My first road bike was a BSA B31, my first competition bike was an HJH scrambler. I would ride Gold Stars and Matchless/Triumph Matisse scramblers and generally stuck to BMW twins for road work. Until I was talked into buying a Commando. The bikes in this video are super nice and a credit to owners who relish them. But I thought the Commando was a cobbled up last hurrah from a revered company who made some incredible motorcycles. The Commando did not suit everyone and the one I owned began it’s demise by splitting its pretty red, white and blue gas tank. During the next year, it blew up its engine and developed electrical issues: it was a smooth motor once off idle, fast and grunts but I feared riding it after a year and found a BMW dealer happy to take it against a new R100CS. At my loss, of course. I have a pal who owns one of the last 850 models and it is very clean and fast on the road. But he sweats using it in the city. Morton’s were the greatest during my youth in wartime Britain. From a 16H to a Manx there were good bikes for all.
Yes love Tom and his Triumph. I do envy you guys (4 of you) enjoying a nice run out on your Commando’s. Beautiful roads Ann beautiful countryside for you ride. I’m sure you all have an enjoyable day. You all take care now thank you for sharing you day with us.
We just places a remote mic under the seat so no wind noise but quite nice otherwise - it actually pushes one to better gear changes because they are heard so easily... ;) Yes, we concentrate on riding not talking but there is no problem - every speech can be mixed on afterwards - it might even be better for some situations!
Man your video are making me jealous! My Commando has been in parts for nearly 10 weeks now, waiting on parts to sort out a damaged primary chain which happened when one of the three inner primary cover bolts came loose. Got several items from AN within 4 days (very expensive shipping plus courier's "Brokerage" charges); a new heavy duty duplex primary chain from "TheChainMan" in the UK, as recommended by guys on the AccessNorton forums) within 6 weeks, standard postal service, no extra charges. Still waiting on a new clutch hub (my original had big notches worn in it)...coming from CNW as theirs is an upgrade hardened hub and was actually lower cost than the original type from AN. This was sent regular post but no sign of it completing the few hundred mile trip to Vancouver Canada....Beginning to contemplate putting the old hub back in just to get back on the road. Even my 2013 Bonneville is acting up...misfiring at steady speeds.
Oh man, that is rough! I know what you mean. It seems like it never ends sometimes. I hope the parts show up. It's a killer waiting for parts from the UK isn't it. I hope things work out okay. I also need to get on with some of my projects before the summer ends! Best wishes, Mike
@@TheMightyGarage Got the clutch hub finally after 10 weeks from CNW. Now I discover I need to order some more shims to better align the clutch basket with the crank sprocket. Luckily there are a few vendors for Norton parts in Canada I can get these from so hoping to have them end of week. The journey continues....
Love your videos, their so unique! Wish they were longer though as it’s not common to find vids of such quality concerning the vintage British bikes. All the best.
Thanks a lot Chris! It's still a work in progress. I tried the remote mic today plugged into the media mod and fixed the lavalier behind my back attached to the chesty harness. The sound was definitely clearer but it sounded a bit funky. It didn't feel like it belonged with the video facing forward. And of course I was trying so hard to make the audio work that I forgot to push the camera back far enough 🤔😂. It's a step at a time! Next ride, I hope to do a better job and maybe even move the mic to the front but try and shield it from the wind. Thanks for your help. Mike
I've been massively impressed with the GoPro Max audio quality. In this video it's the audio straight from the camera, no wind noise at all and the camera is getting the maximum wind sitting there on the front. th-cam.com/video/MxUsLBj9kek/w-d-xo.html If you do go 360 there are some additional processing you need to do but if you're up to it you'll be fine. When you crop down to HD from 360 it won't look as good as a dedicated HD camera like the GoPro 8. If you have more questions just let me know.
Nice to see you guys out and about, pity about the sound would of loved to hear the sound of the commando. Thought you’d be busy in your garages, you’ve gotta Manxman to build, don’t forget 🤔😂 All the good guys are called Dave what a great name 😀 👍 Looking forward to Sunday as ever, can’t wait. All the best to you and yours Mike.
Thank you Owen! How are you doing? I hope all is well. Great to hear from you. Do you think you might be able to come over to Canada next year, if the World is in a better place?? Best wishes. Mike
@@TheMightyGarage That's my plan just now... all going well. Feasibility study re one of my bikes travelling. International travel at all is the concern... it ain't 2019 no more!
Yep-- British beauties! -- and why Peter Eagan bought the Norton and not the BMW in '76 or so. Can' t beat British styling from upper level automobiles to motorcycles -- clean, beautiful lines. Love the silver one! I have to admit, when I first saw the coffee shop shot with two bikes... well, you know I what I thought, that the "Prince of Darkness" (Lucas) had snagged two souls... I guess I'm going to have to go ahead and subscribe: nice bikes, good shots, and fits into my 7-10 minute attention span.
Hehe, thanks Edwin and thanks for subscribing. Heres' a more in-depth look at the George's Commando. It's a world-class restoration with 25k miles on the clock and he rides it too! Best wishes, Mike th-cam.com/video/UeovHlRRFrk/w-d-xo.html
That was nice,,,,I must admit I got a bit of an adrenaline rush watching the 3x speed of the video when you guys were coning into the town,,,kind of fun!
Many thanks Richard. Unfortunately we only have 1 Manx in the club, but it's a long way off and may not make it to the cul-de-sac. There are a few clips of it in this video at the 02:55 mark. th-cam.com/video/Yoz8xl_Q-oo/w-d-xo.html Cheers, Mike
All the bikes look great! Hope to have my Commando back on the right later this year after 30+ years in a shed. I see you all use bar end mirrors. Which ones are you using?
Hi Dave, a lot of the guys including myself are using the Napoleon "Baren" bar end mirrors. They are really good quality and don't vibrate as much as some of the cheaper models. Good luck with your Commando! That is great news. Best wishes, Mike
Hello Mike. I was wondering how you fitted the led head light and still used the positive ground. I have been looking for a solution for my Norton commando but no one seems to have a solid answer. Sincerely. Richard Stevens.
Hi Richard, I just happen to have a very talented electrical engineer as a great friend and he fitted it for me, but I will get back to you with more information about the front headlight. It did involve some work due to the positive ground, but the unit was a relatively inexpensive unit from Amazon.com. I remember that the unit is also quite large. Some have a fan unit at the back of the LED lights and some have the fan unit separate, which is helpful. I also removed all the inside of the headlight switch on the headlight shell to allow the bulb to fit. For the rear tail light, I bought a circuit board LED from Colorado Norton works (CNW). It was quite expensive, but it has been amazing. I'm really pleased with its performance and it is so much brighter. Here's a link to the website. I think they do the two models as I have the blocky tail light on my 74. coloradonortonworks.net/cnw-led-taillight-conversion.html Here’s a video of how they look. The link should skip to 5 minutes into the review where I talk about the LED lights: th-cam.com/video/LfFQkk-A1gI/w-d-xo.html Cheers Mike
The Mighty Garage Thanks Mike, I have the tailight fitted with a kit from British Cycle Supply but when I asked them about the headlight they told me no suitable ones were available yet for Brit bikes. Maybe a short video on the conversion would be of interest to your viewers. By the way your isolastics video was a big help to me. It saved me a lot of grief and cursing. R.S.
@@richardstevens801 There are several options for a positive ground headlight bulb now. thebonnevilleshop.com/triumph-norton-bsa-bpf-premium-led-headlight-bulb-positive-negative-ground-pn-446-led/ www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffyWhyNotLEDs.htm
So what's the story with the missing inspection caps on the primary of that mustard one with the fairing? Is that how you kids waterproof your riding boots nowadays?...Just let the ATF fling out of there for a few miles then swap boots right-on-left and vice versa? Or maybe just ride side-saddle until the primary's dry?
Had two Norton bikes. They were nice to look at but they were not as good as the Japanese or even the Italian equivalents. By 1972 they were obsolete and that is why they filed for bankruptcy a short time later. Shame that the British factory could not change with the times.
Hi Hotwheel66, yes, it's been great so far and I must say it takes a lot of pressure off 😀 Here's a playlist of the project: th-cam.com/play/PLgDzKiI-i6naxirpkdWi3XBs6pBtIRDWs.html
Just came across a 74, not sure what model it is. Looks like the black one, but has white lettering. That's why I'm here. It's needs a lot of TLC! They're asking $8k looks more like a $4k bike to me, maybe I'm wrong.
The price depends upon so much and it's difficult to tell without seeing it. If you want to send me a message and pics via instagram, I would be happy to take a look: instagram.com/themightygarage/
Hi Aleek. They may be in India soon! I don’t know if you have heard, but the Norton motorcycle brand has been bought by an Indian company who intend to start making Nortons again! If they are anything like the new Royal Enfield motorcycles, they should be terrific 😉
Another great video, had me wishing I was there! This video popped up on my feed, don't know if you've seen him before. He seems to get a good sound whatever he's doing th-cam.com/video/9IXhK4scVR4/w-d-xo.html . Loving the videos, keep them coming :)
Thanks a lot for sharing. Yes, I have seen his videos! They are very good and he's a strong rider! He rides his bike a wee bit faster than I do 😀 I feel like a wimp when I see how he corners his Norton!
![Norton Commando Cafe Racer [visit 25 of 31]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KRHVjgrERpQ/mqdefault.jpg)
The Thunderous Roar of British iron.....A small glimps of when the Rockers left the Ace Cafe in the early sixties...Ahh! Nostalgia
My first road bike was a BSA B31, my first competition bike was an HJH scrambler. I would ride Gold Stars and Matchless/Triumph Matisse scramblers and generally stuck to BMW twins for road work. Until I was talked into buying a Commando. The bikes in this video are super nice and a credit to owners who relish them. But I thought the Commando was a cobbled up last hurrah from a revered company who made some incredible motorcycles. The Commando did not suit everyone and the one I owned began it’s demise by splitting its pretty red, white and blue gas tank.
During the next year, it blew up its engine and developed electrical issues: it was a smooth motor once off idle, fast and grunts but I feared riding it after a year and found a BMW dealer happy to take it against a new R100CS. At my loss, of course.
I have a pal who owns one of the last 850 models and it is very clean and fast on the road. But he sweats using it in the city.
Morton’s were the greatest during my youth in wartime Britain. From a 16H to a Manx there were good bikes for all.
Buying a 1970 Commando from my friend . Can't wait to start the restoration.
That silver Commando 750 is my pick. What a lovely machine. Thanks Mike.
Good choice Peter! Here it is again close up! th-cam.com/video/UeovHlRRFrk/w-d-xo.html
Norton bikes ruled back in the day when i lived in Great Britain....these bikes will still be running 50 years on from now.
They might be running 50 years from now but we won't be. ;-)
Thanks for taking us all with you, Mike. Can’t wait for the on-road sound. Best
Thank you Kym. Had another ride today and things seem to be improving. Best wishes, Mike
Awesome. Former 72 Commando owner.
Thanks guys, felt like i was right there with you!
Thanks for coming along Simon! Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes, Mike
Yes love Tom and his Triumph. I do envy you guys (4 of you) enjoying a nice run out on your Commando’s. Beautiful roads Ann beautiful countryside for you ride. I’m sure you all have an enjoyable day. You all take care now thank you for sharing you day with us.
Many thanks Red Leader for your great comment. I appreciate it. Best wishes, Mike
We just places a remote mic under the seat so no wind noise but quite nice otherwise - it actually pushes one to better gear changes because they are heard so easily... ;)
Yes, we concentrate on riding not talking but there is no problem - every speech can be mixed on afterwards - it might even be better for some situations!
Many thanks for your advice. I tried a few different techniques this weekend so hopefully it will sound better soon! Best wishes, Mike
Man your video are making me jealous! My Commando has been in parts for nearly 10 weeks now, waiting on parts to sort out a damaged primary chain which happened when one of the three inner primary cover bolts came loose. Got several items from AN within 4 days (very expensive shipping plus courier's "Brokerage" charges); a new heavy duty duplex primary chain from "TheChainMan" in the UK, as recommended by guys on the AccessNorton forums) within 6 weeks, standard postal service, no extra charges. Still waiting on a new clutch hub (my original had big notches worn in it)...coming from CNW as theirs is an upgrade hardened hub and was actually lower cost than the original type from AN. This was sent regular post but no sign of it completing the few hundred mile trip to Vancouver Canada....Beginning to contemplate putting the old hub back in just to get back on the road. Even my 2013 Bonneville is acting up...misfiring at steady speeds.
Oh man, that is rough! I know what you mean. It seems like it never ends sometimes. I hope the parts show up. It's a killer waiting for parts from the UK isn't it. I hope things work out okay. I also need to get on with some of my projects before the summer ends! Best wishes, Mike
@@TheMightyGarage Got the clutch hub finally after 10 weeks from CNW. Now I discover I need to order some more shims to better align the clutch basket with the crank sprocket. Luckily there are a few vendors for Norton parts in Canada I can get these from so hoping to have them end of week. The journey continues....
TornadoCAN99 hehe 😉 good luck and I hope everything works out OK 👍
Looking forward to the visits!
Thanks Craig. Best wishes, Mike
Thanks Mike , looking forward to forthcoming videos 👍
Thanks David. Yes, there are quite a few in the pipeline! Cheers, Mike
Looking forward to Sunday Mike 😀
To good for words will view over and over those roads looking nice to ride stay safe
Love your videos, their so unique! Wish they were longer though as it’s not common to find vids of such quality concerning the vintage British bikes. All the best.
I think the quantity of videos makes up for the length.
Really good video.Stabilisation is spot on. Viewpoint angle is good also.
Thanks a lot Chris! It's still a work in progress. I tried the remote mic today plugged into the media mod and fixed the lavalier behind my back attached to the chesty harness. The sound was definitely clearer but it sounded a bit funky. It didn't feel like it belonged with the video facing forward. And of course I was trying so hard to make the audio work that I forgot to push the camera back far enough 🤔😂. It's a step at a time! Next ride, I hope to do a better job and maybe even move the mic to the front but try and shield it from the wind. Thanks for your help. Mike
Thanks for bringing us along. Keep us updated on the GoPro 8, been looking for a newer camera myself, maybe even a 360.
I've been massively impressed with the GoPro Max audio quality. In this video it's the audio straight from the camera, no wind noise at all and the camera is getting the maximum wind sitting there on the front. th-cam.com/video/MxUsLBj9kek/w-d-xo.html If you do go 360 there are some additional processing you need to do but if you're up to it you'll be fine. When you crop down to HD from 360 it won't look as good as a dedicated HD camera like the GoPro 8. If you have more questions just let me know.
Nice to see you guys out and about, pity about the sound would of loved to hear the sound of the commando.
Thought you’d be busy in your garages, you’ve gotta Manxman to build, don’t forget 🤔😂
All the good guys are called Dave what a great name 😀 👍
Looking forward to Sunday as ever, can’t wait.
All the best to you and yours Mike.
I’m finding it hard to disagree with you. 😎
Enjoyed the videos Mike , bikes& weather looks great... fairly wet in East Yorkshire right now.
Thank you HG! our folks still live in Scarborough! I worked in Beverley and lived in Anlaby for a while. Best wishes, Mike
Love the chest mount view of Commando riders!
Thank you Owen! How are you doing? I hope all is well. Great to hear from you. Do you think you might be able to come over to Canada next year, if the World is in a better place?? Best wishes. Mike
@@TheMightyGarage
That's my plan just now... all going well.
Feasibility study re one of my bikes travelling. International travel at all is the concern... it ain't 2019 no more!
Yep-- British beauties! -- and why Peter Eagan bought the Norton and not the BMW in '76 or so. Can' t beat British styling from upper level automobiles to motorcycles -- clean, beautiful lines. Love the silver one! I have to admit, when I first saw the coffee shop shot with two bikes... well, you know I what I thought, that the "Prince of Darkness" (Lucas) had snagged two souls...
I guess I'm going to have to go ahead and subscribe: nice bikes, good shots, and fits into my 7-10 minute attention span.
Hehe, thanks Edwin and thanks for subscribing. Heres' a more in-depth look at the George's Commando. It's a world-class restoration with 25k miles on the clock and he rides it too! Best wishes, Mike th-cam.com/video/UeovHlRRFrk/w-d-xo.html
Great video.... 😎 🏍🇬🇧🇺🇸🌍
Thanks a lot William. Glad you liked it. Cheers, Mike
Wonderful bikes - look forward to you getting the sound issues sorted so we can hear these thundering down the road...
Cool, rode mine this weekend. Considered trading it on a new bike, one ride on the old hi rider cleared my mind.
Haha, glad to hear that Chris. I love my "new" Thruxton, but it's just not the same as an old bike ;)
That was nice,,,,I must admit I got a bit of an adrenaline rush watching the 3x speed of the video when you guys were coning into the town,,,kind of fun!
Haha, thanks Kevin ;) I thought it might be nice to show the town without having everyone to sit in traffic with us 😎 best wishes, Mike
Beautiful.
Thanks Mike & guys, bikes look & sound 'awesome' What a treat to be out even for a short spin with a couple or three mates.
atvb t ..
Thank you Terry! Glad you enjoyed it. That was a really nice ride. Best wishes, Mike
nice ride out just reminds me of my rides out on my norton in lancs but better wheather
Thank you Ian. Hope the weather improves soon. Best wishes, Mike
Thanks for another great video Mike. Warms my heart to see the old Nortons out playing. You never show the chase pickup though (lol).
No need for a chase vehicle with these bikes!
Great video fantastic bikes loved it looking forward to other videos my favourite Norton would be a manx Norton stay safe 🇬🇧👍🏻
Many thanks Richard. Unfortunately we only have 1 Manx in the club, but it's a long way off and may not make it to the cul-de-sac. There are a few clips of it in this video at the 02:55 mark. th-cam.com/video/Yoz8xl_Q-oo/w-d-xo.html Cheers, Mike
@@TheMightyGarage thanks 🇬🇧👍🏻
A fantastic video as all ways Cheer's
Thank you Frank! Cheers, Mike
Hope Geoff's leg is better. Camera and sound is very good, Mike. Thank you!
We were more concerned he’d sprain his thumb on the starter button. 😜
a flock of nortons following the sun , feet and inches a/f spanners and fahrenheit too ! where do i sign ?
All the bikes look great! Hope to have my Commando back on the right later this year after 30+ years in a shed. I see you all use bar end mirrors. Which ones are you using?
Hi Dave, a lot of the guys including myself are using the Napoleon "Baren" bar end mirrors. They are really good quality and don't vibrate as much as some of the cheaper models. Good luck with your Commando! That is great news. Best wishes, Mike
@@TheMightyGarage Cheers!
Hello Mike.
I was wondering how you fitted the led head light and still used the positive ground. I have been looking for a solution for my Norton commando but no one seems to have a solid answer. Sincerely. Richard Stevens.
Hi Richard,
I just happen to have a very talented electrical engineer as a great friend and he fitted it for me, but I will get back to you with more information about the front headlight. It did involve some work due to the positive ground, but the unit was a relatively inexpensive unit from Amazon.com. I remember that the unit is also quite large. Some have a fan unit at the back of the LED lights and some have the fan unit separate, which is helpful. I also removed all the inside of the headlight switch on the headlight shell to allow the bulb to fit.
For the rear tail light, I bought a circuit board LED from Colorado Norton works (CNW). It was quite expensive, but it has been amazing. I'm really pleased with its performance and it is so much brighter. Here's a link to the website. I think they do the two models as I have the blocky tail light on my 74. coloradonortonworks.net/cnw-led-taillight-conversion.html
Here’s a video of how they look. The link should skip to 5 minutes into the review where I talk about the LED lights:
th-cam.com/video/LfFQkk-A1gI/w-d-xo.html
Cheers
Mike
The Mighty Garage Thanks Mike, I have the tailight fitted with a kit from British Cycle Supply but when I asked them about the headlight they told me no suitable ones were available yet for Brit bikes. Maybe a short video on the conversion would be of interest to your viewers. By the way your isolastics video was a big help to me. It saved me a lot of grief and cursing. R.S.
@@richardstevens801 There are several options for a positive ground headlight bulb now. thebonnevilleshop.com/triumph-norton-bsa-bpf-premium-led-headlight-bulb-positive-negative-ground-pn-446-led/ www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffyWhyNotLEDs.htm
swooshdave Thanks Dave,I need an H4 bayonet positive ground led for my Norton but I’ll keep this in mind for my bonneville.
as they say in the west midlands bostin our kid 😜👍
Haha! Thanks Mick
Awesome
Thank you Robert! Much appreciated. Cheers, Mike
So what's the story with the missing inspection caps on the primary of that mustard one with the fairing? Is that how you kids waterproof your riding boots nowadays?...Just let the ATF fling out of there for a few miles then swap boots right-on-left and vice versa? Or maybe just ride side-saddle until the primary's dry?
Haha, it has has a belt drive, Bill! No oil in there and it looks really cool with the exposed caps. Cheers, Mike
Had two Norton bikes. They were nice to look at but they were not as good as the Japanese or even the Italian equivalents. By 1972 they were obsolete and that is why they filed for bankruptcy a short time later. Shame that the British factory could not change with the times.
The cul-de-sac videos are brilliant if you can in some way keep that theme going. Doesn't necessarily have to be in the cul-de-sac. 👍🙏
Thanks a lot Phil! There should be quite a few more still to come and I'm working on a few other episodes ;)
@@TheMightyGarage glad to hear that, you have a spot on idea.
I'm jealous
Did Geoff finally get his hair cut?😄
Haha. Yes! I don’t have to worry about that 😀
So you can get a electric starter to work on a Commando?
Hi Hotwheel66, yes, it's been great so far and I must say it takes a lot of pressure off 😀 Here's a playlist of the project: th-cam.com/play/PLgDzKiI-i6naxirpkdWi3XBs6pBtIRDWs.html
Just came across a 74, not sure what model it is. Looks like the black one, but has white lettering. That's why I'm here. It's needs a lot of TLC! They're asking $8k looks more like a $4k bike to me, maybe I'm wrong.
The price depends upon so much and it's difficult to tell without seeing it. If you want to send me a message and pics via instagram, I would be happy to take a look: instagram.com/themightygarage/
@@TheMightyGarage I'm going to try to setup IG account and send some pics.
I saw your comments but there were no pics. Can you resend?
@@TheMightyGarage i haven't figured out how to send pics yet. Let me try again.
@@TheMightyGarage sent the pics on IG
I wish I could buy one, but we don't have those in India
Hi Aleek. They may be in India soon! I don’t know if you have heard, but the Norton motorcycle brand has been bought by an Indian company who intend to start making Nortons again! If they are anything like the new Royal Enfield motorcycles, they should be terrific 😉
Oh yeah, oh yes Bajaj Auto has bought it I thinks
It may be the same company but I read it is TVS Motor Company Ltd that purchased Norton. 👍
Yup just read it today, well Norton will rule again
Going commando leads to chaffing.
Another great video, had me wishing I was there! This video popped up on my feed, don't know if you've seen him before. He seems to get a good sound whatever he's doing th-cam.com/video/9IXhK4scVR4/w-d-xo.html . Loving the videos, keep them coming :)
Thanks a lot for sharing. Yes, I have seen his videos! They are very good and he's a strong rider! He rides his bike a wee bit faster than I do 😀 I feel like a wimp when I see how he corners his Norton!