looking for an original "R" model Commando

elefantrider said:
For all the pay-to-join "official" clubs and "genuine" vendors that exist, I wish someone would look through the records to try to determine how many of each Commando model were made in each year.
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The records are incomplete and the records that do exist vary in the details they have. The model being missing is common, as it was on the record for my bike, so this is never going to happen.
 
Aren't they pretty much the same bike, just went to a different shelf for tanks, seats, side panels and bars (mostly)?
 
Recordkeeping is part of any good industrial standard.

I can get a very detailed build sheet on my American 60's collector car, and they still know how many of each sub-model were built.

I guess I don't see how a factory can order enough parts, and build bikes without written work instructions on how to build them.
 
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Well Norton went bust, so records do go missing in administration, they have no value when the company is broken up and sold machine by machine. They had enough documentation to make a very roughly 80.000 but they do seem to have been lacking in the end records. Their annual inspection by the UK registration people seems to be easier going or how could they get away with a red identification plate with no direct stamp on the frame for so long. When the car factory I worked at in the early 980's had their annual audit it was a full month preparation and a further month sorting out any issues they found. I remember a duplicate VIN was issued once and the body was physically taken off the overhead conveyor by 8 people 20 ft up in the air standing on wire mesh so the sequence was corrected such was the problem if it was ever found.
 
I think I found a "R"

hard to tell, but it does have the low exhaust, points behind the cylinder, fork shrouds, fastback type covers and oil tank
looking for an original "R" model Commando
 
Looking pretty good and complete. Ditch the ape hangers, change the silencers and repaint in the original color.
Are you going to buy it? You should.
 
elefantrider said:
Looking pretty good and complete. Ditch the ape hangers, change the silencers and repaint in the original color.
Are you going to buy it? You should.
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Should'nt the primary cover/case be of the conical shape on the R model ? unless they are as I can't see a bigger pic !
 
I think it should have a distributor and the tach drive out of the timing cover?
Are there any more photos?
 
Well that checks out.

I know the early ('68) dispatch records just state 'Comm', and my '70 record states 'Roadster', so it's still possible the record could clarify.
Fishing through Greg M's excellent records, A batch of 24 'R' models were shipped to Canada in April '69, so the A-N record does state the model in that instance at least.

1748074124372.png
 
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What tank colors were available from the factory for the R?


Edit:
It looks like Grenadier red was the only tank color available from the factory for the R.
With the same silver side cover/tank as on the Fastback and PR.

looking for an original "R" model Commando


Unfortunate that someone had thought yellow all around looked better! :oops:
 
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elefantrider said:
What tank colors were available from the factory for the R?
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heavy metal flake blue or red, not yellow, I tried to get the seller to look underneath the tank on its underside to see if the original color was showing but he didn't understand.
 


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