glad to be here

Hello All I'm a newbe .. first let me say thank you to Jerry for helping me actavate on the site.. Since I was a little boy I allways wanted a Norton. I used to look at Magazines and say "someday" When I turned 16 in 1976. Norton dealers didn't exist any more . So I bought a Triumph , "Love it" sold it in the 80's . Didn't ride for many years . Decided to go the Harley route "hated It". Anyway I just bought a 73 Commando 850. with 7,500 miles. haven't rode it yet want to do some upgrades and make sure I do it right.. I need Advice were do I start? I want to keep it stock. If I go with parts like Emgo, made in Taiwan. will it take away from the value and Authenticity??? "STOCK VS ORIGINAL" Whats the difference?? My e-mail is sammy2chins@optonline.net feel free to email me I need to make the right moves thanks sam

Welcome. You've definitely come to the right plice for the widest range and depth of knowledge concerning the Commando.

Your requests are some of the typical open-ended type that elicit the full range of responses from "keep it stock" to "go your own way". There is no wrong answer, but the BEST answer is the one that will formulate itself in your head after you've ridden the bike a little while at least.

You should perform an overall maintenance on the bike, by the book (shop manual), in the order described in the book. Then ride it. Ride it around your neighborhood, then around town, then for ever-increasing highway jaunts, till you get the feel of it. By that time you will have read plenty of advice here, and gotten a much better feel for what you want from the bike.

"Stock" and "original" are basically the same thing. To be truly original, you'd have to research your bike's serial number and try to ascertain the configuration it left the factory (not easy); it could have been a Roadster, Interstate, or High Rider.

If you bought the bike to ENJOY, it doesn't matter what it is "supposed to be". If you bought it as an "investment" (good luck), you will probably spend more restoring it than you'll ever get back from selling it.

Welcome to the never ending Commando project pondering list : )
Its takes years to cover the scope of Commandos, both stock,
useful practical upgrades for real life, to outrageous customs.

Need both Norton WorkShop Manual and the Parts number book
Quickest way to get up to speed is to spend a season or so
reading Everything in Captain Nortons site.
http://home.clara.net/captain.norton/in ... ex%20start

Next would be find "INOA Tech Notes" booklet.
Contact INOA for that.

Here's list of world wide vendors that support our addictions
with your added expenditures.
http://www.ntnoa.org/pdf/Nortonresources.pdf

hobot
N.W Arkansas Ozarks.

thanks . what do you think of Emgo parts??

I use plenty of Emgo parts with very good results. Not sure when they appeared on the popular scene, but it's been at least ten years. YES, even the pistons (which are actually JCC)

Not sure when they appeared on the popular scene, but it's been at least ten years

Click to expand...

EMil GOmez began selling Asian made motorcycle parts in 1967!!

You will get a wide range of opinions on EMGO parts. Many people disdain any part made in Asia, but I have seen poor quality in "Made in Englad" parts as well. There are some EMGO parts I will use and others I won't.

welcome Sammy,
I concur with Paul's view... you can improve it greatly over the '73 factory output. First thing I'd do is the front brake.
as far as going for a concours rebuild, you'd probably get a better return investing in BP. But, like a few other things, you can have lotsa old guy fun just making it clean and safe.
Cheers,
Don