81-487: The Norton Commando is a British Norton-Villiers motorcycle with an OHV pre-unit parallel-twin engine , produced by the Norton Motorcycle company from 1967 until 1977. Initially having a nominal 750 cc displacement , actually 745 cc (45.5 cu in), in 1973 it became an 850 cc , actually 828 cc (50.5 cu in). It had a hemi-type head, similar to all OHV Norton engines since
162-521: A Government subsidy, the assembly line was moved to North Way, Andover ; with the Test Department in an aircraft hangar on Thruxton Airfield . Frame manufacturing was transferred to Wolverhampton, where a second production line produced about 80 complete machines each week. Components and complete engines and gearboxes were also shipped overnight, from Wolverhampton to the Andover assembly line. Following
243-560: A concept bike designated P10, and later Z26 as an improvement) that would separate the engine from the frame with rubber bushes, creating a more rider-friendly experience. The Norton Isolastic frame was developed in time for the 1967 Earls Court Show. Production began in April 1968, but bending problems with the frame resulted in a more-developed frame being introduced in January 1969. The Norton Commando promptly turned up in racing events, amongst
324-705: A financial rescue package contingent on a merger of the two groups and Norton-Villiers-Triumph was born. Motorcycle History (retrieved 21 October 2006) BSA motorcycles BSA motorcycles were made by the Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited ( BSA ), which was a major British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting firearms; bicycles; motorcycles; cars; buses and bodies; steel; iron castings; hand , power , and machine tools; coal cleaning and handling plants; sintered metals; and hard chrome process. A government-organised rescue operation in 1973 led to
405-591: A front disc brake. The Mk1 850 was introduced in March 1973 as Roadster, Interstate, Hi Rider and Interpol versions using the new 828 cc engine. All were fitted with a disc front brake and indicators and had a balance pipe between the exhausts. To meet the European noise requirements the Interstate and Roadster were available as a Mk1A version with the quieter exhaust using 'annular discharge' and larger airbox. The 2nd gear ratio
486-504: A higher load capacity roller bearing NJ306E made by FAG. The piston issues were resolved by removing the slot for oil drainage behind the oil ring, and drilling a series of holes instead, so that the piston crown didn't separate from the piston at higher RPMs . This brought a deterioration in finances. By the middle of 1972 the BSA group was in serious financial trouble as a result of its BSA and Triumph motorcycle activities. The government offered
567-446: A new alloy cover that had a single bolt fixing. The gearbox was strengthened and the clutch plates were changed to sintered bronze when the 850 engine was introduced. A hydraulic primary chain tensioner was introduced for the Mk3 850 and the chaincase cover changed to 12 screw fixing in an attempt to cure oil leaks. The Commando had suffered from premature main bearing failures and in late 1971
648-531: A new company formed by management and named BSA Company Limited . BSA Motorcycles were made by BSA Cycles Ltd, under the BSA parent, up until 1953 when the motorcycle business was moved into holding BSA Motorcycles Ltd . The first instance of intention to produce motorcycles was reported in The Motor Cycle , a British motorcycling journal, in July 1906. The first wholly BSA motorcycle, the 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 H.P.
729-414: A one-piece seat and tail unit which blended into the tank, all in fibreglass . Rubber mounting the engine had caused problems under acceleration, the rear mounts distorting causing the chain to jump off the engine sprocket. This was overcome by Norton-Villiers Chief Engineer Bernard Hooper and his assistant Bob Trigg by mounting the swinging arm on the engine/gearbox plates rather than the frame, allowing
810-450: A plunger frame. Both models had better front brakes than earlier models. This model was a common commuter motorcycle, and many survive today. Used the C11G engine, fitted with an alternator and swinging fork (known as swinging arm) rear suspension. At the time of the company's demise, BSA engineers were developing a range of new two-strokes from 100 - 400 cc, a 350 cc 4-valve DOHC single and
891-495: A prototype built using a shortened featherbed frame . This was known internally as P10 (project 10). Poore set up a design team to develop the P10 headed by former Rolls-Royce engineer Dr. Stefan Bauer. However the P10 was complex, leaked oil and would be expensive to manufacture; the design team started to redesign the engine, giving the revised engine a new code of Z26. Vibration is an inherent problem of vertical twins. Bauer believed
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#1732851483128972-562: A similar system was later used by Ducati on the Supermono and BMW on the F800 . A short-stroke 750 was introduced in 1974 and used in the factory racers . It used the 77 mm bore of the 850 with a shorter throw, 80.4 mm, crankshaft. The short-stroke engine was offered as an option on the road going John Player Special . The Commando used the isolastic frame designed by Bauer, Hooper and Trigg. The Roadholder forks were carried over from
1053-426: A stiffer crankcase was introduced and the drive side main bearing changed from ball to roller. Having roller main bearings on both sides necessitated the use of shims to control endplay. The crankcase breather was also moved from on the camshaft to the rear of the engine. The 'Combat' engine was introduced in January 1972 and was based on the engine used in the production racer. The combat was stamped with 'C' on top of
1134-497: A striking similarity to that of the original BSA Rocket 3, being forward-inclined in the frame rather than vertically mounted. This layout was found to give better weight distribution and allowed ancillary components like the starter to be mounted behind the cylinder block, thus apparently vindicating the earlier BSA 'inclined -parallel 3' design. In exchange for its motorcycle businesses, Manganese Bronze received BSA Group's non-motorcycle-related divisions—namely, Carbodies . Although
1215-651: Is a BSA" on advertising. Machines with better specifications were available for those who wanted more performance or for competition work. Initially, after the Second World War, BSA motorcycles were not generally seen as racing machines, compared to the likes of Norton . In the immediate post-war period few were entered in races such as the TT races, though this changed dramatically in the Junior Clubman event (smaller engine motorcycles racing over some 3 or 4 laps around one of
1296-510: The Wolverhampton plant and frames from the Manchester plant were assembled into complete machines, were presented with a Greater London Council compulsory purchase order . The Plumstead works closed in July 1969. A Government subsidy allowed assembly to move to a factory at North Way, Andover , with an aircraft hangar on nearby Thruxton Airfield housing the Test Department. Manufacturing
1377-408: The coil ignition were mounted on a chain driven jackshaft at the rear of the engine where the magneto had previously been positioned. The engine was designated 20M3, the 750 being Norton's model 20 and this engine being the third incarnation of the engine. When production of the engine moved from Plumstead to Wolverhampton, the engine was updated with the points moving from the rear of the engines to
1458-433: The 1911 season and entire production sold out. BSA had previously acquired a commercially available engine in 1905 and fitted it to one of their bicycle frames and discovered at first hand the problems that needed to be overcome. BSA Cycles Ltd was set up as a subsidiary company in 1919 under Managing Director Charles Hyde to manufacture both bicycles and motorcycles. BSA produced their only two-stroke motorcycle design for
1539-524: The 1911 season. The entire BSA production sold out in 1911, 1912 and 1913. In November 1919 BSA launched their first 50 degree v-twin , Model E , 770cc side valve (6–7 hp) motorcycle for the 1920 season. The machine had interchangeable valves, total loss oil system with mechanical pump and an emergency hand one. Retail price was £130. Other features were Amal carburettor, chain drive, choice of magneto or Magdyno, 7-plate clutch, 3 speed gear box with kickstarter and new type of cantilever fork As
1620-518: The 1928 season, the 1.74 H.P. Model A28 with two speed gearbox. It was produced as the A29 and A30 the following two years and became the A31 with a three-speed gearbox in 1931, the last year of production. The post-war 'Bantam' was a German DKW design, part of war reparation, and not a true BSA design. BSA motorcycles were sold as affordable motorcycles with reasonable performance for the average user. BSA stressed
1701-465: The 20M3 engine and was only produced in 1969. Also introduced in 1969 and aimed for the American market, was the scrambler style S model which had a high level left-side exhausts. The model used the same fibreglass tank as the R model, and a central oil tank was introduced covered by fibreglass side panels. The tank and side panels were finished in metalflake paint. A 5 in (130 mm) chrome headlight
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#17328514831281782-469: The 750 cc Commando in 1967. The canted-forward engine retained the 73 mm (2.9 in) x 89 mm (3.5 in) bore and stroke of the Atlas engine. Compression ratio was raised to 8.9:1 and the engine breathed through two 30mm Amal Concentric carburettors and the power output increased to 58 bhp (43 kW) at 6,500 rpm. An alternator replaced the previous magneto and dynamo . Points for
1863-489: The A65 twins for home and export sale, the damage had been done and the end was near. Reorganisation in 1971 concentrated motorcycle production at Meriden, Triumph's site, with production of components and engines at BSA's Small Heath. At the same time there were redundancies and the selling of assets. Barclays Bank arranged financial backing to the tune of £10 million. Upgrades and service bulletins continued until 1972, but
1944-481: The Atlas as were the silencers. An 8 in (200 mm) tls front brake that had been an option on previous models was fitted. A new fibreglass tank that tapered towards rear was fitted and matched with a combined seat/rear mudguard. The front of the seat had two "wings" that extended either side of the tank. In 1969 reports were received from the American importer, Berliner Motor Corporation , of 5 fatalities caused by frame failures. The failures had occurred around
2025-521: The BSA name was left out of the new company's name, a few products continued to be made carrying it until 1973. However, the plan involved the axing of some brands, large redundancies and consolidation of production at two sites. This scheme to rescue and combine Norton, BSA and Triumph failed in the face of worker resistance. Norton's and BSA's factories were eventually shut down, while Triumph staggered on to fail four years later. Rights went to Norton Villiers Triumph and on its liquidation were purchased by
2106-424: The BSA stand. The Group continued to expand and acquire throughout the 1950s, but by 1965 competition from Japan (in the shape of companies like Honda , Yamaha and Suzuki ) and Europe from Jawa / CZ , Bultaco and Husqvarna was eroding BSA's market share. The BSA (and Triumph range) were no longer aligned with the markets; mopeds were displacing scooter sales and the trials and scrambles areas were now
2187-513: The CB750. US riders and Daytona 200 specialists were hired, meaning Hailwood was the only British rider in the 1970 team until a seventh bike was built for Percy Tait . However a Honda CB750 ridden by Dick Mann won the race. Returning in 1971 with 10 triples BSA did win the Daytona 200, with a Rocket 3 based racer ridden by Dick Mann who had parted ways with Honda. The BSA factory experienced success in
2268-499: The Commando range so as to give room for the panniers. The larger Interstate tank was fitted from 1972 Most Interpols were finished in white, but some were supplied in dark blue or black and without fairings to be used as 'unmarked' vehicles. The 'Interpol' name was retained for Norton's later Norton Interpol 2 rotary engined Police motorcycle. A production racer, featuring a tuned engine, front disc brake and finished in bright yellow
2349-589: The Commando won the Motor Cycle News "Bike of the Year" award for several years running, nothing could hide the fact that the Commando engine was an old design, being a pre-unit pushrod parallel-twin , notwithstanding its effective and revolutionary vibration-damping 'Isolastic' engine mounting system. The T160 was an upgraded triple with a host of improvements such as electric starting and all-disc braking whose engine, built at BSA's Small Heath plant bore, in many ways,
2430-507: The Gold Star. He still plays this song with his band and often performs on the Isle of Man at the TT races. The C11 used a C10 motor fitted with an overhead valve cylinder head. The C11 frame was almost unchanged until 1951 when BSA added plunger rear suspension . Early gearboxes were weak and unreliable. The C11G was available with a three ratio gearbox and rigid frame or a four ratio gearbox and
2511-439: The Interstate was available with the 850 engine, initially as an option but from October 1973 as the sole engine. Production of the Interstate continued until 1977 when manufacture of the Commando stopped. During the final year most of the Commando production was of the Interstate model. The larger 850 engine was introduced initially as an alternative to the 750, but as the sole option from late 1973. All 850 models were fitted with
Norton Commando - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-524: The Isle of Man courses). In 1947 there were but a couple of BSA mounted riders, but by 1952 BSA were in the majority and in 1956 the makeup was 53 BSA, 1 Norton and 1 Velocette . To improve US sales, in 1954, for example, BSA entered a team of riders in the 200 mile Daytona beach race with a mixture of single cylinder Gold Stars and twin cylinder Shooting Stars assembled by Roland Pike. The BSA team riders took first, second, third, fourth, and fifth places with two more riders finishing at 8th and 16th. This
2673-501: The Roadster was available with the 850 engine, initially as an option but from October 1973 as the sole engine. Production of the Roadster continued until 1977 when manufacture of the Commando stopped, although few Roadsters were made in the final year. The Roadster was the most popular of the Commando models. The SS was launched in May 1971 and was an update of the S model. A smaller “peanut” tank
2754-508: The classic Norton featherbed frame enhanced the problem and was not designed in compliance with good engineering principles. Bauer designed a new frame around a single 2.25 in (57 mm) top tube to increase stiffness and rubber mounted the engine to isolate the engine vibrations from the rider. By the summer of 1967 it was evident that the new engine would not be developed enough for the September Earls Court show. In parallel to
2835-411: The company's troubles. On the Commando engine the chain driving the camshaft was difficult to adjust and was frequently missed during maintenance and servicing. As the points were driven off the camshaft, this led to incorrect ignition timing that added to the problems. The failures were resolved by fitting 'superblend' main bearings and lower compression ratio pistons, which had oil drain holes rather than
2916-567: The early 1920s. During its ten years of production, the Commando was popular all over the world. In the United Kingdom it won the Motor Cycle News "Machine of the Year" award for five successive years from 1968 to 1972. Around 60,000 Commandos were made in total. Associated Motor Cycles (AMC), Norton's parent company, had become bankrupt in 1966 and had been purchased by Manganese Bronze Holdings , who already owned Villiers Engineering , forming Norton-Villiers . Chairman Dennis Poore saw
2997-569: The end of 1974 NVT had lost over £3 million. In 1975 the Industry Minister recalled a loan for £4 million and refused to renew the company's export credits. The company then went into receivership and redundancies were announced for all of the staff at the various sites. To avoid total liquidation, the Government backed the formation of NVT Engineering Ltd, to produce spares and to complete manufacture of Commandos already started. By September 1977
3078-446: The end of the camshaft, being accessible behind a plate on the timing cover. The tachometer drive was moved from the end of the camshaft to a position more inboard. The rocker covers, which previously had a sandcast finish, were polished on the revised engine. These engines were designated 20M3S. Transmission retained the pre-unit 4 speed Norton gearbox with a new diaphragm clutch and triplex primary drive. These were accommodated in
3159-528: The engine and delivered 65 bhp (48 kW) at 6500 rpm by using a 10:1 compression ratio, an SS camshaft and 32 mm carburettors. The SS camshaft made the engine 'peaky' with little power so to improve acceleration the overall gearing was reduced. This increased the possibility over overrevving, even in top gear when the red line was reached at 108 mph (174 km/h). The engine proved unreliable, with main bearing failures and broken pistons. The 'Combat' engine's quality control problems exacerbated
3240-432: The engine, gearbox and swinging arm to move as one. Production of the machine was initially complex and located across different parts of England, with the engines produced in Wolverhampton , frames in Manchester , while components and final assembly was at Burrage Grove, Plumstead . In late 1968 Plumstead works was subject to a Greater London Council compulsory purchase order , and closed in July 1969. With assistance of
3321-536: The fastbacks, the MkV, was produced from November 1972 to mid-1973 as a 1973 model and featured improved crank bearings and the standard grind camshaft. Compression was reduced to 9.4:1. The R model was introduced in 1969 with more conventional styling aimed at the American market. The fibreglass seat and tank of the fastback were replaced with a conventional 2.5 imp gal (11 L; 3.0 US gal) tank, seat and rear mudguard finished in blue or red. The model used
Norton Commando - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-608: The first being London dealer Vincent Davey running a team under the Gus Kuhn name with riders Dave Croxford and Mick Andrew. The 1969 Commando S was introduced fitted with a high-level left-side exhaust and a 2.5-imperial-gallon (11 L) petrol tank, primarily aimed at the export (US) market. The original model was thereafter referred to as the Commando Fastback. In late 1968 the Plumstead works at Burrage Grove, where engines from
3483-471: The head stock and the American authorities were threatening for ban the import of the bike. Extensive testing of the bike was undertaken at the Chobham testing facility and the problem identified. Ken Sprayson of Reynolds Tube Company , who made the frames for Norton, designed a modified frame to resolve the problems. The modification replaced the existing steering head gusset bracing with a small diameter tube and
3564-404: The importance of the resurgent Japanese motorcycle industry, leading to problems for the entire BSA group. When Norton Villiers Triumph was liquidated in 1978, the rights to use the brand name of BSA were purchased by a new business, the B.S.A. Company . Motor bicycles were added to bicycle products in 1910. The BSA 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 hp was exhibited at the 1910 Olympia Show, London for
3645-492: The introduction of the MK3 850 in 1975, adjustable bushes were fitted eliminating the need for shims and making adjustment easier. Tyres on the Commando were initially 3.00 x 19 ribbed front and 350 x 19 block rear. Following Malcolm Uphill 's 100 mph lap in the 750 cc Production TT at the 1969 Isle of Man TT on a Triumph fitted with Dunlop TT100 tyres , the Commando was shod with TT100s, 360 x 19 front and 410 x 19 rear. This
3726-579: The less service-intensive Japanese bikes had by then flooded the market on both sides of the Atlantic. The merger with Norton Villiers was started in late 1972, and for a brief time a Norton 500 single was built with the B50 -based unit-single engine, but few if any were sold publicly. The BSA unit single B50's 500 cc enjoyed much improvement in the hands of the CCM motorcycle company allowing the basic BSA design to continue until
3807-402: The market for kick-started BSA motorcycles. In 1968, BSA announced many changes to its product line of singles, twins and the new three-cylinder machine named the "Rocket three" for the 1969 model year. It now concentrated on the more promising USA, and to a lesser extent, Canadian markets. However, despite the adding of modern accessories, for example, turn signals and even differing versions of
3888-497: The mid to late 1970s in a competitive form all over Europe. The final BSA range was just four models: Gold Star 500, 650 Thunderbolt/Lightning and the 750 cc Rocket Three . By 1972, BSA was so moribund that, with bankruptcy imminent, its motorcycle businesses were merged (as part of a government-initiated rescue plan) with the Manganese Bronze company, Norton-Villiers , to become NVT , headed by Dennis Poore . The intention
3969-447: The need to produce a new flagship motorcycle to replace the aging 750 cc Atlas , the engine design of which could be traced back to Bert Hopwood 's 1947 497 cc (30.3 cu in) Norton Model 7 twin. Poore set a deadline for the machine to be ready for the 1967 Earls Court motorcycle show. Former Velocette engineer Charles Udall had joined AMC in 1961 and had designed an 800 cc (49 cu in) DOHC twin and
4050-510: The new engine, the existing Atlas engine had been developed and was now putting out more power than the Z26. A decision was made to abandon the new engine and get an Atlas engined new model using Bauer's frame ready for the show. Poore wanted the new machine to look significantly different, so the engine was canted forward (Nortons traditionally had upright cylinders) and consultants Wolff Ohlins were commissioned to design new bodywork. Wolff Ohlins designed
4131-560: The oil tank to the sump when the bike was standing. Using a concept designed by Doug Hele for the Triumph twins, the NVT R&;D department, under Norman White, developed a balancing system for the Norton engine to resolve the low speed vibrations of the Commando. The system used an extra conrod and dummy piston and cylinder at 90° to the main cylinders. Whilst the system was never used in production,
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#17328514831284212-474: The outstanding 1,500 Commandos had been completed. The remaining spares were sold to Andover-Norton, who produced a further 30 machines. The origins of the Commando engine can be traced back to the late 1940s when the 497 cc (30.3 cu in) Norton Model 7 Twin was designed by Bert Hopwood . The twin-cylinder design evolved into 600 cc, then the 650 cc Manxman and Dominator until superseded by 750 cc Atlas before being launched as
4293-472: The preserve of European two-strokes . Some poor marketing decisions and expensive projects contributed to substantial losses. For example, the development and production investment of the Ariel 3, an ultra stable 3-wheel moped, was not recouped by sales; the loss has been estimated at £2 million. Furthermore, BSA failed to take seriously the threat that electric-start Japanese motorcycles might completely destroy
4374-456: The press, along with quality control issues. The solution to the main bearing problems was the much-fabled bearings designated "Superblend" by Norton in a 1972 Service Release. These bearings were a 'special' with additional crowning, marked 6/MRJA30 and made by R&M (later RHP). Early in 1973 a superseding service release referred to Extra High Capacity Main Bearings. These were in reality just
4455-507: The problems caused by the Combat engine, Norton's finances had deteriorated. By the middle of 1972 the BSA group was in serious financial trouble as a result of its BSA and Triumph motorcycle activities. The government offered a financial rescue package contingent on a merger of the two groups and Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT) was formed in 1973. NVT had four factories; Small Heath , Birmingham (ex BSA), Meriden, West Midlands (Triumph) and
4536-726: The reliability of their machines, the availability of spares and dealer support. The motorcycles were a mixture of sidevalve and OHV engines offering different performance for different roles, e.g. hauling a sidecar . The bulk of use would be for commuting. BSA motorcycles were also popular with "fleet buyers" in Britain, who (for example) used the Bantams for telegram delivery for the Post Office or motorcycle/sidecar combinations for AA patrols The Automobile Association (AA) breakdown help services. This mass market appeal meant they could claim "one in four
4617-464: The result of increased post war demand the Small Heath, Birmingham factory was turned over entirely to motorcycle production. In 1953 BSA withdrew motorcycle production from BSA Cycles Ltd, the company it had established in 1919, by creating BSA Motorcycles Ltd. BSA also produced its 100,000th BSA Bantam motorcycle, a fact celebrated at the 1953 motorcycle show with a visit by Sir Anthony Eden to
4698-429: The slots of the pistons carried over from the Atlas. About 1,500 engines in production were re-worked to the revised specification as well as customer machines being dealt with under warranty. The gearing was also raised on the final 750 cc engines. Revisions to the engine and warranty claims led to few Commandos being available to the public in late 1972. The 750 engine was discontinued at the end of 1973. The engine size
4779-410: The sport of motocross with Jeff Smith riding a B40 to capture the 1964 and 1965 FIM 500 cc Motocross World Championships . It would be the last year the title would be won by a four-stroke machine until the mid-1990s. A BSA motocross machine was often colloquially known as a "Beezer." Birmingham rocker Steve Gibbons released a song "BSA" on his 1980 album "Saints & Sinners" as a tribute to
4860-415: The takeover of BSA-Triumph motorcycle operations by Norton-Villiers, later known as Norton Villiers Triumph . At its peak, BSA (including Triumph ) was the largest motorcycle producer in the world. In the late 1950s and early 1960s poor management and failure to develop new products in the motorcycle division led to a dramatic decline of sales to its major USA market. The management had failed to appreciate
4941-415: The time Norton was the only motorcycle marque in the company that was making money. The AJS and Matchless traditional single cylinder four-stroke models were finished. Matchless and AJS badged models, with Norton motors, were assembled till 1969. In 1968 all models had new carburettors, ignition systems and an ignition lock. The G15CS, N15CS and M33CS had improved cycle parts for 1968–69. The P11 series
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#17328514831285022-452: The top engine steady and petrol tank mountings were moved onto this tube. The front end was revised in 1969, fork shrouds and gaiters were dropped and replaced with chromed stanchions with a rubber dust seal. The centre stand was difficult to use and hung low causing it to ground when cornering. In late 1970 the stand was mounted on the engine plates rather than the frame which was easier to use and gave better ground clearance. The side stand
5103-542: The two Norton factories at Andover and Wolverhampton. To increase efficiency, the NVT decided to cut this back to two factories. Redundancy notices were issued at Andover in late 1973, followed by a sit-in at the works. Redundancy notices were also issued at Meriden which resulted in a sit-in there which lasted two years. Commando production was transferred in total to Wolverhampton. The Meriden sit-in affected Triumph production at Small Heath as they were reliant on parts from Meriden. By
5184-488: The various police forces. Once production started, the basic machine was assembled in the factory and the accessories such as fairings and panniers were fitted off-site. The exact specification varied dependent on the individual forces' requirement. A disc front brake was offered as an option in 1971 and became standard in 1972. Fitment required new handlebars so the master cylinder cleared the fairing. Reverse cone silencers were fitted in 1972, but not upswept like other models in
5265-535: Was a completely new development for 1967 and was further developed for 1968–69. The P11 was available either as Norton or Matchless. For Norton-Villiers the development of a new engine to market was cost-prohibitive, but the vibration of the 750 cc vertical twin was so well transmitted to the rider through the Featherbed frame of the Norton Atlas , that it was dropped in favour of an earlier experimental frame (based on
5346-413: Was based on the tank used on the Atlas, but with a different base to clear the Commando's top tube. The machines were available in red or green paintwork. The Interstate was introduced in January 1972 using the combat engine. A large 5.25 imp gal (23.9 L; 6.30 US gal) petrol tank was used, which was soon increased to 5.5 imp gal (25 L; 6.6 US gal). In 1973
5427-610: Was built in 1910 and displayed at the first Olympia Show, London on 21 November in that year. Sir Hallewell Rogers , BSA Chairman, had informed the shareholders at the Company's 1910 AGM in Birmingham "We have decided to put a motor-bicycle on the market for the coming season .... These machines will be on exhibit at the Cycle and Motor Show on November 21st, after which date we look forward to commencing delivery". The machines were available for
5508-478: Was concentrated at Wolverhampton, in the former Villiers factory, with 80 complete machines produced there each week. Wolverhampton also shipped components, assembled engines, and gearboxes to the Andover assembly line. The high performance Combat engine gave 65 bhp (48 kW) at 6,500 rpm using 10 :1 compression ratio. It was too much for the stretched old 1948 Model 7 497 cc-based design, with main bearing failures and broken pistons being reported in
5589-492: Was fitted and the front mudguard and chainguard were also chromed. Fork shrouds and gaiters were replaced with a dust seal and chrome plated stanchion. Production continued until the introduction of the 1971 SS model. After some police forces expressed interest in the Commando, Neale Shilton was recruited from Triumph to produce a Commando to police specifications. The result was the 'Interpol' machine, which sold well to police forces, both at home and abroad. The 750 cc machine
5670-509: Was fitted to overcome the earlier breakages. A Mk2 Fastback was introduced in September 1970 with revised stands, chain guard, alloy levers with integrated switchgear. and the 20M3S engine. A metal tank, 4.10 x 19 front tyre, upswept exhausts and reverse cone megaphone silencers were fitted on the 1971 MK3. The ‘Combat engine’ engine was introduced in January 1972 in the Mk4 Fastback. The last of
5751-503: Was fitted with a shortened seat. The front mudguard was mounted high and the model had a high level pipe each side fitted with a "peashooter" silencer. The model was only produced for 3 months. With Easy Rider styling, the Hi Rider was launched in May 1971. It featured 'ape-hanger' handlebars, a 'banana seat' and a 'sissy bar'. A small highlight and 2.0 imp gal (9.1 L; 2.4 US gal) tank were fitted. A front disc brake
5832-467: Was fitted with panniers, top box, fairing, radio mountings, police lights, and auxiliary equipment. The machine was first exhibited at the 1969 Brighton Bike Show and was fitted with an Avon fairing with a blue light and Craven panniers. The tank was derived from the Atlas, but with a modified underside to clear the Commando's top frame tube, and a single seat. Shilton took the bike around the UK demonstrating it to
5913-433: Was increased to 828 cc for 1973 by increasing the bore size from 73 to 77 mm and was marketed as an 850. The bottom end of the engine was strengthened and used longer bolts to retain the cylinders. The superblend main bearings were retained. Stronger pistons were used and several measures introduced to try and eliminate oil leaks. An anti-drain valve was fitted into the timing cover on the Mk3 850s to stop oil draining from
5994-562: Was introduced in 1970. It became known as the 'Yellow Peril'. The machine was hand built at the Norton Villiers Performance Centre at the Thruxton Circuit until 1972. In March 1970 the updated S called the 'Roadster' was introduced. It had a low-level exhaust and upward-angled silencers with reverse cones. A Mk2 version was introduced in 1971, and in 1972 the Combat engine and front disc brake were fitted. In 1973
6075-499: Was introduced in 1973. An 850 version was introduced in 1973 and discontinued in 1974. The Fastback LR with increased petrol tank capacity was available from July 1971. Aimed at the Australian market, where most of this model were exported to, production was around 400 machines during 1971 and 1972. The model had a shortened seat with the 'wings' of the fastback and a 3.9 imp gal (18 L; 4.7 US gal) tank. The tank
6156-473: Was later changed to 4.10 width on both front and rear. A front disc brake was added as an option from early 1972 and became standard in mid-1972 for all models except the Hi Rider which continued with the drum brake until 1973. A rear disc was added on the 1975 Mk3 850s. The Norton Commando was introduced in 1967 at the Earls Court Show and the first production bikes were available in March 1968. Each bike
6237-553: Was raised to help pass the noise test. Norton-Villiers Norton-Villiers was a British motorcycle manufacturer formed in the 1960s following the collapse of AMC . With the general decline of the British motorcycle industry, under a British Government initiative it was later combined with the remnants of BSA Triumph to form Norton-Villiers-Triumph . In 1966 AMC went bankrupt and were taken over by Manganese Bronze Holdings which formed Norton-Villiers to oversee operations. At
6318-415: Was road tested and any faults rectified before delivery. The bikes were painted British racing green and the oil tank and left hand side cover were painted silver. The Frame and engine cylinders were finished in black. The model suffered a number of frame breakages. The original model was designated the 'Fastback' in March 1969 to differentiate it from the newly introduced 'S' and 'R' models. A modified frame
6399-555: Was short and unstable, and was replaced with a longer item with a different mounting. Also for the 1971 model year, sealed steering head bearings and new yokes replaced the previous adjustable bearings. With the introduction of the 850 in 1973, the yokes were changed again to change the steering head angle from 27° to 28°, and a stronger centre stand added. The isolastic system required correct tolerances to work correctly. The tolerances were adjusted by inserting metal shims. The bushes were changed in 1970 to enable easier replacement and with
6480-596: Was the first case of a one brand sweep. Mike Hailwood raced for BSA at the Daytona 200 in 1970 and 1971, but failure of his factory triples meant it was without the success BSA had hoped for. For 1970 BSA (which then owned Triumph) built three Triumph Trident based, and three very similar BSA Rocket 3 based racers in Rob North frames. This was a no-expense spared effort to reclaim the US market after Honda’s successful introduction of
6561-555: Was to produce and market Norton and Triumph motorcycles at home and abroad; but Poore's rationalisation led to redundancies of two-thirds of the workforce. In response, the Triumph workers at Meriden set up their own cooperative . This left Poore with neither BSA nor the iconic Triumph Bonneville model and the only NVT models listed for the 1975 model year were the Norton Commando and the Triumph T160 Trident. Although
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