Friend of the magazine Ken Peters is the owner of the lovely 1973 Norton 850 Commando featured in this video. Ken bought the Norton in the 1980s when he was living in San Francisco, rebuilt the engine and then piled on the miles. I met Ken when he moved back to the Midwest, when I still had my 1975 electric start 850 Commando.
Flash forward to 2011 and the Norton was ready for its next rebuild, although this time Ken left the engine alone, concentrating instead on freshening up the paint and brightwork, and also completely overhauling the transmission, swingarm and Norton Isolastic system. He also installed a new wiring harness and a Tri-Spark electronic ignition system from Colorado Norton Works. The result is a stunning Norton that goes as good as it looks. Nice to see it on the road again. (Click here to see the Harley we mention in the video.)
Ken Peters’ 1973 Norton Commando 850 (Video)
Motorcycle Classics editor-in-chief Richard Backus and his buddy Ken Peters start up Ken’s 1973 Norton Commando 850.
More British Motorcycles from Motorcycle Classics
• Hesketh 24: The Comeback Bike
• 1949 HRD Series C Comet
• 1962 Norton Manx
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