Beautiful bike ruined by the single Mikuni installation. It was engineered with dual carbs and it needs them for the acceleration and the right grunt. It's an easy learning curve to learn how to tune and maintain them, you won't regret it.
YOu can see the rear mudguard stay flexing early on when he reve the engine ! All Commando's have a bent down stay, maybe this fatigue process causes it ?
When you look around for Norton Commando RU-vid videos you see a lot of strange, moving frame loops, exhausts and due the isolastics even moving engines. Strange effect, but only a visual "glitch" due to the frame rate of the video camera.
While all bikes seem as if an enlarged flying insect that one might hop & ride. Still from 0:24 - 0:35 this particular species upon revvings rear fender; a Stinging Wasp in action. -DU69160
Wow, my Atlas never started NEAR that easy, choked or not. And my Electra 400 I could never start w/the kick starter. Always had to use the electric start. Typical British bike of the era, I bought the Electra when I turned 16, had mechanic check it, had no idea why it wouldn't start w/ the kick starter. Both vibrated a good bit, like my buddy's BSA. Although, the BSA might have been a bit worse. Good old warhorses. 60 hp on the Atlas. Thought the world of both of them though. Wish I had them back. Back at our 40 year class reunion, way back, a couple of buddies asked if I was still riding bikes and remembered my Nortons. Made me feel real good. Although I gave up riding a couple of years after getting married. Riding a Kawasaki 750 triple, first year for it. Barn burner, world's fastest street bike at that time. 1972. November of 1972. Yes, I did ride in the winter. Wife liked riding behind me but didn't want to become a young widow she said. Another one I wish I had back.
thanks for your comment Greg,i do remember the 750 triples...My mate had one.and scared the bejaszus out of me as a pillion...Apologies for the belated reply but as you can imagine i done often check back here..Regards A
Getting an old british motorcycle running when it's in that condition shouldn't be your top priority. The engine should've been disassembled, inspected, and the sludge trap cleaned out first.
Hiya,thanks for you comment.Maybe you are right but where would the fun be in doing that before i tried to start it.....But rest assurred it was stripped down and rebuit and is still now purring like a kitten today.
Love my Mikuni. Starts so easy and NO GASOLINE ALL OVER YOUR FINGERS AND BIKE. Still have the Amals and finally after 10 years found out that the idle jet was plugged. Took 2 days to clean it because it is pressed in and not removeable. Mikuni can be removed cleaned and replaced in minutes. Don't get me wrong, I still have my Amals and know that they give the bike a little better performance but I hesitate to put them back on as they look like crap all faded and dull. Anyone know how to shine them up ?
Just checked, they still in business! I’ve known about them for almost 50 years and I live in UK! Such was their presence in the chopper world back in the 70s
Hey Brian..I take it from your comment that you still have a real need to own another commando...Some advice....Stop pining and go and get one......they were the best motorcycle made.
How is it the engine isn't vibrating ? something not right here, they were rubber mounted ! when at idle the motor would bounce around, the only way to cut this down was by a retarded spark timing, or somehow locking the isolastic mounting...
I have a real need to own a Commando, I bought one brand new in 70, then in 83 a S I wish I had kept them, I have ridden motorcycles since 13, still do occasionally, have owned & ridden many but looking back these were pure fun..
Well, that's ok but I'm here to tell U any Norton Commando without the exhaust pipes burnt blue from the heads to the footpegs was NEVER run to it's potential! I bought a highly modified '72 Norton Combat Commando Roadster in '74. It had never been licensed for the street. It was a retired flat track cafe racer. It had all the Dunstall racing mods, Hemi heads, Cam, overbore to 810 CC, Stripped for weight down to 440 lb with the 8 gallon custom tank full. Uncomfortable fiberglass seat with minimal padding, I was the third owner. The second owner had the shop manual but had all the electrics screwed up. Ya, I got the tight fairings and all the racer mods that moved the foot brake and shift to the rear footpegs but like him I wanted a street legal bike. I made the headlight work, I also understood that dual coils fired off dual points and wired accordingly. I also understood the dual Amal .35 carbs had to be matched and synchronized, This wasn't no wuss bike with electric start. U hadta Kick the thing, and if U didn't have the timing just right and locked yer knee it would backfire and toss you off over the handlebars like a rag doll. Compression ratio was 11-3/4 to one. Well, I got it running and took it to the area Norton dealer 125 mi away. They put it on their dyno, Result=84 HP at 6,000 rpm. Tach redline was 9,000. Drop the hammer and just hang on! Norton 4 speed tranny gave me 55 mph @ 3450 rpm. Don't shift down just wait for a few sec.........then that torque monster would lift the front wheel about 2 feet and hold it there as long as U had the balls to keep it wide open. I usually chickened out when the speedo reached 110. Right around 7,000 rpm. Now both wheels on the ground the speedo was marked to 160mph. I never did that! Went to 136mph many times but it became somewhat less than controllable as a sit up bike with no fairings or windshield at that speed. Off stoplights it was unbeatable! Big HP cars or 1,000+cc bikes all saw my tail light. The exhaust pressure from those uptilted pipes would blow yer hat off yer head if U walked behind it at idle. Totally NASTY Bike! Don't gimme single carb wussy Norton! Go a little better and amaze yerself!
Hiya..thanks for the info...sounds like an awesome monster and wonderfully described...But hey,im touching 60 now (not 20) and no need for that kind of power..be nice to have it tho.Thanks Again..A
www.youtube.com/watch? Bought this Norton Commando from a guy in Ohio. Long story, but it was next to property I own in a Garage. Had not started in 34 years "1982" Owner is 80 Years old, and he brought the bike 650 miles to me in Vermont; stayed the week and did numerous things to it including cleaning carbs, points........etc. Lots of small stuff to do now, but here is the result of all out efforts. I did not catch much on the video, but you can see it runs now after 34 years. only 7748 miles on the 1972 Commando
hey I sold this commando to don. im in the usa . it was sitting in my warehouse for over 30 + years in my late fathers stash. im amazed to hear it run as good as it did . that's great !
