Advice for new Commando owner (Duplicate)

First post and first time Norton owner. Glad to join the forum. I'm writing to get some advice on considerations when restarting a Commando that hasn't been run in 6 years as it was stored in a collection. I'm also looking for advice on a solid oil choice for use in moderate temps here in Colorado.

After years of coveting other Commandos I've got the one I want. It's been my dream bike for a long time but I didn't want to get in over my head. I've restored numerous 70s CB Hondas, and a Kawasaki. I have a modern Triumph Thruxton 1200R and a BMW 650 for off road/camping. I just purchased a 1973 Commando 850 Roadster. Pictures attached. The prior owner acquired it from someone who had put a lot of love and good upgrades into it. He then drained the fuel tank and left it as a display bike for the past 6 years. I intend to get it running again, get an alternate paint scheme, and add a few of my own upgrades. It's in pretty damn great shape so I don't think I can call it a restore.

So a few questions..
1. Before firing it up, what precautions would you take to make sure nothing is damaged? The oil has been left in there unchanged for years, along with all other fluids except gasoline.

2. I have heard about certain gasoline possibly damaging the tank? What would I search to read more about this?

3. Is there a generally recommended solid oil to use as I change it out? I'll probably change it out, run it 100 miles and change it again.

4. I'll list the current state of the bike. I'd love recommendations on what you would consider checking, maintaining, or upgrading on the bike.

I'm glad to be here and to begin work on making this bike my own. Here is the current list of work that was done before it went into hibernation 6 years ago:

• Lansdowne Adjustable Fork Dampeners
• A/P Racing front brake Calipers
• 12" Norman Hyde Front Disc/Rotor
• NEW Hagon Rear shocks
• Stock Rims rechromed
• SS Spokes polished
• New Reynolds rear drive chain
• SS hardware throughout
• Steel Norton Gas Tank and side covers painted Candy Apple Red over Black Cherry Pearl w/ gold pin stripping
• Stock Fenders polished
• Polished Z plates
• Avon AM26 tubeless tires
• Stock oil Tank redone by Colorado Norton Works
• Colorado Norton Works Crankcase Breather modification
• CNW crankcase tumble finish
• New SRM oil pump
• New SRM oil pressure relief valve
• Professionally balanced crankshaft
• Superblend main bearing upgrade
• New big end bearings with STD rods
• JS Motorsports Stage 1 Camshaft w/ bronze lifter inserts, radiuses BSA lifters and shorter pushrods for performance
• New Hepolite pistons +.020", stock compression 8.5:1 and Hastings rings
• New valve job with Rowe guides
• New exhaust thread inserts by Phil Radford Fair Spares
• CNW head steady
• New MKIII isolastics front and rear
• New Reynolds cam chain
• New Old Brits oil gauge with SS braided oil lines
• New Amal Premeire 932 anodized slide, adj float
• Stock Airbox
• New Primary chain
• Stock engine sprocket and clutch
• Out cover machined to accept MKIII gearshift and kickstart shaft seals
• Stock 4 speed
• Superblend bearing conversion
• New Tri-Spark electronic ignition system
• New Sparx 3 phase charging system alternator, rotor and regulator/rectifier
• Stock wiring harness
• Fiamm twin horn, very loud

Photos are here until I get used to posting photos in the forum:


Cheers,
Mike

Welcome aboard the board Sir!

Seems like all the tough stuff has been done previous owner(s).

As for oil, check out the extensive testing of various oils for use in Commandos by Mr. Comstock here:


That thread, and many other useful items, can be found as a sticky section at top of the Classic bike forum section, Technical Information thread:

Drain the oil out of the drain plugs in the bottom of the sump and the oil tank. Change the filter.

All the damage to Norton cams happens on start up. Before you start it, squirt some of the oil down the pushrod tunnels so it saturates the lifters and cam. Also get some on the rockers.

Never idle long on start up. No pressure to the head at idle. Keep it > 2k rpms.

IMHO, the best oil to get on the linked oil thread from Toronado is the Royal Purple HPS 20W50. It has super low heat from friction and very good load capacity.

Ethanol in gas will eat a fiberglass tank. If you have a steel tank no issues then. I would just swish some gas around the tank and see if you have any rust debris. Use that gas in your mower.

Change your brake fluid.

Ride that bike. It is a sweet specced machine. Nothing needs doing on the face of it.

Ride it like you stole it. Then you may figure out what you want to do differently after a while.

After looking at the pics, the only thing I would do is rear sets. I just don't like the stock footpeg position, too far forward for me. But, you need to ride first.

Royal Purple, if you can get it, looks a good suggestion on oil for the long term, but with a fresh rebore, you might want to use a basic oil for that 1st 100 miles, to avoid glazing the bores.

My bike was stood for a few years, so did the usual basics. Change all fluids (incl. Brakes). Tyres might be dodgy with time passed. Check everythings tight! Lube anything that pivots and most of what moves (chain). I would say, listen out for strange noises, but that seems normal! Check torque on wheels and shock mounts (mine were wrong) and anything you rely on to get you out of trouble.

I'm sure it's rare, but for your own safety, assume it was rebuilt by a moron, until proved otherwise

Oh, change the primary fluid for Type F ATF.

Mart UK said:

Royal Purple, if you can get it, looks a good suggestion on oil for the long term, but with a fresh rebore, you might want to use a basic oil for that 1st 100 miles, to avoid glazing the bores.

My bike was stood for a few years, so did the usual basics. Change all fluids (incl. Brakes). Tyres might be dodgy with time passed. Check everythings tight! Lube anything that pivots and most of what moves (chain). I would say, listen out for strange noises, but that seems normal! Check torque on wheels and shock mounts (mine were wrong) and anything you rely on to get you out of trouble.

I'm sure it's rare, but for your own safety, assume it was rebuilt by a moron, until proved otherwise

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I assumed that it had at least done that mileage with the rebuilder owner, but yours is a good suggestion.

I strongly recommend you reroute the rear bake cable correctly, over the Z plate as shown below not under where it can snag on the underside of the Z plate from suspension movement.

L.A.B. said:

I strongly recommend you reroute the rear bake cable correctly, over the Z plate as shown below not under where it can snag on the underside of the Z plate from suspension movement.

Click to expand...

You always have eagle eyes for that one!

gortnipper said:

You always have eagle eyes for that one!

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It's something I always look for as it is seen so often (that and headlamp brackets fitted on the wrong side which they are not in this instance).
The rear wheel alignment/(rim)offset/possibly needs checking.

Not seen it mentioned so far: the swing arm has a "grease" nipple on the timing side end cap that should NEVER get greased! Use only liquid lube there as the bushing are of a porous type that must saturate to provide proper lubrication. Using grease just clogs up the tiny passage in the spindle and bushings are left starved. I use a thick, honey like STP Oil Treatment product here in a hand push type pump. It will leak out slowly around the end caps. Welcome to Nortons! Manual says a thick oil is to be used. Which also will leak. The late '74+ bikes got a sealed end cap welch plug arrangement and no grease nipple. Still use an oil though.

Other grease points that do take grease: speedo drive, rear brake pedal lever pivot and the actuating arm on the drum.
Just a couple of shots of grease per season is fine.

gortnipper said:

Never idle long on start up. No pressure to the head at idle. Keep it > 2k rpms.

Click to expand...

My oil pressure guage coming off the rocker spindle plate at head gets pressure right at startup. I think the concern here is it takes a bit of time before much oil trickles down to the cam followers from the head. At extended idle, there may be risk to cam lobes so blipping throttle when at a long light/stopped traffic etc can help.

In a couple of weeks I'm going to try to start my 69 Commando that's been sitting for a few years. I will be draining the sump, tank, carbs, cleaning the pilot jets and putting some oil down the pushrod tunnels. I'm wondering if I should drip, or spray some light oil through the spark plug holes to try to get some oil on the cylinder walls and rings.

Chucktri said:

In a couple of weeks I'm going to try to start my 69 Commando that's been sitting for a few years. I will be draining the sump, tank, carbs, cleaning the pilot jets and putting some oil down the pushrod tunnels. I'm wondering if I should drip, or spray some light oil through the spark plug holes to try to get some oil on the cylinder walls and rings.

Click to expand...

Redex oil upper cylinder lubrication would be better.
Re clean pilot jets and ensure the small air tubes in the carburetor are also clear before you reassembled .

Tornado said:

My oil pressure guage coming off the rocker spindle plate at head gets pressure right at startup. I think the concern here is it takes a bit of time before much oil trickles down to the cam followers from the head. At extended idle, there may be risk to cam lobes so blipping throttle when at a long light/stopped traffic etc can help.

Click to expand...

Remove exhaust tappet covers and squirt oil dinside there, this will drain onto camshaft & followers.

You have a well sorted vehicle, so there is really not much for you to do but ride it and enjoy the British engineering of the 70's era.
Oil choice is a religious issue, enough debate on this forum about engine, primary and gearbox choices. I've owned Commandos since 1971 and just followed the owners and workshop manuals recommendations. It's not rocket science with this era motorcycle.
Learn the kickstarting discipline when cold about priming the carbs and kicking it through TDC to start. Then there's stalling it later and the embarrassment of starting it afterward at a traffic light :-( Might want to think about an estart from CNW or Alton if you like modern convivences.
I would just gather all the technical information about the vehicle from the Workshop Manual and the notes about the Landsdowne fork adjustments.
There was no note about the front brake master cylinder upgrade to sleeve it down to reduce lever effort, but I suspect that was done by all the other upgrades to the front brake.
You're new to a British motorcycle, so just get on and ride it and appreciate the period piece for what it is. It's a European motorcycle that is lightweight and nimble with just around 60 horsepower, but it's been optimized by previous ownership.
With the oil pressure gauge, you'll be able to see cold and hot engine pressures differences. Since you've had engine work done, it shouldn't be real low when hot. Mine get as low as 10 psi at idle hot in the summer temps. The pressure relief spring can be shimmed to help that if necessary.

Locked.

Please post any further replies on the other "Advice for new Commando owner" thread.