NORTON COMMANDO 850 MK2 Compare Honda cb750 This is a short run to compare my Honda cb750 to my Norton Commando 850 MK2 Classic Motorcycles Filmed with GoPro 9 with media mod and rode mic
Many thanks for this video - only just caught up with it. I had the same model here in Australia (Mk2, 850 interstate American import with 'upside down' gear shift) that I bought new in 1974 or 75. Loved the thing to bits - although the side stand did fall off once and I didn't notice until I attempted to park the bike and fell over while trying to get my foot to pull out the now non-existent side stand. Gotta laugh. Did a couple of long road trips including Bowral to Batlow (4 hours) and Sydney to Brisbane (10 hours back then) and it didn't miss a bit. Handled like a dream and the slow, powerful torque was ideal for these long hauls. Never once did the bike feel like it was doing anything but cruising. Watching your video brought back so many good memories. I had to sell the Norton when I had no money - still irks me even now. The 850 was the best bike I ever had and still miss it. At 68 now I doubt I'll ever get a chance to own one again - more to do with $s than age. The best ride I had was one long day along the Snowy Mountains Highway - late autumn, cool air, blue skies, bright sunshine glittering on the small tarns along the road, long sweeping bends and barely any other bugger on the road. Gee, just writing about it takes me back there. Many thanks again - or as they say - I'm chuffed t'bits. Cheers. MikeC
Hi Mike was i just getting in to that mountain ride It's a blistering bike only had mine 12 months ,went to try a Velo and came away with the Norton, I have a few brit bikes, and had a few more in the past. but the Norton as more grunt then any of the others. If you were in my neck of the woods id let you have a quick blast, for old times sake
@@yorkshirebiker1293 Gee - thanks for the offer! Would grab it with both hands if I could. The Norton was the only Brit bike I've had. Others all Japanese, although three in particular of those stand out: Yamaha 1974 RD350, Yamaha 750 shaft drive and a Suzuki 'water bottle', all from around the same period. Just because they weren't your run of the mill Japanese bikes. My best mate's Dad was a Yorkshire man (his wife from Lancashire - so tells you all you need to know about the volatility of their marriage!) and I lived with my mate and his Dad in New Zealand for a year or so. His accent was still very much Yorkshire and Sundays there 'were nowt better' than to sit back with a couple of Yorkshire puds and a hot cuppa and watch the sheep dog trials on TV. That and a 'good as a ham sandwich' cigarette. He loved to regale us with his tales of "travelling down the lazy Limpopo on 't Tiger TT 500s", - his adventures with a mate from sometime in the late 1940s in Africa. He moved back to live (and die, just last year at the ripe old age of 93) in Doncaster. Miss him. As my mate once told me "He's a Yorkshire man. Once he likes you he's like a limpet on a rock." Many thanks again. Stay upright and travel well.
@@yorkshirebiker1293 Absolutely. Your bike looks great, too. I've owned a 750 since buying it new in 1972. It's been a basket case for a number of years, but finally back to near road-ready, and I can't wait to ride the ol' snortin' Norton again . Enjoy yours.
@@pearldiver7 got mine from a mate, went to buy a Velo, was not keen, he said have a go on the Commando, payed my money, and no regrets, like shit of a shovel 👍 Good luck with yours, bet you can't wait. it ill be like Christmas
Yep scenery is spot on, traffic it not so good, weather is good 25% of the time 25% is not to bad, the other 50% not to good, they say snow next week ,petrol all on £6 a gallon when we were in the states i could not stop smiling when i filled the car for $15 👍
@@yorkshirebiker1293 yes I know I've been to England twice when I was us air force during gulf one. Your weather isn't always conducive to motorcycling. Watching the 535 gt video now.
I have just bought a 73 MK5 750, have only ridden it around the back yard so far , I have to retrain the brain for right shift 🤔,my only other experience is my 49 Matchless G80 rigid not on the road yet , and the 750 is only the second road bike i have ever bought , totally agree with all your comment with controls , good honest video , i might have to look at my side stand, i can't even get me toe on it to get it out , maybe the stop is worn . Cheers from NZ .
Got my 1st Commando (and first vintage bike) 4 years ago...also a '74 850 MKII. Done some 8k miles on it so far, had 7k on the clock when I bought it. Was in the HiRider config at purchase, which I quickly converted to Roadster. I kept the 9 Litre tank as it just looks great on the bike, but have a proper roadster tank for longer journeys. For the turn signals, I too swapped them to the left side. The way I remember which way to flip them is to just think of how my thumb has to move...up for left turns, as if "indicating with that thumb", down for right....just seems to be a natural movement towards direction I want to go. Be sure to join the Access Norton Forum for loads of great advice and things to watch out for on the Commando.
I' ve been running Brit bike for 45 odd years, that's my first modern Norton and it's very good, one of my favourite's, very impressed. mine came from states with 9000 and some mile's. I always considered my self a Triumph man until I got the commando, I've sold the Triumph now, and treated myself to a gold wing
@@ruahinesrider Can't disagree but Matchless has to be in the mix, that G12 is under rated. I bought the stuff to change my 850 from a roadster to the interstate but never got round to it. Wish I retired 60 years ago
@@yorkshirebiker1293 I hear you my Grandfather owned a Vincent V twin in 1950,pitty he didn't keep it & sold it 54.I meant best of early 1970 's - 80's & 77 being the glory year especially for Interstate Mk3.I also like the Norvin Norton Dominater frame & V twin Vincent & another I got in a magazine is a Knucton A Harley Knucklehead in a Dominater .1938-39 Royal Enfield KX 1140 V twin bro real classy look good next to my 2021 Interceptor retro.
Travelled that route in reverse yesterday (15/9.2022), somebody on a bike travelling the same direction as you had just not made the bend at 16.10 and ended up in the field, and it's a fair drop there !! He and the bike were completely ok and three of them were wrestling it out of the potatoes.
Excellent film, I can understand your bias to the Commando. Having ridden both Honda and Commando the head says Honda but the heart says Commando. I had a basket case Norton, Combat Commando in ES2 Wideline, not by me I hasten to add, used Japanese switchgear and carbs, lovely heart and soul from the engine, with the ergonomics of Japanese switchgear. The crank was rebuilt to the same balance as an Atlas but lightened pistons and matched rings pistons and rods. Vibes hairy over 5000 revs but that was fast enough for me.
I agree with that in every way except the brakes, the front disc needs an upgrade for modern traffic in my opinion, it was wooden and can grab in the wet (I have the scars to prove it!)
A lad I knew had a commando and a right strange riding style he used to bob forward over the tank when opening it up I could not work it out until I rode it, was impossible to hang onto the bars due to the torque. the engine had been worked on by Gus Khan if you did not have the right technique to kick it over you needed legs like king kong worse still no decent return spring on the throttle,had those American style semi ape hangers that did not help matters that apart were a great ride, pissed all over the cops bikes. not that I condone that sort of behavior,but they were all riding under age so did not hang about when they got a tug and we are talking fifty years ago nearly times were very different,chances are some of you ride out with them on a Sunday so no names.
Do you know, when I see these Norton Commandos on yt here with all the well deserved praise they get, I realise just how lucky I was to buy one back in 1979 when I was just 19 years old...... SLN561R it was, a Mk3 850 electric start.It's still out there taxed and MOT'd as well...... I prefer the more 'brutal' feel of a twin cylinder bike, fours and the later, counter-balanced bikes are far too efeminate for me.
Love the old Norton, but it's taking it's toll on my poor ankle and knee. I just cant justify 2 grand on a electric leg. I do like the old twins like you say there a little rough like me, but there's something about them i love. YB
@@yorkshirebiker1293 Well, you could look around and maybe fund a Mk3 - that already has the 'leccy start, prices should be similar - if yours is a good mk2 then they often are valued higher than Mk3's which a lot of people look at as being less of a 'man's bike'. I suppose it all depends upon the amount your current bike cost you, but the prices continue to rise as they are cherished things these days - I myself wouldn't buy a Brit that cost more than 3 grand, things like Vincents and Broughs are just not worth the money in my opinion because I wanna ride a bike not just show it off ! A trick with the original electric start bikes that don't always like to start on the button is to kick it but when the engine starts to turn over, press the electic at the same time. It's the intial crank movement that the original starters don't like, often the starter brushes aren't good and the power leads from the battery aren't heavy enough to carry all the current. Mk3's have better Isolastics as well - adjustable rather than shims so it is easier to set up. I myself turned to Harleys 32 years ago but unless you are mechanical minded they cost the earth when you get them worked on, they don't handle as well but if you are just cruising around...... the older models offer the same grunt (more sometimes ! ) and some have rubber mounted engines as well.
@@thakery5720 My Norton came from a mate , it was an import from the states, It's only done about 11-12k, it's had a bit of tarting up, but still on original wheels, and still got the original sticker's on the frame under the seat. You know the saying better the dog you know, Was at Bonham's last year, and the arse as dropped out of the Vin's, hope it comes back, i have one that came from another mate that passed away. YB
@@yorkshirebiker1293 A friend I know has three twins and two comets, but he rides them all- that is what they are made for in my opinion but I wouldn't want to try and tell someone what to do with their own bike. You are right of course about knowing your mount but it sounds like yours might make a good price IF of course prices ever get back to where they were a few years back when Vins were making £100k.... and a good Triumph made £10k + but it's all down to the market and demand. Take care out there.
@@thakery5720 You dead right , use mine as much as i can , wish i add two arses i could spend twice as much time in the saddle. the problem with the Vin is you can't leave them unattended, as it's liable to be missing when you get back. Me and missus have just retired and have other plans, so have had to sell a couple, as i wont have time to maintain and ride. YB
Have been wanting a mk2 for a while now but mabye put off a little as i had a very temperamental Triumph T120 on years ago that cost me a lot of money and a lot of grief.....Lol! Are the Norton's easy to live with or does the need for constant tinkering with them prove difficult..? Lovely proper bike tho.
i have 2 850's mk3 mk2 love both , one off the best British bike's as far as i am concerned, No not always messing with them, just the normal stuff for brit bikes. Sold my 1970 bonnie not long after getting the Norton, for me the Norton is a better bike all ways up. I bought the mk 3 because of a bad ankle and knee. I have been thinking of selling my mk2 as i now have the mk3,but the mk2 just seems a bit more willing then the other, so who knows.
@@yorkshirebiker1293 proper old school bike,looks and sounds fantastic.....i think i will need to finally get myself one these days before i get too old..Lol! Great video.
A friend of mine just acquired an 850 MK3. Its as smooth as silk compared to my old 68 Bonnie. But I'm ok with that because it has been making me smile for years. Well...in between the odd swearing tantrum but that is few and far between.lol.
the begining of the big Nortons started with the Norton Manxman 650 built for exprot only from november 7th 1960 to august 1961 these lead to the commando but the 650 manxman was a race bike out of the box winng the pebble beach race of april 1961 and later many more in this country there are only 12 Norton manxman 650s and these were faster then any bonnieville
Never had a electric leg ,although i could do with one as i get older .Saying that if they are a good starter they are not that bad, half a dozen kick's and I need a cuppa and a breather.
I wondered what you was on about, had to do a bit of reading, I was confused because i only new of the Excelsior Manxman, just goes to show you never stop learning, cheers YB👍👍😁😁
@@yorkshirebiker1293 well most british motorcycle enthusaists have never even heard of the Norton Manxman 650 well I own one of the early one built december 1960 and one that was in the first ever batch of 330 sent on january 13 th to New Jersey for Berliner motors who distributated them around the united states, but in my ownership this bike as won the NEC Footman James pride of place 3 years running
@@annajeannettedixon2453 I have to admit i had not herd of it , my excuse is i am relatively new to Norton's was always a Triumph man until i saw the light. only ever had the one i borrowed from my dad.
