Went to the dark side...

gggGary said:
Hey @SEd27 there's another round here.
View attachment 168994
late 72 If I have it right. Jury's out yet on whether or not it's a combat.
Click to expand...

gggGary,

I saw your thread and am jealous. It’s a great looking machine and it runs!

In terms of it being a combat, I believe there was a distinct “C” stamped on the head to differentiate.

Commando models designations are confusing when compared with that of our XS’s. I’ve learned that Year is not so important as is the serial number and components fitted.

Not that I like plugging another forum, but Access Norton is a wealth of info:

https://www.accessnorton.com/

As well, The Norton owners club in England has the copies of the dispatch records. For a fee, You can put a request in for the original information on how your machine left the factory. The database is not complete and unfortunately my serial number falls in one of the info gaps.

https://www.nortonownersclub.org/
 
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wannabridin said:
Would love specs on that setup please! That looks like a galfer rotor??
Click to expand...

wannabridin,

The set up is as follows:

Refurbished 40mm Brembo Caliper from a mid 1990s Ducati

Stock Brembo pads
New Brembo caliper pin
Titanium Banjo bolt
Seal kit & stainless Allen bolts from eBay seller powerhouse-uk

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/163227408019

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/153176435825

From what I have read on the interwebs, Brembo caliper rebuild parts are hard to get in the US. Doesn’t seem to be the case in Canada, as I picked up genuine Brembo brake pads and pin kit from the local Ducati stealership.

This said, powerhouse-uk are great to deal with and have a wide range of brake parts for many different models and makes.

Motolanna Caliper Bracket For 40mm Brembo Caliper

https://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/p...NC-Billet-Alloy-Yamaha-SR500-SR400-XS650.html


Motolanna Brake Rotor Spacer

https://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/prod_3022255-Brake-Rotor-Spacer-10mm-Yamaha-SR500-SR400.html


Arashi Brake Rotor for SRX400 / TDR250/ TDR125

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/328575...expid=e53d7413-c9bc-4ae9-b73c-0516976ff8e1-36

Arashi are a Chinese company, but have good reviews online with the sport bike crowd. The rotor is a high quality item and was a reasonable price.

Have been waiting on parts for the past month and a bit, so I haven’t had the chance to put the brakes back together (pic was for mockup).

I’ll write an update when I have the bike back on the road and some time in the saddle.
 
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Good info SEd27 thanks, joined Access Norton.
Great to hear you are making progress, and the road is in sight!
 
gggGary said:
Good info SEd27 thanks, joined Access Norton.
Great to hear you are making progress, and the road is in sight!
Click to expand...

gggGary,

One more link:

https://andover-norton.co.uk/en


Far fewer Commandos were manufactured than the Xs650s and as a result good used parts are harder to come by.

Andover Norton is the go to source for genuine and continued to be manufactured spares.

On the website You can select by year/ model. All the products photos are laid out with the corresponding parts diagrams. It makes it really easy to figure out where and how things are installed.

Things can get a bit pricy when purchasing in British Pounds, however currently the US dollar is much stronger relative to its Canadian counterpart.

A lot of other North American Suppliers resell the Andover Items.
 
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Gary, I was looking for info on my Boyer Ignition and came across a guy named Hokanson (forgot his 1st name) from Mass. He used to race Nortons and is a world of knowledge on them and other Brit bikes.
He has a store on Ebay....might be worth contacting him. He loves to talk Nortons.
NORTON Boyer Electronic Ignition Twin 650 750 850 Commando
 
Carl Hokanson, he is from Acushnet,MA. I have purchased a few Boyer ignitions from him. Great prices and quick shipment.....

tim
 
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Hey! I finally found a Norton I can afford! I should have it whipped together in no time! :laugh2:

177D13C5-22DB-44C9-90D2-C9BFA6506C85.jpeg
 
SEd27 said:
wannabridin,

The set up is as follows:

Refurbished 40mm Brembo Caliper from a mid 1990s Ducati

Stock Brembo pads
New Brembo caliper pin
Titanium Banjo bolt
Seal kit & stainless Allen bolts from eBay seller powerhouse-uk

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/163227408019

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/153176435825

From what I have read on the interwebs, Brembo caliper rebuild parts are hard to get in the US. Doesn’t seem to be the case in Canada, as I picked up genuine Brembo brake pads and pin kit from the local Ducati stealership.

This said, powerhouse-uk are great to deal with and have a wide range of brake parts for many different models and makes.

Motolanna Caliper Bracket For 40mm Brembo Caliper

https://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/p...NC-Billet-Alloy-Yamaha-SR500-SR400-XS650.html


Motolanna Brake Rotor Spacer

https://www.motolanna.com/ourshop/prod_3022255-Brake-Rotor-Spacer-10mm-Yamaha-SR500-SR400.html


Arashi Brake Rotor for SRX400 / TDR250/ TDR125

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/328575...expid=e53d7413-c9bc-4ae9-b73c-0516976ff8e1-36

Arashi are a Chinese company, but have good reviews online with the sport bike crowd. The rotor is a high quality item and was a reasonable price.

Have been waiting on parts for the past month and a bit, so I haven’t had the chance to put the brakes back together (pic was for mockup).

I’ll write an update when I have the bike back on the road and some time in the saddle.
Click to expand...

One thing I left out is that although this combo is mostly plug and play, I did have to file the back side of the caliper to clear the front spokes.
 
gggGary said:
Yeah he has the other parts on fleabay too.

One piece at a time and it won't cost me a dime.

Peter Egan's Free Norton adventure
Click to expand...


Since purchasing the Norton, I’ve come to realize that prices on aftermarket parts for our XS650’s are a relatively better value.

Norton parts seem to carry a bit of a premium. I am cheap by nature and got accustomed to paying XS650 prices for the past 14 years.

I guess there are worse things to spend money on. The below pic sums up our hobby well and always made me laugh.

8A3EA7EC-6E0D-4DC4-AADD-B9C22E29D53D.jpeg
 
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gggGary said:
Nope it's the factory black steel tank, farmer painted Cub cadet Yellow.
Click to expand...
I think 72 was the change year. My 71 (70... maybe... :umm:) had the factory fiberglass tank. Back in the 70's when I owned it ethanol didn't exist... so it weren't a problem back then. Prolly would be now.
 
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