Sure looks nice Gary - envious....
...but, someone’s gotta do, so I guess it will be me: do all the lights work?
...but, someone’s gotta do, so I guess it will be me: do all the lights work?
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Trippin' in Commando mode
- Thread starter gggGary
- Start date
Yeah even the gauge backlights, but no brake light yet. and it starts N runs with no battery!
Need to peer into the cylinders and get a compression test done. As well as a run of basic maintenance, set valves, points, timing, etc etc etc. All may not be balm in Gilead.
Just cleaning while a new rear tire for Madness warms in the sun.
Need to peer into the cylinders and get a compression test done. As well as a run of basic maintenance, set valves, points, timing, etc etc etc. All may not be balm in Gilead.
Just cleaning while a new rear tire for Madness warms in the sun.
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Looks decent Gary!
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Shake the rear tire back and forth yet?
...a couple of pins I have saved...
When it comes to Nortons,this guy knows the ins and outs plus he sells top inner engine parts. He started selling long rod conversions years
ago and now a few vendors have jumped on the bandwagon because of the success. He also sells data on porting that duplicates the XR750
oval intake that really wakes up the Norton in breathing.
https://jsmotorsport.com/
Watch the Doug MacRae race,total Norton power.
ago and now a few vendors have jumped on the bandwagon because of the success. He also sells data on porting that duplicates the XR750
oval intake that really wakes up the Norton in breathing.
https://jsmotorsport.com/
Watch the Doug MacRae race,total Norton power.
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Now THAT is looking very pretty indeed!
I haven't researched very far but mid 72 brought the disk and the combat motor 750 The combat disk 72 JRP1 has looking FINE now
was mine about 40 years ago.
Kinda think this was the Best Norton ever.....
was mine about 40 years ago.
Kinda think this was the Best Norton ever.....
Going back 15 years ago, I was in search of what would be my first vintage bike for a restoration project. I wanted a British bike in a bad way and put on a search. At the top of my wish list was a Norton Commando, mostly due to fond memories of my dear old uncle who used to come over to visit my dad on his Norton. With its engine canted forward and those upswept pipes, it looks like it’s going fast while just standing still, and the sound! The pinnacle of British engineering!
I chased one dead end lead after another, I even went to look at a basket case High Ryder!
Eventually impatience ( my kryptonite ) won out and I bought an old Beemer to restore instead. And after that my old Bonneville covered my British bike lust.
Since then, I have had to question if my mechanical skills are up to the challenge of owning and maintaining a Norton. Those combat motors are high strung and the Isolastic motor mounts are tricky and the kick start, oh my bad knee and arthritic foot! Haha!
But still , I always dreamed of a black and gold Norton, like the one that Peter Egan got for free ( and then spent $10,500 restoring! )
God love ya Gary, I will just have to drool over your Norton from afar.
https://www.cycleworld.com/2014/12/...lery-new-life-for-an-old-britbike-peter-egan/
I chased one dead end lead after another, I even went to look at a basket case High Ryder!
Eventually impatience ( my kryptonite ) won out and I bought an old Beemer to restore instead. And after that my old Bonneville covered my British bike lust.
Since then, I have had to question if my mechanical skills are up to the challenge of owning and maintaining a Norton. Those combat motors are high strung and the Isolastic motor mounts are tricky and the kick start, oh my bad knee and arthritic foot! Haha!
But still , I always dreamed of a black and gold Norton, like the one that Peter Egan got for free ( and then spent $10,500 restoring! )
God love ya Gary, I will just have to drool over your Norton from afar.
https://www.cycleworld.com/2014/12/...lery-new-life-for-an-old-britbike-peter-egan/
Having a Commando is like marrying Miss America. Careful what you wish for. Turns out that underneath those 'to die for' legs... there's a few quirks. And nag? Lawd have mercy does she nag. "Fix this.... fix that.... this is loose..... tickle me carbs....damn boy, cain't you get nuttin' right!?!.... " And don't get me started on the Prince of Darkness. Every time you turn around.... she's runnin' off with that prince.
Having said all that.... I'd marry her again in a heartbeat.
Where's the green with envy emoji...
Having said all that.... I'd marry her again in a heartbeat.
Where's the green with envy emoji...
Yeah It's like that hot first wife....... Cept I will NEVER forget that pain....
Random thoughts cuz I ain't settled down yet.
I also have been watching for a Norton for decades they are thin on the ground.
About 4 years ago I missed the deal of the century by about half an hour, dammit, to pour salt I think Mr Monkey Claw got that one.
All the rest I have seen have been horribly customized or were nose bleed expensive, though this will be an upside down experience no doubt.
Leaning towards restore.
But y'all know I'm big into "little improvements"
Yesterday was cleaning and today that will continue.
It will need a few thousand dollars of chrome work.
Yes way back in the day the weak swing arm nearly got me. JP n I, neither the Norton or the hardtail Honda were up to the speed we were running that night. In those days WIS DOT engineered "supers", highly banked corners, to get a road through a tight spot while allowing speed. The downside, the suspension and tires are heavily loaded in a banked turn and when it cries uncle, it gets ugly REALLY fast. We actually stopped and looked the bikes over both to catch our breath, and cuz it wuz so bad, we thought sump'n broke caused it.
The bike ad was basically a lie. Pics were 10 year old snap shots, the storage conditions had done ten years of damage. There have been only 400 miles on the bike since major work by a shop in 2016 but was coated in oil/dirt, looks like it's leaking everywhere, That's good and bad, the good is it kept a lot of parts from rusting. So, clean, clean, clean, wiring is tatty or worse in many places, carbs are suspect. gas is leaking, some clattering in the motor.
After clean up will do a full round of maint and see if I can "chase the issues down" one at a time, or if the motor will have to come out for a full redo.
It did come with a complete file folder of invoices and communication with several bike shops all located several hundred miles for his house. It seems nearly all work on the bike was done by those shops.
So far I'm (mostly) getting it started on the third kick. Only had it up and won the driveway and a 1/4 mile when I bought it. No longer runs til after I've gone through the basics. I'm kinda surprised it runs at all from what I'm seeing...
Unlike many of you guys I'm more of a fixer upper than a strip to baggied parts in tupperware and build from the ground up restorer (Mailman!)
This bike prolly favors the latter approach.
Hoping to get it rideable/presentable for this summer and start a list....
zoom pics for the "true story"
Random thoughts cuz I ain't settled down yet.
I also have been watching for a Norton for decades they are thin on the ground.
About 4 years ago I missed the deal of the century by about half an hour, dammit, to pour salt I think Mr Monkey Claw got that one.
All the rest I have seen have been horribly customized or were nose bleed expensive, though this will be an upside down experience no doubt.
Leaning towards restore.
But y'all know I'm big into "little improvements"
Yesterday was cleaning and today that will continue.
It will need a few thousand dollars of chrome work.
Yes way back in the day the weak swing arm nearly got me. JP n I, neither the Norton or the hardtail Honda were up to the speed we were running that night. In those days WIS DOT engineered "supers", highly banked corners, to get a road through a tight spot while allowing speed. The downside, the suspension and tires are heavily loaded in a banked turn and when it cries uncle, it gets ugly REALLY fast. We actually stopped and looked the bikes over both to catch our breath, and cuz it wuz so bad, we thought sump'n broke caused it.
The bike ad was basically a lie. Pics were 10 year old snap shots, the storage conditions had done ten years of damage. There have been only 400 miles on the bike since major work by a shop in 2016 but was coated in oil/dirt, looks like it's leaking everywhere, That's good and bad, the good is it kept a lot of parts from rusting.
So, clean, clean, clean, wiring is tatty or worse in many places, carbs are suspect. gas is leaking, some clattering in the motor.After clean up will do a full round of maint and see if I can "chase the issues down" one at a time, or if the motor will have to come out for a full redo.
It did come with a complete file folder of invoices and communication with several bike shops all located several hundred miles for his house. It seems nearly all work on the bike was done by those shops.
So far I'm (mostly) getting it started on the third kick. Only had it up and won the driveway and a 1/4 mile when I bought it. No longer runs til after I've gone through the basics. I'm kinda surprised it runs at all from what I'm seeing...
Unlike many of you guys I'm more of a fixer upper than a strip to baggied parts in tupperware and build from the ground up restorer (Mailman!)
This bike prolly favors the latter approach.
Hoping to get it rideable/presentable for this summer and start a list....
zoom pics for the "true story"
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Electronic ignition from NZ.......Free shipping for orders over $150 NZ. With the exchange rate from NZ to US $ it is only $123.00US + any exchane ratePaypal charges..........Wish they made one for the XS
http://www.pazon.com/ignition-system/sure-fire-british-twin-12volt.html
from these guys
http://www.pazon.com/
http://www.pazon.com/ignition-system/sure-fire-british-twin-12volt.html
from these guys
http://www.pazon.com/
Thnx Skull!
Beavered away on a round of basic maintenance, cleaning, n painting, set valves, they weren't bad, looked in the cylinders (pretty good) crosshatching still visible. sanded, cleaned, gapped point's, Lit the fires and put 50 miles on it. There's a long list but she's running, shifting riding good, and um it stops fairly well
. Caught n fixed some oil n gas drips. Primary case seems to be the main leak now. That's not bad to fix. Handling decent or better (no noticeable rear wheel wiggles Jim). suspension abit stiff both ends. I guessed a little high on tire pressure dropping that should help.
Runs good from about 2500 up, nice wide deep power band works nicely with the 4 speed tranny. Love the sound. Handlebars remarkably vibration free thanks to the isolastic, foot pegs not so much. Idle circuits, synch etc. need work. Shifting, clutch, good. Didn't have TOO much trouble with the wrong side, upside down shifting. Saw 85 indicated a couple times. Overall I remember why I liked riding Nortons. Now for the parts list, it's gonna be long. Thanks to suggestions here I got good places to go looking!
Beavered away on a round of basic maintenance, cleaning, n painting, set valves, they weren't bad, looked in the cylinders (pretty good) crosshatching still visible. sanded, cleaned, gapped point's, Lit the fires and put 50 miles on it. There's a long list but she's running, shifting riding good, and um it stops fairly well
. Caught n fixed some oil n gas drips. Primary case seems to be the main leak now. That's not bad to fix. Handling decent or better (no noticeable rear wheel wiggles Jim). suspension abit stiff both ends. I guessed a little high on tire pressure dropping that should help.Runs good from about 2500 up, nice wide deep power band works nicely with the 4 speed tranny. Love the sound. Handlebars remarkably vibration free thanks to the isolastic, foot pegs not so much. Idle circuits, synch etc. need work. Shifting, clutch, good. Didn't have TOO much trouble with the wrong side, upside down shifting. Saw 85 indicated a couple times. Overall I remember why I liked riding Nortons. Now for the parts list, it's gonna be long. Thanks to suggestions here I got good places to go looking!
Excellent. Loose isolastics can get ya a tank slapper real quick. Don't ask how I know....
Awesome! I can’t believe how fast you got that bike rideable again. Trouble shooting really is your strong suit! 
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