I rode with some Rudges the other day - nice bikes and they get along pretty good for old singles. Heres a few pix They seem pretty good bikes, 4 valve singles. They get along OK compared to a lot of grey porridge Twin port. This one has patina. The owner coated it in cow shit and left it out in a paddock for 2 years - looks neat eh! Bike speedo.
That is very pretty, is the alloy tank because the original glass fibre one was eaten by ethanol? The fastback commando came out when I was around 15. It got imprinted onto that delicate teenage mind! Charles
I agree. When I was at the BSAOC rally a few years back I started getting sick of the sight of polished standard DBD34's. There were some cool DBD's there, but they were not standard and were also ridden. One of the reasons I decided not to go stock with mine. With the interstates, its pretty much Silver or Black around here. thinking of doing mine up in Fireflake red (the bikes original color in roadster form)
When I put this bike together in the mid-80s, every Interstate here seemed to be black/gold. As far as I know, '75 was the only year silver was offered. So my '73 is incorrect. This bike started life as a Roadster, it still has the Roadster side covers in this picture, but I just had another tank and a set of Interstate sidecovers painted.
not all fastback tanks waited for ethanol to delaminate. I had one around 76 that was weeping gas all through the bottom of the tank. sold it for college funds. bad choice
I love any of the Commandos but as Rightshifttrick pointed out you get sick of the sight of over restored unused machines. Who wants a Correct machine. Yours looks much better for being used and adapted to your needs it's a real bike and much better for it.
I agree. but then, I'm certainly no rivet-counter. My commando has been rebuilt and is sort of hopped up. It has that *original* look but only just. anyone who really knows what they are looking at can easily tell it's not stock. Well, not to mention that it is white. It's a runnin machine tho (in fact- it runs like a scalded demon ) - and to me, that's what counts most.
New Zealand Classic Motorcycle Festival, Pukekohe Raceway last weekend. Bet you don't know what this is..... below
Does anything say Brit bike more than an old amal... and a healthy pool of dead dinosaurs underneath?
Bendernz sez: "Bet you don't know what this is..... below" It is a replica of the BSA MC1 racer (never raced) built in NZ using a GS engine that is reduced to 250 cc. The original in in Sammy Miller's museum..... So what did I win?