THE NORTON COMMANDO SS WAS A STREET SCRAMBLER
Today, the differences between types of bikes within a given brand can differ completely. Today, standard roadsters, touring bikes, sport bikes and adventure bikes are laid out totally different from one another, with different frames, suspension, wheels, brakes, everything. They’re optimized for their primary mission and highly specialized. In the 1960s and 70s, most motorcycles from a given brand were fairly similar with different trim and accessories. For instance, every Norton Commando had the same frame, suspension and wheels, but through the use of different tanks, bars, seats, fenders and pipes, they created an entire fleet of distinctive motorcycles. The Norton Commando SS was one such bike. In the 1960s, so-called street scramblers were quite popular, tucking the pipes up high to give greater ground clearance for off-roading. Mind you, Street Scramblers weren’t all-out dirt-bikes, they were the precursors to ‘enduros’, and what we call today ‘adventure bikes’, meant to live most of their lives on pavement, with occasional bouts off-road. Honda made a fortune with their early CL-series street scramblers in the 60s. Norton’s entry into this niche was well-conceived and -executed. While it’s hard to imagine a handsomer bike than a Commando with those long, upswept megaphones, Norton’s execution of the high pipes running along the left side of the SS is just plain gorgeous.
Norton Commando SS SPECIFICATIONS
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Years in production Engine type Displacement, pre-1973 1973 & later Bore & Stroke Compression Carburetors Ignition Engine output Oil system Oil capacity Primary drive Clutch Gearbox Ratios, overall: 1st, bottom 2nd 3rd 4th, top Final drive Frame type Suspension, front Suspension, rear Brake, front, pre-1973 Brake, front, 1973 on Brake, rear Wheelbase Seat height Weight |
1969-1974 Air-cooled OHV parallel twin 746cc / 45 ci 828cc /50.5 ci 73mm X 89mm / 2.875″ X 3.503″ 9.0:1 1- or 2- Amal Concentrics, 30mm Battery & coil, Lucas 58 bhp @ 6500 rpm Dry sump 6 pts Triplex chain Multi-plate diaphragm, wet 4-speed constant-mesh 12.40:1 8.25:1 5.90:1 4.84:1 Chain Welded double cradle, Isolastic Suspension Telescopic fork, hydraulic damping Swing Arm, 2 dampers, Isolastic mounts 8″ TLS drum, full width 10″ disc, 2-piston caliper 7″ SLS drum, full width 57.1″ 31.3″ 431 lbs |
Photos taken by Andy Tallone at the 2017 Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel Valley CA.
Check out these NORTON BOOKS
Norton Motorcycles: From 1950 to 1986 (British Motor cycles since 1950)
Norton Commando: The Complete Story (Crowood Motoclassic Series)
The Norton Commando Bible: All models 1968 to 1978
The Illustrated History of Norton Motorcycles (English and Spanish Edition)
Norton (Osprey Collector’s Library)
Norton Dominator Performance Portfolio 1949-1970
Norton: The Complete History (Crowood MotoClassics)
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