- Joined
- Dec 23, 2009
- Messages
- 593
Bought this 850Mk2 in July and have been fettling it slowly since then. Bike smoked heavy on one pot when I bought it but I had driven almost to Scotland and decided I was having the bike regardless at £4000, whether I would end up stripping it or not. Commando prices are high here in the UK and all numbers matched. With the big disc, fair bit of stainless, a good frame and paint it seemed a good buy...
When I got the bike home I made no attempt to start it (despite having seen and heard it running) and started going thro' the bike. The headlamp shell was broken and 30yrs of quality botching became apparent. Decided to spend as little as possible (~£150) on it to get it going and then make a decision whether it was a 'keeper'. Re-engineered a number of brackets to reposition the ignition switch, horn and Boyer power box as providing the bike looks largely original from outside I am not bothered what's underneath the enclosed bits.
Biggest disappointment was the broken coil mount brackets when I removed the tank. Owner must have known as the welds were rusty. Nice. Anyway made some plates with 1 inch diameter recesses to clamp around the frame tube below the 2inch main top member; works well and you can't tell it's there. Will remake/weld brackets at next complete rebuild, hopefully in a few years.
Spent most of last weekend on the remaining 2-3 hrs work left that translated to about 15hrs. Was disappointed again to find no timing plate behind the primary chaincase so had to use a degree disc. Positive side was finding a belt drive there!! Expected a triplex chain.
After connecting the Boyer trigger wires the wrong way round and another 45minutes diagnosis it finally fired and ticks over very nicely. 8pm Sunday night I taxed the bike and let out the clutch for the first time. Eleven yrs since I have ridden a Commando. Armed with breakdown card and mobile phone I set off and did about ten miles returning with a big smile on my face. Bike was bellowing out smoke at one point but that seems to have now disappeared, engine is remarkably quiet. Just been out again tonight and think I have got myself a good buy. Isolastics are too tight and still have a list of jobs a mile long but I am one happy bunny. :mrgreen:
When I got the bike home I made no attempt to start it (despite having seen and heard it running) and started going thro' the bike. The headlamp shell was broken and 30yrs of quality botching became apparent. Decided to spend as little as possible (~£150) on it to get it going and then make a decision whether it was a 'keeper'. Re-engineered a number of brackets to reposition the ignition switch, horn and Boyer power box as providing the bike looks largely original from outside I am not bothered what's underneath the enclosed bits.
Biggest disappointment was the broken coil mount brackets when I removed the tank. Owner must have known as the welds were rusty. Nice. Anyway made some plates with 1 inch diameter recesses to clamp around the frame tube below the 2inch main top member; works well and you can't tell it's there. Will remake/weld brackets at next complete rebuild, hopefully in a few years.
Spent most of last weekend on the remaining 2-3 hrs work left that translated to about 15hrs. Was disappointed again to find no timing plate behind the primary chaincase so had to use a degree disc. Positive side was finding a belt drive there!! Expected a triplex chain.
After connecting the Boyer trigger wires the wrong way round and another 45minutes diagnosis it finally fired and ticks over very nicely. 8pm Sunday night I taxed the bike and let out the clutch for the first time. Eleven yrs since I have ridden a Commando. Armed with breakdown card and mobile phone I set off and did about ten miles returning with a big smile on my face. Bike was bellowing out smoke at one point but that seems to have now disappeared, engine is remarkably quiet. Just been out again tonight and think I have got myself a good buy. Isolastics are too tight and still have a list of jobs a mile long but I am one happy bunny. :mrgreen:
