Auxillary Electrical Outlet/Plug

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Triple-C.com has the plug: item CAB185 $ 24.95
It needs to be modified ( one prong needs to be bigger for a '71, I put a metal cap on)
Doug
 
The '72 is same as '71. One pin is larger. $24 is a lot to lay out for this plug - about as much as the charger. You really need just one pin since the other wire is connected to the bike frame and you could just clip to a bolt with a crocodile clip. Would be pretty easy to make your own. You could even make a 2-pin by molding your own housing with epoxy or machining a piece of acrylic if you wanted to get fancy.
 
If you're going to charge (the battery) using this outlet, don't you still have to pull the fuse to isolate the zenner in order to get the charger circuitry to properly "float" once fully charged?
 
MEHAVEY said:
If you're going to charge (the battery) using this outlet, don't you still have to pull the fuse to isolate the zenner in order to get the charger circuitry to properly "float" once fully charged?
Click to expand...

You do on mine. That's with a Yuasa battery tender. Once the charge level exceeds the breakdown voltage of the zener the battery will charge no higher. Disconnect the fuse and the battery charges to the float level of the charger.
 
Whatever it was originally designed for it is basically useless so I would ditch it. If you want to charge your battery, run a pigtail off the terminals and plug in you battery tender into that.
 
Russ,
thanks for qualifying that I wasn't missing anything. I thought there should be a two prong adapter w/ the socket when new as nothing in America fits it. If you didn't have it it probably goes to say they probably were not w/ the bike at new. It looks like something that could get lost over the years between owners. I've only used the port as I've posted earlier to check voltage output as you told me.
Lets me know the altenator is doin its job :roll:
I can see an old advertisement for a well shaven englishman posing w/ Vivian and his Norton now :p
Marshal
 
Since the original outlet plug supplied by the Norton factory was a proprietary item, supposedly there were proprietary accessories such as shaver, trouble-light, teapot, etc ? This is why I asked in an earlier post if the plug was built to European eletrical standards. As Norton obviousily were not in the the business of building electrical do-dads. Be an interesting titbit of history to know.

Norton's biggest market by far was the USA which has had blade type plugs for a very long time. Which of course begs the question as to why one would retain an essentially useless accessory plug in the country of export but take the trouble to change the gearing ...

I didn't think of the need to remove the Zenor Diode from the charging circuit to allow full charge to the battery. I suspect the Factory missed that detail as well as neither the rider or workshop manuals mention the need.

Right now, the flexible neck, marine plug looks very good.
 
Heres a novel idea :idea:
The factory was competing w/ Japanese makers at this time.
Honda bragged about electrical do dads as over rev limiter light on tach, electric start, etc...
With the interstate moving into the direction of the look of the long range Japanese bikes this socket may have been an attempt as a sale gimick to have a unique feature exclusive to Norton.
Shame it didn't save em in the end. :oops:
My spin on it
Marshal
 

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Being as how my Lucas electrics don't produce enough amps to properly maintain my battery when riding with the headlight on I think I'll pass on using an outlet for anything else...
One of these days I'll have to upgrade the alternator. :roll:
 
The original mating plug was included in the factory toolkit. I lost mine many years ago. I've often considered creating a mold and making a bunch of them, I'm sure they'd sell on eBay.
 
Dave,
make em up I'll be your first order. Plug kindda looks like it's missing something w/o a child safety looking device in it?
Then I can shave too :lol:
Marshal
 
Brit303 said:
Since the original outlet plug supplied by the Norton factory was a proprietary item, supposedly there were proprietary accessories such as shaver, trouble-light, teapot, etc ?
Click to expand...

As far as I am aware, no electrical accessories were ever available from the factory.
 
I posted some photos of a plug on a thread a while back :-

accessory-outlet-t2309.html?hilit=%20radio%20spares

The most common use of the socket that I've seen is a 12v pump for air mattresses.

Best used with the engine running and the twistgrip held open !

Come to think of it , anyone tried filling an airbed with exhaust :shock: gas ?
 
An air matress w/ exhaust gas would be a 2 in 1 idea.
You would also have a heating blanket until it cooled off :lol:
Marshal
 
Any ideas where to find a male plug for the 850? The pins are quite small on this, compared to the bullets used elsewhere

Auxillary Electrical Outlet/Plug
 
concerning the male connection for the aux power source, early model Landrovers have a better plug (which fits) and has wire terminals so as to change what ever you wish to connect. Try a Landrover dealer, parts shop or wreckers, it is a power take off on the dashboard.I have mine here beside me but cannot put up a photograph yet.
 
Hi,
Here is what I did for the male outlet / plug : regular household plug, blades removed, brass bolts inserted in epoxy, filed the appropriate size et voilà! Minimal cost and used with my Yuasa batterie charger.

Auxillary Electrical Outlet/Plug
 
I did actually use this outlet on my 74 850 Commando for electrically heated inner gloves. This was in the early 80s commmuting and touring year round in southern England.
I think the gloves came with a plug that mated with the bike socket. The plug/socket is not proprietry to Norton - you could buy them from the large electronics part supply company called Radio Spares in England.
The main problem was remembering to unplug it when you got off the bike or you'd risk falling over. I didn't have any problem keeping the battery charged while running the gloves.
 
SGOUD2 said:
Hi,
Here is what I did for the male outlet / plug : regular household plug, blades removed, brass bolts inserted in epoxy, filed the appropriate size et voilà! Minimal cost and used with my Yuasa batterie charger.

Auxillary Electrical Outlet/Plug
Click to expand...

That's the kind of McGyver rig I'll make.. great job.
 
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