Kudos to this forum

[christulin]

I'm still in the early part of my learning curve about the Commando. I want to thank this forum for help and encouragement. Some of my posts may be erroneous, but I'm trying to help others as my relatively low abilities and knowledge improve and I work out some of the basics. I am an amateur and have learned lots about motorcycle mechanics at the school of hard knocks. There are some geniuses out there, racers and casual riders like myself. It is quite a mix. It looks like over 12000 different topics have been covered. The amount of knowledge being shared here is incredible.
I have read the shop manuals, service notes any anything else that has been published but they don't compare to this forum. Somebody needs to rewrite the book on Norton Commandos now that they have been out of production for three and a half decades, we deal with the problems of aging parts and are adding modern technology.

 

[acotrel]

I think the commando looks deceptively simple. I never expected my 850 engine to stand up under duress so I did not race it for many years, however it really amazes me. Yes I agree the book should be rewritten, - preferably by the Kenny Cummins, Herb Beckers, Jim Schmidts, Steve Maneys and Mick Hemmings of this world.

 

[Torontonian]

I've learned alot and others here have learned and offered advice as needed/requested. Nortons being as challenging/perplexing as time moves on. Still waiting on anti-grav. technology to be applied here. The communicators actually happened during our lifetimes. Big sparks to all ,live long and prosper.

 

[RennieK]

I think the commando looks deceptively simple. I never expected my 850 engine to stand up under duress so I did not race it for many years, however it really amazes me. Yes I agree the book should be rewritten, - preferably by the Kenny Cummins, Herb Beckers, Jim Schmidts, Steve Maneys and Mick Hemmings of this world.

Oops, for those actively immersed in improving, innovating and perfecting you have to add Jim Comstock to the list.

 

[DogT]

Don't forget ludwig.

 

[acotrel]

How about 'Improving Your Norton Commando', as a title ? Or should that be 'Perfecting Your Norton Commando' ? Sorry that I forgot Jim Comstock, I was trying to remember who Comonoz was. Getting old.

 

[bwolfie]

How about " The AccessNorton.com essential guide to keeping your Norton Commando going in modern times."

We can have chapters dedicated to each of the "experts" and then a few summarizing all the experts knowledge in a can't go wrong doing it this way how to section.

Everyone has notes, they need to be consolidated someplace.

 

[Rohan]

It has been rewritten - several times already.
You can read most of it here - can't find it, just ask !
John Hudson and the NOC have several rebuild videos.
And Captn Nortons Notes and the INOA Norton book also.

But the subject matter, and upgrades and tricks etc just keeps expanding.
No one person could ever possibly keep up with it ? (let alone get it into print)
LAB excepted, perhaps !!?

 

[pete.v]

Chapter 1."Selling your soul was never so much fun"
Chapter 2. "This ain’t a Swiss watch"
Chapter 3. "Maintaining your priorities and healthy addictions"
Chapter 4. "Sacrificing your childs future in 3 parts order of less"
Chapter 5. "Bartering your old part to your divorce lawyer"
cont.

 

[bwolfie]

Chapter 6 : This seemed like such a good idea.
Chapter 7 : Oh crap, what's gone wonky now?

 

[acotrel]

Chapter 8 : When the glass is half full, don't try to empty it.

 

[bwolfie]

Chapter 8 : When the glass is half full, don't try to empty it.

Chapter 8 addendum: Trying to find the hole that caused half of the glass to empty.

 

[christulin]

It doesn't have to be complete, but when I search "intake manifold" I find 229 matches on this forum. I think we could distill this down to the basics. What Jim Comstock is doing now is a bit, um, extreme but if he would write a chapter on rebuilding a cylinder head, at least that has to be better than the shop manual. I was thinking along the lines of "Know Thy Beast" for Vincent owners. Mike Brown has written a good book on rebuilding British bikes that is full of practical workshop tips but not much specifically for Commandos. Roy Bacon's book on restoring Nortons is spread too thin covering all the postwar models to be much help.

 

[mikegray660]

you forgot Jim Comstock, but he's a humble lad regardless

I think the commando looks deceptively simple. I never expected my 850 engine to stand up under duress so I did not race it for many years, however it really amazes me. Yes I agree the book should be rewritten, - preferably by the Kenny Cummins, Herb Beckers, Jim Schmidts, Steve Maneys and Mick Hemmings of this world.

 

[christulin]

I could write Nortons for Dummies.
Chapter one: replace anything made of rubber
Chapter two: clean as many electrical connections as you can until you give up and buy a new harness or make your own.
Chapter three: Replace whatever carb you have with a different carb; if you have two carbs change to one and if you have one carb change to two
Chapter four: Replace all wheel and steering head bearings with sealed bearings
Chapter five: own a reliable car if you ever have to be someplace.
Chapter six: resources for seeking counseling on how to deal with disappointment and frustration
Chapter seven: why oil leaks are important to prevent rust on painted parts
Chapter eight: relocate the horn where it can be seen and heard
Chapter nine: everything made out of steel will be rusty
Chapter ten: everything chromed will need to be rechromed
Chapter eleven: change points to electronic ignition. If you already have EI, change whatever kind to another EI because it is better.
Chapter twelve: carry a cell phone
(thats all I know so far)
Appendices can be technical articles written by the smart guys

 

[Hobot]

Alrighty Chris, ugh, covered most main chapter headings I try to put out of mind in maintaining an expensive dangerous hobby horse.
Chap. 13, Box[es] for incorrect manuals and corrective notes.
Chap. 14 Filing cabinet to hold folders of invoices and vendor instructions.
Chap. 15 Tie down options to carry and help make rescuers friends.
Chap. 16 How to part out to sell off and buy parts to make a good one so loosing least percentage of investment.
Chap 17 Bug climate and loss proof storage containers and souvenir shelves for trashed items too dearly earned to trash.

When Peel was in her prime sealed tight by all SS fasteners the steel base studs rusted on tops and engine heat cooked off clear coat attempts.

 

[acotrel]

Hobot, a couple of items in your post gave me a very uncomfortable feeling . Right throughout my professional life, I always kept notes. I don't usually do that when I'm playing motor cycles. With my Seeley 850 , I'm OK with carburation and ignition timing. I've kept a note on my cam timing with the 850 cam, and I know where I'll be going with the combat cam. The one thing I haven't recorded is the gearing that I use for our local circuit, and I use that as the benchmark for other circuits. I lost track when I fitted the 6 speed box because of the fight with sprockets and chains. What it probably means is two practice sessions instead of one when I could be concentrating on other things. - DUMBER AND DUMBER !

 

[Bernhard]

Hobot, a couple of items in your post gave me a very uncomfortable feeling . Right throughout my professional life, I always kept notes. I don't usually do that when I'm playing motor cycles. With my Seeley 850 , I'm OK with carburation and ignition timing. I've kept a note on my cam timing with the 850 cam, and I know where I'll be going with the combat cam. The one thing I haven't recorded is the gearing that I use for our local circuit, and I use that as the benchmark for other circuits. I lost track when I fitted the 6 speed box because of the fight with sprockets and chains. What it probably means is two practice sessions instead of one when I could be concentrating on other things. - DUMBER AND DUMBER !

Don’t know why you bothered with a 6 speed g/box, even Paul Dunstall found it actually gave slower lap times when he went to more than 4 g/box ratios right up to the spine framed bike.

 

[Hobot]

How'd we get from praising the forums help to jumping Norton fences into 6 speeds? I reflected very long on what to order up in an ITT tranny to put Norton name in front, if enough power on tap traction is digital with just a twitch, so 3 speeds is all Peel should need, 1st just being for creeping and slo mo smoke stunts. Prior to this fancy forum the hot spots for Norton advice was the NOC in UK and Brit Iron list. Time and events thinned them down to a low simmer of activity so survivors showed up here.

 

[christulin]

When restoring a bike, I take many photos and notes, attach tags, label plastic bags, etc.
I have multiple bike disorder, so I have a small notebook for each bike, to keep track of oil changes, repairs, etc. I also keep track of changes I make to carb and timing changes as I make adjustments and record how they affect starting, running, plug condition and so forth. With the Norton, I have a "to do" list, since it seems that every time I remedy one fault, I find one or two other faults to correct.
Performance mods could be at least one chapter if not an entire book to replace the factory service sheets for stage 1 and stage 2 mods. I think Mr. Comstock is on stage 10.