NORTON 961 COMMANDO

摘要

The first Norton Commando I ever kickstarted was the Kenny Dreer-built, alloy-bodied VR880 that graced our September 1999 cover. I've been scarred ever since. It was then, and remains now, one of the great motorcycle experiences of a long and varied riding career and directly resulted in buying my own low-mileage original 1974 850 Commando. That very VR880 was the detonator that set off the human energy bomb that is Kenny Dreer and put the Norton name on a path to its modern rebirth (see sidebar page 50). Even if Norton had been dragged through many terrible attempts at "rebirth" (remember the plastic and cotton-candy "prototype" Nemesis V-8 of 2000?), Norton's strength, legend even, in the consumer mind was as strong as ever. Perhaps even stronger, thanks to the warm glow of nostalgia that makes you remember the old bike you used to own as smoother and faster than it actually was.