snort'n Norton, the pointless? thread

[gggGary]

Yesterday things were going well, tank paint came up with some buffing

rear wheel cleaned up nicely

But; if you check top right you can see the rear frame rail has a pretty good droop, both sides and this is after it had been jacked back up some a long time ago... The tubes are thin and long, a droopy rear is kinda endemic on Commandos. A pain but fixable with much time n effort.
Next up wanted to take a look at the primary. I knew there were issues. but they were a bit more extensive than I would have liked to see.
The mash in where the peg got it in a crash was obvious.

It was also sitting "crooked"
when opened the "dent had already been welded .....

and "slathered with gooper", no surprise there eh?
There are two locator pins 'tween the inner and outer, the lower forward pin bore in the inner cover was busted inwards, a chunk of cover missing, it slightly bent the inner cover as well. Pin was not present, cuz the two holes no longer lined up. Drilled the hole deeper and worked a pin till the cover would seat and line up better. Some buffing and back together with much better alignment. But kind of a bummer moment, will be looking for better parts. We have some decent weather coming this week, would like to go put on a few miles, hoping there's no big mechanical gremlins waiting to pounce.
And so it goes.
Some good news, the primary had the correct amount of oil and was not leaking.

 

[WideAWAKE]

Always Loved that Lucas tail light.

 

[Raymond]

Hermetite Red - a thousand and one uses in your engine!

 

[gggGary]

Spent most of a day to Illinois and back chasing used parts.
These showed up today.

Now gotta find some good number and letter stamps

 

[GLJ]

Spent most of a day to Illinois and back chasing used parts.
These showed up today.
View attachment 202854
Now gotta find some good number and letter stamps

A plate for a guy that doesn't do a screw/rivet restoration. A license plate is all that you should need.

 

[gggGary]

Yahbut; I need to get a bonded title, so a "correct looking" plate seems like a good idear.

 

[GLJ]

Yahbut; I need to get a bonded title, so a "correct looking" plate seems like a good idear.

In Illinois it would be illegal to add that to the bike. Only the manufacture can put that on a vehicle.

 

[gggGary]

In Illinois it would be illegal to add that to the bike. Only the manufacture can put that on a vehicle.

Glad I'm not in Illinois!

 

[GLJ]

Glad I'm not in Illinios!

They haven't salted my roads yet.

 

[gggGary]

Did they let your governor out of jail yet? ;✓}
Yeah no VIN number on the frame, plates gone, whatcha gonna Doo?
Engine and tranny numbers match, stamping the plate to agree with those, then apply for a bonded title.

 

[WideAWAKE]

If it was mine and I could get a plate that clean I’d stick it on the bike - especially if the frame didn’t have numbers - we got some sticklers here at the Golden State DMW.

 

[SEd27]

Multiple commando owners I’ve spoken with have advised to practice before attempting the final stamping . Many of them are on their second or third plate.

There is also some debate as to which direction the plate should be mounted.

I still haven’t worked up the courage to stamp mine yet.

 

[bosco659]

Multiple commando owners I’ve spoken with have advised to practice before attempting the final stamping . Many of them are on their second or third plate.

There is also some debate as to which direction the plate should be mounted.

I still haven’t worked up the courage to stamp mine yet.

In my past life in the manufacture of trailer mounted equipment, we had to stamp VIN plates for each machine. It does take practice to make a nice looking plate and assuming the plate is aluminum, one needs to be careful of the force applied when hitting the stamps. Hit them too hard and the plates would curl up like a dried banana peel. Good advice given to practice on a piece of scrap aluminum of the same thickness. I’d also recommend stamping on a steel plate. Wood is too soft and won’t produce a crisp set of numbers.

 

[GLJ]

Did they let your governor out of jail yet? ;✓}

Which one?

 

[jetmechmarty]

Yahbut; I need to get a bonded title, so a "correct looking" plate seems like a good idear.

I concerned myself over this here in Mississippi. In the end, it came down to a notarized affidavit stating it was mine. (No inspection.) In Georgia, it involved an inspection and paperwork signed by the Sheriff's deputy. 50 states = 50 different sets of laws.

 

[Mikey]

Did they let your governor out of jail yet? ;✓}
Yeah no VIN number on the frame, plates gone, whatcha gonna Doo?
Engine and tranny numbers match, stamping the plate to agree with those, then apply for a bonded title.

Go to a small town to register, there much easier to work with and if that don't work go to another town and try again
It worked for me to register and title a bike

 

[Mailman]

I’ve been meaning to ask….what exactly is that chrome disc? A headlight reflector maybe?

 

[MrBultaco]

Did they let your governor out of jail yet? ;✓}

I'm fairly sure he's still in the slam in Florence, Colorado...

 

[Grimly]

Hermetite Red - a thousand and one uses in your engine!

There was (probably still is) a red laquer that was painted to internals of engine cases where porosity was a problem (a factory bodge, no less).

 

[Grimly]

I’d also recommend stamping on a steel plate.

Ditto to that. The ally plate doesn't get distorted and the numbers / letters are nice and clean.

Relatedly.... a few years ago I was seized with the notion of fitting a BMW RT K-series fairing on my GS. It was going well, until I realised I'd have to fit a completely new set of modern (not cabled) intruments, which I wasn't into doing. Unfortunately, I'd already prepared the headstock for taking the BM front/top mount and had ground away the frame numbers in the process.
Ooops, bugger.
At some point, when the other fairing is next off, I'll have to re-stamp the headstock.