Anyone ever SEEN one of these up close http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/ ... on-orders/

Yes (have seen one), and where have you been for the last 10 years? ^ months - this site, and you will find various words about this bike.

I'd have purchased one by now, presuming that I could, and that if the engine didn't have a lot of serious and unresolved issues.

Whatever you do - don't put any money down for one; some folks have been waiting literally for years for theirs ... And so far - nada.

i know im gonna take a hit here but whatever. the Norton just doesnt excite me at all.
it looks too high, gangly, and unfinished and thats a hell of a lot of money for a basic 70hp bike, even if it does have great suspension. handmade, history, brand, bla, bla...

A mate of myself and couch is riding the factory bike at the TT this year

Ron Fraturelli is the Norton man. Built me my first street bike a 1969 ducati 350 desmo,rearsets,clips glass tank-fenders pefect paint. I was 16 not much money,must have thrown in hours and hours at no charge. Good man. Now if he would star making hand crafted aluminium SD fuel tanks at a good price?????????

KTM, ready to race.

i saw one up close and personal at the San Mateo Fair Grounds bike show , got to sit on it LOL --- wasn't impressed , especially when hearing of the HP figures and at the cost of a big price sticker !!! Honestly i walked away feelin to myself even if i had the money i wouldn't buy one ... And it really didn't look in person as well as it does on photos .

i'd be hella more inclined to put my coin down on the new SD . or build a bike myself with the 20 K and have money left over..

my lousy 2cents

cheers

I've ridden the Commando when Chris Walker was fronting for them. I had about an hour thrashing round country lanes near Rockingham.
I thought it handled very well indeed and had just enough power to be involving (but only just); I found I had the throttle against the stops a lot of the time.
The fit and finish was excellent and I think they look and sound really good in the flesh as it were.
I really enjoyed riding it and really liked the bike.
Would I buy one?
In all honesty, no.
It's a helluva lot of money for a bike that looks and goes pretty much the same as an updated Commando would.

Commandos are still raced in classic racing here and you can get new eligible motors built to 1150cc that make 130+bhp reliably.
With a Reynolds 531 frame - those things are proper fast.
I could buy a mint 750 Commando AND build a classic racer for what one of the 'new' Nortons cost.

Yup saw one in the flesh a couple of years ago on the IOM.

There's also one for sale just around the corner from you:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NORTON-COMMAN ... 1c2bd3ba7f

Don't tell me you'd be thinking of selling the SD ... again.

I've seen and sat on them all. Have to admit the all black Cafe Racer version with clip ons is really nice and If money was not a deciding factor I'd love one. They are really well built. But money is a factor and they are well beyond the price I'd pay for what is essentially an old fashioned engine. Same as the aircoled retro Ducatis, Paul Smart version etc. Beautiful but overpriced.

In the mid eighties my best mate had an original silver 850 Commando. I had a Kawasaki 400 triple so we were a bit of an odd matched pair. Regularly swapped bikes for a change on Sunday runs. So don't get all too misty eyed with rose tinted glasses. I thought back then that it was a pile of shit! It vibrated so badly that everything had to be rubber mounted - even the engine for Christ's sake. On tick-over the thing positively BOUNCED on it's suspension. The footrest rubbers were about 6 inches in diameter to stop your legs going numb and as were the handlebar grips. And did it leak oil? Do I need to answer that? It did accelerate well though - I could never get used to it because I was used to a two stroke power-band and I couldn't even tell on the Norton that the revs were rising - it just went faster when I twisted the throttle! It did have an electric start but it never worked so you had to kick start it. Not easy. It had no ground clearance either. And it was HEAVY. The brakes were crap.

Bic that was a '75 Commando you rode. Only year of the electric start. Great bikes the Commandos and like someone said earlier they are still racing the hell out of them. The new bike is ok I'd love to have one. Maybe second hand down the road more likely.

Actually it was a great bike. Most of the same criticism could be levelled at ANY bike back then. And it had LOADs of character and would make grown men weep when you rode into a carpark. It was the end of British bikes and the Japanese were taking over. A lot of people were very loyal to those Nortons and Triumphs in those days. My Kwakker triples are now seen as classics today but back then they were just nasty smoking rice burners bikes ridden by spotty teenagers. If you rode a Norton you were seen as flying the flag and many people congratulated you for not rolling over and buying Japanese.

They all eventually died and disappeared eventually. Retired, defeated or just rotting away in sheds. (The bikes and the people that thought this way )

I agree. By the time I got in to bikes the Japanese had the foothold. RD350 LC was the machine to have. I've never had one but I always keep looking out for a mint one. Your Kwacker triples are commanding big money in the US at the moment. They're another animal my co-worker keeps telling me. He's now a Pirate/Harley guy who had one back in the day and regrets ever selling it.
Then there was the GSXR's/CBR's etc forever but now after 25+ years of the same the Japanese are boring to be honest. All the desirable bikes are coming from Europe. The Norton is desirable. Most people I've spoken to like it and all the test ride reviews are favorable. Price tag is too high though,thats the killer.

Rue Lamarck, Montmartre Paris today. Machine 164 of 200. Somebody is actually riding one!

Bet this one goe's ,,,,,,,,,exclusive,,,historic,,,last hurah http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2013/06/ ... birth.html

Wow! Real motorcycle parking lot. Check out the the parking lot crash bars