Commando frame number

I own -69 Commando frame number 133143. Is there some information about manufacture month of this bike? I would be very grateful for this information.

Probably manufactured around August 1969.

For more detailed information you can apply to the records/library sections of the UK NOC or the VMCC as they both have access to the surviving factory records for that period but note they normally charge a fee for this service.

http://www.nortonownersclub.org/records-dating

http://www.vmcc.net/aboutus/library/FactoryRecords.aspx

69 & 70 have the same frame, and share a parts book.

There are differences, though (between 69 & 70); the oil tank & sidecovers being the obvious tell-tale. 69 uses the early style trapezoid shape, 70 and later use the triangular shape.

L.A.B. said:

Probably manufactured around August 1969.

For more detailed information you can apply to the records/library sections of the UK NOC or the VMCC as they both have access to the surviving factory records for that period but note they normally charge a fee for this service.

http://www.nortonownersclub.org/records-dating

http://www.vmcc.net/aboutus/library/FactoryRecords.aspx

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Have a lot of you registered with NOC to find the history of your Norton?

MS850 said:

Have a lot of you registered with NOC to find the history of your Norton?

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I enquired about my 850 Mk3 several years ago, as I've been a member since I bought my Commando, however, at that time they said they had very little information on the 850 models as their records only went as far as 1973, so couldn't tell me anything.
Subsequently, through discussions with Joe Seifert here on accessnorton it came to light that Andover Norton has various dispatch ledgers covering the period from 1973-on, but it seems they are also far from complete and once again, nothing was known about my particular 850 Mk3.

grandpaul said:

There are differences, though (between 69 & 70); the oil tank & sidecovers being the obvious tell-tale. 69 uses the early style trapezoid shape, 70 and later use the triangular shape.

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What???
From 1968-1970 the fastback used a trapezoidal shaped oil tank, no cover and a steel left side cover anchored at the bottom with a roto-lok. The 1969 'R' used the same set up. The 1969-1970 'S' used a central oil tank and fiberglass triangular side covers with "squared-off" edges, as did the 1970 Roadster. The rounded edge triangular fiberglass covers and the side mounted oil tank came in 1971, changing to steel in 1973.

The only change from 1969 to 1970 was color options. "R" model offered only in 1969. In 1970 a Roadster was essentially an "S" with low pipes.

Ron L said:

grandpaul said:

There are differences, though (between 69 & 70); the oil tank & sidecovers being the obvious tell-tale. 69 uses the early style trapezoid shape, 70 and later use the triangular shape.

Click to expand...

What???
From 1968-1970 the fastback used a trapezoidal shaped oil tank, no cover and a steel left side cover anchored at the bottom with a roto-lok. The 1969 'R' used the same set up. The 1969-1970 'S' used a central oil tank and fiberglass triangular side covers with "squared-off" edges, as did the 1970 Roadster. The rounded edge triangular fiberglass covers and the side mounted oil tank came in 1971, changing to steel in 1973.

The only change from 1969 to 1970 was color options. "R" model offered only in 1969. In 1970 a Roadster was essentially an "S" with low pipes.

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Your answer is much more correct regarding more detail, mine was a very basic visual answer only.

Original question is about FRAME only, so primary consideration is still that 69 & 70 use the same frame.

(you didn't quote my first sentence)

grandpaul said:

69 & 70 have the same frame, and share a parts book.

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I don't know how dodgy Norton was about "fudging" model years, but wasn't August the cross-over time for "old" year model end and "new" year model start? How close is the original poster's serial number to the crossover date?

L.A.B. didn't "nail it down" as he usually does; I wonder what year FinNor77 has on his title? (typical serial number charts say it's a 69)

grandpaul said:

I don't know how dodgy Norton was about "fudging" model years, but wasn't August the cross-over time for "old" year model end and "new" year model start? How close is the original poster's serial number to the crossover date?

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If you (or anyone else) can provide serial number information as to exactly when each 'year' model ended and the next one began then please share it with us but according to the NOC figures, 1969 started at 129500 and 1970 started at 134400 which places "133143" within 1969 production.

grandpaul said:

L.A.B. didn't "nail it down" as he usually does;

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Without access to the factory records it isn't possible to be more exact.

grandpaul said:

I wonder what year FinNor77 has on his title?

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As FinNor77 doesn't appear to live in the US he may not have a "title" document, but recorded registration year can be different to the production year if Norton actually had a production year, if they did, it was somewhat indeterminate going by when new models were released, which seems to have been anytime of the year.

I used to be the Machine dating officer for the AJS & Matchless club and they have the dispatch records for the Nortons built at Plumstead (different to the NOC and VMCC ledgers). I must have researched a bike close to this at some time as I wrote details down from that page.

Frame & engine 133143
Dispatch 12/6/69. (12 June 1969) to Berliner NY
Docket K9781
Colour Red

That's about as much info as the records show. A very few have extra info, but not many.

Hope this helps