Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

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johntickle said:
Just wanted to let you (and the other forum members) know that your front forks are Metal Profiles, not Seeley.
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Well Bert, I took some pictures over the weekend of the forks and sent them to Greeves (who now own Metal Profile forks). I received this response from them today:

Thank you for your Email and photos last week in connection with your Norton bike.

We think that the forks you have on your bike are Ceriani from the look of the slider and the hexegon nuts at the top.

We have dust covers these are UK£14.50 per pair plus post and packing.
The stantions (chrome part) are 35mm DIA OD.
We have springs 23lb UK£33.00 and also oil seals UK£25.50 per set (single lip and double lip in each leg so 4 in total)
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Ceriani??? I'm well and truly confused now. Are you able to shed any more light on this matter Bert?

Off to get my rego tomorrow. Wish me luck. There's a chance they may tell me to sod off and get an engineer's report. Fingers crossed.
 
Some better photos of the forks would probably help. Key areas are the tops, the triple clamps (especially underneath), the gaiter area and the spindle area.
 
I have rego!
At last. 15 years in the making.
What a way to spend an arvo. Never again.
Now do you reckon they'd know I was fakin' if I called in tomorrow sick?

Right. Now back to normal service. Pics of the forks:

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild


Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild


Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild


Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild


That enough to give a definitive analysis Dave?

And please forgive me for not mentioning it before,

massive thanks to all who helped me along the way.
 
They look like Cerianis. But I don't know if other makes copied them. I have a set in the garage and I can look at them later and take pics.
 
I don't think that fork is a Ceriani either. Possibly it is a Betor.
 
Betor??? What??? Seeley, Ceriani, Metal Profile and now Betor - Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh! My poor widdle brain is hurted.
 
Top edge is rounded KickStarter, couple of mm radius. Bottom edge is square - as you would expect from a cast piece such as this. Think both top and bottom are exactly the same piece (or maybe the same casting, but with different machining).
 
Betors were on Rickmans as well, as I recall. Plenty of them made it across the pond into Oz.
 
Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

The Betors on my Bultaco Pursang 125.

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild

Some Cerianis

There are different Betors and Cerianis available so this is just a couple examples.
 
davamb said:
Betor??? What??? Seeley, Ceriani, Metal Profile and now Betor - Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh! My poor widdle brain is hurted.
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One of the Commando wrecks I bought recently had Betors on it. Betor yokes with Kawasaki Z650 fork legs that is. Theses yokes look completely different to yours .

http://www.google.de/images?hl=de&q=bet ... a=N&tab=wi

The second picture on this photo search (unfortunately the link itself is dead) shows a similar example. The legs are clamped by two allen keys roughly at 45deg to bike's middle plane.

This Rickman has Betors as well apparently which looks a little different but closer to mine than to yours:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/s ... man085.jpg

The upper and lower yoke on mine are identical and both feature these little raised bosses. The handlebar clamps go there if one uses them and they could be used for fork stops on the lower one probably.

So I'd guess unless Betor changed the design drastically yours are not Betor.



Tim
 
ML said:
They could also be Metal Profiles forks from the UK. They made some products which look very similar to these. The Norton Pegasus twin engine drag bike also had them with twin discs.
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Thanks Mick, that was where this all started after Bert was sure they were Metal Profiles, not Seeley as I was told from the chappy I bought the bike off.
I sent the above pictures of the forks to Greeves (who now own Metal Profile forks). I received this response from them:

Thank you for your Email and photos last week in connection with your Norton bike.
We think that the forks you have on your bike are Ceriani from the look of the slider and the hexegon nuts at the top.
Click to expand...

Well, I think Betor is out of the running and they sure look like one of the MP sets to me, but if the manufacturer themselves tell me otherwise then ... I dunno.
 
I'd mentioned the Commando on the TRX forum that I frequent and one of the chaps there thought the wheels were Campbells. I decided to contact John Campbell, sending him a pic of the bike and he had this response:

Hi Dave,

The forks are Ceriani and the wheels are Morris Magnesium of the USA. One of my competitors during that era. They were also used on the racing MV's

Regards

John Campbell
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So I think that finally puts the matter to rest.
 
Hi all,

Now that I've spent some time riding the old girl, I've decided the Dunstall is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever sat upon.
So... I'm thinking of a single seat. I also think the bike is crying out for it in the looks department too.
I've used a block connector to the rear light and indicators, so I can accommodate both seats, although a single seat needs rearsets as well.
Hoping to try and get rearsets and seat for around $500 Aussie - is this possible or is my budget way too low?
Any advice / suggestions?
 
Personally I think the Dunstall rear looks good, especially with your wheels... overall gives the bike a nice 70s period look...

Have you thought of having the seat reupholstered? A good custom seat job will make a *huge* difference. Sargent Cycle (lucky for me in my neighborhood) redid mine. Looks great and feels a million times better (and no more cheek splitter!).

Cheers,

HJ

Commando Cafe Racer Rebuild
 
Dave

I figured this woudl be an issue with the seat .

There are plenty of options ~ and seat build can be economical as you care to make it ~

Have you thought of having the seat reupholstered?
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I bought a tatty T120 seat for my Trident project ~ $30 ~ then I scored a new seat cover FOC ~ (but that part was a rare op that popped up !)

Then I simply got a local upholsterer to cut and over lay grey sponge < 4" >, with green sponge <2 "> . He did a nice job on it and charged me $25 for the experience.

And I just got back from a 40 Km squirt on the Trident and it was not a problem ~

I also did similar with the COmmando seat and that one I did myself ~ with great results there as well~

I guess bottom line (Opps.. No pun intended there! ) ~ it is what all about sponge you use ~ and boney your arse is ~ lol :oops: :D

And course you can spend Julia Gillard's predicted economic strategy for 2011 on custom seats ~
 
Hungry J0e said:
Personally I think the Dunstall rear looks good, especially with your wheels... overall gives the bike a nice 70s period look...
Click to expand...
Thanks Joe, that's the look I was trying to re-create and honestly, I never thought I'd get to the point where I'd end up modifiying to my own preference.
It's seriously uncomfortable with clipons and without bum stop and rear-sets, regardless of the padding or lack thereof. Flat bars would just look silly, whereas a single seat (like yours) really floats my boat.
Hungry J0e said:
Have you thought of having the seat reupholstered? A good custom seat job will make a *huge* difference. Sargent Cycle (lucky for me in my neighborhood) redid mine. Looks great and feels a million times better (and no more cheek splitter!).
Click to expand...
I have, but I'd rather leave it as it is and spend the money on another seat and then have the option of swapping over should I ever have the desire to take a passenger (such as Ms D), assuming swapping from rearsets back to original is a simple, reversible task.
Stuart SS said:
Dave

I figured this woudl be an issue with the seat .
There are plenty of options ~ and seat build can be economical as you care to make it ~ Have you thought of having the seat reupholstered?
Click to expand...
Hey Stu, how have you been? Sorry I've been out of touch for a while, just been flat nacker trying to catch up after taking a couple of weeks leave. Never again.
Anywho, see above comments
Stuart SS said:
I bought a tatty T120 seat for my Trident project ~ $30 ~ then I scored a new seat cover FOC ~ (but that part was a rare op that popped up !)
Then I simply got a local upholsterer to cut and over lay grey sponge < 4" >, with green sponge <2 "> . He did a nice job on it and charged me $25 for the experience.
And I just got back from a 40 Km squirt on the Trident and it was not a problem ~
Click to expand...
So the Trident's on the road? Well done mate, well done! Next winter I will head North for my leave and drop by and say g'day. (Didn't I just say I'd never take leave again?)
Stuart SS said:
I also did similar with the Commando seat and that one I did myself ~ with great results there as well~
I guess bottom line (Opps.. No pun intended there! ) ~ it is what all about sponge you use ~ and boney your arse is ~ lol
And course you can spend Julia Gillard's predicted economic strategy for 2011 on custom seats ~
Click to expand...
That's it exactly, I don't carry any spare meat - my arse is rather bony. (That's what a complete lack of beer for 20 - odd years will do to you.) Just had the TRX's seat resculpted to suit my buns so that I have a larger contact patch and that's improved things, and sure, new foam in the Dunstall would improve matters, but at the end of the day, it's got to be a single and rearsets. I proved this the other day on the freeway. Put my feet back on the pillion pegs and it was much bettererer. A handout from Gillard? - wouldn't hold my breath. And if I did ever get anything, Ms D would make sure it went straight into consolidated revenue.

Nope, it has to be a single seat and rearsets...
 
Clipons w/o rearsets is just silly. You'll be surprised at how much more comfortable the seat will be with them.
 
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