1970 Roadster Tail Light???

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snortonNorton

snortonNorton

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I am trying to completely rebuild this 1970 Roadster back to stock. I am not sure which tail light assembly is suppose to come with it.
There seems to be 3 different types out there. I google photos for the 1970 roadster and everyone has a different one. There is the one piece aluminum one, than there is the rectangular tail light with the fiber glass cover with out reflectors (the one I have) than there is one with reflectors raised bosses, than there is the narrow bubbled lens tail light. The picture is of mine.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u272 ... llight.jpg
Thank you in advance.
Bruce
 
I was told that the original '70 tail light housing was fiberglass finished with silver metal flake .

Greg
 
I just bought one on ebay for $59 plus shipping. The Lens, fixture, cover & bracket & bolts. It was a buy it now price and just came on. I see the Lucas lens sell for over $30.
This one is black.
1970 Roadster Tail Light???
 
If you want it silver flake, Dupli-Color sells 'MetalSpecks' in Silver which is not a bad reproduction for the price. You'll have to clear coat it to make it look good though. The specks don't show up in the pic.

1970 Roadster Tail Light???
 
Also note the reflector in DogT's photo. That is the original type for a '69-'70. The one you are getting from ebay has '71-'72 reflectors.
 
When Norton went from chrome surround reflectors to the later larger non-chrome reflectors, they also increased the diameter of the bosses on the tail light housing. In other words, the reflectors and the housing you have are post 1970. This is critical information for folks who find no nit too small to pick. :)

Stephen Hill
 
The same reflectors, although different color, go on L brackets under the fuel tank mounts for those years too. I've modified my tank mounting though.

1970 Roadster Tail Light???
 
snortonNorton said:
I just bought one on ebay for $59 plus shipping. The Lens, fixture, cover & bracket & bolts. It was a buy it now price and just came on. I see the Lucas lens sell for over $30.
This one is black.
1970 Roadster Tail Light???
Click to expand...

That is one heck of a find. All the star and planets lined up, sort of thing. One could spend weeks, months and beyond, always looking and being on your toes to be at the right place at the right time for this good of a find. It easy to imagine how I know. I gave up long ago settling for the 850 type. The new re-pop stuff just isn't up to snuff.
 
Yes 69-70 S and Roadster have a Halo, R type and Fastback do not, as Dave stated 69-70 S and Roadsters came with a Flake Silver Tail Light if your bike was Metal flake in colour if your bike was Yellow or Black then your taillight colour was black.
Al
 
Thank you all for the info. It is a learning experience each time I do this. I really enjoy the hunt. I can't believe the little differences each year and model have. I believe this 1970 model was yellow but not a 100%. I think I am going to make it black with either Gold or Silver lettering. I thought the 1970 R model was the Roadster though. 3 Models (fastback, roadster, S) ??

It looks like the only produced about 5000 bikes each year. So is it safe to say that there was only 1,600-1,700 of each model made that year. Or was there more of one model made than the others?
 
Not sure about this statement:
"Yes 69-70 S and Roadster have a Halo, R type and Fastback do not, as Dave stated 69-70 S and Roadsters came with a Flake Silver Tail Light if your bike was Metal flake in colour if your bike was Yellow or Black then your taillight colour was black."

I don't believe there was an overlap with the R model and the roadster. Don't think there was a 1970 R.
Don't think the R model had a halo.

Nice article on the early Commando's.
http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/class ... z3LBNRBX1T

Stephen Hill
 
I have read that piece before, but it's images also contain inaccuracies (if consensus is to be believed) the SS side panels were all black and not orange as shown in the picture.
 
correct R type was 69 only not 70 and did not overlap with the Roadster
 
That makes sense. I was confused there with an R model for the 1970 year. That would have made 4 models.

So does anyone no approximately how many bikes were made of each model in the year 1970?
 
Also that article states that the models with the Halo headlight took a 5" headlight. That can't be correct.
 
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