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the black cylinder. It is coupled by chain to a non-unit four-speed gearbox. This venerable unit was conceived by AMC and bas been in use for about 20 years. There are all sorts of gear sets available for it. including a six-speed. There isn't any need for any of these. however. First is fairly tall. but the ample torque pulls you right away from a standing start. Riders used to the more petite shifting characteristics of Japanese machinery will have some trouble at fust adapting to the Norton's long throw. They will also have some trouble getting used to the shift pattern, an up-for-down, down-for-up layout on the right side of the bike. There isn't any neutral light. we were surprised to note. However. the positive feel of the gearbox made that lack a minor problem. The clutch is very solid. positive. and nicely mannered. We are able to easily push a car with the Norton which should give some idea of clutch performance and low-end engine power. The hitch is that the clutch cable has to be kept carefully lubricated. It requires a reasonably ligh t pull to disengage if properly oiled. Once the lubrication' began to go away it became hard to pull. Keep it lubed. Once you remember which way to shift it (It sure is embarrassing when you forget.). the machine will accelerate very briskly. With the powerband where it is and the good clutch. fast starts are consistently easy. It runs straight coming off the line; no wheelie. no wiggle. just go. Handling is excellent if the machine is properly set up. The most descriptive remark about the Commando's handling came from a biker friend who was riding passenger with one of our staffers when the latter became involved with a very fast imported car on one of southern California's mountain roads. After our man blasted underneath the car with the speedo showing a highly illegal figure. his passenger commen ted, "The only time I've ever leaned over that far_was when I got my shoelace caught on my shift lever." The Norton han.dles spectacularly. It goes where you want it Y{ith the power on or off.. even over bumps. The uisolastic" engine mounts are also the mounts for the swing arm which is connected to the engine. Since the engine is rubber mounted. the swing arm is also. It seems like this would make for less than positive handling. It just isn't so. It handles excellently - if the moun ts are tigh t. We rode one machine that had mounts that required shimming and it wobbled in a straight line at 80 MPH and up. It also wiggled every time that you shifted. The manual calls for shimming every 10,000 miles. but the machine needing adjustment only had 6.000 miles on it. Knowledgable folks informed us that the mounts should be checked every two or three thousand miles. Aside from shimming being necessary there is one other item that can affect the Commando's handling: the tires. The tires that were supplied with our Roadster were Avon GP's which were entirely adequate on dry pavement. They weren't entirely happy, although satisfactory. on wet pavement. The other tire that is specified for the Norton's is the Dunlop Ko8I. The manual cautions against using any others. J !!l' ~ Z ~ w Z W ..J U > U If you use a tire other than the standard ones, you run the risk of seriously impairing the handling of the machine. We found this out when we had a fiat that destroyed a tire and fitted a rib front tire. Handling was noticeably altered and .the machine would oscillate at 30-35 MPH. Again. the standard machine properly maintained handles outstandingly. in the rmest Norton tradition. If the handling was traditionally good. the oil-tightness was traditionally bad in the same British tradition. The fork seals were shot, a pool of oil would form behind the cylinders. and the chain oiler would deposit a pool under the machine when parked overnight. During the test the nut over the alternator came loose and backed out. The primary cover had to be removed to tighten it back up. After that the primary cover had a re,spectable leak, too. If the oil puddles were what we expected from British machines, then the Lucas electrics were better. It never blew a bulb. This is rather remarkable when you consider how far out on the fender that taillight is. The vibration would seem to be amplified. but there isn't enough apparen tly to affec t bulbs. The headlight wasn't particularly spectacular. Somebody should copy the Japanese here. The handlebar switches are the standard Lucas items that all British road machines are using. The hom is in the wrong place. To use it. you must roll off the throttle. Also available is a kill button and a flasher button. The latter is a button that cuts in the high beam as long as it is depressed, whether the ligh ts are on or not. It's a very useful feature. The most unique feature of the electrical system is a ·plug on the righ t side of the machine into which you can plug a battery charger. or take power to heat your tea or drive other accessories up to a maximum of 17\12 amps. The key was on the left side below the rear of the tank. Some staffers got along with it there and some didn't. It was difficult to get the key into the keyhole in the dark. An electrolytic capacitor is fitted to the system whiCh enables the machine to be run and the ligh ts to work with a dead battery as long as t{1e engine is running. The wiring seems sort of aw kward and unsure of itself. For example, the brake light switch is mounted at the pedal and the wiring can be scraped through during a prolonged peg-dragging session if no.t carefully taped up out of the way. Warning lights mounted in the headlight include a high-beam and a charge ligh t. There is also a turn indicator indicat!'r. ~ut .there were no indicator SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE NORTON COMMANDO COMBAT ROADSTER ENGINE: Type Bore x stroke twin cylinder, o rhead val air cooled four stroke 73mm x 89mm g~~~:~~~tr~ti~ . : :: : :: : : : : : :: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: : : : : : :~: : : : :: : : : : : ~~~~ Claimed BHP 65 @ 6800 RPM (pretty accurate) C",buretion ....................•........................ (2) 30mm Amal Oil capacity '" 3 Qts. Recommended fuel Premium. 99 or higher octane Ignition Battery-<:oil. 12 v. Starting Kick Shift pattern Right foot. down for uP. l-N-2·34 AND ALSO: Weight Wheelbase About 400 lbs. (light) 57, in. ~~~~h.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~ .i~2J~~~~ Seat height .. '. .................•................................. 32 in. Fuel capacity : ..................•........2.7 gal., }S gal. reserve $1784 Suggested price Lucas has provided a socket into which a battery charger may be pluggecf' or accessories may take power.