IN COMING!
It was great to see John Hunter’s letter in RC195 about his Kawasaki Z750B twin. With the short rear mudguard it looks like an import from the US, which is where most were sold as it was a limited sales success in the UK. John points out that it was 60 to 80lb heavier than the Commando, ‘a massive difference’. I’ve owned two Norton 850 (828cc) Commando Interstates, one a 1974 Mk2A from 1974/76 and later a Mk3 from 1983 to 1994, and I bought a new Kawasaki Z750B1 twin in 1976. I know that you need to look more carefully at the numbers.
The original 750 Commando Fastback weighed 420lb. The Z750 twin was listed at 480lb dry, although I’ve seen elsewhere that it was actually a tank half-full weight. However, the Kawasaki was a later design, silenced (strangled?) to meet the latest US regs, with electric starter and disc brakes both ends. The fairest comparison is with the Commando Mk3, similarly strangled for the same reasons and fitted with electric start (marginal) and disc brakes. It weighed 514lb. Working out what is ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ is always confusing but, however you look at it, the equivalent spec Commando is actually heavier than the Kawasaki. Who’s the Fat Boy then?
I haven’t been without a Norton of some kind, even in bits, since 1963. I still have the 650 I’ve owned for 53 years and love the marque, but I don’t kid myself. I Ioved my Mk2A Commando, the torque was legendary and the vibrationless ride at all practical engine rpm was better than any other bike, including the Japanese fours. However, with the noise suppression airbox and black-cap silencers it would not exceed a speedo 100mph, even though acceleration up to that was brilliant. I’ve spoken to police riders who used the Mk3 Interpol and they said exactly the same about the performance. The top end was emasculated and If you didn’t keep the isolastics spot on then it weaved in bends.
Arriving at Roscoff in August 1975 after a fully-loaded 2300 mile two-up camping holiday, the back wheel locked solid and nearly threw us off when the layshaft bearing disintegrated, cracking the gearbox casing. The Commando had then done 6000 miles. I rebuilt the box with a new case and an FAG roller layshaft bearing that solved the problem and did a similar touring holiday the following year without issues, although one of the exhaust pipes cracked at 8000 miles and had to be welded up.
