Mark Savage
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I realised he worked for Yamaha and had some input into the FZRs but didn't know about the elsies.
Mr Trigg.
- Thread starter Mark Savage
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I realised he worked for Yamaha and had some input into the FZRs but didn't know about the elsies.
Hang on a minute.... I realise Bob Trigg was involved in motorcycles but to say he was the single person who designed the 1960s Commando as implied is a little further from the truth. It wasn't him who designed the Isolastic engine frame, it was ex Rolls Royce's Stefan Bauer..... and as for the Elsie, this was a road going version of their TZ 350 grand prix winning racing machine.
acotrel
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What sort of person would ever admit to designing the Isolastic engine frame ? - Do Rolls Royces handle well ?
If I saw a 750cc Norton Atlas and a 750cc Norton Commando together at the same price and in the same condition , I would buy the Atlas. Who really cares if a CB750 Honda is super-smooth vibrationless ? - it will always be a piece of shit.
Would anyone ever buy a CB750 Honda in preference to a Norton Atlas 750 ? - Paranoia comes in all shapes and sizes.
If I saw a 750cc Norton Atlas and a 750cc Norton Commando together at the same price and in the same condition , I would buy the Atlas. Who really cares if a CB750 Honda is super-smooth vibrationless ? - it will always be a piece of shit.
Would anyone ever buy a CB750 Honda in preference to a Norton Atlas 750 ? - Paranoia comes in all shapes and sizes.
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I totally agree with you, I would buy an Atlas over a Honda then and now.
Nothing would persuade me to by a Honda unless the choice was Honda vs Harley. Then it would have to be Honda.
But sadly lots of people were not of the same mind as us and they bought lots of Honda CB 750s instead of Nortons.
Causing Honda to still be in production today, but Norton's demise in 1976.
Nothing would persuade me to by a Honda unless the choice was Honda vs Harley. Then it would have to be Honda.
But sadly lots of people were not of the same mind as us and they bought lots of Honda CB 750s instead of Nortons.
Causing Honda to still be in production today, but Norton's demise in 1976.
Yeah 'cos Commandos don't handle. After all a Commando never lapped a circuit (IOM included) faster than an Atlas did it? oh hang on a sec
BS comes in all shapes and sizes
Danno
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Who really cares that the Honda would run practically forever and that the Atlas would loosen your dental work and need constant fettling? Probably someone who prefers riding to wrenching.
Danno
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The causes of that demise are varied and complex, but mostly self-inflicted. People buying scads of CB 750s were just a symptom, not a cause.
You've hit the nail right on the head, after spending hours and hours in the shed, sun, rain and snow, wrenching the spanners on my Atlas, I do prefer riding, and nothing will persuade me to obtain another Atlas when I could be enjoying myself riding. There are more reliable bikes out there.
Danno
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I brought this shed occupant back to life for a friend a while back. Of course, I had to test ride it. What a sweet motorcycle! It made me remember why I wanted one back in the day. Now I'm looking for a project to keep. The McCandless Bros would be proud of the Z1 frame.
Scrounged the swap meets at Barber and Mid-Ohio for missing parts. Just missed a stock exhaust.
Scrounged the swap meets at Barber and Mid-Ohio for missing parts. Just missed a stock exhaust.
gortnipper
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I bought about a container load of these in the early 90s. Some very nice, some rolling basket cases.
I prefer my Commando.
I prefer my Commando.
I would have to disagree on that statement. the frame needed bracing in several places. if you put on an oversize rear tire or tried to push it near its limets it got pretty nasty.The McCandless Bros would be proud of the Z1 frame.
Scrounged the swap meets at Barber and Mid-Ohio for missing parts. Just missed a stock exhaust.
Matchless
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To call a CB750 a piece of shit shows how deluded you are. I've owned seven Norton twins & two Honda CB750s. I like them all & in their own ways there are ALL great bikes, but I just prefer Norton twins.
Danno
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A frame designed for a 55 hp single cylinder in a 350-lb package was a little sketchy with an 80 hp 4-cylinder in a 500-lb package, not to mention a 140 hp Superbike racer of the day. Nobody knows those limits until they're exceeded. The MkII version of he big KZ had the frame issues addressed at the factory.
But if you look at all the large- and medium-displacement steel framed Japanese bikes of the era and don't see a twin-loop cradle, I don't know what you're looking at. Until aluminum frames came into vogue, some version of the featherbed was it.
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