Fettling a Norton Commando 750

Richard Tool said:

Good luck with your bike . My mother was the youngest of 5 and the only one born in the USA . The rest of the family emigrated here from Tonsberg.

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Have you visited Norway? If not, If you have the opportunity to visit it I would really recommend it. During the summer there are some amazing mountain roads to ride on. Tønsberg is also nice, lots of viking and maritime history.

solbero said:

I ended up modelling and 3D printing a new mounting bracket for the Boyer electronic ignition. If you would like to print one, you can find the file and instructions here.

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I got my son in law to print me one of these. Many thanks for sharing the file.

I fitted a new throttle cable from Andover Norton last week. I have only used it on three short trips, but both the end ferrules have split. The metal they are made of is really brittle, almost like glass. The ferrules next to the adjuster are a lot thicker and has not shown the same problem.

I went into a local bicycle shop and got the thoghest brake ferrules they had. These are made of hardened brass. I cut a slot in them using a Dremel, filed them a bit and fitted them back on the cable. Hopefully they will not break like the originals.

I have had some problems starting the bike when cold. Tried a few things, but I figured the pilot jet in the Amals could be partially blocked. Anyways, they do need a clean.

To clean the pilot jet I used a 0.4 mm cleaning needle for cleaning 3D printer nozzles.

I thought I would calibrate the ammeter needle. It's resting position was to the right of zero. So I removed the thing and started to carefully pry it open. Well, 50 year old clear plastic does not like being carefully pried open so the whole thing decided to disintegrate.



Time to fire up the CAD software and 3D printer and create a new one.



The glass was cut out with a laser cutter from 2mm plexiglass. A friend at the local university has access to one.



The finished thing looks like new.

solbero said:

The finished thing looks like new.

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And if its like the ones I was buying in the 80's it will last about 60 miles before the needle starts to shake from side to side

You can drill a very small hole and fill it with Silicone oil to stop the shake.

solbero said:

I ended up modelling and 3D printing a new mounting bracket for the Boyer electronic ignition. If you would like to print one, you can find the file and instructions here.

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Thank you for making this available, I will try printing a few of these. I use zip ties & foam & an alloy plate but the u shape for the frame tube is excellent.

Chris said:

Thank you for making this available, I will try printing a few of these. I use zip ties & foam & an alloy plate but the u shape for the frame tube is excellent.

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Could i make the files available here in the resource section? The more places it is available the better.

marshg246 said:

None and all I can find on the Internet says that they are vibration proof so I would like to see what you saw.

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Sorry for the delay in replying regarding this issue. I was unable to find the info I had seen earlier until I accidentally stumbled across it while looking into another issue.

“The primary disadvantages of WAGO connectors in automotive environments include:

• Lack of Environmental Sealing: Standard WAGO 221 connectors are IP20 rated, meaning they are not sealed against moisture, dust, or road salt. In an engine bay or under-chassis environment, this leads to rapid corrosion of the copper busbar and the wire strands.
• Vibration Susceptibility: While they perform well in static residential settings, some users report that high-frequency vibration in vehicles can cause the lever-actuated spring clamps to loosen over time.
• Accidental Disconnection: The lever mechanism can be accidentally released when pushed into tight spaces, such as behind a dashboard or into a wiring harness bundle.
• Bulkiness: Compared to a properly soldered and heat-shrinked splice, WAGOs are bulky and can create "lumps" in a wiring harness that are difficult to conceal or manage, leading to further strain on the connection.
• Not Ideal for Fine Stranded Wire: While WAGO claims compatibility, some specialized automotive electrical technicians argue that fine-stranded, low-gauge automotive wire does not get as reliable a connection as solid or coarse-stranded wire, potentially leading to increased resistance.”