850 Fastback build

Hey All,
This question is primarily for Commando 850 owners that have converted thier Roadster or otherwise into a Fastback. As we all know, Norton never made an 850 Fastback. I would like to know where you guys aquired the fastback body parts....tank, rear fastback "turtledeck", fastback seat, and fastback sidecovers. Is there anybody reproducing this bodywork? Will all the parts bolt up to a standard 850 Roadster? She is ugly now but with some hard work and $$$$ I think she will be a 1973 850 Fastback.....what do you guys think? :?

Yes please!

Body parts are not too hard to find, but seats are a totally different matter. The "ears" that wrap around the tank tend to rust off on old examples. A Dunstall tank will also work with the setup, though the styling is a bit more angular. Every thing Fastback will bolt directly on with no probs. P.S. if you decide to get rid of the metal Roadster tank, I CALL FIRST DIBS!

you can find many/most all of the parts combing ebay etc - the one thing for concern though unless your going to get a hand built alloy tank you'll have to get a fiberglass one and as discussed at length on this site the ethanol in the gas will eventually eat its way through and destroy your paint job etc (despite often heroic efforts using various liners etc - from personal experience) and run the chance of damaging your motor (the liquified glass gums up the valves etc)

that being said evan wilcox does make sweeeeeettttt fastback alloy tanks (and seats)!

mike

I converted mine with all new parts from Burton BIke Bits in the UK. I brought everything (tank, side covers, tailpiece, rear fender (mudguard), and seat back on the plane, carried the tank in a big shopping bag as carry-on. The parts most definitely DID NOT just bolt on and a good bit of fiddling was necessary on just about every piece. I was strict with my personal requirement that NOTHING on the bike itself be modified to fit - no new holes, nothing. The parts had to be made to fit the bike.

That being said, there was no big problem, just a good bit of fiddling. I have read that the biggest issue is the rear portion of the frame and the fastback tailpiece. Apparently, some 850 frames at the rear were a bit wider than earlier frames and the tailpiece will not fit down over that frame and some fiberglass work is required to get it to fit. My frame was of the original dimension and there was no issue with general fit. It IS going to require patience and a lot of checking to ensure proper clearance, etc. I think the best way to go would be to get the parts off of an original fastback rather than buy new ones. HOWEVER, the fiberglass tank (I couldn't find a fastback tank anywhere made of metal) is a big issue and I'd be very leery of an original tank. The seat took some work as well, the tabs were too short to fully engage the seat screws and I had to weld 1/2" on to the tabs. Seat bumpers had to be added and that took a while to come up with the proper height to avoid having the seat totally supported by the tailpiece.

I think it's well worth the effort; just know that you probably will NOT be buying parts and just bolting them on. Took me a about 2 weeks of working a few hours a day to get the parts to fit correctly. Pics of before/after are here - 3rd post down (Green fastback):

pictures-your-norton-commandos-t6210.html

Sometimes the rear tails don't fit up to 850's . See this page : http://atlanticgreen.com/commandoframes.htm
I have overcome this problem by cutting a small section of the frame out of the very back hoop and re-welding. Dave can make one that will fit up to a wider frame if he has time see his site on Norton’s http://atlanticgreen.com/norton.htm
Frank at http://www.clubmanracing.com/ or Randy at http://www.baxtercycle.com/
Mitch at http://www.klempfsbritishparts.com/ and the best seats are here:
http://www.rk-leighton.co.uk/

Danno said:

Body parts are not too hard to find, but seats are a totally different matter. The "ears" that wrap around the tank tend to rust off on old examples. A Dunstall tank will also work with the setup, though the styling is a bit more angular. Every thing Fastback will bolt directly on with no probs. P.S. if you decide to get rid of the metal Roadster tank, I CALL FIRST DIBS!

Click to expand...

Factory seats are available http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/New%20Items%20In.htm, I'm on my second pattern one and both had to be modified to work but still not perfect. I'd go for the Andover Norton one 06-0501.

I did see RGM list an alloy fast back tank, list & stocking are two different things and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Re the FG tank...Burton Bike Bits assurred me that the tanks are made with "ethanol resistant resin" but suggested that it be sealed before first use. I did so with Caswells and it's fine but it's only been a few months so that's no test at all yet.

Based on some advice here a while back I now drain the fuel out of it if I'm away for lengthy periods. For example, I'm in MD for 2 months so before leaving Mexico I drained the gas. I'd probably do that for absences of more than 30 days; I won't bother for less because when I'm in Mexico the bike is ridden at least once a week, even if only for an hour or so on a Sunday morning.

mike996 said:

Re the FG tank...Burton Bike Bits assurred me that the tanks are made with "ethanol resistant resin" but suggested that it be sealed before first use. I did so with Caswells and it's fine but it's only been a few months so that's no test at all yet.

Based on some advice here a while back I now drain the fuel out of it if I'm away for lengthy periods. For example, I'm in MD for 2 months so before leaving Mexico I drained the gas. I'd probably do that for absences of more than 30 days; I won't bother for less because when I'm in Mexico the bike is ridden at least once a week, even if only for an hour or so on a Sunday morning.

Click to expand...

Mine came from Burton's, it rotted eventually and got replaced with a an RGM aluminium item.

The RGM tank isn't strictly speaking a replica, it has a central Monza filler cap and the tunnel for the frame spine is squared off which makes the profile around the headstock wrong and creates a bigger gap there than I'd want ideally. If I was to do a refurb on the bike this is the one thing I'd change ,I'd get a filler piece welded in. On the plus side, no chance of resin dissolving away.

Could you post a pic of the tank on the bike and the area that you don't like?

I'm in the process of touching up the paint after dropping a spanner on it hence the dodgy paintwork.
The tank looks like it might actually be a bit shorter than a standard fastback but I've not got anything to compare to.

A couple of overall shots





The ugly bit