Motorcycle Classics — September-October 2017

38 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS September/October 2017

he had put only about 300 miles on

it. Despite, or maybe because of, this

minimal use, the Hi-rider was in excellent

condition, and needed no restoration

whatsoever. It had 2,400 miles on it when

Chuck bought it and now has 8,000 miles

on the odometer.

Shortly after Chuck bought the bike, he

converted it to a Roadster. (“Everything

but the tank and headlight,” he says.) He

rode it on club rides. Then, in 2008, Chuck

bought a 1975 Mark III Commando. The

Mark III had significant upgrades, includ-

ing the vernier Isolastic adjuster, an elec-

tric start, and a disc brake on each wheel.

It also shifts on the left, like most modern

motorcycles, while the pre-1975 Nortons

shifted on the right. The Mark III was just

too easy to ride, and Chuck was riding the

Hi-rider less, so he converted it back to

Hi-rider specs. “It takes about two hours.

You have to change the brake line and

the clutch cable and bleed the brake. It’s

not something I want to do that often,” he

says. Soon he started taking it to shows.

“I rode it to one show and lost a point for

having oil on the head,” he said.

A Hi-rider, like any Commando, can be

ridden on a regular basis and at normal

freeway speeds if the owner keeps up the

maintenance. The many active owners

clubs are a deep well of knowledge and

most parts (with the possible exception

of sheet metal) are a phone call away.

Parts do vibrate loose, and the air-cooled

engine needs frequent oil changes. One

source of mysterious problems is the wir-

ing harness, which can develop intermit-

tent shorts with age. Another wear item

is the Amal carburetors. If the slides are

a sloppy fit in the carburetor bodies, the

bike won’t idle. Sleeving the carburetors

cures that problem.

Many owners convert over to synthetic

oil, which keeps operating temperature

down and lessens the frequency of oil

changes, and add an electronic ignition,

which eliminates point setting and con-

denser replacement.

A Hi-rider has the stock Commando

forks and frame. The only difference as far

as handling goes are the high bars, which,

as Chuck says, take some getting used to.

Although a Hi-rider doesn’t handle like

a Norton Roadster — a bike that will go

where you point it under any conditions

— “it’s not that bad,” Chuck says.

“I am proud to own, show and ride my

Hi-rider,” Chuck says. “It’s another kind of

Commando.” MC