Author Topic: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate  (Read 1294 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline newday777

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,242
  • Avatar is my 76 K6 in Colorado w/Cody on back 1980
1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« on: August 01, 2024, 06:06:57 AM »
The past week I've been helping my friend David Ross get his 75 850 Commando Interstate ready to sell and took a short ride to the bike night last night before the rain came in. This is the 1st year of the electric start and left foot shifter. It hasn't been run since 1988. Always fun to get a bike back out of mothballs.
We put new tires on, flushed and bled the brakes as well as checked the lights yesterday afternoon.
It idles great but has some stumble above 1500 rpm to figure out and get the horn working. Going back over this afternoon to do some more with him. He's 90 now and moves a bit slower these days but still very sharp.
He was a Norton dealer as well as imported Seeley frame kits back in the 70s and 80s with his brothers.
Last year he sold the 74 850 Commando that I got to exercise.
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline newday777

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,242
  • Avatar is my 76 K6 in Colorado w/Cody on back 1980
Re: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2024, 06:16:38 AM »
Bike Night always attracts some great bikes.
David and his daughter came along.
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline Twodogs

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2024, 08:25:05 AM »
Very nice 👌

Offline Bankerdanny

  • Eventually I will be old enough in reality to be
  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,626
  • Endeavor to persevere
Re: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2024, 02:49:35 PM »
I have always had a soft spot for these. Ironically when I was a teenager in the early 1980's, a family friend offered us a basket case 750 Commando for free. I told dad I wasn't interested so he declined. In retrospect I imagine he liked the idea of a restoration project with me (he was a long time British car and bike guy who rode a hopped up Goldstar in college) and was probably disappointed when I wasn't interested. Now that I am in my late 50's and he is gone I regret not saying yes.
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln

Current: '76 CB750F. Previous:  '75 CB550F, 2007 Yamaha Vino 125 Scooter, '75 Harley FXE Superglide, '77 GL1000, '77 CB550k, '68 Suzuki K10 80, '68 Yamaha YR2, '69 BMW R69S, '71 Honda SL175, '02 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, '89 Yamaha FJ1200

Offline newday777

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,242
  • Avatar is my 76 K6 in Colorado w/Cody on back 1980
Re: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2024, 03:51:29 PM »
In the spring of 74 I bought a new CB450 K7 and put 9,000 miles on it, by fall, and the summer past I was more than comfortable and wanted a bigger bike, I went into David's shop and thought about the 850 Commando but the prices were higher than a new CB750 and even though I really liked the looks of the Norton the price made the decision at 18 years old so began my love for the CB750s.
Now I get to have a few rides on the same Nortons at no cost to me other than investing some time with my friend. A win win for me! And it's fun to see him light up talking with everyone about it and the memories of his life with them.
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline HondaMan

  • Someone took this pic of me before I became a
  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 13,828
  • ...not my choice, I was nicknamed...
    • Getting 'em Back on the Road
Re: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2024, 07:59:04 PM »
Those Commandos are SUCH handsome bikes!
See SOHC4shop@gmail.com for info about the gadgets I make for these bikes.

The demons are repulsed when a man does good. Use that.
Blood is thicker than water, but motor oil is thicker yet...so, don't mess with my SOHC4, or I might have to hurt you.
Hondaman's creed: "Bikers are family. Treat them accordingly."

Link to Hondaman Ignition: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=67543.0

Link to My CB750 Book: https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&page=1&pageSize=10&q=my+cb750+book

Link to website: www.SOHC4shop.com

Offline newday777

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,242
  • Avatar is my 76 K6 in Colorado w/Cody on back 1980
Re: 1975 Norton 850 Commando Interstate
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2024, 03:33:02 AM »
They are indeed very stylish as well as handsome Mark.

This 1975 David has been resurrecting has been giving lots of problems running, that every time I took it out after he thought it was running great on the lift, it would fall flat on it's face as I left the driveway with every twist of the throttle so he went through another set of Amil carbs he had, to his dismay, deciding just to order up a Mikuni conversion, he is awaiting the arrival in the next week or so.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2024, 03:38:07 AM by newday777 »
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A