What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?

Spent a couple of hours or so with my Isolastics this time more methodical and taking notes. Armed with guidance from Matt that the front generally effects the 3-6k rpm range and the rear below 3k rpm I made numerous changes to both front and rear individually and test rode after each.

I started by repeating the settings I used last year when I was unaware of not using the centre stand when doing this and indeed they (2.5 front and rear) produced a familiar result.

I reset back to Matt’s ‘factory’ setting front and back (1.5 front and rear) whilst the bike was free standing but supported to prevent toppling over which turned out pretty terrible tbh with significant vibration throughout the rev range and for the first time through the saddle not just bars and pegs.

My final adjustment after 5 rides was 2.5 front and 2 rear. A good compromise I think and the significant improvement felt on engine breaking 3k and below which was previously annoying. Now I have very little to complain about throughout the range even between 2.5-3k which previously felt quite lumpy. Haven’t had the chance to test on motorways so may need a final tweak for that later on. Interesting how they interact with each other beyond Matt’s advise so I think I now have a pretty decent understanding how they work.
 
Café au Lait said:
Spent a couple of hours or so with my Isolastics this time more methodical and taking notes. Armed with guidance from Matt that the front generally effects the 3-6k rpm range and the rear below 3k rpm I made numerous changes to both front and rear individually and test rode after each.

I started by repeating the settings I used last year when I was unaware of not using the centre stand when doing this and indeed they (2.5 front and rear) produced a familiar result.

I reset back to Matt’s ‘factory’ setting front and back (1.5 front and rear) whilst the bike was free standing but supported to prevent toppling over which turned out pretty terrible tbh with significant vibration throughout the rev range and for the first time through the saddle not just bars and pegs.

My final adjustment after 5 rides was 2.5 front and 2 rear. A good compromise I think and the significant improvement felt on engine breaking 3k and below which was previously annoying. Now I have very little to complain about throughout the range even between 2.5-3k which previously felt quite lumpy. Haven’t had the chance to test on motorways so may need a final tweak for that later on. Interesting how they interact with each other beyond Matt’s advise so I think I now have a pretty decent understanding how they work.
Click to expand...
thousandths of an inch?
 
robs ss said:
I think he must be talking "adjustment holes" - if so, multiply those numbers by 6 (6 thou per hole based on thread pitch)
Cheers
Click to expand...
Correct Rob. I compared 0.5 hole (0.003”) increments which were noticeably different. I abandoned any attempt to use a feeler gauge for two reasons really.
1. Placing the gauge at different points gave different readings
2. Sometimes the gap is only on one side sometimes both basically making it an unreliable faff which is why the vernier was developed in the first place of course.

Still, my bike isn’t as smooth as a mate’s 850 but then again his rubbers will be different and maybe setup for a smoother ride. I had mine at 3.0 holes (front) at one point at above 3k was ‘rotary’ smooth obviously at some cost to the handling feel and if I may say, a tad ‘modern bike’ feeling😬

It’s occurred to me that seeing how easy and quick any adjustment is, should I want a smoother high speed ride, say a long motorway cruise (I might be going on next years INOC Rally in Italy, 1300 miles each way) then I could dial that it, just a thought.
 
dimchick said:
Installed turn signals (1970, came without them), did the wiring, ripped some old DIY wiring from the previous owner, found out the horn works - was just wired wrong, new LH switch, drilled and installed tiny LED warning lights for new turn indicators, new chain, new speedo drive, checked tappets, installed Corbin seat.
Click to expand...
Looks great. My commando is a 70 model also. When I had it with a roadster tank and side covers I learned that you can't have a fob on your key or it will whip around in the wind and scratch the paint off your side cover.... Just giving you a head's up since your bike's paint looks so nice...
 
o0norton0o said:
Looks great. My commando is a 70 model also. When I had it with a roadster tank and side covers I learned that you can't have a fob on your key or it will whip around in the wind and scratch the paint off your side cover.... Just giving you a head's up since your bike's paint looks so nice...
Click to expand...
Thank you!!!! I was looking at the little keychain the previous owner had on the key and figured that was going to happen, so I took it off!
Thank you!
 
My side stand has some considerable wear thanks entirely to the previous owner kick starting it whilst deployed, even on his YouTube video. A friend says he can easily add weld to build it back to original profile or more for that matter to fix the excess lean angle. Thankfully the frame lug is in much better shape, just as well as there’s no way I’d want that kind of heat applied.
What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?
What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?



Unfortunately whilst removing it I spotted this:
What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?

Bugger, the repair has failed and it’s worse than before. I swapped the silencers over so as to hide the previous repair so it not down to poor isolation. The other side remains perfect.

I’ll show it to the guy that repaired it but I rather think I’m in for a replacement from Matt (won’t be cheap) which may encourage me to replace the badly pitted (aesthetic only) headers at the same time. He’s told me he’ll soon have stainless headers but I’m concerned they might go the same way.

Anyway to cheer me up I went for a nice ride in 27 degrees on the North Wessex Downs
 
No Nortons are bullet proof why they been going for so long, I was out on mine Sunday don't even carry tools, was out all day but for Sunday the traffic was so bad no matter where I went but the only time I didn't take my small screw driver for minor carb adjustments, normally in my jacket pocket and you wouldn't believe it one carb just wouldn't idle, but the bike ran great just had to hold on to the throttle a we bit when stopped at lights, the bike didn't miss a beat when I opened it right up in 2nd and 3rd, love the big spark from the JH just open it up and it just takes off and even better when the cam kicks in, but got to do something with my mufflers as they are a wee bit loud, might have to order some new cocktail shakers, the baffles are goneeee after 30+ years on the bike.
Dropped by a mate's place and he heard me coming down the road, told me it sounded great as I stuck it into it before slowing for his driveway and gave it a hand full on his grave driveway, bloody showoff lol.

Ashley
 
robs ss said:
I think he must be talking "adjustment holes" - if so, multiply those numbers by 6 (6 thou per hole based on thread pitch)
Cheers
Click to expand...
Ok, but why would "adjustment by hole" be affected by being on the centre stand vs just propped up?
I've also being playing with these adjusters, in-between fitting some new Oxford bar end mirrors and an adjustable brake lever (Brembo master cylinder)
Good results so far, I can now see behind me and the brake lever is much better.
 

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