Arrived today: ‘72 Commando “combat” (2018)

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Guys! Thanks for the feedback! I’m scheduled to receive my bike in a couple weeks. I think guts is the wrong adjective for my choice here. Maybe crazy! I do plan only to ride it on empty country roads and in parking lots for quite a while. I don’t even have my license yet. I’ve been watching YouTube videos by Jerry Palladinonon how to ride well and confidently. I’ve got a lot to learn, and it’s going to be a fantastic adventure!
 
Welcome, have with your new ride. Take it slow at first and you'll be A-Ok. Just remember to respect the laws of physics, and always watch out for the "other guy", try to leave yourself an "out" when looking for your "line" & you'll be fine. Remember that leaves from trees on the road are slippery, painted lines are slippery, the center of the lane is slippery (from m oil drips from cars), and the road is most slippery when it first starts to rain (oil gets lifted). I'll stop now (started to sound like my own Dad). Gohave fun- wear a helmet :)
 
Get out of first and into 2nd gear as soon as possible, you get more control in 2nd than 1st and the low down grunt of the Norton engine is an advantage. Also consider going to a trials throttle for the first few rides so you cannot grab a handful of throttle accidentally.
 
Try to find a MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course in your area. Here in eastern PA they supply the bikes (250 Suzukis when I took it). If you passed the course you got your motorcycle license. I rode dirt bikes as a kid before getting on the road and it sure has helped me at times, like when sliding sideways on wet leaves heading towards Cascadilla Gorge.
 
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Again, some really great advice! Especially from cjandme! Yes, I will be taking my sweet time getting to know this roadster, and fondling her all over before I get her on the road. I'm going to do a look over and see if there's any modifications I can make before summer rolls around in Michigan. At the very least I will likely install the CNW breather kit.

Jerry Palladino has a school here in Michigan and I plan to get my basic training down first, get my license, and then take a series of classes to improve my skills. Believe me, I will be taking this process very slowly this year. Maybe by next year I'll be ready to take it on the road with other traffic around.

Here's a link to the YouTube video the seller sent me to salivate over, in case you're curious. Let me know what you think?
 
Very nice looking bike!! I learned in the dirt at a really young age, started with lawn mower engined mini bikes, then Honda Z - 50, XR-75, Yamaha 100 & 180. That being said, during my time in the US Navy I worked alongside many other people who got their first bikes as grown ups, and they did okay and you can too. It shouldn't take you very long to get a feel for it by riding around your neighborhood (Well... Um... Errr, if that's possible for you - I don't remember you saying where you lived) - if you neighborhood is in Manhattan, that might not work so well. Anyhow, nice looking Bike. I'm jealous, since it sounds better than mine at the moment. :)
 
Do you know how old the tyres are?
If not - assume the worst and buy a new pair - may be the best safety investment you make.
Cheers & have fun
Rob
 
Hey guy!
Thanks for the encouragement! I live in Michigan, in a small farming village so lots of back country roads around here. I’ve cycled and run many of them - I do triathlon training for Ironman distances and much experience on these roads with my road bike. So, yeah, I’ll be practicing quite a lot on some dirt roads half mile away and quiet back roads right around the corner.

Oh and yeah the guys at the shop did some work on the bike - new tires, new brakes and cables, tuneup, new battery, updated ‘74 frame and Isolastic, reupholstered and shaved seat for my short legs, etc. it’s a great ride and I can’t wait for it to arrive!

When it gets here I plan to check it out to determine whether I should install the cNw breather, and maybe look into the crankcase modification to improve the oil scavenging. Not sure what else I should be considering other than the human factor-me learning the necessary skills!
 
The CNW breather for the 72 is a good mod and easy to fit.
Cured a few leaks for me, and tidies up that area a bit. Easy to route the breather hose behind the air filter so you hardly see it.
 
Go for the CNW breather. All Commando's need help there. Not sure about '72 breather which was different than previous and following years, but quite a lot
of pressure from just timing case breathers caused excessive oil mist in the air cleaners and into carbs. Caused me to monitor oil tank levels which gets complicated by wet sumping into crankcase and you won't get true oil level until starting it if it sits for awhile. Wet sumping into crankcase also will make cold start kickstarting a little more strenuous as the crankcase is full of oil. You may see quite a bit of smoke from exhaust because of that until oil is returned to tank
You have Amal carbs, so cold starting will require more than what you see in video. Always shut off fuel shutoffs on both sides of tank when you put it away. Amals are notorious for allowing fuel into cylinders if left open indefinitely. That will dilute your oil and damage the engine if that happens.
For cold starting, press the carb ticklers until fuel comes out of them, close carb chokes and kick over gingerly until you come to compression. Kick it through and it should start easily. Mine never liked choke after starting, so back off to suit smooth throttle. You may have to open throttle slightly while kicking through, but usually don't have to.
You have an improved front brake master cylinder, so you'll have no idea how bad the original set up was :)
You'll find everything above 40mph will make you grin.......
 
Deckard said:
Go for the CNW breather. All Commando's need help there. Not sure about '72 breather which was different than previous and following years, but quite a lot
of pressure from just timing case breathers caused excessive oil mist in the air cleaners and into carbs. Caused me to monitor oil tank levels which gets complicated by wet sumping into crankcase and you won't get true oil level until starting it if it sits for awhile. Wet sumping into crankcase also will make cold start kickstarting a little more strenuous as the crankcase is full of oil. You may see quite a bit of smoke from exhaust because of that until oil is returned to tank
You have Amal carbs, so cold starting will require more than what you see in video. Always shut off fuel shutoffs on both sides of tank when you put it away. Amals are notorious for allowing fuel into cylinders if left open indefinitely. That will dilute your oil and damage the engine if that happens.
For cold starting, press the carb ticklers until fuel comes out of them, close carb chokes and kick over gingerly until you come to compression. Kick it through and it should start easily. Mine never liked choke after starting, so back off to suit smooth throttle. You may have to open throttle slightly while kicking through, but usually don't have to.
You have an improved front brake master cylinder, so you'll have no idea how bad the original set up was :)
You'll find everything above 40mph will make you grin.......
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Deckard! This is great insight man! Thank you! It’s funny, The way you describe the Norton starting and get going is similar to my ‘67 MG Midget. It too is tempermental to get going with choke, and it did take me little while to get the dual SU carbs adjusted and synchronized to cold start somewhat properly in the cold weather. With the exception of the kicking start of course. One thing though is that I didn’t think that these bikes/carbs had manual chokes, like that we have in classic cars. I’m not sure where the choke control is on

Once my bike arrives, I plan on giving it a very thorough look over to determine what’s been done to it over the years, or at least what i can see without taking things apart, and with amateur eyes. I do plan to update the electrics if needed, and also the ignition if it’s still using points. I have experience with points and still run them in my MG and have no plans to update to an electric ignition there. IN fact, I carry spare points in my tool bag in case i ever need to change them on the road. I’m good about running the car through a spring tune up where I change the points, adjust the valves, clean and regap the plugs, tighten bolts, and lube everywhere on the MG. This gives me the best chance of having trouble free driving. I plan to do the same on the Norton each year before the driving season.

That’s some great tips as well, and thank you for those. I will definitely be looking back at these points when I start fiddling with the bike. I actually plan to bring it into front room where my office is for the duration of the winter when it arrives. This way i can fondle it in the comfort of a warm house:) The person that i bought it from says that the bike doesn’t seem to have a wet sumping problem and may have an anti-sumping valve because after sitting for several months in the shop before I came along and wanted a cold start video, it kicked over easily after adding fresh fuel and charging the battery. Hopefully all of that is true:)

Super excited guys!
To be continued...
 
nick's_Cafe said:
The D shape pinstripe is not used for all years on the commando. As seen in the folder not for ‘72. Or it must have been a personal option.
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lt looks exactly like a 1972 Combat a friend of mine bought in 1972. Thank you for the picture.
 
Atlas Commando said:
I've thought about trying to add the 'D' pinstripe to mine but have had no luck finding paint that matches the "Norton" transfers available. Wouldn't want a color miss-match.
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I painted my brother's 71 and used pin striping tape from an auto paint store. Sort of metallic silver, it matched the Norton decal perfectly.

Arrived today: ‘72 Commando “combat” (2018)
 
Starvingphotog said:
Deckard! This is great insight man! Thank you! It’s funny, The way you describe the Norton starting and get going is similar to my ‘67 MG Midget. It too is tempermental to get going with choke, and it did take me little while to get the dual SU carbs adjusted and synchronized to cold start somewhat properly in the cold weather. With the exception of the kicking start of course. One thing though is that I didn’t think that these bikes/carbs had manual chokes, like that we have in classic cars. I’m not sure where the choke control is on

Once my bike arrives, I plan on giving it a very thorough look over to determine what’s been done to it over the years, or at least what i can see without taking things apart, and with amateur eyes. I do plan to update the electrics if needed, and also the ignition if it’s still using points. I have experience with points and still run them in my MG and have no plans to update to an electric ignition there. IN fact, I carry spare points in my tool bag in case i ever need to change them on the road. I’m good about running the car through a spring tune up where I change the points, adjust the valves, clean and regap the plugs, tighten bolts, and lube everywhere on the MG. This gives me the best chance of having trouble free driving. I plan to do the same on the Norton each year before the driving season.

That’s some great tips as well, and thank you for those. I will definitely be looking back at these points when I start fiddling with the bike. I actually plan to bring it into front room where my office is for the duration of the winter when it arrives. This way i can fondle it in the comfort of a warm house:) The person that i bought it from says that the bike doesn’t seem to have a wet sumping problem and may have an anti-sumping valve because after sitting for several months in the shop before I came along and wanted a cold start video, it kicked over easily after adding fresh fuel and charging the battery. Hopefully all of that is true:)

Super excited guys!
To be continued...
Click to expand...
Well, you have experience with English vehicles already, so you expect quirkiness. I would hope by now that it will have some brand of electronic ignition. Best to determine which brand so you can be prepared for their quirks. If not, points work fine, usually the auto advance unit behind the points plate can be a problem in 750's. Kick back in starting and inability to return to idle are warning signs of that issue. An 850 AAU will be more reliable.
If you haven't found a Riders Manual, that would be something to start your noodling on controls, etc.
Find out if it has a chain primary or belt. Rear swingarm needs proper lubrication, no grease even though the lube nipple looks like a grease fitting. Hopefully the
recommended swingarm fix has been applied to prevent slop. NYC Norton has the fix for that.
Your excitement and anticipation is fun to see. Kind of what we all went through when owning our first Commando. Well, I was 21 then and had some Brit experience owning a BSA Lightning and a Triumph Spitfire car before a Commando crotch rocket in '71.
 
Deckard said:
Well, you have experience with English vehicles already, so you expect quirkiness. I would hope by now that it will have some brand of electronic ignition. Best to determine which brand so you can be prepared for their quirks. If not, points work fine, usually the auto advance unit behind the points plate can be a problem in 750's. Kick back in starting and inability to return to idle are warning signs of that issue. An 850 AAU will be more reliable.
If you haven't found a Riders Manual, that would be something to start your noodling on controls, etc.
Find out if it has a chain primary or belt. Rear swingarm needs proper lubrication, no grease even though the lube nipple looks like a grease fitting. Hopefully the
recommended swingarm fix has been applied to prevent slop. NYC Norton has the fix for that.
Your excitement and anticipation is fun to see. Kind of what we all went through when owning our first Commando. Well, I was 21 then and had some Brit experience owning a BSA Lightning and a Triumph Spitfire car before a Commando crotch rocket in '71.
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Hey there Deckard!
This, again, is terrific advice. I will definitely be doing an inventory of what the bike has and what I should be doing to bring it up to date and easier to run and operate, as far as I can anyway.
One thing that I do with my MG each year is run through a lubrication process. I jack the car up and get under there and grease all fittings and lube others. These old cars need it regularly or metal on metal occurs. So, I plan to do this with the Norton and need to familiarize myself with what lubrications are necessary. I've got a copy of the Norton Workshop Manual and I think it has a section on maintenance.
But yeah, you can bet that I'll be glued to my bike the moment it arrives!

Cheers,
Rob
 
Starvingphotog said:
Hey there Deckard!
This, again, is terrific advice. I will definitely be doing an inventory of what the bike has and what I should be doing to bring it up to date and easier to run and operate, as far as I can anyway.
One thing that I do with my MG each year is run through a lubrication process. I jack the car up and get under there and grease all fittings and lube others. These old cars need it regularly or metal on metal occurs. So, I plan to do this with the Norton and need to familiarize myself with what lubrications are necessary. I've got a copy of the Norton Workshop Manual and I think it has a section on maintenance.
But yeah, you can bet that I'll be glued to my bike the moment it arrives!

Cheers,
Rob
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Looks like a nice bike, but when it arrives I would thoroughly recommend you check the front brake pads and if it's not already fitted get a rear brake pedal return spring.

andover-norton.co.uk

Motorcycle parts and spares for Norton motorbikes - Genuine Andover Norton Spare Parts - Andover Norton Motorcycles Parts - Original Andover Norton Parts

Motorcycle parts and spares for Andover Norton motorbikes: Andover Norton manufactures and supplies all Genuine Factory Spare Parts for Norton motorcycles built before 2002.
andover-norton.co.uk

Safety first !!

Cheers,

cliffa.
 
cliffa said:
Looks like a nice bike, but when it arrives I would thoroughly recommend you check the front brake pads and if it's not already fitted get a rear brake pedal return spring.

andover-norton.co.uk

Motorcycle parts and spares for Norton motorbikes - Genuine Andover Norton Spare Parts - Andover Norton Motorcycles Parts - Original Andover Norton Parts

Motorcycle parts and spares for Andover Norton motorbikes: Andover Norton manufactures and supplies all Genuine Factory Spare Parts for Norton motorcycles built before 2002.
andover-norton.co.uk

Safety first !!

Cheers,

cliffa.
Click to expand...
Hey there Cliffa. The seller said that the brakes and cables are all new. From the looks of the reservoir for the front hydraulics it looks brand new so I'm thinking the pads will be renewed as well, but yes, I will be inspecting the entire bike as much as I can to assess and get familiar with the it's condition. I didn't think of the return spring for the rear brake setup. I will look at that as well. Good thought.
I can tell you that the seller did their own full inspection and road test of the bike with one of their mechanics and certified the bike. Also from the looks of the bike and the new components, and the sound of it running, it looks to be well maintained.
An interesting fact that I learned on the Michigan Norton Owners Association call last Sunday was that a member has a Combat with the serial number 206xxx and he's had it since new and it came from the factory with the Superblend bearings installed. My Combat serial number is in the 210xxx range and I'm thinking that since it is much later, it too will likely have had the Superbearings installed at the factory. I'm not sure when the Superblend bearings remedy was discovered in '72, but figured that the latter part of '72 when the issue was identified that new engines would have been fitted with the Superblends. According to the Duckworth book, my 210xxx Combat was built between August and September of '72. This should mean that it likely has the updated Superblends because the bearing issue would have been identified by the summer of that year, if not earlier, and subsequent new engine builds would have been updated. Just a little detective work here to figure out my situation based on the discussion on Sunday. Either way, after 48 years, I'm sure someone changed the main bearings:)
 
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