Why bother with a Commando?

crusadersports · Jun 23, 2011

Hello Chaps,

I've been following this forum for a couple of months, given my advice where I thought it was warranted and asked plenty of questions to you all. No one needs telling it's something special if you like Cdos.

We've got a great mix of folk from all over the world, from the old country, the US, Australia, even and Hong Kong and Nigeria.

One question eludes me. What's so good about a Commando?

I'm especially interested in why non Brits don't just buy Japanese or Milwaukee!

Serious question- I work in a Museum. I'd really like to know!

Anglophile · Jun 23, 2011

IMHO, it's more pleasing to the eye than anything that came out of Japan. Great lines. It's lightweight compared to American Iron. It's classic (perfect for those who aren't into modern bikes). It's rubber-mounted drivetrain makes it more pleasant to ride than a Triumph. The list goes on and many will chime in....

crusadersports · Jun 23, 2011

Ok, Thanks Anglophile, good to have a Brit perspective. Any more?

But you Yankee Doodles stuck a bayonet in anything British in 1776!

What's so good about Cdo?

steveyacht · Jun 23, 2011

The sound is a symphony with out being obnoxious. The reputaion on the track is legend. The look is simple elegance. The feel is sensuous. The praise from onlookers, priceless.

crusadersports · Jun 23, 2011

Sorry Angophile, Fairfax VA, is obviously not a county of the United kingdom!

Beg your pardon and thanks for the input!

Rohan · Jun 23, 2011

We'll begin by going off track here - there is a thread elsewhere on this site with what other bikes do you own. Many and varied is the answer for most...

Commando for me is a mix of light weight and incredibly torquey engine.
I've done way more miles on other bikes, but the 850 will pull from so low in the rev range that its just magic to feel. And it REVS, no tractor engine here, in spite of the long stroke.

No fluke that it won British 'Bike of the Year' 5 times running, was it.
With a strong hint of 'thats how they used to build them' = All metal.
And throw in some racing heritage - going back to 1907.
They are fun. And thats what motorcycles are all about ?

850 Mk1, mid-rebuild. Long time coming....

DogT · Jun 23, 2011

Riding most other bikes after the Norton, is like being forced to have sex with a condom after enjoying the real thing.

Dave
69S

crusadersports · Jun 23, 2011

Thanks Rohan,

So we have light weight, torquey engine and a racing ancestry going back to 1907.

I s'pose I was thinking about cultural differences. To be utterly impolite, why do Americans, Aussies and Scots (McVic?) etc, bother with a fundametally English bike?

Or is it actually that good that it doesn't matter what one feels about Englishness?

Rohan · Jun 23, 2011

Folks will buy good bikes, no matter where they are built !
And in spite of how they are built, it must be said ? !
Where does logic come into it...

Don't know if you've noticed, but there are Brit, American, German, Italian, Japanese, French Spanish Canadian Czech Russian Chinese and Indian made bikes. And more. Many more.
Some have been good sellers, some brilliant sellers, some only local sellers.
Most you can still buy today, in some form or another.

What do you conclude from that ?

pkeithkelly · Jun 23, 2011

in response to your question - th eanswer is simple: most riders do prefer Japanese and American bikes, and have done so for the last 35+ years. Even during Norton's heydays in N. American sales in the early 70's, it was outsold by Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley by a wide margin. I would hazard a guess at least a thousand to 1.
Many of us on this forum, though we love our Nortons, also own American and Japanese bikes.

As a matter of fact, as i type this I am at a motel on Day 2 of a 6 day/3,000 mile road trip - on an American bike, while my buddy is riding his Yamaha FJR. My Commando is waiting for me at home in the garage, where it will be rewarded with some local mountain rides on my return.

daveh · Jun 23, 2011

DogT said:
Riding most other bikes after the Norton, is like being forced to have sex with a condom after enjoying the real thing.

Dave
69S

Brilliant!

steveyacht said:
The sound is a symphony with out being obnoxious. The reputaion on the track is legend. The look is simple elegance. The feel is sensuous. The praise from onlookers, priceless.

Amen to that.

crusadersports · Jun 23, 2011

Thanks Rohan,

I don't conclude anything. It's what other other folk FEEL and THINK that I'm trying to get at.

Very few models of any manufacturer have thier own forum and I'm trying to see if a cultural input has anything to do with it!

DogT · Jun 23, 2011

It may be that it was the fastest bike in the early 70's and lots of people got used to them. British bikes and cars in those years were to die for, they were totally different from what you could get in the US, plus they were exotic and girls loved them. Can't speak for the Europeans or Antipodians.

Dave
69S

steveyacht · Jun 23, 2011

crusadersports said:
Thanks Rohan,

So we have light weight, torquey engine and a racing ancestry going back to 1907.

I s'pose I was thinking about cultural differences. To be utterly impolite, why do Americans, Aussies and Scots (McVic?) etc, bother with a fundametally English bike?

Or is it actually that good that it doesn't matter what one feels about Englishness?

There is nothing about being made in England that drew me to the Norton, it was the attributes of the bike itself. Unlike Japanese bikes of the time, it had more personality. Unlike BMW's It had better styling. Unlike the Italian bikes that I liked, MV Agusta, Ducati 750SS, Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans.... it was affordable and more readily available. Harley's of the time were horrible!!!

Nothing spectacular about England, but the did have to be manufactured somewhere.

ILLF8ED · Jun 23, 2011

Bought the first Commando because it was exotic, cheap and the fastest motorcycle on the road....1973. Got used to Commando right side shift, it never really got slow, it's made of metal not plastic, I know how to rebuild it and it's cool, oh yea and I may be getting older,but due to 38 years riding these I'm so familiar I can still ride it fast. Norton's aren't disposable. When you die, just pass it to the next care taker.

boz · Jun 23, 2011

I just got home from a short ride on my 70 "S". I am still breaking in the engine and am limited in the revs I give her. I hit 80 MPH for the first time in 3 years . Smooth fast and fun. A friend of mine made the statement that riding a Norton is like spanking Ann Margaret. The harder you spank her the more she cries for more.

bwolfie · Jun 23, 2011

Here is my 2 cents worth. I am born and raised in the milwaukee area. I dislike Harley. My wife is an employee of the motor company and it pays my mortgage. I don't like the attitude. And don't understand leather fringe. I recieved a 1973 commando botched chopper project for free 15 years ago. I have only done 100 miles on it. I'm hooked. The best 100 miles I have done. I have had honda kawasaki yamaha and suzuki's, they are nice appliances. Ridden several harleys, ehhh. But my commando, I took it to a bike show, drew a croud. Took it to work, same. Always more intersting. They made many of them, but you don't see them all that often. When you ask someone to name a british bike, you get Triumph and BSA. Norton has been around just as longe, and yet not as known. It seems to have a soul. Makes me happy when working on it, thinking of going for a ride, eaven talking about it. It's something different and unique, yet within reach of anyone. I like my 850 so much I added a 72 combat to the staable last saturday. And I have a 3rd 850 lined up later this summer. It's an addiction.

Hortons Norton · Jun 23, 2011

O. K. I'll bite, For me it's that I love to tinker with my bikes. I just bought another bike (Buell) because it was a great price, But needs lots of little things. My Norton's both needed work one needed a little work the other a total rebuild. If I was not in the garage on the weekend or evenings where would I be? (Pub) I just think being able to do the little things and then ride and know you have done the work and it runs great is very satisfying. And not to mention there was a guy in our neighborhood that had a Norton when I was young that used to ride up and down the street on his Commando at flank speed, And that bike sounded like at pissed off wasp. The sound and the visual picture are still to this day burned in my head, Outside of that it has lots of torque and the looks, Kinda like a Buell. I love em all. Did I mention I like to work on things? LOL :wink:

DogT · Jun 23, 2011

boz, you may be dating yourself there with Ann Margaret.

bwolfe, yes, they have a soul or personality that no other bike has. Plus you can ride them up and back down the curbs and still be on the seat. There's a balance to them that the Eastern and Milwaukee bikes don't have. Triumph and especially BSA get close, but no banana. They also shift on the right side and 1 up, 3 down, the way it's supposed to be.

Dave
69S

pelican · Jun 23, 2011

bwolfie said:
They made many of them, but you don't see them all that often. When you ask someone to name a british bike, you get Triumph and BSA. Norton has been around just as longe, and yet not as known.

true, every time I tell someone I have a motorcycle they ask what kind.... after saying norton and having them give me a blank stare over and over, now I just tell people I have an old british bike haha... most of the time they say oh, cool

Why bother with a Commando?

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