1960 Norton Navigator

Hello all!
After completing my 1970 Commando I looked for a new challenge.
I helped a friend with his 1969 Norton Fastback to get it back to stock condition.
As a "Thank you" I got a 1960 Norton Navigator from him which he bought as a bundle together
with the Fastback and a garage full of parts and pieces for both bikes.
The previous owner died and his son wanted to get rid of all the stuff.
The Navigator was complete exept cylinder and heads and one header.




Some odd looking modifications like the mirrors and combined light switch and blinkers.


ingenious piston rod holder...



Finally in my workshop. I already switched the levers and installed the original WIPAC Ducon light/ horn switch. Blinkers are not mandatory for a pre 1968 bike in Germany.



The bike already had updated 12 volt electrics , (normally it runs on 6 Volts), Boyer ignition with modified Commando stator plate and a selfmade wiring harness, Blue/red wires for everything..



Firstly I stripped the bike, getting the engine out. The frame is bolted which makes engine removal easy .



Some odd extension bolted to the rear mudguard.



The frame parts ready for blasting and powdercoating



Back from the powdercoaters, coated in "dove gray"



More to follow, stay tuned..

The gearbox suffered from a broken kickstart return spring and worn sleeve gear bushes and bearing.
The Norton Owners club has a online spares store for members.
I ordered the parts an rebuild the gearbox.
A new bearing- spscial without inner ring, it runs directly on the sleeve gear- was ordered a a local bearing shop.


parts during rebuild


Back in the housing




The cylinder bought in England after sandblasting


Unfortunatly one barrel had a crack..


Help came again from The NOC shop:
a new liner and pistons +0.10



New old stock heads from Russell Motors, London.



Engine housing back in frame.

Cool project! Nice to see something a little different.

The rear mudguard looked like a swiss cheese so the holes were welded shut.





After cleaning up the welding spots tthe fender was mounted back to the bike. It is not an original fender so an extension was added to the front end so it could
be mounted correctly. The license plate holder made in India was also fitted.





Also the correct plate came from Boyer-Brandsen. The PO used a Commando plate.

Lookin' good!

Interesting and fairly unique to this forum.

It will be an acquired taste, but I'm softening to it...

Maybe it's just me, but the more I get to see of a project starting from a rough beginning, the better I like it.

grandpaul said:

Interesting and fairly unique to this forum.

Click to expand...

It is also fairly unique over here in Germany...
Waiting for some more parts ordered at the NOC shop and aprts to be painted.

Early Christmas presents!

Part No 24187 spindle clamping pin is available again!

Freshly turned clamping bolts for your Lightweight cylinder heads.



It is the bigger 1/4 inch version. Dan Field send me one as a pattern and friend of mine who owns a machine shop turned them on his CNC lathe / grinder whatever..

As mentioned the heads an barrels were missing on my Navigator. I got NOS heads from Russell Motors in London. There were some Jubilee heads in the parts pile which had the smaller clamping bolts. For testing I stuck in a rocker spindle from the Jubilee heads and the clamping bolt Dan sent me. It did not fit. The circumfence of the radiused part of the excentric rocker bolt was a bit too large. The new clamping bolts now fit because of a larger radius of the cut out part.





I also got a parcel from the NOC shop with new fork legs.

I polished the fork sliders and mounted new sealings and bushes.



More polishing on the aluminium tank badges. I made a cardboard pattern because the holes for the fixing screws on the right side badge were not drilled correctly. One hole had to be welded shut . The other is covered by the rubber part.

It´s been a while but some progress is made!
Finally I got my resleeved cylinder back from the engine shop! Today a letter with urgently needed parts arrived from the NOC shop.
I broke an oil ring on the piston at my first attempt to mount them on the rods. Also a valve collet was missing.



So I could install the last valve in the head.


The heads with all internals and new clamping pins on the valve adusters.


Next was slipping the barrels over the pistons.
I secured the cam followers with pieces cut from an oil hose .







Next was fixing the heads.



Now it´s time for timing...



Setting at 30° I marked the rotor and housing.





And I installed the pick up disc. There was a modified Commando pickup disc but this one I made for the lightweight ignition housing.