1974 Commando "Wake-Up" / "Make-Run"

grandpaul · Oct 20, 2023

The deal I was middle-manning for Greg Marsh never produced a title, and Greg has already obtained the heads he needed, so I'm going to figure out the least expensive/time-consuming way to get this '74 Roadster legal for re-sale, do a full make-run, and try to clean the bike up to the most presentable condition I can get it without a full-blown restoration (which never end till all the money is gone).

Anyway, this should be fun! This is the 172nd bike I've owned... Groovy, baby!

Larry S · Oct 20, 2023

Time for a rebuild thread!

grandpaul · Oct 21, 2023

It's already a bit tidier with the pipes installed and a old fiberglass sidecover I had, shot with rattle can

I'll get it running soon enough. It'll need new tubes after the rear wheel gets swapped for the original 19" one.

grandpaul · Oct 24, 2023

Swapped the rear wheel assembly out for the stock one

I more or less expected this... cush rubbers were shot/non-existent...

It's only happened once, so I had forgotten the OTHER reason I didn't like the 16" rim... You CANNOT get the wheel off without removing the drive chain master link, disconnecting the brake cable, and pulling the entire wheels hub/brake assembly out ALL TOGETHER. The width of the 16" rim and tire doesn't allow it to clear the brake cush lugs, NO WAY, NO HOW.

Larry S · Oct 24, 2023

Let the fun times begin! Remember, if it was easy everyone would be doing it. Lol

Big_Jim59 · Oct 25, 2023

Back in my bike shop days we never had a tire changing machine. We changed all out tires on a small barrel with carpet around the edge and used a couple of custom tire irons formed from an old leaf spring. (Very old school) Those 16" Norton rears were all the rage and nasty to change. The side walls were incredibly hard and immovable, the rim had a lip that made getting the tire off or the tube out impossible. Just looking at that abomination makes my fingers ache.

grandpaul · Oct 26, 2023

Big_Jim59 said:
Back in my bike shop days we never had a tire changing machine. We changed all out tires on a small barrel with carpet around the edge and used a couple of custom tire irons formed from an old leaf spring. (Very old school) Those 16" Norton rears were all the rage and nasty to change. The side walls were incredibly hard and immovable, the rim had a lip that made getting the tire off or the tube out impossible. Just looking at that abomination makes my fingers ache.

Well, I already have a buyer at a great price that he suggested when I said "make offer". It's enough more than what I was guessing, that it'll more than pay to have the tire shop bust the fat tire off the rim for me.

Anyone want a genuine, very low miles Goodyear 16x5?

Big_Jim59 · Oct 26, 2023

grandpaul said:
Anyone want a genuine, very low miles Goodyear 16x5?

You left out the best selling point that "it's hard as porcelain and will never wear out!"

grandpaul · Oct 26, 2023

Big_Jim59 said:
You left out the best selling point that "it's hard as porcelain and will never wear out!"

Actually, it is in "very good" condition (reasonably pliable, and no cracking/hazing). Certain aspects of this bike are leading me to believe the owner may have started fixing the bike up some years ago, then left it as it was with the exhaust system, battery & left sidecover off...

Big_Jim59 · Oct 26, 2023

grandpaul said:
Actually, it is in "very good" condition (reasonably pliable, and no cracking/hazing). Certain aspects of this bike are leading me to believe the owner may have started fixing the bike up some years ago, then left it as it was with the exhaust system, battery & left sidecover off...

One of the most fun aspects of a garage or barn find, for me, is the detective work. Figuring out why it was parked, those many years ago. Sometimes it was because of a malfunction. Other times it was due to a restoration started but never finished. I fear that we are going to se a lot of these bikes floating to the surface in the coming years.

acotrel · Oct 26, 2023

One of my mates is into Harleys. He said to me 'at least your bike looks right'. When I was building it, I did not care what it looked like, as long as it functioned properly. I could not have built it any differently. He got hold of my old 500cc Triton and immediately sold the 7R AJS wheels - that sort of demonstrates his priorities.

grandpaul · Oct 27, 2023

acotrel said:
One of my mates is into Harleys. He said to me 'at least your bike looks right'. When I was building it, I did not care what it looked like, as long as it functioned properly. I could not have built it any differently. He got hold of my old 500cc Triton and immediately sold the 7R AJS wheels - that sort of demonstrates his priorities.

So you're saying I should have left the 16" wheel?

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

For the record, this is my 24th Norton Commando refurb/restoration/overhaul/scratch build, only the 3rd one of those that will not have the cases split unless I see evidence that requires it (borescope inspection). All evidence so far indicates that won't be necessary.

So, on with it...

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

It appears the gas tank may have been Red before...

Air filter element was dust...

Oil puddle at the base of the filter element indicates some amount of blow-by, although it could have been a simple matter of accumulation over a period of no maintenance. Compression check will be run...

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

Much cleaner than I expected the fuel lines & filters to be; that bodes well for the interior of the tank!

Lousy photo of a valve, but not as bad as you'd think looking at the OUTSIDE of the bike...

Left cylinder looks to be a 'decent' burn; remember, this bike was last run before ethanol gas showed up on the scene...

Right cylinder a bit too rich. The spark plug "pockets" were relatively dust/grunge-free, very nice to see.

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

Miraculously, I was able to remove the carbs with a plain allen wrench, instead of my ball-end ones that make it so much easier...

Everything looks quite original and essentially undisturbed, a VERY good sign.

Carb slides have expected wear, probably will work just fine for a test ride...

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

Another very good sign, the oil is TOTALLY clean, zero particulate...

One tiny metallic fleck, very good in comparison to most "barn finds" or "oily rag" bikes (how this bike would typically be described)

I hot-wired the keyswitch, plugged in a new pair of N7Ys, and gave it a few kicks to see if it would spark, it didn't. Then I got to looking, and decided that THIS particular 2MC capacitor couldn't provide the requisite power needed to spark...

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

10/25 Almost as far down as this bike is going (for now).

Parts on order:
Air filter element
Rear hub cush rubbers
Keyswitch
2MC capacitor
Front brake hose
Carb kits
Exhaust pipe gaskets
Fuel taps
Tire tubes

Parts on hand:
N7Y plugs
Oil filter
Left sidecover

grandpaul · Nov 1, 2023

Wheels off, tubes arrived, off to the tire shop...

Not a good sign, but very typical

HA! Much cleaner than I expected inside!

While at the ranch, I pulled out a spare caliper I have to see what it looked like, snapped the pin on the special tool...

marshg246 · Nov 1, 2023

Big_Jim59 said:
Back in my bike shop days we never had a tire changing machine. We changed all out tires on a small barrel with carpet around the edge and used a couple of custom tire irons formed from an old leaf spring. (Very old school) Those 16" Norton rears were all the rage and nasty to change. The side walls were incredibly hard and immovable, the rim had a lip that made getting the tire off or the tube out impossible. Just looking at that abomination makes my fingers ache.

Long ago, I saw a short movie about the Honda factory. The tire mounter was a man and his feet. He mounted tires all day with the wheel on the ground. About that same time, there was a contest at a 3-day motorcycle show in DC. You had to remove the tire and tube, put a different tire and tube on, connect a hand pump and pump 25 times - it was timed. The only available tools were two small tire irons. I was the last person to complete and won the $100 savings bond. At the time, I fixed copiers for a living - the people who worked in motorcycle shops were not amused! I still mount tires the same way but the tires that are made to be tubeless (the Avons we use) are much harder to mount than the old Dunlops so I use three longer tire irons.

1974 Commando "Wake-Up" / "Make-Run"

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