This bike is one in every of fewer than 50 examples of the Kenny Dreer-built Norton Commando VR880 that was made, and for the Norton devoted it represents a critically essential bridge between the Nortons of previous and the Nortons of the fashionable day.
Though Dreer doesn’t get a point out on the official Norton web site he actually ought to, they’re constructing o modified model of the Norton Commando 961 that he designed in spite of everything – the primary new Norton manufacturing bike of the twenty first century.
Quick Information – The Norton Commando VR880
- The Norton Commando first appeared in 1967 as an all-new mannequin to switch the a lot cherished however long-in-the-tooth Norton Atlas.
- The Commando used an up to date model of the sooner Norton parallel twin, with a separate 4-speed transmission, and an all new body that made use of the “Norton Isolastic System” to cut back vibration.
- The bike would go on to grow to be essentially the most well-known Norton of all time, it gained the Motor Cycle Information “Machine of the 12 months” award for 5 years operating from 1968 to 1972, and over 60,000 of them had been made in whole.
- The Norton Commando VR880 was developed within the Nineties by Kenny Dreer in the US, it had 80% new components and fewer than 50 had been made earlier than he shifted his focus to growing the brand new Norton Commando 961.
The Mighty Commando
The Norton Commando was first launched in 1967 and by all accounts it had no enterprise being pretty much as good because it was. The engine was an up to date unit from the late Forties in spite of everything, and the bike nonetheless relied on pushrods and drum brakes its rivals had been quickly advancing with disc braked and overhead cams.
Norton Commando advertisements had been virtually as well-known because the bikes themselves, they typically featured younger girls and suggestive headlines.
That mentioned, the Commando did have a couple of aces up its sleeve. Norton had a long time of very profitable historical past as a racing bike producer they usually may make a motorcycle deal with higher than virtually anybody.
In addition they had former Rolls-Royce engineer Dr Stefan Bauer working for them. Bauer designed an all-new body for the Commando that may be stiff and in addition do a much better job of isolating the numerous vibrations from the parallel twin utilizing a rubber-based engine mounting system – he known as it the “Norton Isolastic System.”
A forward-tilted model of the Norton twin can be fitted to this new body, paired with a 4-speed gearbox, telescopic forks up entrance and a conventional twin shock absorber arrange within the rear.
Early variations of the Commando would have drum brakes entrance and rear, with a disc brake first showing in 1972. Quite a lot of completely different sub-models can be constructed together with the Commando R, the Commando S, the Interpol, the Interstate, the Fastback, the Roadster, the SS, and extra.
The bike proven here’s a Norton Commando Interstate, the longer vary mannequin with a big 19 liter gasoline tank.
The final of the unique Commandos can be in-built 1977 by which era the competitors from Japan had grow to be an excessive amount of. Norton wouldn’t die nonetheless, there can be a number of efforts to deliver it again and the corporate produced manufacturing bikes below numerous ownerships in each decade to the fashionable day.
The Kenny Dreer Norton Commando VR880
For years there was a lot debate in regards to the “lacking hyperlink” in human evolution – the bike you see right here is the lacking hyperlink within the evolution of the Norton Commando.
Expert bike engineer Kenny Dreer had lengthy been identified for his work on Norton Commandos, by the late Nineties he wished to do extra than simply rebuild them – he wished to enhance them.
He rigorously developed the Norton Commando VR880, a motorbike that was made utilizing 80% new components, providing extra energy and extra velocity than manufacturing Commandos had ever had again within the 60s and 70s.
With its largely revised 880cc parallel twin, the Commando VR880 used 80% new components and supplied a big efficiency enhance over its namesake.
As this mission progressed Kenny had been securing buyers and shopping for the rights to the then-defunct Norton model, his purpose was to relaunch the corporate with an all-new Commando that had been designed within the USA.
Regardless of lengthy odds Kenny succeeded in growing a brand new Norton, the a lot cherished Commando 961, with styling that took all the perfect cues from the unique Commando and added some influences from different traditionally vital Nortons – however with an all-new engine, state-of-the-art suspension and brakes, and a brand new body.
Sadly the 961 mission can be felled by monetary issues, it was later purchased by Stuart Garner and repatriated to the UK the place manufacturing of the bike started in 2010.
An entire slew of various monetary points crippled the Garner-Norton reboot however fortunately Indian bike large TVS stepped in and purchased the corporate lock, inventory, and barrel in 2020.
That is the present 2022 manufacturing model of the Norton Commando 961, the bike initially developed by Kenny Dreer and his staff.
Final week the brand new Norton firm, now with ample monetary backing and a brand new engineering facility introduced their newest manufacturing bike – an up to date model of Kenny Dreer’s authentic Commando 961.
The Norton Commando VR880 Proven Right here
The bike you see right here is without doubt one of the uncommon authentic Norton Commando VR880s developed and constructed by Dreer within the late Nineties.
It has intensive Norton documentation, an proprietor’s guide, the components lists and a workshop guide accompanying it and it was utilized by Cycle World (September 1999) and Le Moto Revue Traditional (Might/June 2013) of their respective critiques of the VR880.
It’s now being supplied on the market out of France with its La Revue Method Française (the French MOT equal) and you’ll be able to go to the itemizing right here on Automotive & Traditional for those who’d wish to learn extra or register to bid.
Photos courtesy of Automotive & Traditional
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Silodrome was based by Ben again in 2010, within the years because the website has grown to grow to be a world chief within the different and classic motoring sector, with nicely over one million month-to-month readers from world wide and plenty of lots of of hundreds of followers on social media.
