norton commando advice

[littlebeast]

this has always been my dream bike. spoke to a dude this weekend who said buy a 73, 74 or 75 - either with retrofitted front disk brakes, or plan to do that. anyone have experience with this? he said some other shit too, but i can't recall it (was distracted by the machinery). had thought at one point to buy one of the new ones, but seeing them next to the vintage bikes - they were sadly lacking in visceral appeal. would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[corndog67]

Do you work on your own bikes? I've pretty much always worked on my own stuff, and usually wasn't too torqued when thing went wrong when I had an old Commando, or a few Triumph twins. I wouldn't ride one to Texas or New York for instance, but around town, short trips, were always fun. They aren't what you would call reliable, but we put a Joe Hunt magneto on one of the Bonnevilles, and it turned it into a one kick starter. Got rid of the dual Lucas points, kept the Amals though, they didn't work real well, but it always started, even though you always smelled like gas with those damn ticklers on the carbs.

Depends on what you are looking for I suppose. I preferred the Triumphs myself, I guess because Nixon, Dick Mann, Gene Romero and those guys raced and did well on them, and I still see them at the races, 45 year old bikes, hauling ass in a circle. What could be cooler?

I'd say, that if you work on your own stuff, or want to learn how (seriously), you'd be OK. But if you pay someone to work on them, it could get prohibitively expensive. I'm sort of looking for an old Triumph myself. I'd really like a Trackmaster framed one, but those are really expensive.

 

[corndog67]

Alex Jorgenson...number 44, the first bike was built by Ron Wood of Wood Racing Frames. Gary Nixon, Gene Romero, and number 11, I can't recall, someone here will know. Some other cool stuff.

Damnit LB, I think you might have woke up an old obsession.

 

[Wack]

If you are OK with having a really cool bike to ride on special sunny days and can do or pay for the up keep get one. Check to see if it has the original Amal carbs or upgraded to Mikunis. If it has the Amals confirm that the slides are tight or at least sleeved and don't mind the smell of petrol on your index finger. No offense, but have you tried to kick start it in other than perfect conditions? Do you own Whitworth spanners already? A good Norton will be robust but replete with British quirks. Gorgeous bikes for sure.

 

[louemc]

What Corndog said...I grew up on Triumph & BSA. Almost got a snortin Norton, but went to see a Triumph Bonnie first. The guy had it in his Den, sitting on light cream colored wall to wall carpeting, with a white sheet over it...

The guy snapped the sheet off....I was helpless.

I wouldn't have a vintage bike now...But in those years, we didn't know any better.

 

[Tri750]

Any of the old Brit bikes can be made into a reliable 2nd bike. They should be respected for what they are so they do need attention to keep them running well. For that matter, old BMW airheads are the same way, they are on a knife edge of tune and if they go off that edge, they just don't run right.
One thing about the early Nortons, they not only shift on the right, but they shift UP for 1st and DOWN for the higher gears.
The disc brake thing is opinion. A clean, adjusted drum brake is fine for the type of riding most people will do with a bike like this as they have a lot of engine braking and you probably aren't going to be doing stoppies.
There are riders in AHRMA who still run the drum by the rules and go a lot faster than I do so, ehh.
Some good upgrades are Boyer electronic ignition and a new set of Amal carbs. Whether it's an old car with a 40 year old Rochester or Carter or a Brit bike, a 40 year old carb is likely just worn out. New ones can be had to end all fueling problems.
The Mikuni conversion works great for gas mileage but the stock airbox will have to go for a K&N. I prefer Amals.
Really, starting first or second kick is about as good as it gets and new Amals will do that like a Mikuni will so again, ehh.
If having your index finger smell of gas is a problem, then you'll probably not like the smell of oil on your clothes or in your hair. The engine breathing system is a hose.
The newer Nortons have electric starters that can be made to work very well. The sprag mechanism is prone to failure.
So looking at the cost of a good running bike, adding some modern upgrades, it won't be cheap. The market on Brit bikes is healthy again and buying a rough example can be a deep money pit if you can't do things for yourself.
If I may suggest, Royal Enfield has released the Continental GT and it's gotten very good reviews and is very "British" in appearance. It would be a good trainer for a Brit bike and has enough modern bits such as FI, Hydraulic adjusting valves, to allow to ride it and not work on it all the time. It's a 535 single and tops out about 85mph or so so about as fast you would want to ride a Norton anyway. They are less than 400lbs., so they will be fun and easy to handle. They will sell for 6k once they finally get the Cali spec bikes made.

 

[inthewoods]

Buy one. Quite reliable when set-up right. Owned this bike over 40yrs.

 

[planegray]

I think it's hot when women go commando

(and a visit to Rabers in San Jose is a REALLY good way to get a feel for what it'll be like, not to mention just plain fun http://www.rabers.com/ allow for at least an afternoon though )

 

[redtail]

Nortons of that vintage are so cool, I have had this poster in my garage for a long time. I'd love to have the time to restore one given the opportunity by finding the right bike. Best of luck to you!

 

[afm199]

Seriously. If you love working on bikes, and owning strange tools that fit nothing else (Whitworth) as well as three sets of tools (Whitworth, SAE, and Metric), get a Norton. Particularly if you love rebuilding motors, adjusting weird frame adjusters that control how much the motor flexes in the frame, and swingarm bushes that dry out and need to be lubed with 90 weight oil, not grease. If you love a bike that slings oil everywhere and has a dry sump, get a Norton. If you enjoy shopping on English websites for parts made in Pakistan, get a Norton. I owned five or seven or something like that. Road bikes and also raced one with the AFM.

Honestly, if you enjoy riding, get a modern turn key Japanese bike. You won't regret it. If you enjoy looking cool and working on bikes, get a Norton. And an English to American dictionary so you can figure out what "sprag bush ratcheting tool" is.

 

[mean dad]

My advice? Always ride your Norton commando.

 

[Carlo]

Commandos are about the best of the old British bikes, when properly set up and maintained.
Modern upgrades to certain areas are important.
One that should be considered if you get an electric start model is to get a four-pole armature (or confirm it's already got one) in your starter motor. Everyone I know who's done that claims it transforms the ability of the starter.
Or be comfortable with kickstarting it.

Make sure the Isolastic suspension has been properly set up, and the bushings are in good condition. Commandos handle great, but not when the entire rear half of the bike is hanging loose on worn out isolastics.

Most of the Commandos which have been rebuilt within the last 20 years should already have the most important engineering upgrades done, and you can confirm this by seeing the records kept by the seller. Who rebuilt it and when? etc.

 

[russ69]

I've owned a few big singles but the Norton twin is really hard to kick over. It just feels like you are pushing all the parts through molasses.

 

[corndog67]

Triguy also mentioned Amals. I had a Bonneville. I over tightened the little screws that covered the slides. That warped the bores. First time I went wide open throttle, they stuck, both sides. Well, it didn't have 150 or 100 hp. It had about 50 (I think). I reached up on the left side of the headlight bracket, where the lamp switch for the Joe Hunt Magneto was, and switched it off. I pulled the carbs, a solid 5 or 10 minute job, and brake honed them out, and it never idled right ever again.

Oh, this fell out of my pocket.

 

[corndog67]

Buy one. Quite reliable when set-up right. Owned this bike over 40yrs.

You don't have it any more?

Ziptie a flashlight on the bars, maybe paint a little red circle on the rear fender, that bike is pretty damn close to street legal.

I know, they are a bit twitchy. Quick steering, but they aren't real loud. And very, very cool.

 

[Carlo]

Seriously. If you love working on bikes, and owning strange tools that fit nothing else (Whitworth) as well as three sets of tools (Whitworth, SAE, and Metric), get a Norton. Particularly if you love rebuilding motors, adjusting weird frame adjusters that control how much the motor flexes in the frame, and swingarm bushes that dry out and need to be lubed with 90 weight oil, not grease. If you love a bike that slings oil everywhere and has a dry sump, get a Norton. If you enjoy shopping on English websites for parts made in Pakistan, get a Norton. I owned five or seven or something like that. Road bikes and also raced one with the AFM.

Honestly, if you enjoy riding, get a modern turn key Japanese bike. You won't regret it. If you enjoy looking cool and working on bikes, get a Norton. And an English to American dictionary so you can figure out what "sprag bush ratcheting tool" is.

This is something of an exaggeration.
Of course if you race them, they're going to require a lot of maintenance.
That's an engine that started its existence as a mildly tuned 500cc twin, and gradually increased in displacement, compression ratio, valve timing/lift until they were more like hand grenades than engines.
But if you avoided using the full power potential of them, the high performance later models could be as reliable as the original models, many of which soldiered on for many years, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of miles (not without the occasional rebuild, no engines designed in the late 40's and built in the 50's, 60's and early 70's lasted forever).
In spite of running basically the same engine as the Norton Atlas, to which AFM's warning truly does apply, the Commando when properly set up, and properly maintained, is one of the most reliable of the British vertical twins.
Hell, my Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor, which is not as highly reputed in the reliability area as the Commando, has been running since 1984, when I last rebuilt it. It's due for a rebore, pistons and a valve job, but still runs fine, and doesn't smoke.
I don't race around on it (that's the reason to own a modern bike), but I do ride it, and haven't had much trouble with it in those 30 years.

In some ways, it could be argued that older bikes are better than modern bikes. Simple, easy to fix (it's not that big a deal to have an extra set of wrenches on hand), and way fewer things to go wrong.
In all the years I've owned my Enfield (since 1972), it's only actually let me down to the point where I couldn't get home on it 3 times.
For several years, it was my only bike, and I rode it all over Northern California, and was up on Skyline with it nearly every weekend.

Meanwhile, in the 10 years I've owned my Aprilia, it's been trailered home exactly the same number of times.

 

[Erbuck]

My brother had a '73 750 commando. He put around 40k miles on it. He loved it. The start routine was quite a production since it was a kick start. When I started that Norton, it was a bit sketchy putting all my 190lbs on one leg to kick it over. And I've had experience with big single dirt bikes.

My guzzi T3 of the same vintage was press a button and off we go.

Someone will likely correct me, but I think the '75 had an electric start.

 

[asthmodeus]

my best advice on a norton would be- don't...that said, i'll sell you a '77 guzzi T-3 at a very fair price if interested. you will spend a fortune getting and keeping a commando running.

 

[Tri750]

One needs to either have experience with them, or like I did, mechanical knowledge and a mentor who taught new every thing I know about Brit bikes.
Back in the day, I worked as a mechanics helper at an old fashioned gas station and moved up to doing major services, water pumps, fuel pumps etc. I then went on to a specialty shop that did just Corvettes and learned body work and paint, but I was a jr. mechanic.
The Brit bike thing came later and I picked it up pretty quick.
Just going in cold can work, but a mechanical background is helpful.
If not, then finding a good shop where you can just get things fixed is the key.
KNOWING when to take it there is a learned skill. When it won't start after 1 or 2 kicks, something is amiss. There is no reason to live with hard starting.
Lights very dim at night? Take it in.
So having the income to keep it in top shape is required. Not letting your roommates nephew play with the timing is just as important. Let a skilled person work on it.
So if I were to offer advice to a non-mechanical person who wanted a Brit bike and wasn't in a position to have upkeep money on hand, I would, and have suggested the Royal Enfield. I worked a dealership that sold them and they offer just enough to tinker with for a novice. Fiddly oil changes, bolts to keep tight, bulbs to replace. Plus they have a lot of soul. Something new or vintage Japanese bikes lack.
My favorite Triumph was my 76 Bonneville that I raced with AFM a few times for experience before the AHRMA season started. I then raced it for 10 years with extremely good results and reliability.
Some of the old timers may remember the tallest fattest guy they ever saw on a racetrack . That was, and likely still is, me!

 

[Bay Arean]

I'd say, that if you work on your own stuff, or want to learn how (seriously), you'd be OK. But if you pay someone to work on them, it could get prohibitively expensive. I'm sort of looking for an old Triumph myself. I'd really like a Trackmaster framed one, but those are really expensive.

I feel this way about more bikes than just Nortons, but it definitely applies. I still remember in the early 70s having a neighbor who had bought a new one and got so mad at it that he pushed it over on the ground and was kicking at it. I can still see the mental image, it was pretty funny. He was furious and he WAS handy.