[bettersourceneeded] Although the Isolastic system did reduce vibration, maintaining the required free play in the engine mountings at the correct level was crucial to its success. My labors have not gone unrewarded. Our reviews are hands-on, detailed, and unbiased. UK businessman Stuart Garner, owner of Norton Racing Ltd, acquired the rights to the Norton Commando brand. Required fields are marked *. Nor were there index marks to allow equal axle positioning on the right and left side of the swing arm.
Check for records where parts have been replaced to see how much of the bike is original (where possible). Norton Villiers Triumph was duly formed and the new company got off to a shaky start. This eliminated the extreme vibration problems that were apparent in other models in the range, as it effectively separated the rider from the engine. The most important feature of the Commando 750 was its Isolatic Suspension of the engine.
Search cars, vans & vehicles available at auction, dealers & private sale across the UK CAR TRADERS: If you're a Car Trader and already 'in the know' regarding all the great deals to be found at car auctions and simply want the facility to search all the events and cars available on a weekly basis then simply Register HERE to search car auctions If you are taking on a restoration project on for yourself to keep and ride, so you arent worried about everything being original, there is a good replica parts market for the Commando that you could tap into. However, they are not extortionate and on par with most other British models of the era. The engine (rather like the BSA A7) is "semi-unit", in that the 5-speed gearbox is a separate casting, but is bolted directly to the primary chaincase. It could reach a top speed of 115 mph (185 km/h). ABOVE: 1973 Norton Commando 750 Roadster was more or less the standard Commando. It was 1973 when Peter Willams got his Isle of Man F750 TT win and that was on his race prepared John Player Norton. 
So NVT decided to concentrate production of the Commando at Wolverhampton and Small Heath, causing unrest at Meriden which resulted in a workers sit in and stopping production at Small Heath. However, there is no denying the quality of their machines, and the Norton Commando 750 sits right up there with the best of British motorcycling. Because a new short-stroke 750 was briefly offered as an option on the John Player Norton & the Commando Roadster. The first production machines completed in April 1968 had frame failure problems, which were resolved with the introduction of an improved frame in January 1969. Claimed horsepower was 58.74 HP (43.8 KW) @ 6200 RPM. The origins of the early Norton Commando 750s can be traced back to the Matchless factory in 1968, followed in 1969 by production moving to the Villiers factory in West Midlands, England. eBay UK has 50 or so listings starting from 2,500. September 1970 saw the introduction of the classic 'Fastback Mk2', which had alloy levers with modified stands and chain guards. The engine is a 961cc fuel-injected air-cooled ohv 270 parallel-twin that produces 79bhp (59kW). 101 Fox Fell Drive This event led the factory to abandon racing; and a Norton factory team did not resume racing until the Wankel-engined Nortons of the 1980s. Yes, the ancient 1948 Bert Hopwood design that started life as at 500cc, had one final growth spurt, this time to 829cc, to be called the 850 Commando. In the early 1970s, with sponsorship from John Player Special cigarettes, Norton went factory racing. For those in the UK my trusty go to site Car and Classic has several bikes available ranging from 7,000-14,000 with the average cost around the 8,000 mark. With its sleek rear cowling and fiberglass tank, it maintains an esthetic quality that is only enhanced by the patina of 30 years on the road. The fairing had 2 side-by-side headlights flared in, along with standard turn signals. All engines now had the 32mm Amal 932 Concentric carbs & intake tracts from the Combat engine, but with reduced compression ratio & higher gearing. The last of the 750 series, the MkV was produced from November 1972 to mid-1973 as a 1973 model and featured improved crank bearings and the standard grind camshaft. The entire model line had benefited from the engine fixes developed to counter the Combats tendency to break pistons & eat main bearings. The Roadster, Hi Rider and the Interstate all began to use a new 828 cc. Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. Over several years, and with great pleasure, I brought this machine back to life. Claimed as the first British Superbike by many, but perhaps more importantly the first British motorcycle to have eliminated vibration issues that plagued all the models at the time. In 1973 the 750 engine was finally bored to 828cc for all models going forward. The sensation is akin to an airplane bouncing along a rough airstrip until, at one magical moment.liftoff, and all is smooth and quiet. It was even red, just like my first! One tube attached to the front of the engine and the other at the rear of the sub-frame, this suspension design kept the swing-arm true with the engine position, while at the same time isolating the engine and its vibration from the rest of the chassis. These main roller bearings in the now stiffer case would gall at high revs, leading to main bearing failure (resolved after the Combat model debacle, using the German-made "Superblend" bearing.) This bike has a 22.7 liters tank, full size buddt seat optional styled to match saddlebags, luggage rack and fairing. The new race bikes were based on the Commando, and in 1973 Peter Williams won the Formula 750 Isle of Man TT on a semi-monocoque framed "JPS Norton" special which he designed as an integrated package with a Peel-type fairing incorporating handlebar blisters which helped to reduce the drag coefficient to 0.39. The 'Combat' delivered 65 bhp at 6500 rpm with a 10 to 1 compression ratio, but the stressed 750cc twin proved extremely unreliable, with main bearing failures and broken pistons common. A division of A07 Online Media, LLC. There were numerous other design problems which were gradually addressed over the years, although some persisted to the end. However, many of these engines blew up and were having to be replaced during 1972 and 1973 so the Combat engine was soon dropped. A 73.0mm bore x 89.0mm stroke result in a displacement of just 745.0 cubic centimeters. It came standard with low clip-on handlebars & rearset footpegs & foot controls. Many used the Commando name for their lead model, or included the prospect of a Commando twin at a later date. Based on your score, the average rate is 7.52% (new) or 10.34% (used), Your trade-in can be all or part of a down payment, A higher credit score means lower interest rates, Suggested max: 36 months for used cars, 60 for new. RetroTours 
Production of the Commando would run until 1976. During its ten years of production, the Commando was popular all over the world. The threaded aluminum knobs holding the seat would strip, leaving the seat loose (never resolved). The bike weighed just 418.88 pounds (190.0 Kg). In the United Kingdom it won the Motor Cycle News "Machine of the Year" award for five successive years from 1968 to 1972. With assistance of a Government subsidy, the assembly line was moved to North Way, Andover; with the Test Department in an aircraft hangar on Thruxton Airfield. In March to June 1970 the updated S called the 'Roadster' had the 750cc engine, low-level exhaust, upward-angled silencers with reverse cones. The UK market is flooded with parts for the Norton Commando and all are fairly priced, the US Market not so much so parts are somewhat more expensive. The kickstarter lever is short and can intimidate at first, but following the prescribed technique recently produced an easy first-kick start -- after a 4 month layover! The S version was a production racer, featuring an OHV tuned engine, front disk brake and was finished in bright yellow - known as the Yellow Peril. The end result was the 'Interpol' machine, which sold well to police forces, both at home and abroad. NEW 850 COMMANDO BACK ON TRACK However, the company still managed to produce new Commando models, with 1974 seeing the release of the fully faired, Roadster-based JPN Replica (for "John Player Norton") and also the Mk.2a Interstate. The 'Combat' engine was introduced in January 1972 saw the appearance of the 'Mk4 Fastback', updated 'Roadster' and the '750 Interstate'. The new Superblend main bearings were now standard on all models. At Wolverhampton an action committee was formed in an effort to continue production and develop the Wulf engine - but the works was closed anyway. The engine was a oil & air cooled twin, four-stroke. Owners could now ride for longer without being hindered by vibration. GAUK is an established Trade Mark. Initially having a nominal 750cc displacement, actually 745cc (45.5cuin), in 1973 it became an 850cc, actually 828cc (50.5cuin). This was relatively easy as the engine was "pre-unit", that is, the gearbox was not integral with the crankcase, and the change gave three benefits: (i) the centre of gravity was moved further forward; (ii) this allowed more space behind the carburettors for the airbox; and (iii) it gave an attractive raked appearance to the motorcycle. The rear chain adjusting bolts pushed, rather than pulled, the rear axle, and would bend, making them difficult to turn. This on top of all the other problems Norton was facing at the time was simply more than they could handle. This page was last edited on 23 November 2019, at 20:16. The company acquired some Norton trademarks, including the hybrid name of 'Norvil'. The 750 Commando engine was clearly at its capacity and to try and squeeze any more out of it meant it just couldnt cope. NVT was saved when the Small Heath/Meriden part of the company was subsidised by Industry Secretary Tony Benn as Industry Secretary, but this did not include Commando production. What a bike? It is almost spooky it works so well. JOHN PLAYER NORTON TROUBLE IN PARADISE 
2022 GAUK Motors. The 750cc machine was fitted with panniers, top box, fairing, radio mountings, police lights, and auxiliary equipment. At that point, the rubberized motor mounts take over, and things smooth right out. The early tachometer drive jutted from the right side of the engine, and was vulnerable to being struck and snapped off (relocated to front of engine). The Norton engine was a 745cc OHV, two valves per-cylinder, air cooled parallel twin that delivered 56hp at 6,500rpm, with an estimated top speed of 115mph and it returned between 40-50mpg. Both had a pretty good run with over 70,000 units sold in the UK alone. Named the Isolastic anti-vibration system, the system's patent document listed Hooper as the lead inventor. In late 1973 redundancy notices were issued at Andover, followed by a sit-in at the works. He, with Norton-Villiers Chief Engineer Bernard Hooper and assistant Bob Trigg, decided that the engine, gearbox and swing-arm assembly were to be bolted together and isolated from the frame by special rubber mountings. In the United Kingdom it won the Motor Cycle News "Machine of the Year" award for five successive years from 1968-1972. This in itself was a big step as the Featherbed was light, rigid, strong and known for being the best handling frame around, but the Commando 750 needed a new frame and so Bauer got to work. ABOVE: The 1973 Norton Commando Interstate was the long-range touring edition. In 1971, after my freshman year in college, my girlfriend and I flew to London and picked up a brand new Norton Commando Fastback. wBW providessubjective opinionsand information on hard-to-find and unique motorcycling products. Today, the Norton Commando 750 remains a popular buy to ride classic motorcycle. This bike belongs to the category of classic and the first model of the Norton commando 750 roadster generation marketed to the general public in the year 1972, that's why incredible as it may seem, we are talking about a a motorcycle generation that already has 50 years. The original model, called the 'Fastback' was joined by the production racer 'S Type' which had a high level left-side exhaust and a 2.5 gallon petrol tank. There are three models in the new Commando range: a limited edition of 200 Commando 961 SEs, a Cafe Racer and a Sport model. Of all the vintage bikes I have tried, the Norton may be the best for dealing with modern traffic conditions. The big news for the 1972 Norton Commando line was the addition of a new, highly-tuned version of the 750 twin, called the Combat engine, 1972 - 1975 Norton Commando 750 Interstate, https://www.cyclechaos.com/w/index.php?title=Norton_Commando_750&oldid=192158, Commando 750 Roadster, Commando 750 Interstate, Commando. Fuel was supplied via a overhead valves (ohv). Given that its engine was an old pre-unit design, even Norton's chairman, Dennis Poore, expressed surprise at the Commando's remarkable success. No wonder the Norton is so frequently picked as the riders favorite. The rocker arm oil supply pipe was steel, and would fracture from vibration (later improved). By shortening the stroke to 80.4mm while retaining the 77mm bore from the 850, the new displacement was 749cc (the old 750 was actually 745cc), with a less undersquare engine geometry. Prolonged cruising at 5800rpm was possible & this calculated out to about 100mph in top gear. By summers end, two things were certain: motorcycle touring would be a way of life for me, and the Norton Mystique was well deserved. The engine rubber mounting system, which isolated the rider from vibration very well, left the engine to its own devices, and it shook like a commercial paint can shaker at idle. Norton would go on to produce several models of the Commando 750 and it proved to be their most successful model in the line-up and arguably for that time at least, saved the company from collapse. Initially having a nominal 750 cc displacement, actually 745 cc (45.5 cu in), in 1973 it became an 850 cc, actually 828 cc (50.5 cu in). Power output was advertised as 60hp at a leisurely 6,200rpm, but was probably more like 53hp, pretty much the same as the 750. Bauer tried to free the Commando from classic twin vibration problems, which had severely increased as the volume of the basic engine design expanded from the 500cc of Edward Turner's 1938 Triumph Speed Twin. Frame manufacturing was transferred to Wolverhampton, where a second production line produced about 80 complete machines each week. The whole concept relied on the correct angle tilt of the engine and the right amount of lateral movement in the mounts. It was Nortons Chief Engineer Dr Stephen Bauer, who was a former Rolls Royce engineer no less, who can be credited for the revolutionary concept. After the dismal finish of the 1972 model year, thanks to the Combat engine, 1973 was a good year for Norton Motorcycles. The first-year Lockheed disc front brake hauls all those ponies in promptly when necessary, and the handling is -- well, its legendary. The 'Combat' engine combined with quality control problems gave the company a bad reputation, which was highly covered in the press. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking through an affiliate link on my site. Too little or too much, could cause the frame to crack, vibration to return or poor handling leading to dangerous fishtails at high speeds. Learn more about us. At the time, buying in England and shipping the bike home was actually cheaper than buying one here, provided enough miles were logged overseas to qualify the vehicle as a used import. No part of this site shall be copied or reproduced in any way whatsoever without the written permission of GAUK Media, 1990 G reg LAND ROVER 90 4C SW DT DIESEL 4 X 4, 2005 05 reg NISSAN D22 2.5 DI 4 X 4 PICKUP - RUNS BUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEM (DIRECT GTR M/C FIRE), 2011 61 reg TOYOTA HILUX HL2 D-4D 4 X 4 ECB (DIRECT UNITED UTILITIES WATER), Jaguar MK2 2.4 MANUAL WITH OVERDRIVE - 1961, Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDCi 140 Titanium X Powershift, UK used car market declines -14.9% as coronavirus lockdowns curb 2020 sales, New Ford S-MAX Hybrid helps families go electric, Renault celebrates 60 years of the world-renowned 4L, SS, Hi-Rider, 850 Roadster, 850 Interstate, 745 and 828cc (45.5 and 50.5cuin) air-cooled OHV parallel-twin. That summer, we happily fulfilled the mileage requirement while traveling to Istanbul, Turkey and back. All the latest news from the car auction world. Rubber mounts had been used to reduce vibration previously by some manufacturers but to little avail. However, it was not without its issues in the first production model year particularly. After successes in 1969 by dealer-entered machines like Paul Smart's second and Mick Andrew's 4th places in the Isle of Man TT Production class and a win in the Hutchinson 100 Production Class by Mick Andrew on the Gus Kuhn entered Commando and 4th by Peter Williams' Arter Bros machine, the company decided to produce a racing model, hence developed the S and "Yellow Peril" models. The Norton Commando 750 was named Motorcycle News Motorcycle of the Year 5 years in a row. Only the Hi-Rider soldiered on with the old 8-inch TLS front brake, all others now had a single front disk brake on the right & the old drum out back. What was the shift Pattern, friend said it was either on the other side or shifted different than other bikes. In 1969, the second year of production Norton addressed this as best they could with an improved frame. In October 1973, the last 750 rolled off the assembly line.
Is an original Norton Commando a Good Investment? The revolutionary suspension system solved vibration issues that had plagued British manufacturers since they had started to build bigger engines. From its 1967 beginnings the Commando took part in racing events. Capable of keeping up with modern traffic, it attracts attention and crunches miles, plus an original bike costs less than a modern new Harley, what more do you need? The twin-cylinder design evolved into 600cc, then the 650cc Manxman and Dominator until superseded by 750cc Atlas before being launched as the 750cc Commando in 1967. EVERYBODY ELSE: If you're in the market for a vehicle, any vehicle, car, van, motorbike or commercial and don't want to pay FULL RETAIL PRICE Register HERE. The Amal carbs had float needle leakage from vibration, which led to flooding and fires, exacerbated by having the ignition points located under the right hand carb (relocated to the right side of the engine after the first year). From 1995 onwards Vintage Rebuilds began restoring vintage British and Italian motorcycles, with Dreer showing a "new" Commando based Norton VR880 Sprint Special in 1999 with newly cast and manufactured parts, but using a bored out 880cc twin engine with some modern developments. The 'Street Scrambler' and the 'Hi Rider' were launched in May 1971, with the 'Fastback Long Range' with increased petrol tank capacity from July 1971. So, the Featherbed frame which in itself was a feat of engineering was scrapped and a new one designed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You could be forgiven for not knowing what the MTT 420RR is as it is as far from a regular motorcycle as you can get and it is very unlikely, The Honda CBR900RR fireblade is a motorcycle that has proven itself again and again ever since its inception back in 1992.