Mid 70's a lad on my road had a Commando. Loud n fast when it worked, however most times I passed by it was in bits in his garden. Fortunately the bus stop was close to Tom's house.
I rebuilt a Combat Commando about 6 years ago. I put the modern mods on it and tried to break it, I did a thousand miles on it and it ran perfectly. I sold it and the owner is still using it, without any issues. They can be made to be reliable.🇬🇧
Back in the day I was a Mechanic at a Norton dealership. When you increased the horsepower of the Commando the stock bronze clutch plates would slip. The cure for this was new Barnett fiber clutch plates. It would hold but if you tried to drag race and dump the clutch it would kick the bottom out of the transmission. The really good news about the Norton Commando is that they are still as fun to ride as they ever were. You can get every part you could ever need plus some really nice upgrades such as electronic ignition, brakes, rear sets and electric start just to name a few.
A friend of mine owned an 850 Norton Commado... We swapped bikes during one of our rides... I owned a Honda CB900FA Bol D'or at the time. I was not greatly impressed with the Norton... Not having an electric starter was a no brainer... kicking that 850 engine into life took a bit of effort. Once fired up, it vibrated so much, it made the rear vision mirrors a blur. The crappy seat, made the bike uncomfortable to ride. However, I will concede that it had a great exhaust sound. The bike did attract attention - during my ride on it, I was pulled over and booked by the police for speeding!
The Commando should vide while at rest but not on the move, set the iso mounts up is critical however, some guys used to close the gap so the bike felt more taught Didn’t help the vibes though
The 75 left side shifter (shown in your video) never came as a combat, at least not in the states anyway. Never saw a combat have any problems from our shop, we replaced the primary chain (diamond), clutch plates, coils, primary output seals on the tranny, Dunlop K81s we're installed, Boyer ignition, Dunstall pipes and of course updated the zenor diode and other Lucas weak components before any nortie hit the floor. Our Nortons were absolutely bulletproof when they were cared for correctly and many local racers would agree. Yes I watched the whole thing.
I know the combat is earlier but trying to find footage of a combat is pretty well impossible. Well you never saw a Ptolemy but you replaced an awful lot of kit by the sounds of things so hardly factory standard
That Yamaha V twin was half of the V4 later to be Venture and Vmax engine. The 1982had carburetor problems but the 1983 was fine. I worked at a Yamaha shop during those years when the big four were coming out with new designs every month it seemed. Turbos, water cooling, fuel injection, Single shock rear suspension, multiple valves per cylinder, improved ignition systems. They dropped kick starters from machines, tubeless tires, shaft drive that lubricated the engine part of the shaft drive with the same oil that ran through the engine instead of a 90 weight lubrication, in 1982, I was a Honda salesman. We handed out decks of cards supplied by Honda, with a different model on each of the 52 cards. I still have two of those decks brand new here in 2022.. it was confusing trying to figure out exactly which marvelous new motorcycle you wanted to buy and they were cheap. you could buy the new Honda fuel injected water cooled Single shock, tubeless tire alloy wheel full fairing shaft drive , multi valve per cylinder turbo charged reliable honda cx 500tc for a measly $4995.. my best friend bought one from me brand new. The very first one in the state as far as I know. I was able to pull some strings since I worked there. I spent many hours riding that machine when we would switch bikes on long long rides. It was perfect. It was the best, most refined of all the turbos. It was actually designed years earlier from scratch to be a turbo charged engine. Kawasaki, suzuki, and Yamaha all had turbos. But they were turbos adapted to their old in-line four-cylinder air cooled engines.. they were OK, but the Honda was perfect. That was short-lived because the Japanese were cranking out 1000 and 1100s that were faster than the turbos ..Those pre-tariff machines and that was the birth of the Venture, goldwing buyer??, Kawasaki Voyager and suzuki cavalcade loaded Touring machines. The big four out of Japan we’re just one upping each other left and right.. yamaha introduced the XS 1100, the next month Honda came out with the six-cylinder CBX, and the month after that suzuki introduced the GS 1000 which was the fastest and could actually go around corners unlike the CBX or the XS 1100.. it was like a gold rush.. Then it all came crashing down when Harley Davidson hired a guy named Von Bealls .. he was a Wall Street type guy. He went right to President Reagan and claimed that Japan was dumping motorcycles here below cost to intentionally put Harley Davidson out of business. nothing could have been further from the truth. Japan did not care about Harley one bit. They knew Harley could not compete on any level. I was there in those days, nobody I knew rode a Harley. Everybody knew they were a joke especially the AMF motorcycles. but Ronald Reagan/President of the United States ended up putting a tariff on imported Japanese motorcycles. The reasoning was, to save the 600 workers at the Harley Davidson factory. The result was over the next three years, over 1100 Japanese motorcycle shops in the United States went completely out of business permanently. The average number of employees at those 1100 shops was seven employees. What about those 7700 jobs Mr. Reagan.. that was just another painful example of what Ronald Reagan said ironically were the scariest words he ever heard, and those are, “I’m from the government, I’m here to help”. The irony is, is very words were what caused the collapse of the motorcycle business in this country.. I was actually selling motorcycles part time in the evenings and on Saturdays from January through May every year. Anyone that was going to buy a motorcycle already had it by June 1 so I always quit until next January during those days. I was actually making more money selling motorcycles than I was at my real job. in the early 80s, I was averaging around $550 a week working part time 15 hours a week. One of my take-home paychecks in 1982 was $1385 for one week..I had 9 layaways go out that week, in addition to the five I sold that went out that week.. within two years shop started going out of business left and right.. One shop I worked at went out of business because of the tariff, I went to another shop and got another part-time job, that shop ended up going out of business two years later, I went to another shop, they went out of business also because people were not buying motorcycles. That’s three shops I worked at that went out of business because of the tariff. that’s three jobs I lost..Showrooms were deserted. shops that did barely hang on we’re cutting their staff. The good mechanics were going two car dealerships to get jobs or in other fields completely.. One of the mechanics I worked with in a dealership that had seven full-time mechanics before the tariff years was Eric Buell.. One of the other mechanics at that shop, was actually the top junior in road racing one year. And he actually beat Kenny Roberts to win the title that year..I started road racing out of that shop and so did 4 other guys that worked there.. just about every shop I worked in was a hotbed for either motocross or road racing or both.. The pre-tariff days.. A 750 Honda brand new was $2999. That was also the price of the Yamaha and Kawasaki and Suzuki 750s. The price of those motorcycles overnight because of the tariff went to $4750.. show rooms were deserted. Two of the shops I worked at were family owned since the 1950s. I remember the wife of the owner that owned the one shop oner 30 yrs was crying because they were going out of business. She did all the bookwork and notary work. That was a nice place to work.. there were 17 motorcycle shops within an hour of my home during those days . Today here in 2022, there are only three dealerships within an hour of my home, and none of them is a Suzuki dealer.. there were three BMW shops within an hour of my home, here in 2022, they’re all gone. The three remaining dealers within an hour of my home have been in business for decades, they own the buildings. otherwise they could not afford the rent because it is still slim Pickens out there.. people are still buying motorcycles, but before the tariff, we couldn’t get enough bikes to fill the demand.. Even years after the tariff, there was not a big rush to buy Harleys, in fact, I only know three people out of the hundreds of motorcyclists I have known over the years. Only three that bought new Harleys over the last 4 decades.. so what good did the tariff do? I’ll tell you how it hurt even Harley. There are four generations now that have not been raised on inexpensive motorcycles, and grow up to maybe want to buy a Harley someday. I have been around and involved with motorcycles since the late 60s. I have had 108 motorcycles of all kinds, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha Bridgestone beta gasgas fantic moto guzzi..I have had 3 factory Road racing machines, Yamaha td2b tz250- Kawasaki H1R.. I have won 6 roadracing Championships, two time national champion. I have never owned a Harley, and I never will. They have impacted my income and so many of my friends since the tariff. The only real way to hurt somebody is to hurt their pocketbook… it hurt..It was devastating , and it still is.. and Harley Davidson is still cranking out those antique dinosaurs with the 1907 design that was stolen from Indian in the early 1900s, and Indian stole it from the aviation genius Glen Curtis- The man that figured that a second cylinder would fit on an engine making it a V twin, and it would fit in the frame of a bicycle which is all motorcycles were in the beginning. Bicycles with engines.. I have nothing against the Harley Davidson riders. It’s the company I am pissed off at and I will never support them, Because of how they got the Government to shut off all the competition just because the competition was better..They got the price of motorcycles to skyrocket with the government help,and the price never came back down across the board.. they have devastated the motorcycle business by wiping out the numbers of dealerships.. quads and side-by-side’s have saved the remaining dealers because those are actually useful utility tools for farmers, ranchers, hunters, and year-round recreation vehicles. Harleys have really improved and believe it or not they are now made in Brazil Germany India and a couple other places. I thought they would only be made by Americans in America. And they have benefited from the use of Japanese technology in the electrics and corporation fuel injection areas of their motorcycles.. I never thought they would stoop that low as to use anything from the land of rice burners..I remember seeing helmet stickers and stickers on Harley gas tanks that said, “friends don’t let friends ride rice burners “..You can buy those stickers even today and any Harley shop. The funny part is, every Harley owner that I saw that sticker on his helmet or his motorcycle, I asked them what it means. Not a single one of them even had a clue. I know what it means and how it started..And it has nothing to do with motorcycles…
I bought a brand new 750 Commando at the end of ‘71. It was the sexiest thing on two wheels - black with gold trim. It was great for a blast through the hills on a summer afternoon, but as for its shortcomings - where do I start? The side stand fell off before I even had it home from the dealer. In the rain there were two problems, the front drum brake would fill up with water and stop working (yes, the air scoop was blanked off), and the rain would funnel off the rider, down the gap between tank and seat and straight into the air cleaner, bringing the bike to a spluttering stop. It ate clutch cables. The Isolastic suspension needed constant maintenance to keep the handling up to spec. The front fork stanchions quickly abraded and developed longitudinal grooves which leaked oil. After thirty miles, the seat felt like you were sitting on a piece of lightly padded 3 x 2. It had Lucas electrics, need I say more? It was great for a Sunday ride, but was very emblematic of the British motorcycle industry in its death throes.
The iso elastic mounts were a very good idea but disguised a very outdated motor, even by British standards. It’s interesting to ponder what Norton might have accomplished if their profits weren’t used to keep AMC afloat in the early 60s
The biggest disaster I had was a GSX1100EF....I was sold a pup.....ha ha . Very fast when it was working, but the handling was totally unpredictable....I do like your videos....very nicely done
I had a silver 82 XZ550 from 1986 until 2001. Alternator Stator needed replaced every 2 years and took 6 months to arrive hence a low mileage over ownership but it was a fun bike when it was running.😄
@@bikerdood1100 probably spent too much on the engine which was based on a de-stroked quarter of a 2.6 litre Cosworth formula 1 DFX engine. 64 bhp in 1982 was a lot considering the 82 uni-track Kawasaki Gpz 550 had 61.
I had a xz550 and it was fitted with a full touring faring it was a 83 bike I used it for work and play it was a great bike it was never ridden like a sports bike but it’s 64bhp made it great loaded up. It never missed a beat I changed it for a bigger bike but regretted that in the end.
My friend bought a 850 Norton, it was clapped out, on almost the first ride out the engine siezed and he left the bike in a bush and rode home on the back of my Suzuki
Oh dear. To be fair no bike lives long without maintenance. Who knows what the bike had been put through prior to you getting it. Nortons do like a bit of TLC
I dropped off my V Due for EFI upgrades. Haven't seen it since! Seriously, the SV1000S to follow the TL is a great bike. I bought mine new in 2003 and am still in love with it.
@@bikerdood1100 Ah, but SV isn't just a TL1000S without the rummy shock. The SV's in a slightly lower state of tune, too, I think, as the TLSs (not too sure about the supposedly even more tuned Rs - didn't hear as they didn't sell in big numbers) had problems with their motors, too.
TL1000S Another bike I've had. The simple solution was to replace the damper/shock with a intubo or other shock. I had an early one (128bhp - as opposed. to the later 123bhp units). In over 30,000km I never had a head shake or tank slapper, and it was definitely the most fun road bike I've ever owned. Unfortunately, the design is power limited because the main bearing tend to go pop long before anything else does (usually before 60k. The front fork is woefully short of travel, but I'd buy a new one tomorrow if Suzuki relaunched it, even with that stupid shock, and I know plenty of other TL owners who feel exactly the same. Sometimes it is not about being the fastest, or the best handling. Sometimes it's simply about having more fun than you could possibly imagine, and the TL was simply that. I'd also add that I hankered after the XLCR H-D because it just looked like the dog's gonads. Apparently, the difference between it engine and its character was just too much. That band the fact that they were produced at a time when H-D would have been able to make an unreliable doorstop. When I think back to all my mates who had yearned for a 70s H-D, who later managed to get one, and how many of them kept them beyond a couple of ... weeks. it makes me smile. I'm very glad I never realised my juvenile dream.
I'm amazed that Norton gets a bad rep for soft cams & yet Honda gets a pass for the same problem on several engines FOR YEARS. "Chocolate Cams" Honda Sabre/Magna, anyone?
Not if I can help it Hondas V4 issue is very much one of top end oil supply I believe I did cover this in another video Why did Honda have such crap cam chains It’s a mystery 😂
I was just giving a basic description, I’m aware that the TL came first but the two share much more than a family resemblance. They are both great motors. I didn’t want to get into the development history of the bike, too long a run time. Maybe another day
Now that is a question Depends on the type of bike you like For a sporty type what about a ZXR750, never as popular as a GSXR From Triumph , TT600 or the later sportier derivatives,or the even the triples, early model speed Triple or Trident from Hinckley Suzuki Bandit or a Yamaha Fazer.mk1 I think in general any Japanese four from the early 80s, chassis technology was better than earlier bikes and at the moment they ain’t too popular so they are still relatively cheap, for now but also solid and reliable. Bikes from the early 80s and up to the mid 90s remain affordable at the moment, with the odd exception. Even bikes like the air cooled Ducati sports bikes from the 90s are amazing value right now. Tom got a Ducati 600ss for under 2k and it’s in beautiful condition and 750s are just as modestly priced
You mention that the TL1000S was a bored out SV650 which is interesting as the 650 came 2 years after the TL1000S. Also in the segment about the TLS there's a load of shots of the TLR which didn't have the rotary damper fitted.
The Suzuki TL1000 the widow maker the next-generation was a lot better but the damage had been done but the motor lived on in the Cagiva Raptor and the V Strom so thats what happened to Bimota as for Harley Davidson building a sports bike well no wonder it didn't work as they say Harley Davidson the best way to turn petrol into noise without the benefit of horse power
@@bikerdood1100 I suppose they could have done that there was another widow maker Suzuki made the GSX 1100 when they duped the horse power to 137 mph caused tank slappers and all sorts of handling problems a theory l have is that they used a steel frame because the GSX 1400 has 106 bhp
I reckon a top contender has to be the Suzuki TC185.. Take a fantastic TS185 and turn it into an over complicated, overpriced, under-powered boat anchor heavy enough to moor a cruise ship.. I have one in my collection just as an oddity and odd it is.. Production only lasted 4 years before being done away with as a bad joke.. Amazingly enough it's becoming collectable..
The Yamaha was a terrible flop. I did know someone who had one, and they didn't keep it long. The Combat Commando just wasn't sufficiently developed, the company were suffering from a serious lack of cash and a quick tuning job must have been an attractive and quick way to boost sales. The Bimota was just a terrible miscalculation on their behalf. The SV1000 was a really nice machine, but could turn vey wild when you least need it. A friend of mine had a tuned example. Rather him than me. The Harley was style over substance. I remember at the 82 TT, two were entered in the Senior race. One retired with mechanical problems, the other, ridden by a man called Vance Breeze was pulled over on lap four by the travelling marshals, because it was failing to make sufficient progress and was deemed to be a hazard to faster traffic.
@@dr.hugog.hackenbush9443 Love your moniker! Duck Soup. My favourite all time film even if he was Rufus T Firefly in that film. I had an RG500 till recently. The V Due seemed like the obvious upgrade. More power, less weight and modern suspension/brakes. Alas it was not be...
@@brodiejones2028 I'd argue the Gamma engine with it's square 4 configuragion is superior with a higher redline, but the Bimota is superior in every other way.
I could not watch the entire video. The English accent drowned in the background noise of the engines made it very difficult to understand. I'm sure it is a good video nonetheless !
Yep. Yamaha went through a short period of turning out serious shit. Namely the TX500 twin, and the XS750. Really strange because prior to that, they produced the XS650, an absolute icon, and one of the best motors to come out of Japan.
Well true, but I suppose they were pushing the limits of the technology of the period. It took a while any of the Japanese companies to really get the act together in terms of chassis design
Yamaha really threw a bunch of stuff against the wall to see what would stick in this period. There were more clunkers than this….think Hitachi carb equipped Viragos and their poor starter drives that sounded like a bucket full of marbles being stirred with a metal spoon. Then they could turn out something solid like the XS1100 or the Seca series. One had to admire the engineering and effort put into the range. I think they were limited by the technology of the day and thus many bikes were stillborn like the Vision.
I rode an XLCR. Great looks, bad handling, poor brakes, shook like a twin drum Bomag compacter, and slow (for 1000cc), even though it had more power than the frame and suspension could handle. I considered it dangerous. In the late '70s, At a superbike race at Mosport (Ontario, Canada), They did a few parade laps with a Manx Norton, a Honda 250 six, and an XLCR. The XLCR crashed coming out of Moss corner, and took out the Honda!
From South Africa I remember chasing a suzi rotary, on my Gt 500 twin ...yip GT 500... took me on the straights, but lost serious ground on twisty bends... we arrived more or less at the same time, and being very curious as to "What the he'll is that " I went over... The other rider removed helmet ⛑️ and shook long blond hair out... Turns out it was a lady.... Give her top dollar for her riding skill 😏
@@bikerdood1100 bear in mind, SA is a tiddly piece of real estate, and anything that's different is a jaw dropping novelty... and, of course, hindsight is always 20 20 vision... but you say.naught about my ride....
@@warren6899 well I remember the GT well there were a lot of them around when I was younger. I’ve never ridden the twin myself only the GT triple which was a nice bit of kit. I definitely need to do a few videos on 70s two strokes. Just so much variety and interesting machines. Haven’t ridden a two stroke in a while either
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Mid 70's a lad on my road had a Commando. Loud n fast when it worked, however most times I passed by it was in bits in his garden. Fortunately the bus stop was close to Tom's house.
Oh dear
I rebuilt a Combat Commando about 6 years ago. I put the modern mods on it and tried to break it, I did a thousand miles on it and it ran perfectly. I sold it and the owner is still using it, without any issues. They can be made to be reliable.🇬🇧
They can indeed. Problem was they didn’t leave the factory that way
Back in the day I was a Mechanic at a Norton dealership. When you increased the horsepower of the Commando the stock bronze clutch plates would slip. The cure for this was new Barnett fiber clutch plates. It would hold but if you tried to drag race and dump the clutch it would kick the bottom out of the transmission. The really good news about the Norton Commando is that they are still as fun to ride as they ever were. You can get every part you could ever need plus some really nice upgrades such as electronic ignition, brakes, rear sets and electric start just to name a few.
True that, the variety of Norton parts is very impressive. Especially in the Uk
Hardly Davidson and Cafe Racer …. A contradiction in terms
But sometimes the impossible happens I suppose
Still one of the best looking motorcycles of the 70s
What about the XR1000, or the various Buells with Sportster-derived engines?
A friend of mine owned an 850 Norton Commado... We swapped bikes during one of our rides... I owned a Honda CB900FA Bol D'or at the time.
I was not greatly impressed with the Norton... Not having an electric starter was a no brainer... kicking that 850 engine into life took a bit of effort. Once fired up, it vibrated so much, it made the rear vision mirrors a blur. The crappy seat, made the bike uncomfortable to ride. However, I will concede that it had a great exhaust sound.
The bike did attract attention - during my ride on it, I was pulled over and booked by the police for speeding!
The Commando should vide while at rest but not on the move, set the iso mounts up is critical however, some guys used to close the gap so the bike felt more taught
Didn’t help the vibes though
Ah yes. My Combat engine purred for 5,000 miles, then snapped its camshaft clean in half!
Ouch !
The 75 left side shifter (shown in your video) never came as a combat, at least not in the states anyway. Never saw a combat have any problems from our shop, we replaced the primary chain (diamond), clutch plates, coils, primary output seals on the tranny, Dunlop K81s we're installed, Boyer ignition, Dunstall pipes and of course updated the zenor diode and other Lucas weak components before any nortie hit the floor. Our Nortons were absolutely bulletproof when they were cared for correctly and many local racers would agree. Yes I watched the whole thing.
I know the combat is earlier but trying to find footage of a combat is pretty well impossible.
Well you never saw a Ptolemy but you replaced an awful lot of kit by the sounds of things so hardly factory standard
I remember the XZ550 always fancied one, however, I loved 2 strokes at the time
Sweet sweet smell of burning stroker oil
I had a xz400 it was alright , handling was shite though .
That Yamaha V twin was half of the V4 later to be Venture and Vmax engine. The 1982had carburetor problems but the 1983 was fine.
I worked at a Yamaha shop during those years when the big four were coming out with new designs every month it seemed. Turbos, water cooling, fuel injection, Single shock rear suspension, multiple valves per cylinder, improved ignition systems. They dropped kick starters from machines, tubeless tires, shaft drive that lubricated the engine part of the shaft drive with the same oil that ran through the engine instead of a 90 weight lubrication,
in 1982, I was a Honda salesman. We handed out decks of cards supplied by Honda, with a different model on each of the 52 cards. I still have two of those decks brand new here in 2022..
it was confusing trying to figure out exactly which marvelous new motorcycle you wanted to buy and they were cheap. you could buy the new Honda fuel injected water cooled Single shock, tubeless tire alloy wheel full fairing shaft drive , multi valve per cylinder turbo charged reliable honda cx 500tc for a measly $4995.. my best friend bought one from me brand new. The very first one in the state as far as I know. I was able to pull some strings since I worked there. I spent many hours riding that machine when we would switch bikes on long long rides. It was perfect. It was the best, most refined of all the turbos. It was actually designed years earlier from scratch to be a turbo charged engine. Kawasaki, suzuki, and Yamaha all had turbos. But they were turbos adapted to their old in-line four-cylinder air cooled engines.. they were OK, but the Honda was perfect. That was short-lived because the Japanese were cranking out 1000 and 1100s that were faster than the turbos ..Those pre-tariff machines and that was the birth of the Venture, goldwing buyer??, Kawasaki Voyager and suzuki cavalcade loaded Touring machines. The big four out of Japan we’re just one upping each other left and right.. yamaha introduced the XS 1100, the next month Honda came out with the six-cylinder CBX, and the month after that suzuki introduced the GS 1000 which was the fastest and could actually go around corners unlike the CBX or the XS 1100.. it was like a gold rush..
Then it all came crashing down when Harley Davidson hired a guy named Von Bealls .. he was a Wall Street type guy. He went right to President Reagan and claimed that Japan was dumping motorcycles here below cost to intentionally put Harley Davidson out of business. nothing could have been further from the truth. Japan did not care about Harley one bit. They knew Harley could not compete on any level. I was there in those days, nobody I knew rode a Harley. Everybody knew they were a joke especially the AMF motorcycles. but Ronald Reagan/President of the United States ended up putting a tariff on imported Japanese motorcycles. The reasoning was, to save the 600 workers at the Harley Davidson factory.
The result was over the next three years, over 1100 Japanese motorcycle shops in the United States went completely out of business permanently. The average number of employees at those 1100 shops was seven employees. What about those 7700 jobs Mr. Reagan..
that was just another painful example of what Ronald Reagan said ironically were the scariest words he ever heard, and those are, “I’m from the government, I’m here to help”. The irony is, is very words were what caused the collapse of the motorcycle business in this country..
I was actually selling motorcycles part time in the evenings and on Saturdays from January through May every year. Anyone that was going to buy a motorcycle already had it by June 1 so I always quit until next January during those days. I was actually making more money selling motorcycles than I was at my real job. in the early 80s, I was averaging around $550 a week working part time 15 hours a week. One of my take-home paychecks in 1982 was $1385 for one week..I had 9 layaways go out that week, in addition to the five I sold that went out that week.. within two years shop started going out of business left and right..
One shop I worked at went out of business because of the tariff, I went to another shop and got another part-time job, that shop ended up going out of business two years later, I went to another shop, they went out of business also because people were not buying motorcycles. That’s three shops I worked at that went out of business because of the tariff. that’s three jobs I lost..Showrooms were deserted. shops that did barely hang on we’re cutting their staff. The good mechanics were going two car dealerships to get jobs or in other fields completely..
One of the mechanics I worked with in a dealership that had seven full-time mechanics before the tariff years was Eric Buell.. One of the other mechanics at that shop, was actually the top junior in road racing one year. And he actually beat Kenny Roberts to win the title that year..I started road racing out of that shop and so did 4 other guys that worked there.. just about every shop I worked in was a hotbed for either motocross or road racing or both.. The pre-tariff days..
A 750 Honda brand new was $2999. That was also the price of the Yamaha and Kawasaki and Suzuki 750s. The price of those motorcycles overnight because of the tariff went to $4750..
show rooms were deserted. Two of the shops I worked at were family owned since the 1950s. I remember the wife of the owner that owned the one shop oner 30 yrs was crying because they were going out of business. She did all the bookwork and notary work. That was a nice place to work..
there were 17 motorcycle shops within an hour of my home during those days . Today here in 2022, there are only three dealerships within an hour of my home, and none of them is a Suzuki dealer.. there were three BMW shops within an hour of my home, here in 2022, they’re all gone.
The three remaining dealers within an hour of my home have been in business for decades, they own the buildings. otherwise they could not afford the rent because it is still slim Pickens out there.. people are still buying motorcycles, but before the tariff, we couldn’t get enough bikes to fill the demand..
Even years after the tariff, there was not a big rush to buy Harleys, in fact, I only know three people out of the hundreds of motorcyclists I have known over the years. Only three that bought new Harleys over the last 4 decades.. so what good did the tariff do? I’ll tell you how it hurt even Harley. There are four generations now that have not been raised on inexpensive motorcycles, and grow up to maybe want to buy a Harley someday.
I have been around and involved with motorcycles since the late 60s. I have had 108 motorcycles of all kinds, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha Bridgestone beta gasgas fantic moto guzzi..I have had 3 factory Road racing machines, Yamaha td2b tz250- Kawasaki H1R.. I have won 6 roadracing Championships, two time national champion. I have never owned a Harley, and I never will. They have impacted my income and so many of my friends since the tariff. The only real way to hurt somebody is to hurt their pocketbook… it hurt..It was devastating , and it still is.. and Harley Davidson is still cranking out those antique dinosaurs with the 1907 design that was stolen from Indian in the early 1900s, and Indian stole it from the aviation genius Glen Curtis- The man that figured that a second cylinder would fit on an engine making it a V twin, and it would fit in the frame of a bicycle which is all motorcycles were in the beginning. Bicycles with engines..
I have nothing against the Harley Davidson riders. It’s the company I am pissed off at and I will never support them, Because of how they got the Government to shut off all the competition just because the competition was better..They got the price of motorcycles to skyrocket with the government help,and the price never came back down across the board.. they have devastated the motorcycle business by wiping out the numbers of dealerships.. quads and side-by-side’s have saved the remaining dealers because those are actually useful utility tools for farmers, ranchers, hunters, and year-round recreation vehicles.
Harleys have really improved and believe it or not they are now made in Brazil Germany India and a couple other places. I thought they would only be made by Americans in America. And they have benefited from the use of Japanese technology in the electrics and corporation fuel injection areas of their motorcycles.. I never thought they would stoop that low as to use anything from the land of rice burners..I remember seeing helmet stickers and stickers on Harley gas tanks that said, “friends don’t let friends ride rice burners “..You can buy those stickers even today and any Harley shop. The funny part is, every Harley owner that I saw that sticker on his helmet or his motorcycle, I asked them what it means. Not a single one of them even had a clue. I know what it means and how it started..And it has nothing to do with motorcycles…
Maybe the Japanese were trying just too much. Honda produced a bewildering choice of machines back then
Harley's suck. That being said I have a couple and love them.....but ya, no more
Thought the XLCR looked ace when I was a snotty schoolkid back in the 70s, and still do now!
Same . When I was kid in the 70s I thought it looked brilliant
Agreed the only Harley I have ever had any interest in
I bought a brand new 750 Commando at the end of ‘71. It was the sexiest thing on two wheels - black with gold trim. It was great for a blast through the hills on a summer afternoon, but as for its shortcomings - where do I start? The side stand fell off before I even had it home from the dealer. In the rain there were two problems, the front drum brake would fill up with water and stop working (yes, the air scoop was blanked off), and the rain would funnel off the rider, down the gap between tank and seat and straight into the air cleaner, bringing the bike to a spluttering stop. It ate clutch cables. The Isolastic suspension needed constant maintenance to keep the handling up to spec. The front fork stanchions quickly abraded and developed longitudinal grooves which leaked oil. After thirty miles, the seat felt like you were sitting on a piece of lightly padded 3 x 2. It had Lucas electrics, need I say more?
It was great for a Sunday ride, but was very emblematic of the British motorcycle industry in its death throes.
The iso elastic mounts were a very good idea but disguised a very outdated motor, even by British standards.
It’s interesting to ponder what Norton might have accomplished if their profits weren’t used to keep AMC afloat in the early 60s
Good list! Hard to believe major companies can screw up so bad.
Oh but sometimes they do
Luckily not too often these days
Well I don’t think
The biggest disaster I had was a GSX1100EF....I was sold a pup.....ha ha . Very fast when it was working, but the handling was totally unpredictable....I do like your videos....very nicely done
Thanks
Great videos, please keep them coming
Thanks for the good feedback
Great video, thank you!
Thanks for the feedback
Slight correction, the combat had a high compression head the pistons are the same as a standard 750 commando
Thanks
I had a silver 82 XZ550 from 1986 until 2001. Alternator Stator needed replaced every 2 years and took 6 months to arrive hence a low mileage over ownership but it was a fun bike when it was running.😄
Wonder if the put cheap alternators in to cut costs because it was expensive to produce 🤔
@@bikerdood1100 probably spent too much on the engine which was based on a de-stroked quarter of a 2.6 litre Cosworth formula 1 DFX engine. 64 bhp in 1982 was a lot considering the 82 uni-track Kawasaki Gpz 550 had 61.
I had a xz550 and it was fitted with a full touring faring it was a 83 bike I used it for work and play it was a great bike it was never ridden like a sports bike but it’s 64bhp made it great loaded up. It never missed a beat I changed it for a bigger bike but regretted that in the end.
I think Kawasaki did a poor job of marketing the bike really
@@bikerdood1100 Yamaha. yep they did more tourer than sports bike.
great vid, have u done the ajs/matchless 650 twin engine? lots of crank failures
Not as yet
Oh the centre bearing, that’ll reduce the vibes, or so they thought
My friend bought a 850 Norton, it was clapped out, on almost the first ride out the engine siezed and he left the bike in a bush and rode home on the back of my Suzuki
Oh dear. To be fair no bike lives long without maintenance. Who knows what the bike had been put through prior to you getting it. Nortons do like a bit of TLC
I remember having a poster of the harley cafe racer on my bedroom wall. At the time I thought it was really cool !
It certainly looked cool that’s for sure
Was that poster the one with the 2 bare breasted blondes?
I dropped off my V Due for EFI upgrades. Haven't seen it since! Seriously, the SV1000S to follow the TL is a great bike. I bought mine new in 2003 and am still in love with it.
Don’t know why they didn’t just fit a standard shock from the beginning
@@bikerdood1100
I agree and that is why I didn't buy a TL.
@@bikerdood1100 Ah, but SV isn't just a TL1000S without the rummy shock.
The SV's in a slightly lower state of tune, too, I think, as the TLSs (not too sure about the supposedly even more tuned Rs - didn't hear as they didn't sell in big numbers) had problems with their motors, too.
Great 👍 vids on the not so good design bikes 🏍.
Thanks, there so many I could make a career from these videos alone
TL1000S Another bike I've had. The simple solution was to replace the damper/shock with a intubo or other shock. I had an early one (128bhp - as opposed. to the later 123bhp units). In over 30,000km I never had a head shake or tank slapper, and it was definitely the most fun road bike I've ever owned.
Unfortunately, the design is power limited because the main bearing tend to go pop long before anything else does (usually before 60k. The front fork is woefully short of travel, but I'd buy a new one tomorrow if Suzuki relaunched it, even with that stupid shock, and I know plenty of other TL owners who feel exactly the same. Sometimes it is not about being the fastest, or the best handling. Sometimes it's simply about having more fun than you could possibly imagine, and the TL was simply that.
I'd also add that I hankered after the XLCR H-D because it just looked like the dog's gonads. Apparently, the difference between it engine and its character was just too much. That band the fact that they were produced at a time when H-D would have been able to make an unreliable doorstop. When I think back to all my mates who had yearned for a 70s H-D, who later managed to get one, and how many of them kept them beyond a couple of ... weeks. it makes me smile. I'm very glad I never realised my juvenile dream.
Yes very much designed for road use that engine
So the sv 1000 isn't the same thing?
@@stewartmckinley7058 No, it's not. It was detuned significantly (The TL went from 128 to 123, the SV was 108), and it's not available anyway either
+ 1 on the zx550 v twin, shaft drive, nice looking, whats not to like 🙂
Unfortunately hardly anyone brought them, teething problems can be costly. But I suspect high price paid it’s part
Good documentaries ruined by poor audio quality.
You omitted the Honda CB 500T.
The bored out 400 that fell to bits in all areas.
Can only fit in so many
And so many dodgy bikes to choose
Good video 👍
Thanks
I'm amazed that Norton gets a bad rep for soft cams & yet Honda gets a pass for the same problem on several engines FOR YEARS. "Chocolate Cams" Honda Sabre/Magna, anyone?
Not if I can help it
Hondas V4 issue is very much one of top end oil supply
I believe I did cover this in another video
Why did Honda have such crap cam chains
It’s a mystery 😂
XLCR. From the era of H.D. trim pieces looking like hammered out of raw ore by rock wielding natives on the shores of the Milwaukee river.
Oh they were doing their best
TL was hampered but it’s damper and tyres.
Come on a bored out 650? The SV hadn’t been even designed. TL was a competitor for the 916
I was just giving a basic description, I’m aware that the TL came first but the two share much more than a family resemblance. They are both great motors. I didn’t want to get into the development history of the bike, too long a run time. Maybe another day
I like the TL too and the Bimota.The 850 Norton is my dream bike.
if i were looking for an undiscovered potential potential classic what would you recommend please?
Now that is a question
Depends on the type of bike you like
For a sporty type what about a ZXR750, never as popular as a GSXR
From Triumph , TT600 or the later sportier derivatives,or the even the triples, early model speed Triple or Trident from Hinckley
Suzuki Bandit or a Yamaha Fazer.mk1
I think in general any Japanese four from the early 80s, chassis technology was better than earlier bikes and at the moment they ain’t too popular so they are still relatively cheap, for now but also solid and reliable. Bikes from the early 80s and up to the mid 90s remain affordable at the moment, with the odd exception. Even bikes like the air cooled Ducati sports bikes from the 90s are amazing value right now. Tom got a Ducati 600ss for under 2k and it’s in beautiful condition and 750s are just as modestly priced
@@bikerdood1100 thanks - prices for the ZXR750 are a bit rich for me unfortunately
You mention that the TL1000S was a bored out SV650 which is interesting as the 650 came 2 years after the TL1000S. Also in the segment about the TLS there's a load of shots of the TLR which didn't have the rotary damper fitted.
Well not exactly just describing the bike in principle. I no the Tl came first
The TLR did have the rotary damper .
Soft Squishy forks? Buy stiffer springs. Bad carburation? Buy a jet Kit. Otherwise, I think this is a helpful video.
But should it leave those factory like that. Of course Harley has made a business of selling parts to mark their bikes ridable
I really want that Bimota...
Better start saving and have a very understanding Wife 😂
If it gwts costlier than the Suter(sp?) 500, im goin with it..
My friend's '82 Vision cooked its stator on a regular basis. Keep those contacts clean!
And let’s not forget Suzuki and their fondness for eating regulators back in the 70s & 80s.
Or switch over to a electronic ignition and never worry about points again.
Re the XLCR......absolutely!!!
Shame
It looked cool 😎
I would love one of those Bimota 500s.
I’d love to ride one for sure, ownership well I’m not so sure about
The Suzuki TL1000 the widow maker the next-generation was a lot better but the damage had been done but the motor lived on in the Cagiva Raptor and the V Strom so thats what happened to Bimota as for Harley Davidson building a sports bike well no wonder it didn't work as they say Harley Davidson the best way to turn petrol into noise without the benefit of horse power
Never understood why Suzuki turned a potential hit into a sales flop. They should have just fitted a standard damper from the beginning
@@bikerdood1100 I suppose they could have done that there was another widow maker Suzuki made the GSX 1100 when they duped the horse power to 137 mph caused tank slappers and all sorts of handling problems a theory l have is that they used a steel frame because the GSX 1400 has 106 bhp
Forget a hd cafe racer. My cousin had a harley MINIBIKE.
Harley do make something a bit different every now and then, just to see if Ephesus are paying attention
I reckon a top contender has to be the Suzuki TC185.. Take a fantastic TS185 and turn it into an over complicated, overpriced, under-powered boat anchor heavy enough to moor a cruise ship.. I have one in my collection just as an oddity and odd it is.. Production only lasted 4 years before being done away with as a bad joke.. Amazingly enough it's becoming collectable..
Bad bikes often do purely on scarcity
I'm one of those who believe that with the current trend for retro-bikes, the timing would be right for a new XLCR based on the XR1200 Sportster.
I totally agree
Trouble is the sportspersons are gone in Europe. A pity because the new water cooled machines are a bit pricey
The Yamaha was a terrible flop. I did know someone who had one, and they didn't keep it long.
The Combat Commando just wasn't sufficiently developed, the company were suffering from a serious lack of cash and a quick tuning job must have been an attractive and quick way to boost sales.
The Bimota was just a terrible miscalculation on their behalf.
The SV1000 was a really nice machine, but could turn vey wild when you least need it. A friend of mine had a tuned example. Rather him than me.
The Harley was style over substance. I remember at the 82 TT, two were entered in the Senior race. One retired with mechanical problems, the other, ridden by a man called Vance Breeze was pulled over on lap four by the travelling marshals, because it was failing to make sufficient progress and was deemed to be a hazard to faster traffic.
And that’s while they are all included
What about the Yamaha TX750? One of the most unreliable bikes ever built.
So I’m hearing, keeps popping up in the comments
I'll second these. Great motor in the Suzuki
Thanks for the feedback
Always wanted a V Due. Shame they couldn't have sorted the fuel injection.
Believe that had to fit carbs in the end
You can still get one, if you have the money and like carburators.
I want one too!
@@dr.hugog.hackenbush9443 Love your moniker! Duck Soup. My favourite all time film even if he was Rufus T Firefly in that film. I had an RG500 till recently. The V Due seemed like the obvious upgrade. More power, less weight and modern suspension/brakes. Alas it was not be...
@@brodiejones2028 I'd argue the Gamma engine with it's square 4 configuragion is superior with a higher redline, but the Bimota is superior in every other way.
Yamaha had some flops in her creations
Oh every company had those
CBX100O sold very poorly
For Yamaha the XS750s and the TX twins flopped
And there’s always the RE5
I could not watch the entire video. The English accent drowned in the background noise of the engines made it very difficult to understand. I'm sure it is a good video nonetheless !
It’s tough
Some people complain if the engine noise is obscured
Good content, terrible audio.
Pitty done a lot of work improving the audio
annunciation
Accent
Yep. Yamaha went through a short period of turning out serious shit. Namely the TX500 twin, and the XS750. Really strange because prior to that, they produced the XS650, an absolute icon, and one of the best motors to come out of Japan.
Well true, but I suppose they were pushing the limits of the technology of the period. It took a while any of the Japanese companies to really get the act together in terms of chassis design
Yamaha should join the retro revolution & resurrect the XS 650 engine in a frame without a hinge. That would sell.
@@Mrflymess yep. And the LC RZ 350,and the RZ500. Bring back the two strokes!
You forget the flawed TX750 which briefly existed alongside the XS650.
Are you kidding the idler gear for the kicker was chain driven
The sound is not good at all.
Working on it , new mic in place. Not like I have a budget after all
Yamaha XZ550...I still have the original factory sticker on my wall
It was really modern for its time
Bit too modern it turned out
Could have developed into a really nice bike
Yamaha really threw a bunch of stuff against the wall to see what would stick in this period. There were more clunkers than this….think Hitachi carb equipped Viragos and their poor starter drives that sounded like a bucket full of marbles being stirred with a metal spoon. Then they could turn out something solid like the XS1100 or the Seca series. One had to admire the engineering and effort put into the range. I think they were limited by the technology of the day and thus many bikes were stillborn like the Vision.
So many possibilities
Still got my 97 seca or diversion. Goes like a dream
The RE5 should win any list of the worst bikes ever.
Suzuki Katana would get the ugliest and the Gold Wing the most boring.
I think of many bikes
Mostly Hondas that are even more boring than a Goldwing to be honest
I kind of liked the Katana. There some much more hideous bikes out there
I rode an XLCR. Great looks, bad handling, poor brakes, shook like a twin drum Bomag compacter, and slow (for 1000cc), even though it had more power than the frame and suspension could handle. I considered it dangerous.
In the late '70s, At a superbike race at Mosport (Ontario, Canada), They did a few parade laps with a Manx Norton, a Honda 250 six, and an XLCR. The XLCR crashed coming out of Moss corner, and took out the Honda!
Shame because they looked so nice
Knock Knock , Who's there ? CX500
You obviously never owned one 🙄
Kind of my point , they had cam chain issues for the first 15 minutes but always struggled to get away from the myth . They were a bloody good bike
From South Africa I remember chasing a suzi rotary, on my Gt 500 twin ...yip GT 500... took me on the straights, but lost serious ground on twisty bends... we arrived more or less at the same time, and being very curious as to "What the he'll is that " I went over... The other rider removed helmet ⛑️ and shook long blond hair out... Turns out it was a lady.... Give her top dollar for her riding skill 😏
Great lady rider clearly, questionable taste in bikes, possibly
@@bikerdood1100 bear in mind, SA is a tiddly piece of real estate, and anything that's different is a jaw dropping novelty... and, of course, hindsight is always 20 20 vision... but you say.naught about my ride....
@@warren6899 well I remember the GT well there were a lot of them around when I was younger. I’ve never ridden the twin myself only the GT triple which was a nice bit of kit. I definitely need to do a few videos on 70s two strokes. Just so much variety and interesting machines. Haven’t ridden a two stroke in a while either