BUYERS’ GUIDE: NORTON COMMANDO 750/850
Think Brit parallel twins are over-rated bad vibes merchants? Riding a good one of these will change your mind
All the pertinent details of what to look for if you are thinking of buying a Norton Commando
Norton’s Commando has earned a pretty good reputation for itself, considering it was originally intended as a stopgap model. And rightly so – it’s right up there in the running for the title of ‘best British parallel twin’ and, with the strength in depth of the opposition from Triumph, BSA and AMC, that’s no mean feat.
The problem for Norton in the late ’60s was that they desperately needed a new flagship model. BSA/ Triumph were already developing their triples, Honda had already released their biggest bike to date – the CB450 – in 1967 and rumours of more to come from Japan abounded. Norton had been working on a new dohc engine and prototypes were already up and running – but so, too, was time. Dennis Poore’s Manganese Bronze
Holding Company owned Norton’s parent company by then, and Poore was keen to revitalise the Norton brand as part of the new Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT) group, so he put together an all-star design team to come up with a new range topper for Norton.
With time short, the team came up with the idea of using the existing 750cc Atlas engine in an innovative new frame design that would solve the problem of big-twin vibration. By mounting the swingarm direct to the engine and isolating them from the main frame loop (and hence the rider) with rubber-bushed mountings, the Isolastic system was born; the combination of all-new frame and tried-and-tested engine became the Commando.
To give the new model a more up-to-date look, the engine was tilted forward slightly in the frame.
The old Atlas powerplant also got a strengthened clutch with a diaphragm spring – and the old-tech engine was still good enough for a very competitive 120mph top speed. There was life in the old dog yet.
To sell the concept, Norton needed a new modern look for their new flagship model, so they enlisted the Wolff Olins design agency to style the new machine. The striking ‘Fastback’ design won over the crowds at the 1967 Earls Court Show. It won over the press too, with MCN declaring it ‘an entirely new concept in motorcycling’ after a 120mph top-speed run. The Commando had arrived.
Over the next four years, the Commando range was cannily expanded by draping the basic engine/frame combination in a variety of clothing. There was the street scrambler ‘S’ and Us-market ‘R’ model with high-rise ’bars and small tank in 1969, while the following year saw the Roadster, SS and limited-edition Production Racer with tuned ‘Combat’ engine, join the line-up. The Hi -Rider custom and the Combat-engined large-tanked disc-braked Interstate variants appeared for 1972.
With the over-stressed Combat engine suffering from reliability issues, the big-bore route to upping performance came in 1973, in the shape of the new 828cc ‘850’ engine. There were some specials, too – a short-stroke 750 racer for the F750 class and a John Player special café racer in 1974, with the final MKII version of the 850 being released in 1975. After that, a few Commandos were assembled from parts, with the last ones dribbling onto the market in 1978. Still, 10 years isn’t bad for a stopgap. What that means for Commando owners today, is one of the best spares and specialist networks of any classic bike. Whatever you might need for your Commando, you can get it – from the smallest
fastener to a brand new engine. Norvil even build complete bikes from new parts. There’s no excuse for a Commando to be off the road.
That’s good, because where a well-sorted Commando belongs is out on the road. Choose between the snappy urge of the 750 and the more laid-back, grunty thrust of the 850 – both are great bikes for everyday use as well as the occasional mad thrash.
Keep the Isolastic bushes adjusted properly and handling should be good enough to keep the most enthusiastic rider happy – and with that 120mph potential you probably won’t want much more in the way of performance, either. But if you do – or you want better brakes, suspension or a full café racer makeover, you can get it. There’s a staggering range of upgrades available for Norton’s final twin.
THE RIDE
Any well set-up Commando model can deliver the sort of ride to confound even the most ardent critic of the British motorcycle industry’s reliance on the paralleltwin format. Stopgap, anachronism, whatever you want to call it, the Commando rises above any criticism to deliver a ride to leave you with a smile on your face.
The 750 models couple light weight with a bucketful of longstroke grunt to deliver genuinely impressive acceleration. And they have an almost uncanny ability to maintain impressively high cruising speeds that mark it apart from some other parallel twins. Sure, at low revs a little vibration does get through to the rider, but get the tacho past 4000rpm and everything smooths out, making the Commando feel remarkably civilised for a big parallel twin. It’s remarkable to think that the engine is nothing more than the venerable Atlas lump (which was itself essentially a bored and stroked Dominator unit dating back to 1947) tipped on its nose.
The AMC four-speed gearbox is no hindrance to the torquey twin, defying it age to deliver positive changes, and the clutch is even better, with a smooth take-up and reasonably light action. But it’s the innovative Isolastic frame system that really makes the Commando what it is. Get the adjustment just right and the worst vices of the parallel twin are effectively isolated from the rider, leaving you free to enjoy a fine-handling chassis to match the punchy engine. The Commando is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
An 850 offers a similar ride – along with a lovely, effortless feel to the power delivery. The bigger engine makes light work of the extra 70lb (31kg) the Commando gained over its production life, and outright performance is about the same as the 750. It all depends what you like – raw or relaxed.
Ride one if you can. It might just redefine how you think about parallel twins.
‘GET IT PAST 4000RPM AND IT SMOOTHS OUT’