You showed the Norton in its natural environment. Round the block for a coffee and a pose.

There is a 1973, 750 Commando sitting in my Dads garage. He rode it at least once a week until about a month before he passed at the age of 92. My brother-in-law rides it now and smirks when he sends me pictures. He's 71.

Dude, the way you talk is just a pleasure on its own, regardless of the content. (But we all know the way you talk is _because_ of the content)

Everyone forgets about the Triumph Thruxton, another great modern classic bike

Its not even got an led headlight but my goodness its utterly beautiful.

I'm sorry: that thing is simply gorgeous. Gorgeous looking. Gorgeous sounding. Screw the flashers. Glorious.

I was blessed to own and enjoy 5 Nortons. An ES2 single made in 1955, an Atlas model from 1965, 3 Commandos -1970, ‘73 and a very short term stent with a ‘75 electric start. Overall, a wonderful experience that cemented my loyalty and fondness for this iconic marque. Memories are hinted on each ride on my substantially modified Royal Enfield Interceptor.

Another great video. One comment - (I grew up in London during the 50’s and 60’s and started riding bikes long before I was legally allowed to 🤫) - I never met anyone during that time who rode a Norton because of the comfort factor. They “suffered” riding a Norton because it was a Norton. 😁🇦🇺👍

Hi Freddie interesting video, always enjoy watching your videos, 97 years on my 1927 Norton 16h flat tanker is still here still being ridden I rode her through last winter an same for my 1967 Norton 650SS (one of the finest British twins ever made as Phil Reed said in the 1964 brochure handling from the featherbed frame as good as a Manx! when he won production races on the 650ss) I'm also restoring a ww2 Norton 16h and a 1968 Commando. I daily rode for 4 years n 4 winters the Norton 650SS through thunderstorms an winter's which outlasted alot of modern bikes, an provided total reliability until a nerve injury stopped me kickstarting for a while (none bike related). Just sticking a few videos up filmed on that over the past 7 years or so. I'm actually restoring one of the first 70 Norton Commando's at the moment from 1968 an it has to be said they are so so so smooth to ride when the Iso's are set right an that was with mine having an engine fault when I bought it due to a mistake by the previous owner. The original concept of the Norton Commando was to make it super smooth via the revolutionary Isolastic system, it actually won Motorcycle of the year for 5 years on the run by Motorcycle News in the 60s and 70s. A design that Harley went on to riff off with the Electra Glides, a former Norton employee was inoled with that. The First Norton Commando was actually made by Norton as Norton Villiers LTD an the later by Norton Villiers Triumph. Then they had amazing success with the F1 Rotaries later on which is often forgotten about. For something marketed at 17k it's a shame they are still fitting such low end bits like the indicators an still making the mistake with the infils, an seat it's a shame that they still are not thinking about those of us that use bikes regularly, the seat on the 650ss and Commando are all day comfortable something that's missing from alot of bikes, I think that's something that's really missing from the current Norton range proper all day comfort an bikes for being ridden year round not just looked at. I nearly bought a 961 in the SG era one of the sport models an luckily I didn't alot of people were absolutely exploited both on bikes that never turned up or bikes that were stripped for parts one of my friends only ended up with his frame back, and the pensions (which you got a details wrong on) an were then left high an dry by TVS one of the largest companies in the world to produce motorcycles. A company of there size although there was no obligation to could have been sorted out for me these things shouldn't be brushed under the carpet as I know who were truly left with no help. Luckily theres a great independent specialist in the 961's by Stu Motorvated who got left with no support. Leaves a bitter taste in alot of peoples mouths and would stop me from buying one as it stands. I do hope they make a go of it, One worry recently was a V4SS that was a current build bike delivered 23/24 that went at a well known auction house for 22k an hadn't been ridden. For me it's hard to move away from the original Commando's absolutely epic sound from a 360 degree engine and so so easy to work on with great parts availability. I really really hope as someone you cut in half would say Norton that they don't forget the ethos from Pa Norton, to paraphrase, from one of the 1920s brochures although we have the high performance ohv models these will remain a low production bike, The Norton although for the expert always had a bike like the Big4 in the range Pa Norton's favourite for the everyday rider as Norton termed it in the period, which people would use to take the family out on the weekend or go to work on. For me the core of the Norton Brand was a 360 degree twin an a good long stroke sporting single. I hope they don't forget that or the newer younger riders alot of my friends are riding Royal Enfields. I think it's important to capture the riders earlier on.

The foot pegs are the same as the Beautiful Red Commando 850 I rode back in the day, 1969.

To me it looks like a home made parts bin special. My friend called it a "crashed satellite" 😂

I knew you would be grinning ear to ear with this one, Freddie. The exhaust note is superb. Real character.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think it’s a stunning looking bike

There is no beauty without flaws

Truly love The Amazing Norton❤, so it's a real Master Piece on wheels 🥇!!!, No doubt one of my favorite Motorcycles ❤️!!!, Great video, Thanks for sharing 👊👍✌️!!!

Beautiful!

Very special bike, you are very lucky to get your hands on such a machine. Well done ❤

That is quite likely the best sounding bike engine i've ever heard. The pegs are rearset because it's a cafe' racer. That also explains the seating position. It's a retro performance bike, that's all it's 'sposed to do. This one isn't for 2 up riding, or touring. It's for riding to work on nice days and going for a ride to the cafe' on warm, sunny Sunday mornings.

Thank you TVS for steadying the reins, but letting the ride be and the rider exalt.

Looks beautiful. British made - excellent. Nortons ruled in the 20s and 30s. A lot of fuss was made of the Commando in the 70s ans 80s. Triumphs ruled in the 50s and 60s. Lot of money for a name.

That is what I like about you, Freddie. You tell it like it is... Cool looking bike.

I grew up in a small village in a small western european country. At the far end of this village, on the edge of everything, almost in the fields, was a little bike shop. The small and most simple showroom was full of beautiful bikes. I cannot count how many times we stopped in front of the showroom or the open repair shop to spend time there with the other boys. At age 8, I fell in love with Norton. The most beautiful mechanic constructions there are. The shop still exists today and has not changed a bit for the last 40 years. It is not in England. I cannot afford one of this old beauties. Maybe I should try and get one of those?

Are they quirks - or are they faults? They are faults. I’ve always wanted to like the “new” Nortons, but I can’t help thinking the company is taking the “P” out of us! A great example Freddie…. Yes - they look like Ali Express indicators. £3 a pair! The bike definitely has flashes of beauty but….. we are constantly being reminded of the history of a completely different company that has long gone. I want to like it, but sadly I just can’t.

I'd take a Triumph Thruxton over this. But, that Norton is gorgeous!

I rode pillion on a Norton 650 (not sure what the model name was now), back in the 1970's. At that stage I'd only ever ridden 250's so it was a extraordinarily exhilarating. I was determined to get one when I passed my test, but I stopped riding altogether for quite a while afterwards. Thenj decided to go back to biking in the '90's and Norton was no more. But I've always been very happy with Trumpy's.

This bike looks and sounds so good.

I borrowed one from Krazy Horse BSE last year. Best looking Retro and the sound of. So uncomfortable though. Loved every second riding it.

Reading between the lines: A 17000 B/pound bike made from all the remaining bits and pieces that are left over from "other" bikes, that should be halve the price made in a country that is as far from British as you can get with a seat made of stone, has 1$ indicators, home made light fittings, a tank sculptured for a very short legged person and about zero turning circle with an engine that sounds like it needs an overall. Great Bike!! Remember to take your phone with when you go on that trip... and make sure the tow truck's number is stored... And when you get back... just buy a Triumph - also not made in Britten!

Its a nice bike, I too found that tank shape strange and not too comfortable. You should try an original Commando, I think you would be pleasantly surprised. I bought one 42 years ago and still ride it regularly. I used to commute to work on it as did another colleague of mine and somebody a friend was talking to didn't believe they could be used as commuter bikes as he believed they were too unreliable. Mine now has a 100,000 miles on it😂

Awesome bike. Great perspective.

Would be great to see a Norton history deep-dive like your BSA one

Norton styling is so amazing.

Oh there are quirks with my 2022 HD Pan Am and a lot of character since I fitted the V&H muffler. I've had it for just over 1 year and I love it. I ride practically everyday. I do wish Norton would sell the Commando in Australia again.

The leg on tank fit is no small issue regarding your comfort; only! my shorter leg would fit this beauty no problem!

There's even an orchestra that plays as you go along, so you can't hear what it sounds like!

I sort of get garage special build vibes from that, looks beautiful, sounds great, not quite finished, but when you're riding it none of that matters.

Thanks for the video. What gorgeous bike. Amazing craftsmanship. Bravo ❤

Thanks!

For a warm bike it seemed remarkably reluctant to start immediately. Given you can smell fuel I would suggest it is not set up very well. A tune would probably be of immense benefit.

My brother owns a fully restored Norton Commander. He is also rebuilding another one into a cafe racer. The bike is still amazing to ride.

I remember my Uncle Brian had a die cast model of the original on his mantle piece back in the early 80's. I loved the model, this reissue hits the spot. Beautiful.

A proper bike. I would have one. Thanks Freddie.

I'd like to Norton and Triumph get together and make a modern Triton.

The crankshaft, QC has been sorted out since TVS bought Norton. Well done to the owner of TVS, a rare breed of person who has been so honourable and good in bringing in help for those ripped off by that villain Stuart Garner. Now I believe its the best commando ever made with TVS improving the quality and reliability of parts, machining and better value than any bike made even at 17K quid. Ohlins forks, brembos and the superb fit, finish doesnt come cheap but its a great bike to ride, proper, real old school bike and a beautiful parallel twin just as the 1950s BSA twins.

Love your delivery Freddie, and your enthusiasm for quality bikes.. this is a fantastic video and for sure Norton are back and will make a huge impression

Norton is now owned by TVS which is an Indian two wheeler brand who manufactures fuel efficient bikes , mopeds , auto rickshaws ,also they make some performance bikes like TVS RTR 310 . TVS motors have collaboration with BMW also and now they have Norton as one of the feather in the Hat

Cheers Freddie. Thanks for helping me decide......I'm definately sticking with my '02 Guzzi California 😂

Freddie checking the fume aroma like a master chef

That's a beautiful bike but it is a far cry from my 1968 750 Commando fast back. The 820th production Commando ever made. She's still in bits in the garage but it will come back to running condition and sit proudly beside my 2022 Kawasaki W800. Cheers form Canada.

The bike isn't type approved like all vehicles for CE [UKCA] approval but individually approved, I think its called, hence why its loud and you smell fumes from the exhaust

Beautiful

I grew up riding bikes in the 60’s , we did not buy Norton Commandos (maybe the 650 SS), we bought Triumph T120 Bonneville, BSA Gold Star, BSA Rocket Gold Star .

Looks great - like a love child between a thruxton and nine T. And this is its competing market, which presents an opportunity with the thruxton discontinued and the nine T losing its DNA and becoming cheaper. Also, you are sitting on the bike wrong. Once you slide your butt back and assume a sports bike position, the knees will likely fit. You don’t ride this like a cruiser.

the sound is just stunning

Beautiful bike!! I've been binge watching your videos, truly a fan of your style and content.Great work!! Pure Class💯💯

I saw one at the Norton stand at London Excel show and thought it looked stunning .

The key looks like my motorhome water tank lock.

In Canada it’s 3 times more expensive then a current Triumph Bonnie 900. The Triumph will likely be far more reliable despite him emphasizing it being made in England. Wasn’t that the reason past British bikes left countess riders on the side of the road. Triumph unlike Norton, has learned its lesson and isn’t living in the past with a one trick pony bike. They have a nice lineup of classic bikes, but also make modern looking and high functional abilities to appeal to other riders. Oh, and Triumph has realistic price tags as well, and Japanese levels of reliability. Hinckley Triumph waited over 10 years to bring back the Bonnie bike, because they wanted to show they can build sophisticated 3 and 4 cylinder bikes with Japanese reliability and functionality. It would have been a disaster if the Bonnie came back first even with great reliability, because people would have said, just the same old same old. They’re stuck in the past, will they ever learn anything. Are you listening Norton?

It's been almost to the day 50 years since I last rode a bike daily, but that looks stunning, and I almost feel I should go out and buy one! One of my pals had the 750 and chopped it in for the 850 and both those (as I recall) were stunners with performance to match. I love your passion for bikes and it's great to see we can still produce something of real merit.

Quote: “it accentuates the pain of the seat” Freddie makes it sound as if it was the best one could hope for.

Nice bike, but the original Commando came out in 67 . As you probably know they suffered terribly with reliability issues. And when the CB 750 arrived it was game over.

Cracking review Freddie! Norton is back and tugging at the heartstrings ❤

That is perfection I could look at that all day hope it rides as good as it looks

A couple of people in these comments have said it’s a café racer - but this is not correct. This particular bike Freddie is testing/reviewing is a ‘961 SP’ ie a Sport, as can be seen in the video on the side covers. The cafe racer variant with the lower handlebars is marked ‘961 CR’ on the side covers. I had long admired Nortons since the 1970s and thought I might buy a 961 SP at some point to upgrade from my (excellent) 2020 Triumph T100. I have seen a few 961s at the Ace Cafe in recent years and overall like them a lot. However I sat on a brand new SP at the Excel (London) motorcycle show in early 2023 and immediately noticed how it was not as comfortable as my T100. I had somehow thought it would be better at nearly double the price. So, I agree with others who say you just have to accept it for what it is if you want to ride a 961 (and I have not totally given up getting one but do not think it would be as suitable as a Triumph Bonneville if you live, and mostly ride, in a big city like London). Definitely more noticeable and impressive looking and sounding than a Bonny but big bucks to buy one. And they don’t even have a fuel gauge

Now that old son, would put a horn on a jellyfish!!!! 😊

Sorry, quality hand made should not have quirks. We were taught to make it right or don't make it. Even screw head slots had to align. A lock that is not centred is not a quirk it is bad workmanship. To be honest I find the bike less than impressive and certainly not up to the original's standard. A good way to start and argument would be to ask which bike ruled the road in the fifties and sixties, it wasn't the Norton Commando.

Kawasaki w800 and W650, yamaha XS650 and royal enfield mk2A interceptor are great bikes. Norton commando and BSA A10 650 pre unit are wonderful machines. Even the single carb BSA A65 is a great bike and rolling chassis. Only the timing side bush was a weakness but with todays superb oil tech theyre far more reliable crankshafts.

Beautiful bike and wonderful sound, much as I hate to admit it, it does outdo both my Thruxton and my T120!

Absolutely filmmaking art. What I love about your videos Freddie is that you never fail to capture the ethos of the bike itself! Lovely.

Absolutely gorgeous!

What a marvelous bike!!!

Loved it that much, bought one, one of a few bikes i have owned that makes you feel ur riding something special.

Nice looking bike, its good that you point out the flaws!. hopefully Norton will take on what you have pointed out, cheap indicators, the ignition key barrel alignment and and the fuel tank and seat.

This post certainly generated a lot of comments….Marmite bike obviously! Personally I liked the overall looks….apart from the indicators, reservoirs, gold forks, alum alloy beginning to corrode (easy to resolve with decent anodising). A bit of history: I had two Nortons in the 60’s, a 350cc Navigator (lot of noise but not much go!). I changed it in ‘63 for a 650ss (£343!), loved that bike (fast, comfortable & stunning looker). They won several 24 hour races beating Bonnevilles. I was never able to fix oil leaks though! Also had to return it to the factory (Bracebridge Street Birmingham) as the tappets went out of adjustment constantly; the complete cylinder head was replaced. STILL LOVED IT THOUGH). Freddie…..would be great to see you do a review on a 650ss!

Great review!!

Kinda wild they pride themselves on using only premium parts and a 17k pound bike, but the indicators AND the key ignition. Seeing that key thing every time I'd look down would infuriate me.

It looks how a motorcycle should look, great video Freddie 👌🏻

Very cool shot of you starting the bike,circling around and riding out of the garage. Good editing!

Perfect for costuming, forward controls and ape hangers, cool bike freddie😮

Lovely bike but comfort is so important, enjoy the bike.

Love it I will have one one day to go with my Enfield & BSA the good thing is the cheap indicators etc can be swapped out and customised which also I enjoy to do👍

Morning Freddie! Beautiful tank and crank case, and sounds great. But the forks and rear fork gas cylinders... should be silver or black imho.

Greetings from Germany Freddie, stumbled upon this video and utterly loved your Britishness (new word) way of presenting this great looking bike 😃

Love the tool roll on the front.

wow what an amazing bike. gorgeous.

British made horsepower. It is a stunning bike. Looks perfect for you. You need a different helmet though. The seating position will hurt. The price is too high. Just needs a British Indian flag perhaps on the plastic indicators or on the off centre key slot.

Norton Commando - now you’re talking, Freddie. I’ll be very interested in your videos on this bike. Unfortunately, they’re not available in the USA.

Ohh boy, its that sunday again. My bike is waiting for me but first I need to watch this video for a real good start into this day.

Gorgeous. Norton may however have built a bike with worse steering lock than my Ducati S2R1000 :) Still digging it tho.

I toured the factory, test rode a bike and purchased a Cafe Racer. Its brilliant. After careful running in, it runs really well, better than the test bikes i tried. Vibrations are not that big a deal and are part of the charm. Braking and handling are modern, and the 80 odd horsepower is enough to get around quite briskly. With bar end mirrors, the Cafe Racer looks really cool. I rarely go out for a ride without someone commenting on it. Off to IoM TT on it in a few weeks.

Thats one beautiful bike.

If you agree that this bike adheres to the Norton tradition, all the bits will fade and discolour, rust and eventually either fall off or rust away to dust. For me, when I rode the same model as you test here, the pegs are so far back after a while, with the vibration and acute leg angle, it became properly uncomfortable!!

I had a 1972 commando,at the time love of my life . We went coast to coast living in North Carolina

Stunner.

Sounds and looks super 👌 Another fab video 👍 thank you 😊 🙏

Very lovely jacket and feeling a little jealous.

Snorton Norton. I've loved these since I was three years old. Sounds soooooo good.

This is a form over function bike. 30 mins of riding, tops.

What an elegant looking bike. The detail on the tank and around that lower engine cover is second to none! When I was a kid, I used to long to own one of these and I am sure I had one that looks quite similar. Only issue was that it was matchbox size. 😂👍

I would fit some Motogadget Blaze Ice indicators and also paint that carbon mudguard black and gold to match the bodywork. Then it would be perfect!