Norton Commando vs BMW R90S

[Bamboo812]

By Peter Egan, a good read: http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/12/21/cl ... peter-egan

[Major Softie]

Yes, a very good read, but Peter Egan usually is.

[Rob]

Thanks for the post, Tim.

[Rob]

I'm sure I have a copy of Leanings in a box somewhere...

For those that do not, here is Peter's first article online:

https://books.google.com/books?id=shkLP ... e&q&f=true

[CVA-42]

My best buddy in high school came from a motorcycling family and we rode to school together nearly every day on his dad's 650 Manxman and, later, a candy apple red Atlas. I finally bought a Norton of my own about twenty years ago - - a black 1975 roadster with electric "start". Stunning bike - - I kept it a few years before I got tired of it's un-BMW like behavior and sold it. I thought Egan's riding impressions of both bikes were spot on...

[enigmaT120]

I never rode a Norton. Or an R90S for that matter, but at least I have a BMW. I wonder how a Triumph Trident would have compared. By the time Triumph made 750 cc twins they were no longer sport bikes.

[Rob]

Didn't the center cylinder have seizing issues on the Trident?

I am a big fan of the triple, though. I really enjoyed my XS750 Yamaha.

[Major Softie]

Didn't the center cylinder have seizing issues on the Trident?

I am a big fan of the triple, though. I really enjoyed my XS750 Yamaha.

The only consistent issue I heard with the triple was some clutch basket failures, and that may have only been the BSA, but I think the engines were identical.

[jagarra]

Back in the 70's, I had bought a new 1970 Commando. A fellow I worked with, who was a BMW fan, bought a smoke colored R90S when they first became available. Of course conversations as to which bike was faster resulted in a drag race right after work. The Norton won, just barely, probably because of the shift pattern resulted in fast shifts (first was up all others down).

[enigmaT120]

Isn't the Norton quite a bit lighter, too?