1975 Commando

I'm new here and just signed up. I have a 1975 Norton 850 Roadster(black w/gold pinstripes) with 5,876 original miles. Why such low miles? Well, she had a bad cam from the factory. I bought the bike in Alaska back in 1994 from a fella who had it sitting in his living room My kind of biker...
Anyway, I've had the scooter for 14 years now and finally got around to getting her sorted out. She's back together now with a street cam by "Johnson Cams" and a new Mach2 Carb...Runs sweet 8) ...The engine build was conducted by "Steel Breeze Racing" of Kent,WA...All my parts were from Old Brits located near by. Cooks Norton Service did the final bench tune...and helped sort out some other issues...
I traveled the US back in 1977 on a '63 750 Atlas, so this will be my first experience at spending any time in a Commando saddle. Looking forward to it...
I'll take some Pics of her next week and share...still putting on the finishing touches. I have to clean and square away my brake system and replace the original tires before I dare ride.
The transmission, according to experts, has a bearing in the late models that should be addressed, so that will give me something to think about..

Always something....I have a 1970 BSA A65T, and a Triumph 750 Tiger 5sp to attend to as well....

Welcome, They are right you should check the layshaft bearing and make sure it is the new roller type, I also have a 75 that Old Britts did the engine work on and it runs like a top. They did a great job and the bike has been trouble free for 4,000 miles. Good luck, Chuck.

Welcome to the forum, from a fellow '75 Mark III rider.

Welcome to the forum. My April 1975 Mk111 was originally a Candy Red Roadster. It had had seven previous keepers when I bought it in 1983.

Undeterred, I wrote to the first owner. His brother phoned me to say that it had suffered from a soft cam and had cracked a gearbox shell during the first year so he sold it and bought a better one !

Ah well... I like to think that it's fairly sorted now. (Gearbox number doesn't match of course !)

Welcome - from another Mark III rider.

I was riding back from the monthly Brit Bike night get together in San Diego yesterday evening, riding up Interstate 5, thinking what a great riding bike this is.

Traffic was relatively light (unusual) and moving along at 75-80 mph. I got a case of the "feelin' goods" and blipped the throttle a few times over the course of 15 miles or so - easily taking the bike up to 95 mph - all the while with a big silly grin on my face.

I've had other vintage brit bikes before and had tons of headaches (as did most of us), but the Mark III runs sweet, true and strong, after all these years.

(And yes, mine suffered from a cam meltdown too, with the previous owner) All sorted out now, with Boyer, Sparx 3-phase alternator, Mikuni 34 MM, Corbin seat, Motormite check valve (which for $5 is a miracle - stopped the engine oil leaks!!), upgraded brakes, etc.

Have fun, ride safe.

Feel free to post photos on my site, www.myridz.com, under the Cool Bikes tab.

Enjoy

keith Kelly

Thanks for the welcome...I'm still putting the finishing touches on her(polish and shine), so it will be a couple of days or more before I post any Pics of her. I'll address the transmission layshaft bearing next....(next winter) :lol: Before I do any serious riding...don't need my Transmission to blow up on me...

The Norton 750 Commando was my high school dream bike...I had a 350 Honda back in those days :lol: After I got out of the Military, I bought my first big bike... a used 1960 650 Triumph Pre-unit Trophy. Could not afford a new Commando at the time....Bought a 1963 Norton 750 Atlas after that and finally picked up my 850 Commando back in 1994...I just sat on it until recently. Since I had other bikes to ride, I was in no hurry.

Rubber side down...finally.