650SS Rebuild

I'm reasonably certain those are the same bars as on my Commando.
Without measuring them up by the mm.
Quite a reasonable suggestion.

And if they are less than the Manxman bars, does that make Commandos ugly, and the Manxman more ugly still ??

I'm not sure that Western Bars and Full Fairing is going to set the styling world alight ?!!
No wonder they voted to keep manx nortons out of it...
P.S. From that angle, it is not even obvious that those are western bars ?

How do you delete a post ?

P.S.
Quote off the NOC Forum very recently -

Customising is a matter of personal taste.
I've heard people "knock" a bike for having the "wrong" handlebars.

Folks are watching....

Yes they are early commando bend bars, I have the same bars on my 69 fastback and 70 S, I am happy with them on the other bikes so am waiting to see how they feel/ look when she gets closer to completion,having previously own a Atlas with flat bars I would like something a bit higher. As I am away from hom at present I cannot confirm the exact description but they were purchased as commando bend.

Maybe now Ben will stick to what he knows best....

This thread could use some lopping off of irrelevant posts to an otherwise excellent build.

grandpaul said:

This thread could use some lopping off of irrelevant posts to an otherwise excellent build.

Click to expand...

including this one.............. (and this one)

Still slow progress, My Painter has completed half my paint allowing me to get to this stage, last weekend i assembled the timing side, new cam and shoe, magneto chain rebuilt oil pump also fitting and timing the magneto.

Looks great Possm :mrgreen:
As for the bars, they are very similar to those I have fitted to my 71 US Spec. Bonnie, they give a good comfy riding position and personally I think they look good.

All the best

Webby

For what it's worth, I can say for certain that the old "stick-in-the-hole and cigarette paper" method of timing the magneto CAN be dead-on accurate when checked against a timing wheel. hee hee

thanks paul I actually took the bike out to the person who overhauled the mag, as the head is still off we could set it quite easy and yes teshue paper was used. I will probably stay with the bars but as with the other bikes i willshorten them 2 inches.
Al

Got my cylinder head back from my engineer last week end


as per usual he has done a great job- new valves, guides and various thread repairs and best of all thanks to the pictures from Beng he was able to reproduce the inlet manifold sleeves that go in the inlet track.

So I fitted and torqued the head to favtory specs, now where is the rest of that paint work?
Al

Possm -

I just came across your build thread and read through the whole thing.

Sure brings back memories, especially seeing all the bits hanging from the ceiling at the paint shop. Been there done that, with my former 650SS.

I bought a 650SS in 1975, as a 19 year old college student. Paid $500 for it at the local Suzuki shop, where, for some reason, there were a few used Nortons on the floor.

The bike was a 1968 (I think). It was white (fuel tank, oil tank, and battery box), and had supposedly been a police bike in Rhodesia, brought back to Canada by a guy returning from working on some sort of aid project.

It was in really rough shape, and I think the speedo, which no longer worked, had stopped at 45,000 miles or so. I promptly painted the white bits black, with spray cans from the local hardware store, and rode the bike regularly for the next few years.

Unfortunately it went up in flames (another story) in the fall of 1979, but on the bright side, the check from the insurance company was enough to cover re-chroming, a new tank, painting, etc. , so I put in back on the road looking shiny and new (still black). Sold it to a buddy in '81 to help pay graduate school tuition, and last I heard the bike was in the Los Angeles area.

Sure would like to come across it again.

Enjoy yours!!

Keith

Thanks Keith

I finally got some more paintwork back from my reluctant painter as usual the job is superb, so I am making progress again, fitted inner primary and batterybox also fitting the rev counterdrive i got from RGM.
Al

possm said:

I finally got some more paintwork back from my reluctant painter as usual the job is superb

Click to expand...

There's something about the guys that specialise in painting bikes, salt of the earth, but you don't necessarily want to be in a hurry.
Are you going to ride this one up to Pahiatua? It would certainly stand out.

Hi Ian
That has been my aim though i am running out of time, as once she is back to gether she still has to be vinnd luckily though I have arigonal papers and number plate.
I am going to reg the 850 this weekend as a backup for Piatua, I have not been using the 850 much as it does not as yet qualify for vintage rego.

Nice looking work - any indication when the tank may appear.

Your elves appear to be dragging the chain a bit ?!
Don't painters usually do the whole lot in one go ?

possm said:

I am going to reg the 850 this weekend as a backup for Piatua, I have not been using the 850 much as it does not as yet qualify for vintage rego.

Click to expand...

My Commando hasn't turned a wheel in a couple of years for the same reason. Also a "74, but manufactured 11/73 so registered as a '73 when it was imported back in the early 80's.

Rohan said:

Don't painters usually do the whole lot in one go ?

Click to expand...

The guy who does mine prefers bite sized chunks - the girders and attachments were enough for his first run on my 16H.