riding it never anytime for cleaning it, but it does get a good clean and polish on its birthday 26th of June the day I picked it up when I brought it new nearly 40 years ago.

What is your favorite stock Norton Model/Configuration?


Ashley
 
1970 "S" ......my big brother had one in fireflake blue, and it just got burned into my brain :D I loved that bike. I went through a bunch of different makes and models thru the years, then left motorcycles behind. When I decided to get another one....the "interback" that Kenny Dreer built for Dave Edwards and he put on the cover of that cycleworld magazine reminded me what I was missing in my life :mrgreen: triple digit speeds on two wheels out on public roads are behind me now, but the Norton "big twin" is great for the everyday real world, gotta love second gear that all that torque :roll: plus they're easy to move around in the garage and lovely to look at :wink: now with JS motorsports products, cNw, all the parts suppliers that hung in there, Norman White, Mick Hemmings ,Oldbritts, rabers, waldrige RGM etc...and options of quality parts being made ( madass140, comnoz , fullauto heads, TTi gearboxes) etc... I believe there has never been a better time to own and ride one, no matter which model you choose
 
One that runs all the time and never leaks and sparkles clean everywhere ya look and sounds and rides so sweetly smoothly comfortable you merge as one with it never wanting to get off and not have to jump Norton fence to do so.
 
I like them all ..... but really like the looks of this one:
(what model would you call it?)

What is your favorite stock Norton Model/Configuration?
 
Well the question was stock style and this is the Commando forum, so the roadster is my favorite. The type S is a good 2nd place.
 
Stock would have to be a tossup between the Fastback and LR Fastback. If you can put an LR Fastback seat on a standard Fastback, then that would be my favorite. Just wish they made a steel tank FB.

RSR
 
That would be an Interback, or perhaps an Interback S.
The look has grown on me over time.
That one is nicely done.

Mark said:
I like them all ..... but really like the looks of this one:
(what model would you call it?)

What is your favorite stock Norton Model/Configuration?
Click to expand...
 
This two tone CNW mimicking Inter-Back with one sided pipes was close to how I first envisioned next Peel set up and may yet be but time money and wider scope of activity than ordinary Commandos put me off to follow up till actually runing this year. I saved the seat pan plans of fitting Fastback to IS tank so still on my mind.
 
I think the best ever Norton was the 1962 30M Manx. The best of their old style road bikes was the 650SS. If I wanted a classic bike I could live with, I'd buy a Mk2A 850 Commando. It doesn't have the arse about bodged up gear change, and it is reasonably sensible. I don't know what I would do with a genuine Manx or a 650SS. You could ride the 650SS on Sundays however the Manx should be in a museum along with the Mona Lisa and the P3 Alfa Romeos. I think it's a shame that so many Manxes have been depleted by running in historic races against what is mainly rubbish. Anyone who really loves bikes should have the experience of riding a genuine one, even if they have to pay for the ride. They are something else - very inspiring.
 
Mark said:
I like them all ..... but really like the looks of this one:
(what model would you call it?)
Click to expand...

IIRC, that was one that Peter Egan had built a number of years back. People refer to them as inter backs. Not a factory model, but nice.
 
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