R
ounding the corner to my desk a few months back, I couldn’t help but notice
managing editor Landon Hall staring at his computer with a bemused look.
Like most of us (and maybe more than some), Landon’s constantly on the prowl for
that next unexpected treasure, the bike you didn’t know existed and suddenly dis-
cover you just have to have. Lighting up Landon’s screen was a Craigslist ad showing
a dog-eared but seemingly complete 1974 Norton Commando 850 Hi-rider. The ad
said it was a non-runner, but also said the engine wasn’t stuck and, rarity of rarity
with such offerings, it had a clear title. For $1,500.
In the past few years Commandos, once relatively cheap and plentiful, have
steadily increased in value. I paid $600 for my last Commando, a 1975 electric start,
in 1990, but since then they’ve become investments, with good examples now regu-
larly selling for $7,000-$10,000, blue chip stocks carefully tucked away for future trad-
ing. That’s too bad, because the real value of a Norton is in riding it; the Commando
is hands-down one of the greatest motorcycles of its era, blessed with fine handling
and a torquey parallel twin that pulls like the proverbial train. Persnickety as they
can be, a good Commando is one of the great joys of life.
Over the years, Landon’s listened ad nauseam to me and Tech Q&A man Keith
Fellenstein extol the Commando’s virtues, and last year he finally got his first ride
on one, piloting the RetroTours 1973 750 Fastback during our inaugural Ride ’Em,
Don’t Hide ’Em Getaway at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. That ride set the
bait, and Landon started the hunt for a Commando — but what to do when you have
Cadillac tastes on a Pinto budget? The answer, it seemed, had just shown itself on
Craigslist. “Should I call?” Landon asked. “If you don’t, I’m going to,” I replied. An
hour later, he was the proud owner of a crusty, but complete, Commando Hi-rider.
Solid as it looked on first blush, the subsequent tear-down uncovered the toll of
years of neglect. The front forks were worn out, the steering head bearings looked
like they’d been sitting in water for 10 years, the cylinder head exhaust threads were
stripped, and the brake hydraulics were, predictably enough, completely trashed.
The Isolastics were actually okay, but once taken apart, do you really want to put
43-year-old rubber back in service?
The transmission shifted through the gears just fine, but a peek inside revealed
watery goo in place of gearbox oil. Further inspection suggested replacing all the
bearings and seals, not least the original Portuguese-sourced layshaft bearing, a
component famous for failure. That’s all been done, along with replacing the steer-
ing head bearings, the fork tubes, fork seals and lower fork bushes, the wheel bear-
ings, and most of the hydraulics. Ditto the Isolastics, the rear updated to
the “vernier” adjustable type introduced for 1975, and the cylinder head’s
been rebuilt, as have the carburetors. The oil tank’s been reinforced at
its lower mount, a known weak point, the oil lines are all new, and
he’s replaced most of the electrical connectors — not to mention all
the control cables and dozens of other small parts. Oh, and a new
Roadster seat and handlebars. That $1,500 Norton has suddenly
become a bit more expensive, but that’s hardly a surprise.
While Landon was certainly hoping for a sim-
pler and, yes, cheaper project, he’s hardly dis-
appointed. He could have saved himself a lot
of grief by buying an already running machine,
but where’s the fun in that? In the end, it’s
a journey, time and money well spent
putting another Commando back on
the road.Richard Backus
Editor-in-chiefCrusty Commando
4 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS September/October 2017
BLACK SIDE
DOWN
®RICHARD BACKUS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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LANDON HALL, MANAGING EDITOR
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