Combat side cover markings

Since I don't know the history of this bike with any confidence, I'm having to start at the beginning on everything. My previous comment about it at least running was out in left field - it doesn't run at this point. I was taking the seller's word (my mistake)!

The only upgrade that I can see so far is an after-market ignition system that doesn't seem to be working very well - very weak or non-existent spark. Rather than try to trouble-shoot an unknown system, I'll just order a new one - still debating which one. I'll order the layshaft bearing and oil filter at the same time.

Also found the tickler for the right hand carb was frozen in the down position. I got it moving a bit, but it got me to thinking that the dread ethanol gas has crudded things up from sitting. So, I drained the tank and will pull the carbs apart tomorrow to see what the damage is.

The handlebar switch is indeed for the turn signals, which do flash, but veryyyy slowly. Probably the flasher unit. Also no working headlight, tail light or brake light, so I've got some electrical gremlins to chase down. On the brighter side, the battery appears to be new, but I ordered a new one just to be sure.

The tank is crap.. If you put ethanol fuel in it, it will dissolve the glass resin sending resin laced fuel into your engine to contact a hot piston.... The good news is that the fuel will eat through the fuel tank and destroy the tank, so you won't have to rebuild your engine twice after you rebuild it the first time.

Frozen tickler... from dissolved tank resin maybe.. ??

There's 2 major ways to learn. One is to never listen to anyone and just jump in and make every mistake yourself so you learn everything the hard way. There's something to be said for that when information on a given subject is as rare as hen's teeth, like norton motorcycle information was back in the 70's when I was trying to get my commando going and there just wasn't anyone you could ask to point you in the right direction....

The other major way to learn is to do the research and learn from other's mistakes. Most people do a little of both these days because the internet stores and shares information so well. The new problem now becomes you need to know WHO you should listen too. In the age of information, there's a good chance you can save a lot of time and money by doing the research.

Get a squirt bottle with an L shaped straw, put fuel in it. Pull the air filter off the carbs. Twist the throttle so it lifts the slide bodies and give a squirt of fuel for a few seconds into each open carb mouth. Give the bike a kick a few times. IF it tries to run, then your ignition is working and you need to focus on fuel delivery as the cause of it not running. If it doesn't go, pop, pop, pop at all after 10 kicks, then you should look at ignition.

You are at square 1, so you have nothing to lose by trying to get it to run. You can tell a lot about an engine if it's running... I would use the squirt bottle trick to see if it might run, then pursue making it into a "runner", if possible to help diagnose what needs to be done. Things like wildly different valve adjuster positions may indicate a bad cam lobe or bad follower wear. If you can get it to run, you might be pleasantly surprised or it may tell you how deep you need to dig into the engine to fix everything right the first time...

I never said I was a rank beginner at restoring motorcycles, only at square one with this particular bike. I've been building, fixing, riding and racing motorcycles for close to 60 years, including Bonneville, El Mirage and various road circuits in the US, so I have pretty good handle on how to go about approaching this thing.

That said, I appreciate intelligent and constructive comments and suggestions when it comes to the intricacies of Commandos. As someone here said, between all the members there is hundreds of years of experience and knowledge.