How to restore Norton Commando
By Chris Rooke
ISBN: 978 1 787113 94 7
£37.50
Veloce Publishing – www.veloce.co.uk
When you see a large format, paperback book that costs a whopping £37.50, it can stop you in your tracks. Yet, with some collector titles tipping into hundreds of Pounds, one produced for the serious restorer, which carries 820 colour images spread over 224pp of carefully constructed prose, can lay claim to being excellent value for money. Bike restoration is every bit as important as car restoration and, while there might not be as many two-wheeled brands, some of them, such as the Norton Commando, are the stuff of which classics are made. Relevant to all Commando models from 1968 to 1975, this step-by-step guide is an essential support to any home restorer. The author, Chris Rooke, understands the issues confronting the individual wishing to breathe new life into an old machine. He is an experienced hand, having created restoration guides for the Triumph Trident and Kawasaki Z1, as well as an ‘Essential Buyer’s Guide’ (all published by Veloce), so it comes as no surprise that the first chapter deals with sourcing a machine ripe for restoration. The content continues through dismantling, dealing with the electrics, brakes and engine, all followed by Chris’s disarming comments about his own experiences, from which readers can gain vital information. The final sixteen pages are packed with practical recommendations, from tools to use, publications worth reading and freezer bags (no…you will have to find out personally!). The writing style is informal and useful and Chris does not miss a trick with remarkable and practical detail. If restoring a classic motorbike seems like a potential nightmare, this book proves that it need never be so.
