Trippin' in Commando mode

Awesome! I can’t believe how fast you got that bike rideable again. Trouble shooting really is your strong suit!
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Honestly not much needed to get it rideable, now I can see it's "got good bones". Getting everything fettled will take a while.
 
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What real motorcycles should look like.
Shame about your bars and seat.:whistle:
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Thnx Max! Yesterday was Carbsday. Found a plugged idle orifice, the Amals are pretty simple. Both back together and "bench synched" (eyeball).
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Got dragged off for an evening walk before I could get them reinstalled. Throttle cable routing was poor, improved it a bit. Got started on the parts ordering rabbit hole. New throttle cables, high on the list and some of those goofy rubber center studs Norton is so fond of. One can be seen at the hanging loose cylinder-frame mount, it's separated, :er: Carb-air cleaner boots rotted. Whitworth wrenches and sockets ordered,
Just like early XS650's or mebbie worse, the front brake is wooden, looks like sleeving the 5/8 MC down to 13mm is the hot tip if you don't trolly down the all custom front brake path.
Found an article where one of the Norton factory guys admitted the early disks were purposely bad, to match the pitiful feel of drum brakes, took over a decade before MC riders were allowed to have good front brakes. :cussing: To this day there are cruisers with GFA brake feel.
 
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Not everything was good back then eh? I recall my friend rode the Interstate one time and it scared the crap out of him..He parked it in his garage and it sat for years..Dunno whatever became of it...This was in Tucson..back in the 70's..
As for XS650 brakes..well stock ssetups..I'm not really impressed...compared to bigger machines i have ridden the XS650 feels like it has wooden brakes...Just a matter of your perspective...Edited...
 
Those Amal’s really are simple aren’t they? I don’t think they’re bad carburetors, aside from the ticklers and having your fingers smell of gasoline all the time!

Didn’t some Norton’s come with a single carb? So are you in the purists camp or would you consider upgrades to the brakes, carbs , etc?
 
Didn’t some Norton’s come with a single carb?
Yes, they did. My mate's Fastback for one. And the last thing I did to mine before I sold it was to fit a single Mk 2 Concentric conversion from RGM Motors! The Mk 1s are OK when new but don't stay new for long .....
 
I'll just let the old guy splain it.
It sat and idled while I put on the gear and cleaned my face shield, then went out for a ride, but started to sprinkle so back to the garage for today.

That’s very good Gary - but did you check the oil?

I ask because I didn’t see any running out onto the driveway. :D
 
I'll just let the old guy splain it.
It sat and idled while I put on the gear and cleaned my face shield, then went out for a ride, but started to sprinkle so back to the garage for today.
You're sposed to say it 3 times.... as in tickletickletickle.... :rolleyes:
 
This is some serious insidious crap going on. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1973 I witnessed a Commando and a H1 participate in what the Houston Police referred to as a "illegal contest of speed". I had recently spent an afternoon on my Mom's boyfriend's 72 Mach 3 and knew what it was capable of . The Kawasaki had the lead through the first 3 gears. By the time they got to where I was standing the Norton had a 3 or 4 bike lead. The sound of that Norton was awesome. I had grown up with the Norton Girls on the back of most magazines I read. So there is a spot in my psyche that really wants one of these bastard machines from hell. Stop the madness!!
 
a Commando and a H1 participate in what the Houston Police referred to as a "illegal contest of speed"........... The Kawasaki had the lead through the first 3 gears.
By the time they got to where I was standing the Norton had a 3 or 4 bike lead.
The sound of that Norton was awesome.
I had grown up with the Norton Girls on the back of most magazines I read. So there is a spot in my psyche that really wants one of these bastard machines from hell.
Stop the madness!!
Nope not happening. :sneaky:
Believe it if you will, I had a Norton and an H2 at the same time.
Would it surprise you that the H2 quickly went bye bye?
I wuz bout 20, 21, drinking too. Hard to believe I survived those years.
 
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