Early commando restoration to original

Hello there everyone,
I am restoring an early 68 commando number 126436
The bike was a basket case when I bought it with all of the original body work missing or replaced with later roadster stuff.
I would love if anyone had any info on my bike. It's a wide world out there and someone might know something!!
I have pretty much acquired most the original items I need to bring it as close as I can to original. I assume the paint colour would have been forest green but I believe there is some speculation about possible other colours used.
My bike still has the original frame which I have repaired and covertly strengthened to keep it looking original but hopefully not fail and make a widow of my fair lady.
The bike has what looks like atlas style fork covers. I think I have seen an early press brochure that showed one that looks like a real early bike which has the atlas style covers. Does anyone know of the possibility that my bike may have been delivered this way?? I just want to get it as close as feasibly possible and any factory quirks and deviations in delivery spec make it more interesting.
Any thought, comments or suggestions would be immensly appreciated.
Kind regards in advance people
Cheers Matt

Hi Matt, welcome. Any pictures for us?

Yeah sure will add some soon when I work out how to do it
This is a great site btw

I've spent years scouring the earth for bits and pieces that I need such as the conical shaped primary cover for one and a myriad of other bits. Just about there I think. The bike was in a bad way when I got my hands on it. The lower tubes were a mess with multiple poor quality attempts at repair. Bits of mig wire hanging off dodgy looking welds etc.
I built a frame jig to keep the geometry true and replaced both lower tubes with chrome moly tube down to the centre stand area. I also added some hardened steel sleeves inside the tube to mate the new and old joints with added rigidity.
Hopefully it holds fast. I will treat it gently when I get to ride it and keep a close eye on the problem area.
Just much more collectible to have and original widow maker frame in my opinion.

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... chures.htm
First production Commando was 126125 Feb '68. Most likely wasn't registered until '69, at least the US bikes were like that, not sure about the UK bound bikes.

Dave
69S

Any idea on the ratio of bikes sent to US over UK delivered bikes? I imagine demand in the states would have been high.
Ive seen a few early 68 bikes in the us that are signal red or something similar. Not sure where mine ended up being delivered. Pity there is no factory documentation to give me what I'm after.
I think I probably won't ever be able to discover what colour it was originally and will paint it BRG.

Does anyone know what month roughly it was made or how many a month they made? From what I can deduce I think it could be the 311th commando made.
Sorry for the bombardment of questions.

Thanks Dave
The brochure that I remember seeing was a single page black and white and it had the same forks as mine ie. no gators and the atlas style tube covers with the road holder stickers.
Has anyone seen a 68 with this fitted? I fail to see why someone remove the gators and fit what I have but I guess anything is possible.

Helpful hints:

Put your location in your profile. This helps in a ton of ways, as perhaps there is someone local you can contact, or if you need parts, where to go that is close to you, etc.

Learn how to post pictures. They are worth more than a thousand words on the forum. Directions are in the first post in the Commando Section.

Can't want to see it!

RandomMan said:

Thanks Dave
The brochure that I remember seeing was a single page black and white and it had the same forks as mine ie. no gators and the atlas style tube covers with the road holder stickers.
Has anyone seen a 68 with this fitted? I fail to see why someone remove the gators and fit what I have but I guess anything is possible.

Click to expand...

Matt
From the information I have, the very first Commando never had the solid Atlas style fork covers that yours has. They were rubber gaiters right from the start.

When the first Commando appeared at Earl's Court in September 1967, it was all silver with an orange seat. But for production it was changed to Green with a black seat. One would assume the green was BRG but there may have been a variant on that, my pictures are all black and white. Interestingly, on show at Earl's Court, the block was silver, but black for production, then back to silver soon after which it remained until the combat in 72 when it became black again.

The original model was named the 20M3 but later named the Fastback.

If I can dig up any other information for you, let me know.

Phil

And side covers were silver Matt.

131180 was was Mar 69, if you divide up the serial numbers evenly by month, you might get close. I bet it's Feb or Mar 68, but that's just speculation. The very early ones didn't have a 'compliance plate'? I know they get removed too.

Yes Dave your right, it has no plate but the serial number stamped on the head stock. My numbers match except my gearbox which has no number. I think this is correct as early bikes had no gearbox numbers. Someone may confirm this is the case.

I'm still learning how to use the site.
Who would I ask for permission to post pictures on this forum.
I currently have nowhere to store photos which I could link to.

I am in Australia. I have a feeling my bike could have come from the states but it has never been registered in Australia as far as I know.

DogT said:

131180 was was Mar 69, if you divide up the serial numbers evenly by month, you might get close. I bet it's Feb or Mar 68, but that's just speculation. The very early ones didn't have a 'compliance plate'? I know they get removed too.

Click to expand...

Matt
Sept 68 was 128646.
So you aren't many months later than Feb 68.
A very early one indeed.

DogT said:

131180 was was Mar 69, if you divide up the serial numbers evenly by month, you might get close. I bet it's Feb or Mar 68, but that's just speculation. The very early ones didn't have a 'compliance plate'? I know they get removed too.

Click to expand...

Matt
Sept 68 was 128646.
So you aren't many months later than Feb 68.
A very early one indeed.

I switched from the Commando Program to the AJS Stormer as soon as Commando actvity moved to Plumstead after the '67 Show. I had the imprssion that maybe the first 50 or so were done like the show bikes (silver with an orange seat) but with a classic-style "Norton" script in black painted (or maybe a decal) on the tank. The dumb-s--t green globes that N-V paid some ridiculous PR firm £20,000 to develop as a "new symbol" for the revived company were gone very soon after the show. The symbol soldiered on for a while in various paperwork items.

I actually overheard a show visitor ask "why are the trafficators (UK term for turn signals) green?" Someong in the biker press commented that the company must have been sponsored by the Irish Republic's government, since the colors (subsituting silver for white) were those of the Irish Republic's flag.

frankdamp said:

I switched from the Commando Program to the AJS Stormer as soon as Commando actvity moved to Plumstead after the '67 Show. I had the imprssion that maybe the first 50 or so were done like the show bikes (silver with an orange seat) but with a classic-style "Norton" script in black painted (or maybe a decal) on the tank. The dumb-s--t green globes that N-V paid some ridiculous PR firm £20,000 to develop as a "new symbol" for the revived company were gone very soon after the show. The symbol soldiered on for a while in various paperwork items.

I actually overheard a show visitor ask "why are the trafficators (UK term for turn signals) green?" Someong in the biker press commented that the company must have been sponsored by the Irish Republic's government, since the colors (subsituting silver for white) were those of the Irish Republic's flag.

Click to expand...

I think you might be right there Frank.
I seem to remember I have a Commando add on the back of one of my very early bike magazines with the silver/orange colour combination. Gives me an excuse to dig out those old mags, probably untouched for thirty plus years.

But Matt's bike would I think have been one of the green ones, considering his engine number.

Phil

Thanks Frank. I had heard rumours of some being painted the same as the earls court one as well as some being silver on the tank, tailpiece etc.
The green globes were "interesting" as far as labelling goes. Not sure where they were going with that.

frankdamp said:

I actually overheard a show visitor ask "why are the trafficators (UK term for turn signals) green?" Someong in the biker press commented that the company must have been sponsored by the Irish Republic's government, since the colors (subsituting silver for white) were those of the Irish Republic's flag.

Click to expand...

So, the original Commando DID have trafficators, green though they were.
What year were the stems fitted?

Matt
Hi ,I have a sales brochure in B + W from 1968 with green globe on it I think that is the year there is no date on it. It shows the Commando with fork shrouds top and bottom not gaitors.
I can send you a copy as I am in Sydney.
Brett