In 1968 my Norton P11A was leaving every other street legal motorcycle in my rear view mirror. Back in high school my school chums and I would rat-race from West Vancouver to Squamish, B.C. , one of the windiest highways in the world back then. I'd be finishing my beer by the time the first of them pulled up.
@madhousetoobah
3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic stuff! Can't beat the sound of Commando!!
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot Robert!
@martinburke362
3 жыл бұрын
THAT '''IS"" The sweetest sounding NORTON i have ever heard!! What a beautiful machine!!!
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Martin!
@RMoore-zt7zs
4 жыл бұрын
So here I am at my computer desk leaning into all of those turns with you. Gets the blood pumping.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Well all right! That's a good start!
@richardcasey7521
4 жыл бұрын
That’s a really well prepared Commando ridden by a great rider. He’s staying on the tail of that V45 Honda Interceptor! I bet those two are having a blast. The camera man is riding great too.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Richard! I had to ride my ass off to beat that Interceptor!
@Johnnyweld916
4 жыл бұрын
that was fun! Brought back memories of aggression, fear, anticipation, desire, and frustration.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, racing is all that!
@darrenxw3495
4 жыл бұрын
OHHHHH WOW!!!!!!! That Commando sounds dam near orgasmic! Really like the camera angles. Awesome racing,hope ol' mate was ok and his bike wasn't to bad. I'm watching this three more times with more volume lol
@marticon9286
4 жыл бұрын
Wow that first was a really exciting race. Great to see the commando so competitive and sounding wonderful!
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Martin!
@Bottspeed
4 жыл бұрын
Classic racing is racing. Modern bikes are fantastic but are like robots. Your "thing", only with the sound, bring much more emotions...
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
I agree, and the cool thing about classic racing is the variety in all the machines...!
@holmes1956O
4 жыл бұрын
One of the best on bike videos I have watched. Stay safe keep that norton running
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot!
@MrPnew1
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for posting and keeping the marquee alive on the track Douglas. Great ride too.
@billh4121
5 жыл бұрын
73 combat commando owner. Nice job mate! Love the pull away footage!!
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Bill!
@garypatrick7817
4 жыл бұрын
I miss my 71 combat commando...😰
@ancientbriton8262
3 ай бұрын
Love this video, great on behalf and footage of the racing Norton 😊
@stuartmcgill5065
Жыл бұрын
Beautiful soundtrack 🙂
@riggers7480
3 жыл бұрын
Fanatastic video: it took me straight back to 1972, when I raced a stock 750cc Norton Commando in the UK ACU Production Class. I bought it new for £673 from Ken's Motorcycles, in Newcastle, UK. Unable to afford a van as well, I rode it to meetings, where I took the number plates off & added race numbers. It was a cracking bike, and never missed a beat, once gaining me a 3rd place in a National meeting at Croft. Opposition at the time included Kawasaki threes, Triumph Tridents, one Laverda Jota, and I think an early Kawasaki Z1.
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Cool! Sounds like me, I was always broke but went racing anyway... As I like to say, racing is not a hobby, it's a disease!
@mikeymike3240
4 жыл бұрын
That was a great dice with 134, loved the toing and froing man.. I liked how you were faster in some places and he was faster in others. Made for great racing. Niiiiiiice video man. 😎👍👍👍🇬🇧
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks man!
@rogerramjet8964
3 жыл бұрын
Sweet as a nut.I remember ama race here zemke,hodgeson,maladin,fab straights.well in lad.
@gountzas
4 жыл бұрын
This old lady can move! Props to the rider!
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
thanks! I was riding my ass off in that race!
@paulsnify
3 жыл бұрын
That is one fast Norton and seriously well ridden enjoy your racing and stay safe.
@IANRPARKER
4 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed that thanks. I had a 72 roadster and before that an early Fastback. Such a great sounding motor. Both mine did their main bearings in.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yeah, they did that, that's why the first rebuild item is always superblend bearings...!
@pauldavies3764
4 ай бұрын
I hammered my 71 roadster and only trouble was clutch slip
@RE650NZGraeme
4 жыл бұрын
Subscribed, thanks for the vid man, great Norton torque and handling, (and sounds!) the Honda had the HP on the straights, and a better gearbox, but you made the most of the older tech - great footage and I lived each corner with you... from an old bloke who has started riding again. Thanks.
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot! Sorry for my slow reply!
@bogthing1
4 жыл бұрын
Great stuff. I remember a guy racing a fire-breathing Commando in USCRA at Loudon, in the eighties. Regularly gave modern bikes fits.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Cool! I like hearing stories like that...!
@MarcS4R
5 жыл бұрын
sick footage man. thanks for posting. love that Commando Sound.
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Marc!
@scottneels2628
4 жыл бұрын
That was seriously seriously cool to watch man! Thanks for uploading that.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot Scott!
@leeneville5094
Жыл бұрын
Great run! Twins Rule! Thank you for sharing this great footage!
@atank
4 жыл бұрын
wow great run against those 80's bikes
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
thanks! I try my best!
@paulchandler9646
4 жыл бұрын
Norton leads the way.I miss my Combat 750 must get another.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Do it!
@richardcasey7521
4 жыл бұрын
A Commando racing against 80’s era Japanese bikes? Wow!
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
I normally race in the pre-72 heavyweight class but I bump up into 80's superbike to get some more action and I love nothing better than beating these guys...!
@nunyabizness199
4 жыл бұрын
@@DouglasLMacRae And I like nothing better that seeing you beat them...😁
@patrickbell2682
4 жыл бұрын
Norton rocked! Guy on Honda was OK, but I would have turned him out on my BMW r90! Would love to race my Norton 750, now you inspired me to work on it! Excellent execution to final turns...exactly what I would have done! Wow! Hope we never meet...LOL one of us would die....
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! I have raced against a number of fast guys on BMW's although I almost always showed them the door on my Norton! Get the Bimmer or the Norton out there...!!
@ewennicolson4342
2 жыл бұрын
Great race. The slipstream you pull on the Honda on the back straight to stay with him.
@DouglasLMacRae
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Ewen! That big horsepower Honda is tough to pass
@bragefjordsjo4134
Жыл бұрын
Very good driving and Norton gos whell and fast!
@PurityVendetta
3 жыл бұрын
Very exciting footage, love it. I'm in the process of a winter rebuild of my Domiracer Lowboy but having a few issues with the Schaftleitner 5 speed I've acquired to replace the AMC 4 speed. I'd have loved to have seen some footage of your Commando from one of the bikes you were dicing with too.
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Cool! I run a Triumph 5 speed cluster in a NRE gearbox shell with Commando output shaft. Works pretty well but was problematic sometimes in races when quick downshifting. I always wanted a TT box but could never afford one.
@cecilwilson5442
4 жыл бұрын
Great to see that you're enjoying your racing and the old girl is out doing the business,, not sitting in the garage,, same to all the other racers from Northern Ireland greatly appreciated thank you for the video awesome viewing, ☘️☘️☘️😁
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot! This is what the Norton was born to do!
@yohaneshengky6085
3 жыл бұрын
beautiful sound,amazing,wish i could have one
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
You can! If a starving artist like me can do it, anyone can!
@charlesmiddleton9952
5 жыл бұрын
Norton's are great bikes.
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
No argument from me...!!
@charlesmiddleton9952
5 жыл бұрын
I owned a '74 commando 850 c.c back in the early '80's,,slightly used,had few problems with it,triumphs of that era were beautiful machines but required a little bit of fiddling to get them to perform properly,Norton's were good off the showroom floor,just requiring basic maintenance.
@lagerx61
4 жыл бұрын
Hallo, fantastic bike. So beautiful. Thanks, Frank from Germany.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot!
@geoffhalsey2184
5 жыл бұрын
Great stuff. Life in the old dog yet. Certainly showed a clean pair of heals to most of the field.
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Geoff! I try my best and the short stroke motor works pretty good...!
@geoffhalsey2184
5 жыл бұрын
@@DouglasLMacRae You sure do and that motor sure does. Very impressive man and machine team work!
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
@@geoffhalsey2184 Thanks Geoff!
@williamraftery9734
4 жыл бұрын
My first bike was a dominator 500 Loved that bike. That was probably 60 years ago. Started riding again 5 years ago Bought a HD Street 500 and quite like it for riding in the sticks 😂🏍
@randydewees7338
4 жыл бұрын
Thank You! I've been pondering buying my friends Commando - he's kind of aged out of it, and it hasn't been on the road for a few years. I'm kind of a Ducati guy, so I was surprised how much his bike reminded me of a Duc 2V.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Go for it!
@planegaper
4 жыл бұрын
Hey Randy, as a 2 valve Ducati guy you may find this interesting ... kzitem.info/news/bejne/pYx9so2kaZh1aX4,
@streetscrambler8075
5 жыл бұрын
Superb, really enjoyed that.
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@jonpage4029
3 жыл бұрын
Awesome ride. Nailed it hope the fallen rider is ok
@fredmertz1791
3 ай бұрын
I opened up an abandoned storage space the other day and found 2 Norton 850 commandos. Both had been crashed.. but there are lots of parts. One says Johnny Player special on it.. I hope I can get them back together.
@michaelslack4937
3 жыл бұрын
Well done...very nice!
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Michael!
@jochenwagner5170
Жыл бұрын
Lap 6 is genious, Soundgarden music. Lap 10 reminds me on Moto GP. I Love those short stroke NORTONß, could drove a 500. Best regards to Canada?
@lubricantrc3244
5 жыл бұрын
Douglas has the skill and the machine to get it done
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Yea!!
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Yea!!
@quietknight8250
4 жыл бұрын
GLORY DAYS!!
@jeanmarcdeshayes4669
4 жыл бұрын
Great Race !!!
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot!
@michaelhayward7572
5 жыл бұрын
Nice Norton Noise!!!
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
thank you sir!
@jeff0189
4 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed that had a 70 Commando 750 sport
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! cool!
@dumptrump3788
4 жыл бұрын
Bike 134, the 82 Interceptor is obviously faster on the straight, but the Norty handles better in the corners. Considering that you're looking at a bike 10 years older, 2 cylinders instead of 4, air cooled instead of the much better water cooled...I'd say it's a victory that's much greater than the split second timing results. Well done!
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks a lot! I enjoy the challenge of beating a guy on a newer Honda on my old Brit bike...!
@angelalcarazmerono2869
Жыл бұрын
Anda muy bien , muy fina y potente , sale bien de las curvas , potencia bastante lineal
@kategi8958
5 жыл бұрын
Doug, great videos, I have been running track days in Atlantic Cda, went to Mosport in July 2018 with my vintage 600 single Yamaha, Great track for sure. Will you be running again in 2019? I am in process of building a 750 commando track bike, and would like to take in the event for 2019.
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
I certainly will be there as long as the bike is together and I have a couple bucks for entry! That is cool you are building a Commando racer, see my reply n the above comment if you want to look up some of the stuff we did to this bike, at least with the handling anyway. Look forward to seeing you out there...!
@kategi8958
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the reply Doug, is it possible to get Herb to do work on an engine? You can respond to me at mgillis@mcw.com
@nunyabizness199
4 жыл бұрын
Very nice !
@tonioruben
5 жыл бұрын
GREAT PILOT ON GREAT MOTORCYCLE §
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Martine!
@mikelove6502
4 жыл бұрын
Lovely noise (apart from that brake disc squeal).....
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I find that really annoying but they work good and that I believe is the important thing...!
@perrrah
2 жыл бұрын
bike looks ace! and great racing, a single 2 pot caliper front!!?
@martinsinclair55
11 ай бұрын
Looks like fun. What were the rules for the motor? Must be original? I saw Ronnie Peterson and Mario Andretti race there in 77 I think and also the 6 wheeled Elf Tyrells.
@brucebear1
5 жыл бұрын
Great footage and super racing, Douglas. That's obviously a very fast Norton. Do you have a video showing some of the features of this motorcycle? I love the red tank and fairing, too. I have a red set (smaller tank, seat, front mudguard, and full fairing - as 1972 - 74 IOM JP production racers) from Norvil; been on my bike since 1973. I liked the standard yellow but just didn't feel as if it was for me and I loved the red. I've been watching a number of your videos ... a great reminder of my younger years but -- wow -- with modern tyres and advances in engines, you guys go FAST!
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Hey Bruce- I did a post on Access Norton discussion board a few years ago called something like 'Norton Racebike Handling Secrets Revealed' which I detailed a bunch of stuff we did with the bike, it has photos in it as well, if you do a search on that site under the 'Norton Commando Motorcycles (Classic)' section, you should be able to pull it up. Yea, these modern race tires, I run Avons, work real good and we are getting around 74 hp at the rear wheel on the dyno but keep in mind that the CR750 that just beat me in the video is in the mid 90's...! We have done a lot of work getting the weight down though...
@brucebear1
5 жыл бұрын
@@DouglasLMacRae Yeah, I was thinking about how swamped we were in the late 60s and 70s by the Honda horsepower and wondering what they were getting out of that one. But I also noticed that he could pull hard on the straights but had a tough time hanging on the corners (which in my mind is a combo of the weight of the Honda, the handling of the Honda, and the skill of the Norton rider); there were a couple of side by side acceleration moments too and the big horsepower Honda wasn't getting anything. Are you still running Isolastics? If so, I had always wondered about a lightened and boxed Isolastic cradle for the rear of the engine and the gearbox/swing arm made from aluminum alloy but I never got into actual work of weighing the stock cradle, etc. But it was a thought. Of course, we're decades apart on technology but I was amazed at the improvement in handling with the Isolastic head steady (a Norvil part). It was good before with proper setup on the two main Isolastic mounts and the stock head steady but when you were putting the big loads on it in corners, the difference was sweet. Thanks for the video, I loved every minute of it -- in fact, I've seen several and thought that they were great.
@MrPnew1
5 жыл бұрын
@@brucebear1 here is the link to Douglas' post on Access Norton site www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/race-commando-handling-secrets-revealed.8641/#post-113806
@erhardbaehni1832
3 жыл бұрын
Es gibt nur einen Ton und das ist Norton 😉
@user-dz3ms4ko1u
4 жыл бұрын
sweet
@fabieneldridge3414
Жыл бұрын
Cool
@TheReverb1
4 жыл бұрын
Hello man; pretty good piloting. At 8:29 you had bad luck; you just had the momentum and speed to pass them but...
@upperleftcoastchelseafan7718
4 жыл бұрын
This was awesome and hopefully could be a message to those street demons who refuse to learn. Go to a track and get your speed on instead of doing it on the street where you inevitably will die, get horribly injured or kill someone (who's usually innocent). Not saying your going to go out and race like this but most tracks are open for a small fee and signing a non liability waiver. Spend a little, get a hell of a lot of fun and stay alive, it's worth it. Me and my buds do it all the time. Vintage 1978 Honda 750 Super Sport (obviously not a super bike but alot of fun). RIP Jerry, John and Cal. Friends and acquaintances of mine who died by being stupid on the street.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! I honestly never understood the appeal of driving like a maniac on the street- driving fast is what you do on the track which is much safer and a lot more enjoyable!
@niconesta8566
4 жыл бұрын
It is the reason I do not drive bikes while loving them, too many fatalities and some selfknowledge. The same reason I do not like very fast cars I will seek the limits of what it can do. While I do seem to get wiser as I age and am more in control on the road there is something that triggers me when I see space on the road with a nice bend. I guess your mates had the same fuse in their head blown. But what I meant to say is, while I have driven on track and it is surely the best way to drive fast it is in no way comparable to getting your thrills on the open road while at the same time getting to your destination. They are totally different experiences. One is all about the perfect line, the other has way more factors to keep into account, esp reading the movements of other vehicles. I can see when a car wants to switch lanes way before the driver in that car decides to a lot of times. It has made me a much better driver in the end but is it commrnendable? No.
@bruceferguson6637
3 жыл бұрын
Fun to see you chasing rice-burners. What kind of mods to the gear box?
@DouglasLMacRae
3 жыл бұрын
Gearbox is a 70's Triumph 5 speed cluster in an NRE gearbox shell with a Commando clutch output shaft. Works well generally although I always wanted a TT gearbox, I just could never afford one...
@philbosworth3789
4 жыл бұрын
What do you mean by a short stroke commando? This from a 750 Combat Commando owner? Nice video though.
@perambulatingmike
5 жыл бұрын
MEGA!!!
@dougnash6316
4 жыл бұрын
Sounds like a fair bit of misfire going on. Some leftover Lucas electrics? Good stuff!
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Truth be told, some of the footage in the video was from the Friday practice day where I was fighting a mysterious misfire at high revs all day; I finally traced it to a bit of crud in the fuel tank breather line and the bike ran like a top in the final races
@anthonywilson4873
4 жыл бұрын
Is there a slight misfire at top end? Nice close bit competition going on there got your teeth into it.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Yes, a bit of the footage I took from the Friday practice session where the was bike mis-firing at high revs; after taking half the bike apart, I finally sourced the issue as the fuel breather line was blocked. After that, ran like a top!
@alphafox400
4 жыл бұрын
Looks like Norton alright: lose ground on the straight, gain or pass on the turns.
@DouglasLMacRae
4 жыл бұрын
Hey, I pass lots of people on the straights too!
@alphafox400
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah you passed a lot of guys on the straights but that’s probably just you.
@iwbuck
5 жыл бұрын
Excellent video. Where are you based out of?
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Out of Toronto.
@iwbuck
5 жыл бұрын
Awesome website sir. Am restoring my first Norton, a 1969 commando. Would love to get into classic racing myself. Is it overly competitive or more for fun/passion of the machine?
@DouglasLMacRae
5 жыл бұрын
@@iwbuck It certainly is both- the fast guys really want to win and there are many guys out there who are happy to run a moderate pace on a cool bike. It depends on the person, some are never satisfied with second place, some are happy just to be out there going around. Best thing to do in getting started is to realize that you will be slow at first, as I was, and to just keep working at it until you build up the confidence and start to pick up the pace.
@MrPnew1
5 жыл бұрын
Douglas' post about this bike on Access Norton site www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/race-commando-handling-secrets-revealed.8641/#post-113806
@superbikebox
5 жыл бұрын
Geil Geil Geil ! Gruß Stefan
@timmayer8723
5 жыл бұрын
I never see any Nortons in the Isle of Mann race. How come? It seems to be all Japanese bikes and they seem MUCH faster.
@garypeterson3293
4 жыл бұрын
That's because the Nortons aren't there.
@niconesta8566
4 жыл бұрын
Uuum you want them to race a Norton against modern 200hp racebikes?
@planegaper
4 жыл бұрын
@@niconesta8566 Nico there's guys out there that think there 70 commando, done up by so and so , blows all modern Japanese scrap off the road, they exist lol.. some people never progress.. though the last norton to run a TT was an interesting one .. check this out .. www.odd-bike.com/2013/02/norton-p86-750-challenge-nortons-last.html
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