I acquired a standard Wideline Featherbed frame in about 1980, which I built as a Commando-engined road bike, but a visit to a CRMC race meeting as a spectator persuaded me to prepare it for the track. After a couple of mildly successful seasons, picking up 10 signatures in 10 meetings, I graduated to the Sidecar class and the Wombat (Wideline frame and Combat engine) was retired.
By the mid 90s my brother had blown up his Commando and "borrowed" my race engine, which continues to run beautifully to this day, not having had a spanner laid on it. The remaining rolling chassis and transmission was begging for a 500cc single cylinder motor.
The bike was stripped to the bare chassis and various unwanted lugs removed. The rear section was closed with a loop of tube, just as the Manx frame was. Lugs for sidestand and exhaust mount were added. The chassis now has taper roller bearings on steering and the box section, slightly longer, swinging arm. The whole thing then had a silver stove enamel finish.
Commando yolks and forks carry an 18” front wheel laced initially to a Norton Dominator TLS front brake. Subsequently I acquired a Suzuki 750GT (Kettle) 4LS brake. This, in my opinion, performs as well as the Commando single disk did, and that was with an AP Lockheed racing caliper.
Even with the wider Commando yolks, the drum brake needs to be turned down to fit. I since heard of someone using Sunbeam yolks which are wider still.
18” rear Commando hub rear wheel. Both 18” rims carry Avon Roadrunner AM21s 120/90 rear and 100/90 front. These are tubeless tyres but I use tubes because of the spoked wheels.
Lack of frontal area contributes...
