I’m a Texan in my early 60’s and grew up riding from age 4. A good friend’s Father rode nothing but Norton when we were kids, started with 750’s and then moved to 850’s as they came onto our shores. He loved the “Featherbed” frames and the handling as he talked about racing guys on multi cylinder Bikes in the Texas Hill Country roads which snake through the hills and how the Japanese bikes would run away on the straights but he’d always pass and run away from them once the roads became technical. Beautiful Bikes.
Oh hell yeah. Snortin Norton. Those were some Bad Ass Bikes. I started riding in the early seventies. Love the British bikes. I've owned three. The first was a 69 BSA 650 lightning. Second was a 62 pre-unit 6T Thunderbird Triumph Chopper. My last one was a 79 Bonneville special.
Nice to hear Fred Barlows name (RIP) lovely chap, worked out of not much more than a small brick outhouse in Tamworth, he did great work , helped me out a lot 👌🏻😎
I owned a Dunstall 750 Combat Commando here in NZ in the seventies complete with rear sets and clipons. Was quicker than the 850 and very reliable. I think they got overworked because they did rev out and they were uncannily smooth over 3000rpms due to the isolastics. If you didn't constantly thrash them, which was very tempting, they were fine. Mine did over 70,000 miles before the barrels cracked around the base. It was a ton of fun and sounded fantastic. The most memorable bike I have owned.
I had 750, then 850 which I still have. the former had lower gearing meaning it took of like the proverbial bat out of hell. The 850 was higher geared for a longer legged approach to highway riding. In 1977 a Quenn's juiblee bonneville cost £749 in UK, but the Commando cost £1,600.
I'd always wondered the effect of the Isolastic system on the handling. Norton's engineering challenge was that the chain drive couldn't tolerate the engine being rubber mounted on its own, there being too much relative movement at each end of the chain, so they made the engine/swing arm a single assembly and rubber mounted THAT to the rest of the frame. I figured the system wouldn't create that hinge in the middle feeling of the old Kawasaki triples, but there must have been some conditions where flex of the engine/swingarm within the frame could be noticeable. My brother's chum had an 850 in the early 70s but he never commented on the jiggling. I remember riding on the back of it as a teen and it was so silky smooth compared to my brother's '71 Bonneville, which would make your hands and feet numb after 30 minutes.
The Answer! It was TERRIFYING and straightforwardly DANGEROUS if not properly maintained - AND IT STILL IS. So BE VERY-AWARE … VERY! It almost killed me at 80mph on a smooth and dead-straight French autoroute - a sudden uncontrollable tank-slapper. I later found out it was a notorious and deathly Isolastic fault that Norton knew all about. Its sale should absolutely have been stopped.
I looked at one in 1977 and thought about it but came to my senses and ended up buying Kawasaki's brand new KZ 650. Fabulous bike, one of the first Japanese bikes with a decently stiff frame. It was slightly faster than a H-750.@@pauljackson6593
I bought a new 750 Commando Roadster at the end of ‘71. It was a sexy looking beast - black with gold lettering. Now, where do I begin? The side stand fell off before I had got it home from the dealer. Riding in the wet, the air cleaner used to fill up with water as the rain funnelled off the rider and down between the tank and the seat. This brought you to a spluttering stop after a few miles. Also in the wet, the front drum brake used fill up with water and stop working, and yes, the air scoop was blanked off. It used to eat clutch cables - I took to always carrying a spare. The seat was as comfortable as a piece of lightly padded 3x2. It had Lucas electrics - need I say more? On a good day on a good road it was magic, and was one of the quickest things around at the time. I can well understand why the Japanese just rolled over the top of the British motorcycle industry in those days - take away the history and nostalgia and there wasn’t much there.
This was so cool to watch! My dad had a ‘72 Commando back in the day. My younger brother has a ‘70 as his project bike (and a Triumph street twin for his everyday ride). Being a Ducati guy, my brother and I fail to understand each other’s choices, but we sure do admire our differences.
I just found your channel yesterday and have watched several videos. I’m 73, been an m/c enthusiast since I was 14 so I can relate to some much of what you say. I’m impressed by your background knowledge and I really enjoy your humor and camaraderie. Thank you so much for the entertainment.
Beautiful machine. A friend of mine just bought a Mark 3 in Canada. He loves it. Way smoother than my 68 Bonnie but I still love that too.Great video, thanks for sharing.
When I was stationed at MCAS El Toro, we had our own motorcycle gang. Quite a varied group. But I really remember the two beautiful black Norton Interstates. Quite impressive. I had a brand new gold wing. I though it was a racer. I never dreamed the wing would become an easy chair on wheels. Our leader of the pack was a homemade chopper with twin BSA engines linked by a primary chain. The idle was kept at 2000 rpm to keep the engines from loping and snapping the primary chain. That bike was trouble free and made every ride. It was the creation of Terry Dillow, Marine Cpl. His life was cut short tragically. He was killed I. The crash of a Convair 240 in the foothills near El Toro. Needless waste of a beautiful life.
A beautifully done video on a beautifully done '73 - thank you so much. It gave me a goose bumps rush and makes me antsy to fire up my dormant '72 Combat in the Spring of 2022. I got to ride a Canadian '73 850 with factory Combat specs applied - I barely had the weight to kick it over but it was such a solid, powerful beast.
Nice to see the Shropshire countryside again, lots of memories riding various bikes in the mid 70's over the Long Mynd and Stipperstones to Bishops Castle or the Bridges. Can also remember lusting after a black and gold Commando at Jack Meredith's shop in Shrewsbury in the mid '70s but not able to get enough money together to buy one. Did get to ride a Commando eventually (well an Interpol). My mother worked for Cotton Motorcycles when they were based in Cheltenham and for some reason they had one on the factory floor. They may have been retrofitting some of the add on police accessories as a side line, I don't know for sure though and mum can't remember.
OMG! This brings me back. I rode a 1973.5 Norton Commando 850 Mk1 back in the day. I was 18yo at the time this was the only thing of value that I owned in the world. Damn; that was a hot machine! The Norton Commando was the very fastest motorcycle on the twisty, winding roads of Massachusetts, USA; nothing could touch it but another Norton! All my friends had Commandos. I knew 15 people that rode Norton Commandos. We all were dumbfounded when we heard that Norton was going out of business!?! How can you make a motorcycle like that and fold? Norton Commandos 850s were very desirable and sold EXCELLENT here right up to the day that there were no more! Great Britain, WTF??? Triumph is back and making excellent motorcycles. Hopefully Norton will come back again too now that the management there has changed. God save the Queen... and Norton Motorcycles too.
If you want a Norton Commando go buy one. You can get nicely restored bikes that have had the Mechanicals sorted out over the years, making them very reliable motorcycles. And you can get one 4 less than a Triumph that is built in Thailand, that has a built-in England price tag. Buy one and enjoy it while you are young enough to enjoy it. Carpe diem.
I had a 750cc Commando Fastback when I was eighteen (1973), I was the quickest anywhere. At only 5’6” and 10 stone soaking wet, the torque to weight figure was very favourable. How I wish I had NFV188G now. (I’ll have to put up with my W800; another excellent bike😊.)
The good old days . me too i had the same norton as you back in the day and was always working on it . Rode it from Vancouver to San Francisco and back , no problems . Wish i still had it .
I was about 17 when a friend of mine finally got his ordered a year in waiting, and it was a great addition to the half a dozen riding together. It was impressive in 73, and seems much the same, watching you ride it today. I've really enjoyed your showcasing these bikes, thanks!
That’s a sweet song she sings! I wanted one back in ‘72, got an Austin Healey 3000 MKiii instead. My Mom was relieved! Going for a ride on my big twin this afternoon 😎
Funnily enough I've just fitted a pair of peashooters on my mate's T140V, though I prefer the dunstall copies (with modified sound insulation) you can see on the T140 LDG video.
@@waveydavey750 Hi I've just watched the T140 vid (and subscribed to the channel), very nice and interesting as my T140 is similarly quite modified for reliability (and having no garage facilities unfortunately has to stay outdoors) though 95% visually correct.
Hello, Many thanks for your kind and prompt reply. The R90S was also a particular favourite of mine and I'll head straight for your recommended video; and no doubt to others in your series before very long! (PS I owned a 1972 Commando in the 1990s and it was my pride and joy. A pity roads nowadays are plagued with .excessive traffic and potholes.) Best regards @@LemonDrizzleGang
Fellow says "I'd love to have one of these in my garage",wonder why he doesn't!They're great machines,simple and easy to maintain!Been riding mine(1972 750) since '73!
Couple of my friends had common-dodo's Brilliant bikes, always loved the sound of them. The best looking one was my workmate's Black 850 interstate with the bigger tank. A lovely machine.
I bought a brand new 1975 commando after I got out of the service... There's two things I truly regret selling..My '65 Corvette convertible, and my Norton...mine was the same red as yours...Truly a classic beauty...
I had the silver 1972 small tank 750 commando in NZ for many years , super reliable and fast ,, sadly stolen one afternoon from the local Pub car park . Never seen again ! . On the gear change even after 20 years of Triumph's , Kawasaki's and now a new CFMoto 650nk and 2021 Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor , I still at times hit the rear brake peddle thinking it's a gear change , not often but I find it happens so it goes to show that Norton got it right here ,, more intuitive . Thanks for another great trip down memory lane .
another fine video guys the Norton sounds fantastic ,love the smaller tank style and the colour.i remember we used to try and start Davids dads triton many years ago he made it look so easy and we failed miserably . you know there's a good ride in store when you see the word araf on the road !
First time on a Norton bike a 750 then being a 150lbs crazy kid could not resist to crank it out and lived never forget it! Coming already from that one click up and idle I then played out the rpm's tapping down one into second and it caught me good. My hand ripped away from that clutch lever with the rest of my upper body quickly falling also behind. It still worked out well having the throttle twisted full for my hand kept clinched upon that grip. There on made a change in the degree angle being more downwards of the clutch level on the bar so never again will my fingers when released point the direction that the bike goes for it shows what way it may make one let go, Ha!
My friend had a 750 Norton with a gold metal flake tank I liked the shift pattern on it down for your highest gears it was faster than my Triumph T140V. Both fantastic bikes with a kinda soul that you don’t seem to have nowadays like modern music!
I have a '76 mk 111 and starts on the button every time. Not as fast as the '71 750 i bought when i passed my test in '75 but joy to ride. No longer head down and arse up in retirement so should last!
Thanks, I'm loving your 'Brit bike' reviews, it was probably the ultimate 'Brit bike factory twin', the 'Trident was something a bit different/else, which other manufactures ignored at their peril, when it comes to triples, as almost nobody does Triples better than Triumph (BSA) has done, even my current road car is a 1498cc triple and oh boy does that fly/go or what!
Very nice Commando 👍 If you think early British bikes didn’t have very good disc brakes try early Suzuki discs they are useless in the wet. Years ago a friend sprayed his discs on a Suzuki GT380 with WD40 to give them a shine and first corner pulled on the brake went through a garden full of rose bushes and learnt his lesson 😊
I agree, and in my experience the Norton engine was stronger and better made than the Triumph or BSA twins which I also owned. Even today a Commando can be ridden all day at 70 or 80mph motorway/interstate speeds and not feel at all stressed. Only a 4-speed box but well chosen ratios and high overall gearing give it a relaxed feel on the road.
This one has a long list of improvements. I tried to get my big brother to buy one in the 70's. As a touring bike his Suzuki GT750 was probably the wiser choice.
Had my 750 Fastback since 78 (a 71 model) have 3 other Brit bikes 1 triumph Bonneville 2 BSA, 1 500 ROYAL STAR 1 650 chopper. Norton will go to my son's when I'm gone. Most satisfying road bike ever built.
I bought a new Mk 2a when I was 19. It was a lovely bike to ride, although the exhaust was strangled by the massive silencers. Problem was, I wasn't very keen on maintenance in those days and had a lot of vibration-related issues. Ended up selling it to buy a car. When I was in a position to buy another bike a few years later, they were too expensive, so I chose a Triumph T140V, which I've had for 28 years now. I still miss the Norton when I see or hear one (with the pea shooter exhausts, which I've also got on my Triumph).
Go buy another Norton Commando if you truly want the bike. The bike you can get nowadays is not a clock out worn-out bike from the 70. They have been mechanically s o r t e d. They have been cosmetically restored, and upgraded with parts that were not available when the bike was brand new example like primary belt drive, electric start conversion, electronic ignition, and so much more. You can make a Norton Commando into the bike it should be and not the bikes that came out of the factory with horrible defects that made horrible warranty claims that killed the company. Go buy one and enjoy it before you die. You never know when the Grim Reaper comes to call.
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 I'd love to have another Commando, but even badly maintained ones cost far too much now (considering I paid £795 or $1200 for my new one in 1974), and if I spent all my pension on one instead of food and household bills, I might meet the Grim Reaper sooner than expected. My T140 was completely original and untouched when I bought it 29 years ago, and had only done 1300 miles from new, and the only person who has laid hands on it since is me, so I know it is mechanically sound and everything has been done properly. By contrast, I recently bought a cheap 1980 Suzuki GS550, which has had over a dozen owners, to use as a winter bike, and have spent a considerable amount of time on it since, putting right what various morons have inflicted on it, but it's only what I expected and it's given me a project to focus on in retirement (I was a car/light truck mechanic, but now I can choose what I work on and when).
@@bananabrooks3836 that may be true, but most of the Commandos I've seen in recent years are fitted with the pea-shooter silencers, even if they were originally equipped with the big noise reduction type, for the same reason I have them on my Triumph - they look better, sound better and most importantly, run better.
Those silencers are called reverse cones, a pea shooter has a parallel pipe emerging from it's rear after the sausage. People didn't like the sound of the black caps, & often reverted to earlier types top get the iconic sound. Still got my MKIII 850 I bought almost new in 1977.
Das waren so schöne, klassische Motorräder. Wenn man heutzutage die modernen Maschinen anguckt könnte man glauben das die Klingonen die Designabteilungen der Hersteller erobert hätten. Klar, ich fahre auch eine neue "moderne" Maschine und bin jedesmal von der Leistung begeistert. Aber die Alten sind irgendwie was besonderes.
Another great episode! Not only is it my dream bike (though I’ll take mine in black and gold), but you actually capture that wonderful parallel twin sound instead of just some wind noise. Suggestion: maybe make a point to highlight proper cold starting technique for each bike? I know for me that’s half the fun of owning these old machines.
@@thomaselliott573 I had a Tiger 100 Triton with hit can twin carbs blah blah. The Amal choke was useless. Simply tickle each carb, and start it with the jump up technique. Never let you leg fully extend so when it kicks back your knee just bends. Not hard to do and looks impressive.
I had a Mk 3 Commando back in 1979 and seeing the seat on your bike there reminds me of the fun I used to have on it - especially sliding about on the seat as it was just too smooth - absolutely nothing to do with the fact that at 19/20 years old I was riding it like a lunatic ! I could out run my friend on his Kawa 650/four as although his bike accelerated quicker I would go past him round corners as the Norton was the best handling bike available back then.
@@LemonDrizzleGang From what I remember watching bike racing in the seventies there wasn't much that could stay with a 350 Yam - inluding 700/750 GP bikes had a hard time with them and the RD350LC was only slightley detuned for the road.... happy days huh ?
@@LemonDrizzleGang I knew a guy who turned his RD350 into a water cooled bike back in '83 or so - just before (or so I thought) Yamaha released the LC's maybe memory fails me !
It’s primitive! I kept a R100S for 42 years, thinking it was the cats meow. A lady made a uturn in front of me. Bye bye R100S. Bought a 2018 GS Adventure. OMG. I could never go back. It’s night and day. No words to describe the difference other than to say new bikes are poetry.
I had a 73 when I was 15.5 years old here in the states. You could get your motorcycle license at 15.5 years old back then. Had to wait until 16.5 to get a car license. Go figure. Now that i'm 65 and many many bikes later, I still wish I had one.
Owned a 750 commando from 1974 until 2017, never gelled with the bike, only rode it 15000 miles in 43 years. I always preferred something else in my stable. When it was sold and the courier came to pick it up, never shed a tear or had any regrets it was going. Nearly all British bikes had the 1 up 3 down gear change pattern apart from triumph. Thrashing along I would have thought it was natural to press down on a gear lever to change up than having to hook your boot under the gear lever to change up. The commando when new was supplied with a 4.10 section front tyre, changing this to a 3.60 section helps the shimmering on the front end. Also fitting wide bars would eradicate a lot of the shimmer out of the front end, going down to 5 thou clearance at the isolastics from the factory 10 thou also helps. Do not go below 5thou though, the factory told me it could lead to the frame cracking.
I used to work for the Norton importers here in Perth, Western Australia and if people knew what we had to do just assembling one of them, none would have been sold! The 750 Commandos came slathered with some sort of yellowish thin grease that smelled like rancid butter and if I ever got any of it on me or my clothes, I carried that 'aroma' with me for the rest of the day. The 4 slots in the mufflers were cut with a thin cutting disc, which meant having to clean out the two dags left behind inside with a half-round file. Even then, the mufflers never fitted properly. I would give the inside of the muffler a good coat of grease and then belt them onto the exhaust pipe with a rubber hammer! Even after all of that, it was never enough to get the muffler bracket, which was held on by the pillion passengers foot rest, to line up with the threaded hole in the part of the frame that it was 'supposed to be attached to. So, I got around that by backing off the gland nut that held the exhaust pipe into the head, as far as I could, then fixed the muffler to the frame with the foot rest. After all of that, I'd get a hammer and an aluminium drift and bludgeon the gland nut back into the head. I never heard of any complaints about exhaust leaks, but that was probably more through good luck than good quality control. Commandos from that era still came with shoe brakes and none of them ever had the shoes bedded properly with the brake drum which basically meant the brakes didn't work! More time was wasted trying to find high spots on the shoes and hand sanding them down. Just to add to an already crappy job, it wasn't uncommon to find some parts missing as well. The company I worked for also imported Suzukis, Aermacchi, Harley-Davidson, BSA and Triumph bikes. I'm wasn't exaggerating back then when I'd say that I'd rather assemble 20 Suzukis before I'd assemble one of the any of the other makes we imported. It was also around then that I began to suspect I was seeing the decline of the British motorcycle industry. It was the all in the lack of any detail in dozens of small things. One day, I got a brand new Triumph Bonneville out of it's crate and found it didn't have any handle bars with it. But it did have three mufflers! When I told my boss about this, he just shook his head and said, "There's probably some poor bastard in South Africa right now, wondering why *his* Bonneville has two sets of handle bars, but only one muffler!"
Lovely reliving my experiences of riding my Slaters Jota through English countryside, especially the villages. Perhaps change steering head bearings to prevent front end weaving about, either tapered roller bearings or pillow type. David in Australia.
Those would kick. Mine was a '73 bought late in the year. It was a black Interstate w/o the exhaust equalizer tube. Always thought there was something wrong with the anti-vibe system as the seat & rear fender would really dance. It was so bad your butt would numb fairly quickly. I disabled the chain oiler b/c it wasn't adjustable & really put out the oil. I know where it's still at.
I'm a bit too young for these bikes to have been "of my time" but I find them so charming none the less. Carbureted bikes and cars both really have a lot of individual character, particularly after they get some miles on them, they start to feel less like a machine and more like something alive. Of course that means they can be temperamental too but that is part of the charm. As for that 850 Commando, I've always kinda liked triples and certain 4 bangers for their sound over a parallel twin but I really enjoyed that one. Maybe they are starting to win me over? 😅
@@LemonDrizzleGang I have watched the BSA Rocket 3 video but not the Laverda Jota yet, that will be next! Hope to see more videos coming from you guys, I like the format you've got going.
What a great video! I have 972 750 in identical colours (i know, not period correct for the rivet counters) because I fell for the Norton Girl advert back in the day. I have had four over the years since my first on in 1979 all 750s. The commando is a great bike for modern use and such fun to ride. Mine is in France now (two different offs in London traffic were enough). You are right people turn to look and she often gets a small crowd when parked up especially when it comes time to kick her into life. I look forward to seeing more of your output. Have a look at a couple of videos I made in France by clicking on the icon on the left. Also check out Mighty Garage channel done by a Brit living in Oregon he features all sorts of old two wheeled Brit machinery. Cheers and safe riding
Thanks for watching and for the kind words, enjoyed your videos you have picked up the engine sound really well. We are big fans of the Mighty Garage he covers some great bikes
A great series of videos! I'm surprised you didn't note how smooth the Commando is compared to the Bonnie, for example. Although the Norton can be tougher to kick over it's not advised to do so on the side stand. Starting one is definitely an acquired skill. Ironically the high compression Combat is easier to kick due to the cam lobe overlap.
Thanks for watching, yes I did find the commando a bit harder to kick than the Bonnie, you are right I should have mentioned the smoothness but it was a while since I rode the bonnie, and the last triumph I rode was the Trophy and that is smooth compared to the harder edged Bonnies especially the 75 whilst not rough felt very "alive" Cheers Mike
My mates brother was a test rider for Norton in the 1970s and he took me on the on the back of a Black Commando and it was the scariest 15 minutes of my life lol
I remember t Norton testers on the Wolverhampton to Bridgenorth road. Very fast, loud, thrilling and frightening to a 10 year old kid in the back of the car. It got me into bikes but funnily not Nortons
The Commando was the best of British bikes in the 70's and 80's, superior to everything else at the time and the only one which could foot it with the Japanese and European bikes, mechanically reliable as well, which is hard to say about the rest of the Brit bikes of the time.
Nice post, thanks for sharing. A friend has an 850 Mk 2; he’s very happy with it although he’s aware they’re not perfect (which bike is?). Lovely sound and charisma about it and perfect riding country. Would be interesting to see a comparison between any of the international marques; Commando vs Guzzi V7 Sport or Laverda 750SF would appeal.
I'd love to! I used to have a 4S cam in my commando back in the 80s and that really flew, a 920 with those carbs would be a step up! I will prob fit rearsets this winter (for comfort reasons) but with a reversed lever to align shift pattern with my other bikes. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching Lucas electrics !! They didn’t call Joe Lucas the Prince of Darkness for nothing We have headlights on permanently on out Modern bikes
@@michaelhayward7572 Was just meaning as a safety precaution, especially as I saw a wee car almost pull out in front of you in one of the vids. But do agree with the Lucas 'Prince of Darkness' comment!!
As is well known, the Commando was fitted with 19" wheels front and rear, shod with 4.10 tyres. I owned two Commandos, a 750 JPS and an 850 Mk3 with both roadster and interstate tanks/seats/panels. The biggest instant improvement that can be obtained regarding handling is to fit a narrower 3.60 tyre on the front wheel, keeping a 4.10 on the rear. This fractionally steepens the head angle and makes the bike lighter and quicker to flick through bends and curves. In fact any textbook on motorcycle frame design and handling will explain why a narrower front tyre is necessary to achieve better 'flickability'... its all to do with geometry and the natural tendency for a bike to 'fall into' a corner.... otherwise you're just fighting against the dynamics rather than using it to assist you.
Ariel's leader two-stroke ymcm bike of the year for three years and then the company folded. Norton was MCM bike of the Year for three years and then it folded. Then Triumph y bike of the year for three years by MCN. Then it folded. Being motorcycle consumer news bike of the year is the kiss of death!!!
Green Trumpet- they’ve ( at a guess) got different crank angles. The Commando would have had 360 or 180 degree cranks. Not sure what the Guzzis ran but i’m guessing it was an offset angle. That’s why Dukes and 270* parallel twins sound so different to them.
Great video!!! I’ve watched 3 of them now and I really like the format that you follow. Any chance you may be reviewing some of the older Honda’s. I have a 1967 CB450 Black Bomber and would love to see that model get a review like you are doing, Just a thought, keep up the great work!
Hi Roy thanks for watching - we are on the lookout for classic Japanese bikes would love to expand the range we cover - we have some in the pipeline (hopefully ) but these are classic two strokes, a honda 450 would be great to compare with the brit and italian - cheers Mike
@@LemonDrizzleGang Hi guys, I am a Brit living in Canada, missing UK big time, and your vids are not helping lol. I would love to bring my 77 KZ1000 over for a rip, was lucky enough to pick up a bargain, and being Canada not many KMs 26K yeharr just run in lol. Love the show guys, I subbed on the Norton 😁
Excellent videos guys. You have very similar machines to me with the exception of my Norton, which is a 2015 961 Commando. I wonder if you can get your hands on one for a comparison (you could use mine but I'm in Australia).
I'm only familiar with the 850 commando, having been around a friend's in the seventies, I too, am curious how one of the newer ones would compare, I think it a good idea.
Great video, great bike would be good to see Mike in shot as your describing the bikes instead of talking from behind the camera if possible 👍 keep up the good work
Thanks Charlie, that is a good idea trouble is I am tethered to the camera for Audio but an getting WiFi mics so will be able to get out front. I think its all a bit formal and we need to loosen up a bit We are hopefully doing the SQ4 soon with your Dad and Grandad - be good to see your Dad in front of the camera
Probably the best sounding twin. I don't quite understand how the Commando always sounds more lively than a Guzzi of the same era (Ducatis are a different kettle of pesce again). Hope the new head steady solves the shakes, if not it might be worth checking alignment, there's a company called parallel engineering or similar, that seem to have a handle on that problem.
Thanks, I'm aware of parallel engineering, though my bike doesn't suffer the common commando headshake when slowing down around 30mph with hands off the bars, so don't think it's too bad? Also Mike failed to mention the rear tyre is pretty squared off, which can't be helping and on the "to do" list!
It's funny how your perspective changes when I was young in the seventies all British bikes looked out dated to me but now they look classic and the bikes i rode Japanese look dated apart from the mach 3
Oooh tough between the Laverda and the Norton but I love the flickability of the Triumphs, maybe its a bike we have in the pipeline Ducati 900 SS Bevel
I have watched 3 of your videos this morning and am loving them. I must admit to being very jealous of Dave. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos
@@forquetwo64 thank you for watching and the kind words, we should be filming a T140 next week and have plenty more interesting bikes in the pipeline (some are not even owned by Dave). Yes we are all envious of Dave’s collection but he is fantastically generous letting me ride them. - Cheers MIke
I’ve STILL got the 750 fastback I bought new from Gus Kuhn’s in 1972. Of course I “love” it but its Isolastic frame with its rubber grommets is straightforwardly DANGEROUS if you don’t know how to maintain those grommets properly - and these days who does and can? It almost killed me when I got a tank-slapper on a French autoroute 45 years ago. So BEWARE - and never confuse its frame with a Featherbed as so many do.
Some people moan about British brakes. However, 1970s brakes were all pretty wooden feeling with master cylinders too large. Suzuki used the same one everywhere which was only reasonable on the 750 with its twin brakes. Yamaha were still cocking it up in the 1990s.
@@LemonDrizzleGang imho the Griso was the best 21st century bike Guzzi made, only the V11 coming close. Also a pretty unique bike with nothing else like it, genre wise, a bit like the the late 90's Centauros, of which i had one.
@@michaelhayward7572 Hi I have another channel (not as polished as this one) but there is a fair bit of footage on there of the Griso ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MWREr72oisM.html
Beautiful proper motorsickle spoke wheels analog instruments great mechanical noise from an air cooled engine and the reverse cone growl from the pipes. No computer nanny's just a good handling chassis a simple engine and the wind ...... that's how it should be
My Triumph t160 had the same type of crappy quality the Norton Commando had. The oil rings in the motor wore out faster than the back tire. It then proceeded to whole two Pistons of the three. And then the Triumph shop I took my bike to have fixed stole my bike and six other guys bikes and did a midnight move and disappeared.
The Norton Commando won the bike of the year because they didn’t like the Japanese motorcycle industry. I have a Norton 750 roadster and I think it’s fantastic but was outdated by the time the Japanese motorcycles came along. The Kawasaki Z1 900 should have been bike of year another fantastic bike which was vastly superior to the commando. And I have both and they great in their own ways.
the commando in my opinion although a very nice bike was a step down from the atlas which preceded it .. of course I myself owned an atlas so you could accuse me of being partial but of course I think not...do you know of an atlas you could ride on this channel ?
