IKEA Norton - some assembly required

I bought a new 1974 850 commando in 1975, converted it to dunstall in 1976, thought a café racer was cool, found out its very impractical in city traffic, touring on the highway wasn’t any better. It ate its’ electrical components. On the way home in 76 it spit out a chain, and the in 1977 it ate a camshaft. I was bikeless until 78 when I could afford to pay for the cam. Also planned a cross Canada trip for 1979 and the Norton no longer seemed reliable. Traded it for a 1978 Suzuki gs750. And life went on.


These days my 1974 dunstall Norton resides in garage space with a local car nut who has refused to sell it back to me. So it was time to find another way of scratching the Norton itch. In the prairies Nortons are now becoming rare. I finally tracked down a candidate in Ontario, and had it shipped.


Behold the IKEA Norton – some assembly required…
Serial numbers indicate a 1973 850 model with 26,000 mi. Has interstate tank and seat, is missing exhaust system.
The rebuild begins.

hehe what a happy sounding mess you face. At least ya can follow IKEA manual to the letter but following Norton instructions to the letter can hurt you and the Commando but guess you learned that in spades already. Is that itching powder the images shows so much of?

didn't the factory ship them with itching powder back in the 70's, i could never get it off

As with most Ikea type self assembly items you are sure to have a few bits left over at the end but not the important fixing "F" that hold item "B" to part "H".
Have fun an hopefully it should look good at the end but if it turns out to be a dining table and chairs go back to page 4 and start again

Also please tell us were in Ikea you buy those as the store my wife drags me roround is full of furniture lights rugs an other really boring stuff.

I think I know what you mean by the some assembly required...

Some people build puzzles on the coffee table. Some of us require more kinetic sculptures to assemble. That's looks like a fun project.

Good luck with the project

if all else fails consult the parts book

Frankie17 said:

Good luck with the project

if all else fails consult the parts book

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If all else fails consult the forum, they got me through it.

850dunstall said:

in 1977 it ate a camshaft

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i'm assuming the original, at what mileage? any comments if this was a general issue for 74?

84ok said:

850dunstall said:

in 1977 it ate a camshaft

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i'm assuming the original, at what mileage? any comments if this was a general issue for 74?

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cam was gone in 10,000mi

Looks like a fun project to me....Tally Ho!