After four years and many starts and stops, the longest-running custom motorcycle project we’ve ever undertaken at CRM has finally come to a grand conclusion. The classic British bike we dubbed The Combination Commando was an all-hands-on-deck proposition, taxing the mechanical skills, patience and, I hate to admit, friendships of the entire staff. The whole shebang got underway after I badly injured my kickstart foot in 2017 and learned from my doctor that I’d never again have the ability to start my beloved 1959 Norton Dominator 600. It was a tough loss selling off the sleek, silver antique motorbike that I’d picked up for just $600 in very poor shape before restoring it to full show-inning condition. Once gone, I immediately began contemplating a replacement ride, one that combined the Dommie’s unmistakable mid-20th century looks with modern, electric start convenience.
Nick Coumos, CRM’s longtime Norton whisperer was immediately on board, providing us with a 750cc Commando engine while there always seems to be a couple of Norton’s featherbed frames tucked away in dark corners of the garage for just such an occasion. Over the course of twentysome issues of the magazine, we painstakingly pieced together the motorcycle which required some of the most in-depth machine work and modifications we’ve yet seen performed on a bike of this vintage. Reproduction bodywork was found online from suppliers in India (where British vehicles were once ubiquitous) while various odds and ends were bolted on, including a genuine Dresda swingarm, Hagon adjustable shocks Buchanan’s wheels and a very capable Beringer front disc brake set-up.
Eventually the project was shipped north to Classic Bike Experience in Vermont where their skilled team took on the daunting electrical engineering, a task that had driven the best of the CRM team up the proverbial wall. “I was keen to see how that was done as we get requests regularly about pre-Commando fitment,” said CBE’s Jack manning in the current issue’s summary story. “The first problem is the orientation of the motor (vertical) does not line up with the Alton inner cover mounting provisions. The second is that the ignition is mounted behind the barrels, right where the starter motor wants to go. Enter Nick Coumos, CRM’s long time Norton guru, who did most of the rebuild, including relocating the ignition to the timing cover (later cam and side cover needed for that) and orienting the motor forward 15 degrees. The face of the crankcases required machining to match up with the Alton inner primary and after much fettling, Et Voila! A Commando in Atlas clothing save the vibraton-damping isolastic engine mounts.”
It was emotional and a bit unexpected to actually see the motorcycle magically appear back in the CTM garage recently, having spent nine months (1) undergoing final adjustments at Jack’s shop. With the weather reaching nearly 60 degrees this past weekend, the Norton was finally fired up and ridden around our still-damp parking lot. I can’t deny the grin on my face that clearly showed the relief and satisfaction of refusing to abandon a project build even when it proved to be a massive test for everyone involved. Was it worth all the money headaches and hassles. Damn straight it was, though I’m not sure I could convince everyone to donate so much time and sweat equity into another project of this magnitude. Still, having a reunion of sorts with a dream bike revisited is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I think…
