Frame check/ straighten California

Hi All,

I purchased a 72 frame for my 71 rebuild due to some issues on the 71 frame and because I wanted the later stand bracket. I purchased the 72 frame on eBay and as usual it was a mis-represented description and upon removal of paint I found cracks and bondo in the loop. These things have been fixed. Now I am concerned about straightness and want to get it checked and possibly straightened. It looks ok, but that aint good enough.

Does anyone know a place in California (preferably Southern CA) where I can take or send the frame to? Or anywhere else in the US? It must be someone who knows Commando frames.

Cheers- Jerry

Jerry,

I've heard about this guy, but have never had work done by him. As I understand it, he's good and apparently has done commando frames before. http://www.motorcycleframeman.com/

Good Luck, David

If the beast assembles w/o much strain its plenty good enough to gogo. My down dirty check is put 2 rods through the iso holes to see if they are square to each other and 90* to a tube in fork bearings then put in power unit and see if rear axle square to the iso holes. Main thing of note if really missaligned to matter is rear tire wear will be slightly assymetric as I doubt any one can tell any influence on hadndling. Still perfection is a desirable goal even if just tor the heck of it.

Thanks for the response. I think it is mainly the loop. I have decided to move forward with the powder coating. I have another frame if it does not look right. I am going to contact the person you mention to sort out my other frame anyway for the nest build..

http://www.snowcrest.net/gte/

Verne knows Commando frames. He straightened mine and several for Kenny Dreer over the years.

"The Frame Man" in Sacramento did my frame and is well verse in Norton frames

Not California but these guys know their stuff; Randy and Karsten Illg at Framecrafters
http://www.framecrafters.net

You could do some rudimetary checks with a steel tape,straightedge and by trying to insert a couple of the ISO mounts.

Near you. Former racer IIRC

http://drjohnsmfs.com/

Have you ever looked up on the web 'The Worlds straightest Commando' ?? Probably not a wise thing to do but reading it many years ago amused me...especially when I was informed by several Reynold people that they made more profit in sorting out the Made In Italy Commando frames than they did when making them themselves in the first place!! It was of course cheaper to have them made in Italy.....bet it didn't end up so!!. I should add I was told the price of the frames made in the UK and Italy.. Of the Italian manufacturer I was later told by a Gentleman who knows such things that they make very good frames but not at the price Norton ( NVT or whatever they were called at the time) wanted to pay.
Many decades ago I bought an ex police 820 lump for restoration when retired assuming I made it that is....The first thing I noticed was that the timing side rear suspension unit was about 1/4 inch further out on the frame than on the swinging arm. Checking with friends asking them to take a good look at the rear of their Commandos it appeared my Commando was normal. Checking new and second hand frames and swinging arms the centre distance between the suspension units was greater on the frames than on the swinging arms! I very much suspect that two different people drew up the two drawings and did not talk to each other!! Its called quality control which of course costs money and requires inspectors and management NOT prepared to over ride the quality people to save money so has been rare in the UK for many decades..IN MY EXPERIENCE THAT IS!! as I wave around my quality inspection stamp and put on my GEC/Marconi hat!!. Talking to the Gentleman who bought the non restored lump to keep himself amused he said that on all the other Commandos he had restored for people he would put a large area washer on the timing side swinging arm fixing point to stop the suspension unit from working off the metalastic bush!! One Gentleman who was one of the riders of the Commando owned by Mr Richard Negus which finished second to the works(??) Honda in the 24 hour at Spa many years ago reported that the suspension unit came adrift just prior to the finish of the race making life rather interesting. I believe in all the races that both the Richard Negus private Commando was competing against the works Commandos there was only one instance of a works lump finishing before it!! The Mr Negus Commando was I very much suspect in a lower state of tune?? One Norton friend once said that the Works race shop people were incapable of putting together a motor that would survive a 24 hour race!! If true it does NOT suprise me.

Yes i read that, "the worlds straightest commando". I have to be careful as i am already obsessive.

So here is the deal with my frame: The original 71 frame had been butchered where the widoow maker stand was. Welding is terrible and i could not trust that. I purchased a 72 frame with the later side stand lug. When the frame was blasted i saw a few cracks around the rear engine mounts. I was not very happy with how the rear loop looked before blasting. After blasting it was clear to see the loop had been destroyed and fixed a few times. It was full of bondo too. Otherwise it looks straight to the eye.

As a result, the original 71 frame is about to be butchered and its rear loop will be removed and welded onto the 72 frame, with strengthening lugs. I am taking a piece of the tube from the original frame and going to weld in a horizontal strengthening piece about halfway down the 2 front tubes of the 72 frame that i am using.

I will be happy with the frrame after that.

Thanks for the info on frame straighteners. This thread will be usefull for others needing that info, but i think i am sorted now with the frame.

Cant wait to get my cases back from Matt next week