I'm the guy on the '73 (not '74) Commando. Thanks for all the comments.As Brakelate says, this was "staged" in the sense that I was short shifting, or at least not using all I had because the Norton can outrun that DRZ400 when I get into the top of 3rd and 4th. Below that, on a tight road, the DRZ's 5 speed together with its agility, and Brakelate riding it, offers a more than even match. On tight roads, we've had many adrenaline pumped "knock down drag outs." For this GoPro shoot, we took care to try to stay very close together because the lens of the GoPro exaggerates distance. That meant I was trying to go in hot, exit hot, but short shift down the straights.The first part of the video is all uphill, more so than you can see. At 1:35, I missed a shift and, because we were too close, closer than the GoPro captures, Brakelate had to snap his DRZ up onto the rolled berm curve to make sure there was no contact. That was our most dangerous moment. Shortly after that a serious descent begins. I'm pretty fast through that downhill section, as you can see at 3:24 through 3:54. I've been riding Little Tujunga since the '70s and only Brakelate, and a couple of others, can really hustle it down that descent. Thereafter, because there are houses and driveways, we cruise at a good pace until about 4:45 . Then at 4:45, we pick it up with a fast entry into the right hander where I cross the yellow. I went in fast, trail braking and the front took a step, no idea why, the road was clear ahead so I let it go, crossed the line, and proceeded. From there through the end is a climb with three fun uphill "mountain right" blind right handers which are all great studies in corner arc, apex, and exit - but with a possible hazard hidden behind the mountain.This is fast street riding, not track riding. You don't need, or want, hanging off or exaggerated body English on this road; the average speeds are too low. You can't commit to that extent. I can and do use some English and peg weighting on faster roads with this bike but only conservatively. Given narrow spoked 19"/18" wheels and 1970's geometry, that later style is a mismatch.
i dont know how many times I have seen this. you gotta make a sequel. love the sound of the Norton and its a pleasure to watch someone with skill riding it.
Thanks, the true skill belongs to the cameraman, Brakelateman, who stuck so close to my six and graciously allowed me and my Commando to be his subject.
For more like this, Scroll down through my vids for the 'Norton Commando 750 - Chased' Video. Much longer clip, same bikes, similar roads. Or try this link; ruclips.net/user/edit?o=U&video_id=yhIB27lm-yU
this is great - - I have both a 1968 Norton fastback and a 2008 DR Z400 SM - these bikes compliment each other very well (except the shifter orientation) but they are both very balanced oddly similar 'no bs' bikes from different eras !! GREAT POST
+Pete Hargreaves It's heads up into the Angeles National Forest, above the greater Los Angeles basin in Southern California. Typical weather and roads for that area, thus putting it in the top spot for year-round canyon riding in the U.S.A. if not the world. Any day of the week~! Mid-week is better for solo riding, void of traffic, once off the 'commuter short cut routes'. Weekend mornings have lots of motorcycles and bikes out. The faster you want to go, the earlier you get up to ride, before the squids and the Law Enforcement has had a chance to have it's coffee and head up the hill themselves, for very busy days dealing with the slower sight seeing tourists vs. late arrivals trying to make a good pace up the hill. If you are there to ride a reasonable pace, all is well all day long. Hope you make it out to see it one day. / Brakelate /
So - lot's of folk have an adverse comment to offer. Enjoyed the vid, would have been very happy to be with you and come the day I consider myself perfect I will offer criticism. Keep on riding and having fun!
I had a 1972 Norton 750 Combat back in high school. I put Dunstall 2 into 1 into 2 pipes on it and some BMW R100 S handlebars,single humped seat. Great 1st motorcycle,sturdy as hell ! The old “snorton Norton was kickass. Kick starter was a bitch though !
looks like a lovely ride out guys, a lotta egos going off in these comments, looks like you guys were just enjoying show casing that beautiful Norton to me, I have a 1972 850 commando as my everyday Bike, and this beautiful 1964 thunderbird in the picture is my toy :D
Great video. I've an 850 Commando great bike, I thought you should have had more umph than the other bike and read you were short shifting. Only issue with a commando is the ground clearance really.
I love Commandos, the way they handle, they're so much fun to ride. And the sound they have is nice also. Makes me want to go ride my Mark III Commando now after watching this. But you guys have one up on me, coz you got a great place to ride 'em. It's one thing to have a nice bike but also have a great place to ride them makes the deal complete.
Great riding! The Norton's solid peg rubbers would be nicely worn into a fine taper :). I laced up some 18 inch Akront alloy rims using 10 gauge SS spokes and found some nice sticky Dunlop's which pepped up the handling a bit on my 850 M2. My isolastics are sloppy so I've stripped the engine to fit new main bearings and tidy everything up while at it. The primary side main is the first to go. My Norton was my very first bike. Cheers from Aus!
Specs for the rims on my 74 Norton are Akront 18" 2.15-40-S-494. E Dot Made in Spain. Tyre specs are Dunlop Elite 120/90/v18 Sp Race Compound. These tyres are wider and offer heaps better handling but it's important to note that I raced on these tyres in Post Classics and used tyre warmers. To activate the compound of a race tyre temperatures matter but looking at the twisty roads you guys ride on the tyre should heat up enough to give good feedback thus confidence in the tyre.. These tyres on the Norton are direction specific according to the markings but I used to flip the slicks on my race GSX-R to get a tuning day out of them with no issues. I purchased these tyres for the Norton way back in the mid 90's so factor that in. Let us know how you go.
I used to wear the peg rubbers into a fine beveled point but now the bike is raised up one inch front and rear and it has a pair of WM-3 Borranni rims which help too. I also spent time pulling the head pipes in as tight as possible. My riding style has also changed since those days, I hang off just a bit and I pressure the outside peg to push the bike more upright. Riding with the camerman, Brakelate, I was forced to switch tires to AHRMA spec non-DOT Avons, which are not cheap but worth it.
Avons. Readily available and quite good are the Roadriders but if you want to do a track day or are truly fast in the canyons, then get some non-DOT Avons, used in AHRMA, from their race distributor. That said, for your '73, more important are a "head steady" and the "swing arm pin fix;" go to accessnorton for more info on those two chassis fixes.
Thanks for the kind words... the Ooops was caused by him braking, then downshifting for a strong pull on his corner exit. And that is what I was anticipating, so I went WFO as early as possible in an attempt to keep up. Unfortunately, he caught a rare 'false neutral' which basically halted his acceleration, causing me to run up on him. And with him with his "head down" running hard, he did not know on which side I was at the time, so he naturally dove for the right shoulder - right where I happened to be going. Luckily, there was just enough room for me to squeeze up tight behind him and alongside the roadway edge that it all worked out, and neither of us ever broke pace, or paused to think about the potential ugly consequences had it gone any other way.
Thanks... was luck really. But it WAS close. If you have ever used a GoPro, especially the early ones, you know how inches look like miles. Thus I had to be right on him. And, that little curb, then guard rail were right off my knee. Beyond that, it was quite a long ways almost straight down.
Yep, that Armco IS scary, and now after fires two years in a row that burnt the old wooden 8x8 Armco's posts, LA County replaced it all with new Armco on steel I beams which are scarier AND they added more Armco, up and down the more of the road. I'd rather go off, fall fifty or 75 feet and land on a downslope than hit the darn Armco.
Thanks for taking us along for the ride. I envy how you guys manage to cut out the wind noise and just get the magnificent sound of that Snortin' Norton :-) Great work. Here is how we do that in Australia Sadly a lot of wing noise and a rattling rear tail light bracket but you do hear a bit of the throaty exhaust note here and there like at 2min 9secs ruclips.net/video/XouWDnNZpfs/видео.html
Just watched your vids. Thanks for sharing! I just got lucky with the sound (for once!) it is just a standard GoPro, with the 'Open' backing plate, chin mounted on the helmet, rather than on the top. Perhaps that helped with the view angle and lack of 'dirty' wind noise as when it is sitting on my head like a Parrot in the wind. We never did get up to very high speeds as well, which also helped. I shot another Norton vid, where the sound was RUINED. It was a First Gen GoPro, and it was mounted on the tank to capture the view of the instruments in horizon beyond, like your vid, but was horrible. Next big BSA/Norton/Velocette club ride I go to in October, I shall try and remake them, this time in much higher quality with the latest camera and smart mounting, etc. Ride Safe! / Brakelate /
'73 was the last year for 750's...mid-73 we had 850's... Rider might be experienced, but why no body language...I used to sharpen my pegs on road like this...Norton really responds to CG manipilation
Our priority was NOT to make a video of us going fast. Rather it was to make a good video of a quick run up Little Tujunga. So, the first priority was to stay close to compensate for the Go-Pro's fish eye lens. That means that the lead bike could not get too far out in front of the trailing video bike. On the Norton, I was listening for and mirror watching the DRZ all along. Secondarily, to make the video better, yes, I was trying to go as fast as I could - without outdistancing the DRZ's Go-Pro. Years ago - before I raised the bike and installed wider rims and before I began peg weighting - I did "sharpen my peg rubbers," especially in higher speed corners.
may i ask what kind of tires you use ? i currently restoring a 73 commando and coming from a modern bike with a fast riding style , i am a little scared about lowsiding :).
A light dusting of sand and pebbles from the hillsides can be expected after any wind event. Especially in October, with "Santa Ana Winds" whipping through all of the canyons in and around Los Angeles County, CA. But, generally speaking, they are very good roads, with just enough traffic on them to keep a decent, clean line in the 'wheel tracks' of the previous cages to pass through. And no joke, there is no 'good' option when it comes to hitting something on the street - or anywhere else for that matter!
I'm the guy on the '73 (not '74) Commando. Thanks for all the comments.As Brakelate says, this was "staged" in the sense that I was short shifting, or at least not using all I had because the Norton can outrun that DRZ400 when I get into the top of 3rd and 4th. Below that, on a tight road, the DRZ's 5 speed together with its agility, and Brakelate riding it, offers a more than even match. On tight roads, we've had many adrenaline pumped "knock down drag outs." For this GoPro shoot, we took care to try to stay very close together because the lens of the GoPro exaggerates distance. That meant I was trying to go in hot, exit hot, but short shift down the straights.The first part of the video is all uphill, more so than you can see. At 1:35, I missed a shift and, because we were too close, closer than the GoPro captures, Brakelate had to snap his DRZ up onto the rolled berm curve to make sure there was no contact. That was our most dangerous moment. Shortly after that a serious descent begins. I'm pretty fast through that downhill section, as you can see at 3:24 through 3:54. I've been riding Little Tujunga since the '70s and only Brakelate, and a couple of others, can really hustle it down that descent. Thereafter, because there are houses and driveways, we cruise at a good pace until about 4:45 . Then at 4:45, we pick it up with a fast entry into the right hander where I cross the yellow. I went in fast, trail braking and the front took a step, no idea why, the road was clear ahead so I let it go, crossed the line, and proceeded. From there through the end is a climb with three fun uphill "mountain right" blind right handers which are all great studies in corner arc, apex, and exit - but with a possible hazard hidden behind the mountain.This is fast street riding, not track riding. You don't need, or want, hanging off or exaggerated body English on this road; the average speeds are too low. You can't commit to that extent. I can and do use some English and peg weighting on faster roads with this bike but only conservatively. Given narrow spoked 19"/18" wheels and 1970's geometry, that later style is a mismatch.
you handle that Commando well.
Well I love this sound and this road and enjoyed your ride but was feeling kind of uncomfortable most time because of the close distance. Sorry...
Those yellow lines are slippery. Carefull! Nice road.
You guys did a great job of staying close. Action cameras need longer lenses for motorcycle use.
i dont know how many times I have seen this. you gotta make a sequel. love the sound of the Norton and its a pleasure to watch someone with skill riding it.
Thanks, the true skill belongs to the cameraman, Brakelateman, who stuck so close to my six and graciously allowed me and my Commando to be his subject.
For more like this, Scroll down through my vids for the 'Norton Commando 750 - Chased' Video. Much longer clip, same bikes, similar roads. Or try this link; ruclips.net/user/edit?o=U&video_id=yhIB27lm-yU
this is great - - I have both a 1968 Norton fastback and a 2008 DR Z400 SM - these bikes compliment each other very well (except the shifter orientation) but they are both very balanced oddly similar 'no bs' bikes from different eras !! GREAT POST
I can't believe that road. Great weather, great road and no traffic!
+Pete Hargreaves It's heads up into the Angeles National Forest, above the greater Los Angeles basin in Southern California. Typical weather and roads for that area, thus putting it in the top spot for year-round canyon riding in the U.S.A. if not the world. Any day of the week~! Mid-week is better for solo riding, void of traffic, once off the 'commuter short cut routes'. Weekend mornings have lots of motorcycles and bikes out. The faster you want to go, the earlier you get up to ride, before the squids and the Law Enforcement has had a chance to have it's coffee and head up the hill themselves, for very busy days dealing with the slower sight seeing tourists vs. late arrivals trying to make a good pace up the hill. If you are there to ride a reasonable pace, all is well all day long. Hope you make it out to see it one day. / Brakelate /
@@Brakelateatmsn - thanks 🇮🇲
totally loved it miss the sound of the Norton thanks for the memory's and probably the future soon
What a great place to ride . Nice weather , no traffic ,beautiful scenery . Western USA is fantastic. If you are a biker there ,you sure are lucky.
Ooops at 1:36 ! Great video! I ride a 1971 Commando but where I live there are unfortunately no roads that are as magnificent as this. Great stuff!
So - lot's of folk have an adverse comment to offer. Enjoyed the vid, would have been very happy to be with you and come the day I consider myself perfect I will offer criticism. Keep on riding and having fun!
I had a 1972 Norton 750 Combat back in high school. I put Dunstall 2 into 1 into 2 pipes on it and some BMW R100 S handlebars,single humped seat. Great 1st motorcycle,sturdy as hell ! The old “snorton Norton was kickass. Kick starter was a bitch though !
really great video congratulations for the norton!
looks like a lovely ride out guys, a lotta egos going off in these comments, looks like you guys were just enjoying show casing that beautiful Norton to me, I have a 1972 850 commando as my everyday Bike, and this beautiful 1964 thunderbird in the picture is my toy :D
Great piece of road to be out on a bike on. Mate on the Norton rides well :)
riding an old british horse is nothing like to day bike but the 750 comando is love life for me
nice riding, great little road
Great video. I've an 850 Commando great bike, I thought you should have had more umph than the other bike and read you were short shifting. Only issue with a commando is the ground clearance really.
Nice - spirited but responsible riding. miss my nortons
Can tell you guys are racers. Awesome Norton and awesome riding!
You are kind. Thanks
Ce sont des pilotes d'excellence. Chapeau.
Nice riding by the Norton and almost a o shit moment at 4:46. Luckely no on coming traffic.
I love Commandos, the way they handle, they're so much fun to ride. And the sound they have is nice also. Makes me want to go ride my Mark III Commando now after watching this. But you guys have one up on me, coz you got a great place to ride 'em. It's one thing to have a nice bike but also have a great place to ride them makes the deal complete.
mannn that Norton is totallly at home on this road,
doing what it's supposed to do sooo well.
Awesome riding!
Great riding! The Norton's solid peg rubbers would be nicely worn into a fine taper :).
I laced up some 18 inch Akront alloy rims using 10 gauge SS spokes and found some nice sticky Dunlop's which pepped up the handling a bit on my 850 M2.
My isolastics are sloppy so I've stripped the engine to fit new main bearings and tidy everything up while at it. The primary side main is the first to go. My Norton was my very first bike. Cheers from Aus!
Awesome. Thanks for the great reply! What model Dunlops did you find that work well for you?
Specs for the rims on my 74 Norton are Akront 18" 2.15-40-S-494. E Dot Made in Spain.
Tyre specs are Dunlop Elite 120/90/v18 Sp Race Compound. These tyres are wider and offer heaps better handling but it's important to note that I raced on these tyres in Post Classics and used tyre warmers. To activate the compound of a race tyre temperatures matter but looking at the twisty roads you guys ride on the tyre should heat up enough to give good feedback thus confidence in the tyre..
These tyres on the Norton are direction specific according to the markings but I used to flip the slicks on my race GSX-R to get a tuning day out of them with no issues.
I purchased these tyres for the Norton way back in the mid 90's so factor that in. Let us know how you go.
I used to wear the peg rubbers into a fine beveled point but now the bike is raised up one inch front and rear and it has a pair of WM-3 Borranni rims which help too. I also spent time pulling the head pipes in as tight as possible. My riding style has also changed since those days, I hang off just a bit and I pressure the outside peg to push the bike more upright. Riding with the camerman, Brakelate, I was forced to switch tires to AHRMA spec non-DOT Avons, which are not cheap but worth it.
New isos will do more for you than the rims, but why not? Sticky tires will help too. My Atlas is my 15th bike. 19 is the Datrona 955i, my daily.
Great video. May be your best ever. Impressive! I wish that I could do that.
Hey, you've got some good videos?!?!
Good shit, awsome huss. 🤙
Avons. Readily available and quite good are the Roadriders but if you want to do a track day or are truly fast in the canyons, then get some non-DOT Avons, used in AHRMA, from their race distributor. That said, for your '73, more important are a "head steady" and the "swing arm pin fix;" go to accessnorton for more info on those two chassis fixes.
Thanks for the kind words... the Ooops was caused by him braking, then downshifting for a strong pull on his corner exit. And that is what I was anticipating, so I went WFO as early as possible in an attempt to keep up. Unfortunately, he caught a rare 'false neutral' which basically halted his acceleration, causing me to run up on him. And with him with his "head down" running hard, he did not know on which side I was at the time, so he naturally dove for the right shoulder - right where I happened to be going. Luckily, there was just enough room for me to squeeze up tight behind him and alongside the roadway edge that it all worked out, and neither of us ever broke pace, or paused to think about the potential ugly consequences had it gone any other way.
Nice save!
Thanks... was luck really. But it WAS close. If you have ever used a GoPro, especially the early ones, you know how inches look like miles. Thus I had to be right on him. And, that little curb, then guard rail were right off my knee. Beyond that, it was quite a long ways almost straight down.
Wow that there be a narrow road , my truck camper would be a blocker on that .
Old guy can sure ride
Take it easy boys, the Armco take no prisoners., ride safe.
Yep, that Armco IS scary, and now after fires two years in a row that burnt the old wooden 8x8 Armco's posts, LA County replaced it all with new Armco on steel I beams which are scarier AND they added more Armco, up and down the more of the road. I'd rather go off, fall fifty or 75 feet and land on a downslope than hit the darn Armco.
Thanks for taking us along for the ride. I envy how you guys manage to cut out the wind noise and just get the magnificent sound of that Snortin' Norton :-) Great work. Here is how we do that in Australia Sadly a lot of wing noise and a rattling rear tail light bracket but you do hear a bit of the throaty exhaust note here and there like at 2min 9secs ruclips.net/video/XouWDnNZpfs/видео.html
Just watched your vids. Thanks for sharing! I just got lucky with the sound (for once!) it is just a standard GoPro, with the 'Open' backing plate, chin mounted on the helmet, rather than on the top. Perhaps that helped with the view angle and lack of 'dirty' wind noise as when it is sitting on my head like a Parrot in the wind. We never did get up to very high speeds as well, which also helped. I shot another Norton vid, where the sound was RUINED. It was a First Gen GoPro, and it was mounted on the tank to capture the view of the instruments in horizon beyond, like your vid, but was horrible. Next big BSA/Norton/Velocette club ride I go to in October, I shall try and remake them, this time in much higher quality with the latest camera and smart mounting, etc. Ride Safe! / Brakelate /
Its soo funny. no matter what the guy on the 400 does,
the Norton just runs away from him. like its nothing.
along with that nice norton growl.
'73 was the last year for 750's...mid-73 we had 850's... Rider might be experienced, but why no body language...I used to sharpen my pegs on road like this...Norton really responds to CG manipilation
Our priority was NOT to make a video of us going fast. Rather it was to make a good video of a quick run up Little Tujunga. So, the first priority was to stay close to compensate for the Go-Pro's fish eye lens. That means that the lead bike could not get too far out in front of the trailing video bike. On the Norton, I was listening for and mirror watching the DRZ all along. Secondarily, to make the video better, yes, I was trying to go as fast as I could - without outdistancing the DRZ's Go-Pro. Years ago - before I raised the bike and installed wider rims and before I began peg weighting - I did "sharpen my peg rubbers," especially in higher speed corners.
Love British bike's
may i ask what kind of tires you use ? i currently restoring a 73 commando and coming from a modern bike with a fast riding style , i am a little scared about lowsiding :).
Thats going up Little T. I'd love to see you stay with him going down...... ;) (BTW - I've tried and failed many times)
Love ya Marco.
whoops over the center line :)
Does Norton used Rounded Brake/Stoplamp as their standard design?
They changed to that square tail light in 1973
I'm sorry but he's not pushing the Norton hard, and I don't blame him. if it was mine I wouldn't want to drop it.
Is there any problems with sand blowing around and settling on the tarmac.?
A light dusting of sand and pebbles from the hillsides can be expected after any wind event. Especially in October, with "Santa Ana Winds" whipping through all of the canyons in and around Los Angeles County, CA. But, generally speaking, they are very good roads, with just enough traffic on them to keep a decent, clean line in the 'wheel tracks' of the previous cages to pass through. And no joke, there is no 'good' option when it comes to hitting something on the street - or anywhere else for that matter!
Thanks for you reply, appreciated.
Not sure "expertly ridden" is accurate, but hey.
That Norton has too much Torque for the other Bike
And the DRZ has too little weight and too much agility and a super duper brake, not to mention its world class rider - lol.
When I had my BMW R800 I'd challenge anyone to a race anywhere, with one condition - no changing gear. I just did everything in 5th and never lost.
Teh Norton driver needs more practice