Assembleing a NORTON begining to end

Hay guys, Could someone give me a list of the best way to build a NORTON from the ground up ? 74 850 THANKS Phil

One bolt at a time?? :lol:

lol, that's how mine's going together

Common sense, Trial and error. Nortons are a bunch of assemblies. Pick one and go to the next. You'll be an expert in no time. Complete the frame and build to suit.

Apparently, you MUST start with the horn, then it gets a bit harder :mrgreen:

Jean

Yeah, it's kind of the reverse of sculpting. Michaelangelo said that he started with a block of marble and removed the parts that didn't look like the subject. In this case you start with the horn and add the parts around it that make it look like a Commando (except for the parts that have been decreed to have originally sucked from the factory)




Sorry - I'm sure someone who is really knowledgeable will actually answer your question!

Go to Old Britts web site and read their section on building a bike.

http://www.oldbritts.com/ob_start.html

OK, let's see L.A.B. answer this one.

It seemed logical to me to read through the factory shop manual before I ever attempted it, and it's a good thing I did!

You need to build a rolling chassis first (with something to brace the tranny frame to the front engine mount, I use a spare set of cases, you could use your bare set).

Nortons are particular in that you need to build and install the tranny next, THEN the engine's power unit; lastly, the primary system to tie the two together.

Electrical and plumbing come next.

After bodywork & trim, you have a bike.

With a username like yours, I'da thunk...

THANKS everyone, Ill give a go Phil

Two things.

One. The horn hangs from the battery bracket so I say the bike is built around that. :mrgreen:

Two. The way to assemble a Norton is to use this forum. Read it from beginning to end and then start asking questions. And posting pictures. And asking questions. At least that's how I'm doing it.

grandpaul said:

It seemed logical to me to read through the factory shop manual before I ever attempted it, and it's a good thing I did!

Click to expand...

I did that too and studied the parts book for a while as well.

Coco said:

I did that too and studied the parts book for a while as well.

Click to expand...

YAHTZEE!

Old Britts website has the diagrams on-line that you ccan print. What a HUGE resource that has become.

This is my 10 steps to building a Commando.

First disasemble perfectly good Norton because you have some chips in the frame paint.
Second, Drink beer and read this board for about a month.
Third assemble Commando.
Fourth Drink beer and read this board for about a month to figure out the little problems.
Fifth take out for test drive (have buddy with trailer and cell phone on standby)
Sixth Drink beer and read this board for about a month.
Seventh tweek out the remainder of the bugs and go for another ride (see above)
Eight take to local bike shop to finish,
Ninth Go for a beautiful trouble free ride on a Norton Commando (the best feeling in the world.)
Tenth Drink beer and read board for 5 months because its snowing outside.

Good luck

OK I have to ask. Have you taken it apart already???

Chuck

The eternal question:

Do you drink beer because you own a Norton, or , do you own a Norton because you drink beer?

When I put mine together, I started with the chassis. Mine was a bunch of parts somebody else had disassembled, so I did not have any memory of what went where, but the frame had been powdercoated and was ready to go.

Rebuilt the front forks, put on the bike, along with triple clamps and handlebar
Rebuilt the swingarm, put that and cradle on the bike. PO included a trianguler brace (from CNW, I believe) that fit where the crankcases and front iso would go
installed the horn and battery box
Rebuilt the wheels and rear brake, put on the bike, along with fenders
Rebuilt front brake, put on bike
Installed new wiring harness
Rebuilt transmission, put on bike
Rebuilt lower end, put on bike
Rebuilt top end, put on bike
Rebuilt carbs, put on bike
Assembled clutch and primary
Painted and installed tank and sidecovers
Filled with fluids and started it up.
Took six months from start to start-up, and six months to sort out (some oil leaks were real buggers to solve)

Three things helped the process:
Shop manual and parts book came with the bike
This site
My local Norton guru, Wes Scott, who is a 20 minute ride away for parts and questions. He also normally has three or four Commandos in the shop, which made it real easy to see how things fit together.

Got the bike with 3741.2 miles on the clock - now has 11599.3, probably another 110 tonight (Bike night in Kendall) :wink:

Having another (properly assembled or original) bike to look at and copy, and a local Norton guy, is fantastic.

THANK YOU BillT,Thats what I was looking for. Ill print this out and put it in my NORTON notes. Im going to pass these three bikes down to my son. I should have them done before I die but you never know. This will make it easer for him if I dont. I had five by passes when I was 45. I just turned 57 the doc did a good job. The NORTON tests his work every now and then. THANKS AGAIN Phil

Im just about to the end. Ill post some pics soon Phil