The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Norton 880 Monoshock Cafe Racer

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Norton 880 monoshock cafe racer
Norton 880 monoshock cafe racer

When Paul Zuniga first saw some Photoshop images in 2001 of a new Norton that Kenny Dreer was planning to build and bring to market, he knew he had to have one. Unfortunately, we now know, those bikes never made it. The prototypes gradually evolved from the original concept, a bike was built and shown around to various journalists, but they ran out of funds before it could be produced. Undeterred, Paul kept in contact with Dreer, and though Kenny sold the company assets to the new Norton in the U.K., he had a few Norton parts and pieces left over, some of which Paul purchased.

Paul works on Nortons a lot and with all of the parts he had or could find, plus some inverted forks from a Kawasaki, he figured he could build his own Norton, very similar to the 952 prototype Dreer had shown many years before. The bike you see here is the result of his work and it looks good.

The first Dreer prototype had a monoshock rear suspension, something that went away on later versions and even the new Nortons now being offered don’t have it, but Paul has one on his 880. It really cleans up the tail section. The engine is actually an 850 at the moment but the 880 build is well underway and will be fitted when ready.

I guess when some people want a particular bike, they REALLY want it and this shows, with a proper mix of determination and skill, you can get exactly what you were looking for. It looks like very nice work and a really fun ride. Great job.

Link: Born Again Bikes

Comments

  1. That is more than a motorcycle. That’s art! Stunning. When viewed as a whole, nothing stands out, but flows together, and when one looks as individual sections, each item looks perfect unto itself.

  5. Should put Beringer Iron discs on it so they rust over if left alone.
    Love the commando’s, no matter the model they all just look good to me.

  7. Very Nice Work!! I prefer the old style rear suspension on a Retro Bike, But I also understand the benifits of the Mono Shock system. At least the builder avoided the Stink Bug stance of most new Sport Bikes.

  9. The Commando got IT just right. This incarnation keeps the trust. Look at the attention to detail…the blued pipes match the shade of the blue paint (now that’s jetting!!!)

  11. i think the mono-shock swing arm and the classic cafe bikes compliment each other well. i’m surprised there isn’t either a set of clubmans or clip-ons on this. i like it. i keep looking at the tank and tail section.

  13. Beautiful work. I too think it’s missing something without the rear shocks but I guess one could argue the front forks look too ill proportioned for the style of bike too. These are the concessions to building a modern re-interpretation from a vintage bike.

    Now, tell me again, why wasn’t Dreer successful?

    -todd

  16. Thanx for all the positive comments, it’s a fun bike. My old back just can’t handle clip-ons any more (the ZX6 front end had them, but they are on the shelf now). Handling is nice and the suspension is extra-cushy. I’ll have it out on the track soon and see what it feels like pushing the envelope. I see someone else appreciates the pipe bluing (that was simply a happy coincidence). The jetting on the FCRs is spot-on.

  21. Gorgeous! The hidden monoshock is really, really nice work. I think an exposed monoshock would look odd on such a classic looking bike, but the lack of visible shocks doesn’t bother me one bit.

    This looks nearly identical to the concept, and that’s mighty impressive.

  22. Just a clarification: the photoin the above article is outdated; as mentioned, the bike now has Kehin FCR (advanced flat slide) carbs, and an even better rear shock unit for the proper ride geometry. Also, the space behind the engine with some stray wiring and vent hoses is now all cleaned up. I really have to personally thank Kenny Dreer for working with me and making me a once-in-a-lifetime deal on the bodywork, monoshock “big bearing” swingarm, one-of-a-kind “tight-tuck” pipes and a bunch of goodies for the 880 engine including a set of very rare carbon fiber primary cases.

  24. Great looking machine! I would love to see a monoshock set-up with a v-twin….oh wait, I already have 2, XV920R’s!

  25. Nice looking bike and very similar lines to the Kenny Dreer Norton, which by the way I think was the best looking Norton ever made.

  26. Very nice. No it’s better than that. This is stunning. I had no idea it was Grandpaul. One thing should be noted. At a company where I worked, test bikes were being built, and space was short. Batteries were placed on there sides and the failures began. The new batteries are any postion right? Wrong. Even though some do it, after contacting the Yusa engineers and others we were told the matts are only supported on the bottoms, not the sides or top so when the battery is placed on it’s side failure can occure at any bump. :”we told the factories not to do it but they do anyway”. Other than that I abso-positivly love it.

  27. Very nice from front !
    but it’s the rear which has to be sexy with the monoshock.
    I quite dislike the “rear seat down claw”, even if it is useful for hiding the battery.
    There was no way to make it a little up ?
    Or throw the battery away, using a condo instead ?

  28. Gitan, you mean the Bumstop? It’s a necessary piece to complete the “cafe racer” puzzle.

    -todd

  29. WOW! I have always been a sucker for a Commando, since I bought mine new in 1970. It was far from perfect, because it was perfectly British. However, it has a look, a sound and a feel that stuck with me. I could always pick a Commando out of the distance due to its unique profile. My current 2000 Triumph Sprint RS is far superior as a bike, but the Norton is like that first young love one never forgets.

    Thanks for sharing such a beauty.

  30. The handlebar layout of this bike is neater than the new Commando being produced in the UK.Thats a fantastic looking bike but for some unknown reason they’ve stuck on a huge pair of plastic fluid jars for the master cylinders.They stick out like a couple of large warts and totaly ruin the sleek look of the bike. I think they sourced the items from a JCB backhoe.

  31. @ todd

    I agree with you on that,
    But there is a tacit law : a cafe racer must not have anything standing behind the rear wheel hub. Or if it does, it must stay in a small offset and/or going upwards.

    Sorry for my poor langage…

  32. Congrats to my friend Paul! I had a chance to visit him across town at his shop a few months ago. He showed me most of the pieces and described his vision of what he wanted the bike to be… but WOW! Paul, I’ll get by your shop next week… must see this beauty up close!