Thanks to Paul for showing us his Hi-Rider! Sounds great BTW! As Mike already knows, I have a friend that has a 1972 Hi-Rider (yellow). He took a picture of his young wife on this bike in '72. He still has the same bike & WIFE! :-)

I really love these vintage bikes. I'm 60 yrs old and still working full time so I didn't want a project bike, so I got a 2018 T100 cause I wanted something with the look and feel of a vintage bike without the down time. It was a great decision for me, I'm enjoying every minute I get to spend with this bike.

I've been riding my new to me, 78 Triumph the last month and still enjoying these old "visits to the circle" videos, thanks Mike!

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you John. Glad you like them and great to hear you are enjoying your new bike

Nice proof that the classic bike scene attracts decent, informed, and competent people.

you can tell this guy is perfectly at ease and confident with his m/c, no dragging or 'peddling' with feet when he takes off, rolls the throttle on positively. Beautiful paint job, nice machine, me likey, i'll even excuse the front fender,

Respect, 44 years. I was 16 years old that time and I was riding my Yamaha SS 50 ho man. It's a beautiful bike this Norton. Thanks Mike 👍🙏

@pennsyltuckyden9823

3 жыл бұрын

44 years ago I was riding a Honda Mini Trail 50. Man I loved that bike.

That graphic overlay of the original style seat was really well done. : )

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Hehe, thanks Dave. I was very pleased with how that came out. I think we both expected it to be much larger than it actually is when you see it on the bike. Cheers, Mike

An old bike riding mate bought a new hi rider yellow in late 71. I had a triumph 650. Had that terrible seat. Rest was great had some go. Sometimes went pillion. Good thing we were young and thin.

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

😀. Thanks Adrian. Cheers, Mike

I always loved the Norton Commando Hi-Rider, the only thing that let it down was the seat, it looked like a last minute addendum, but I still would have loved one as choppers are my first love for bike styles. That one is a beautiful colour, so sweet. Not fussy about the front fender, it’s just a bit too deep for my taste......but it’s not my bike, and the owner loves it, so who am I to say. Anyoldwho, I still love this bike and I’d love to be able to afford one. He’s so lucky to have it, and the length of time he’s owned it.....44 freaking years non the less, amazing 🤩. Another great video Mike. 😎👍👍👍🇬🇧

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much Mike! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, it's amazing how you can transform the look of a Commando but still have the same great engine. Hope all is well. Best wishes, Mike

The Hi-Rider was an attempt by Norton to gain a foothold in the growing US "chopper" market of the late 1960's and early 1970's. This was seen in the styling of the H-Rider, with raised "ape hanger" handlebars, upturned rear seat, high grab rail, small headlight and miniscule fuel tank. The Hi-Rider was originally powered by a 745cc engine, before being upgraded with a 828cc engine in 1973.

They keep us young, they keep us sane, they keep us happy so we ride again. Great bike Mike, that's all Paul :)

Had a 1970 Norton commando S. with the upswept pipes on one side it was yellow. Had the fiberglass tank there was no killer fuel in those days. That bike probably weighs right around 400lbs. The only complaint I ever had was that the brakes were just barely adequate.I was riding it to work one day and tried a little experiment on the last block before the work place parking lot . Left it in first gear for the final blast and achieved 50 mph before the hooks were applied . OH to be 22years old and own a Norton commando S.

Gee I remember the Raleigh Chopper, I had the Raleigh lowline cruiser not as cool but dad didn't like the ape hanger handle bars, so funny looking back. I think the Highrider is great 👍 save as much as you can of it.

My 73 Hi-Rider was a frankenstein. I stopped going to vintage club rides because the know-it-alls picked it apart. Thank you for celebrating Nortons with personality. BTW, I'm currently switching it over to a cafe racer setup. (I couldn't post an image).

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Jeff, oh man, that's a bummer about the vintage club. We have all kinds of bikes at our club and they are all great because of how different they all are. Good luck with the racer setup. That sounds great! I love how you can transform a Commando and still have the same great engine. Best wishes, Mike

Thanks for another great real world, real rider review and including the captions👍 Aw, the Raleigh Chopper. Every schoolboys dream.

@vincentdubois3291

3 жыл бұрын

A Raleigh chopper bicycle ! I had yellow one when I was a schoolboy, almost fifty years ago. It looked so cool but was unstable due to the little front wheel. I fell many times.

Beauty. A proper bike.

Hey Mike, I love your Norton videos. I am INOA member, and a member of NENO (New England Norton Owners) the Northeast chapter. I had my first Norton Commando in 1974, but lusted after them since 1969. In the Northeast we have lots of twisty, winding roads perfect for a Norton. Back in the day nothing could touch a Norton Commando down these roads; nothing but another Commando and ALL my friends had them. I knew 18 people that had Commandos. This said, I knew no one who had a Hi Rider; I never even saw one on the road. The Hi Rider was not popular in the US, at least not with Norton enthusiasts in New England. The attitude towards the Hi Rider was like; ape hangers; Really?WTF??! This opinion was exactly like if you put apes and a banana seat on a modern sport bike today... leaving everyone that saw this scratching their head. The Hi Rider was in the same category as the the Triumph X75 Hurricane, another "custom" that didn't sell well at all in NE. This made these bikes rare and both bikes are sought after by collectors today quite ironically. California is where the Chopper craze was the biggest, maybe they liked the Hi Rider better. ...I just though I'd clear that up. Thanks for the great videos. Jim

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Jim, many thanks for your note. Yes, I suspect that the Hi-Riders were more popular on the west coast. I would love to visit New England one of these days. Best wishes, Mike

How awesome! One of my favorites so far. I appreciate his attitude of bucking the tide and going his own way a bit. So cool.

Oh My that sound is thrills and passion on wheels ! Thanks Mike

That's a groovy looking Norton. You've gotta love that US spec / chopperesque look

I answered an add ~2012 for someone selling a Commando in need of a good home. When I first saw the bike and because of the small tank I thought maybe an 'S' model or an 'SS' model? I bought it. While inspecting the bike and signing over the registration I noticed the strange serial # 235xxx. Being a little familiar with the Norton serial #'s I asked the seller what history, if he knew, the bike had. He was selling it for his brother who had bought it new. He explained it as "it was one of those with the high handlebars and with a sissy bar behind the banana seat ". The infamous Hi Rider, although the ownership only said Norton Commando. He also said his brother changed the style to the Roadster the very next year after he purchased it. Of course during it's rebuild I did the unforgivable. Yes, I brought it back to it's birthright. It gets a lot of looks, some of those looks are puzzled, but it gets a ton of thumbs up. It's not my only Commando so it only comes out on special occasions and as many as possible....

Another great video. Thanks for posting. I love hearing the owners discuss the history of their bikes.

I really enjoyed watching this video. Thanks Mike

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Peter. Glad you like it. Best wishes, Mike

I had no remembrance of this Norton model. Very interesting and sounds like a proper bike.

Never heard of this model thx for your hard work i live in st louis and would love to bring my bmw to the cul de sac.

Cool guy, Cool bike 😎

Great bike, I love the bars and tank, as soon as I got a bike I put high bars on it, that was the 70s. I'm now restoring a 1972 Bonneville with "export" bars and US spec tank. It's a coincidence but I asked my brother in law in Ireland to spray the tank ( which was black with a bit of metalflake) and he used Nissan car paint.

It seems the American Northwest has an endless cache of 60s and 70s British Iron! Thanks for the time and effort you put into Mighty Garage! Cheers! 🇬🇧

@RWayne-nu2fi

3 жыл бұрын

Had George Barber lived in the Pacific Northwest, instead of the southeast US, you'd be hard pressed to find one....

@deaterk

3 жыл бұрын

@@RWayne-nu2fi - Right?!?! So True. I find it refreshing that there are so many of these bikes that are, In a good state of repair, AND are ridden regularly!

@RWayne-nu2fi

3 жыл бұрын

@@deaterk I do too, Ken. What troubles me is 9 out of 10 Norton owners, at least based on the videos I see, are not young men...... they are older than I am, and I'm pretty old for a motorcycle rider..... If there's a club more active than oNe in promoting the preservation and use of these old British bikes, they are keeping themselves a secret.

@deaterk

3 жыл бұрын

@@RWayne-nu2fi - Astute observation! I know the same to be true of my local hot rod/classic & Muscle car club. (In many cases) When these guys were getting into the hobby these bikes (and cars) were much more reasonably priced.

Nothing sounds like a British bike. Will keep my BSA Lightning forever.

Nice bike✌️

Hi mike. Yet. Again another great video. Great rasp in and out of the grove sorry cul de sac reminiscent of fast Eddies at. Cannommills. Triumph Norton's dealership. The smell. In. Showroom of. Rubber. And. Petroleum also. Gunk. From. Work shop engine cleaner

GREEEEAT LOOKING BIKE PAUL!!! Makes me wish I never sold my 74 Commando

When I was 12 in 1972 the girl who lived opposite had a boyfriend who bought a new one of these in yellow. Wow, I loved it, so cool. But he always had trouble starting it when he left late at night. 6 months later he bought a new cb750, nice machine, started on the button and sounded great. But it lacked something that the Norton had, real charisma. I knew even then that the days of the British motorcycle were numbered.

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Peter! Isn't it funny how you remember things like that! I have a similar recollection of a neighbor who had motorbikes and have always remembered how cool they were. 😉 Cheers, Mike

the Norton Hi-Rider was the first bike i fell in love with , specifically the yellow one in that ad you showed . i've never even ridden a Norton , who knows , maybe one of these days ...

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

I think you need to buy a Commando, Ernest 😉 There are still a lot available, they are reasonably inexpensive and there is a ton of support and parts available. Cheers, Mike

@ernieme101

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheMightyGarage yep , just need to convince the wife we need to sell this house and buy one with a garage :)

I think they made high riders to the end. Mine was a MK3 with steel tank. I changed the headlight and bars and seat. Plus a 1/4 fairing for a cafe look.

Sometimes you can just tell when a rider looks fully at ease with his machine - this is definitely one of those times ! Salient comments too regarding the dreaded ethanol (ugh), which appears to have a similar flammability rating to a fart in a wind tunnel... Great stuff, thanks again Mike.

Great bike and you’ve reminded me of my Mk2 Raleigh Chopper in “Hot Red” colours I had as a boy. 👍

@impiantan2617

3 жыл бұрын

Me too had that Raleigh Chopper for quite a while during my high school days in 1975.: )

@chrisnightingale6417

3 жыл бұрын

@@impiantan2617 👍

Love the looks and the sound of this great Norton. He just needs an open helmet that goes with the bike and it's perfect.

My first commando had one of the Hi rider tanks, always running out of fuel, real pain!

Wow I really like the looks of this bike, and the sound is fantastic! The red is just great! Like the handle bars to! the Chrome fenders and forks make it look great. I think I bought my BSA Shooting Star in 1960. Later I bought a Triumph TR6 then a Harley Sportster. Still love the Brit bikes though especially the sound of them!

Beautiful Highrider, & a pleasant owner . Great videos Mike 👍

Another cracking episode from the Mighty Garage, cheers Mike

Thanks for another video I’ve enjoyed watching here in the UK on a grey Sunday morning. Keep them coming 👍

@mred7030

3 жыл бұрын

ditto

so good, i love a riders Commando, not these over restored ones the get ridden 100 miles a year. Also loving the Hirider. great video. i can totally recommend getting a new seat, it made a world difference on mine.

Sounds lovely.

Another 'riders tale', thanks for sharing Paul. The 'Hi - Rider' has done you proud. It looks & sound so 'sweet' a great testament of good engineering & care. Thanks Mike, just checking the views on this series some 'hi numbers' good for you. atvb t ..

Great video, Mike. Back in the day I had a ‘72 Commando that I put a Harley hog wheel on the rear and the handling was still excellent. Wish I could find another Commando up here on Cape Cod, Ma.

A Tall bloke with long arms on those bars.....roughly in the same position i am, pushing the Briggs & Stratton 😁. Great bike, i wouldn't get rid of it either.!

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Hehe, yes that would be a long stretch for my arms 😁 Cheers, Mike

Wow brilliant! Thanks for sharing don't see many Hi - Riders over here in the UK.

That bike is so close to original that it would be very easy to bring it back to to original looking with very little effort. I am sure the parts are available. Anyhow, very interesting bike. My 2 cents. Thanks Mike and Cheers

Beautiful bike, enjoyed the vid Mike.

Lovely. I can can remember as a teenager being turned on the bike - and of course the Norton girls...

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Hehe, that's what Paul said off camera 😉 Cheers, Mike

Cool bike

Thanks again Mike.....always such an informative and entertaining video! All the best.

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Pat. Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes, Mike

I sure do enjoy learning about these Nortons. Such a small tank, wonder what the range is. With my old Ironhead Peanut tank, It is around 75 miles.

@paulsherbo8057

3 жыл бұрын

The range is almost laughable period after about 60 65 mi better be looking for a gas station.

@Wooley689

3 жыл бұрын

@@paulsherbo8057 Whew, that takes some planning then for a long ride.

If your friend is looking for a hi rider seat, Motoparts in Edmonton has one listed.

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Richard, I will let him know. Best wishes, Mike

Never seen one of those in the flesh amazing what manufacturers did to try and expand their marketing 😆

Perfect & subtle improv on the seat/backpack bar comparison Mike; 1:36 & 7:26 that was.

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! That little overlay came out quite nice. Best wishes, Mike

Almost makes me want to switch my '74 MK2 back into its original HiRider setup. I've got all the bits to do it. But I just can't stomach the look ;-0

I remember the Raleigh Chopper being launched in 1969/70 . My nose stuck to Halfords window in Barnsley ,I stuck there so long pressed up against the plate glass the snot froze. A brief moment in time that this Hi Rider belongs to , over in a year or so .What were they /I thinking. Nice bike but I would take a Fastback as my choice.

Another great video from this addictive series, thanks Mike! Great bike, sounds superb. There was no mention of the longer, non-standard, Kickstarter. Would you know where that’s from? I think I could use one on my 750 roadster.

@paulsherbo8057

3 жыл бұрын

Here is the info on the aftermarket kickstarter. I got it because it doesn't hit the muffler like the standard ones do! www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/kickstart-lever-for-folding-kickstart_734.htm

@nickohare7187

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Phil the longer kickstart lever is available her in the UK from RGM.co.uk. Longtime supplier of all things Norton. The lever swivels at the base rather than the top rubber. Adapted I believe from the T160 Trident. Cheers Nick

Cool bike. Not so sure about high bars on the Norton.

Hi love your videos just wondering if you have read Norton Villiers Triumph by Brad Jones? Its a well research book full of rare photos and interviews with ex members of staff. It gives the full story of NVT, one of the most interesting things in the book is a little known fact that demand for the Norton 850 was at at it's highest in the year they stopped production, the situation at NVT due to the industrial action at Meriden and the British government going back on their promise of a loan brought NVT to its knees. The books a very informative just like his other two books on BSA/Triumph

I’m so depressed, because of my divorce I was forced to sell my hi rider;( I loved that bike. I had a steel repro tank on mine, no leaks. There’s a couple of seats available on eBay .

Very nice bike and owner. I wonder how many of these are now “roadsters”?

As you say "interesting" indeed.

Paul seems like a happy chap, good bike too. Oh the Raleigh chopper, spent many happy hours on mine, it had 5 speeds and was fast was limited by the pedal power I could put in 😂 we thought we were the bees knees 😀 Have a good one Mike, all the best 👍

@vincentdubois3291

3 жыл бұрын

A Raleigh chopper bicycle! I had a yellow one when I was a kid , almost fifty years ago. It looked so cool , but was very unstable due to the little front wheel . I fell so many times!

Maybe a little too high, but those Commandos need either clip-ons or something higher than standard.

Don’t say that no one can keep up with him if there’s a chance the wife’s going to watch. Or not!

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

😉 😉 Cheers, Mike

It's a rare one ! Is there in oregon one in original condition ? I never saw one in germany. Greetings from berlin, germany Andre'

@georgemartin5481

3 жыл бұрын

I have a friend in Henderson KY that has a nice original in yellow.

@andreklein2529

3 жыл бұрын

@@georgemartin5481 yellow was the colour of the hi-riders ?! The same like the productionracers replikas of norton.

@georgemartin5481

3 жыл бұрын

@@andreklein2529 I can't say for all the Hi-Riders, but I've seen factory ad's with a yellow bike featured.

I bet it looked cool though with that fat rear.

Where did that Kickstart arm come from?

These all have fiberglass tanks? Weren't they prone to leak?

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Hi, yes you’re absolutely right. These little tanks were made from fiberglass and you have to be very careful with the type of fuel that you use. The guys use non-ethanol gas for these tanks And will also often empty their gas tanks when their bikes are not in use. Best wishes, Mike

I could never understand why the Americans liked the dreadful looking high rise swept back bars, till I rode one!!!

Beautiful motorcycle with a really ugly handlebar for its style (my humble opinion)

The hi Rider. No just no. So wrong in conception from a company (in its death throes) like Norton. The Vetter triple at least had some class that everyone could appreciate on both sides of the Atlantic.