Now at first you might just be mistaken into thinking this was a 1972 Norton Commando with a couple of cosmetic changes, but there’s a lot more going on here than just that. The frame is not Norton’s famed Isolastic rubber-mount frame, but a rare Redline (of later BMX fame) oil-tank-in spine chromoly frame. If you don’t believe me, check out the oil filler between the steering neck and the tank and try to remember that a Norton is dry sump like a Harley with a separate oil tank. The Norton is also a bit like a big-block Harley-Davidson with its separate engine and transmission connected by a chain primary.

 

It’s a bad boy like the Sportster was at the time and cleanly similar looking in its own way, but where it does differ has to do with weight, power, and handling compared to a Motor Company product of the same era. Frankly, it’s lighter than a comparable Sportster by about 50 pounds (for comparison, the 1972 Sporty weighed about 100 pounds less than today’s Sporty), had the chops on power to weight, and could strafe the back roads like a stock XL could only dream. I will say they both looked and sounded cool in their own way.

 

What this bike also has going for it besides the Redline frame is a rebuilt to stock internal specs 750cc engine putting out about mid-fifties horsepower with useful changes like twin Mikunis breathing through velocity stacks replacing the stock Amals. There’s also a fave choice of a modified version of Norton’s high pipes with the famous Norton Peashooter mufflers replaced with a more open megaphone silencer. I love saying megaphone silencer as it makes no sense, but technically that’s what it is. No problem with ground clearance now and they look cool as hell is all I can say.

 

Changes didn’t stop with the engine and frame either as lighter high-flange aluminum rims replaced the stock chromed steel hoops and a later model (1975?) Lockheed disc brake setup replaced the stock rear drum and matched the front Lockheed disc brake. Lockheeds might not be the greatest disc brakes ever although they looked pretty neat, but they sure beat the hell out of the dual drum setups earlier Commandos were stuck with. Those stupid things were downright dangerous on a road bike this fast. Out back a set of later model piggyback shocks

 

When Mr. Barnard was building this bike, things were just a little different as you couldn’t just pull out your catalogs or fire up the computer and get what you wanted, you had to build it. And, if you were lucky enough to get something, you definitely had to heavily modify and sometimes re-engineer just to make something fit and work. I will have to assume that’s what was going on with stuff like the headlight stone guard that was reminiscent of what they ran on rally cars at the time. Still a stylish little piece though, and I’m sure it’s a conversation starter at the very least.

 

The same with the bodywork which was either a heavily modified “bolt-on” or a downright built from scratch piece. Norton made a lot of different and very racy models, but nothing exactly like this bodywork although the stunning factory profile is kept, just different in a good way. Peter Barnard also did the very dark green paintjob in a factory gold graphics style and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. When it came to paint and graphics, nobody had a leg up on them. Matter of fact, legs were what British bikes were all about if you remember the “racy” magazine advertisements of that time. Yes, it was a simpler time.

 

So what owner Brad Powell has here is a tasty tidbit of a time gone by and especially in this case as it’s a custom straight outta the nutty eighties and it looks great in spite of that era. When this bike finishes its time on the show circuit, I hope to hell Brad fires this baby up and rides the snot out of it just like Peter Barnard intended when he built it. Either way, it’s a win-win for Brad as he can do exactly what he wants and if he gets his kicks out of just staring at this fine fettle of the heyday of British vertical twins, more power to him. But, I still think he should ride it like it was intended to from the day it was delivered to some young man with big hopes and dreams of motorcycle glory back in 1972.