Marcofexcellence self introduction

MLW · May 6, 2012

Greetings earthlings!

I just signed up to Access Norton and thought I might introduce myself.

I recently aquired a '72 Combat Commando in a rather sorry state.
My current plans are to do a frame up resto. I tried uploading some pics
for your viewing pleasure, hopefully I was succesful in doing so!
Some features of noteworthyness on the bike are the oil cooler of
unknown origin standing proudly way out in the breeze on the right side of the
bike adjacent to the exhaust pipe and the rare concave Cibie halogen headlamp.
Yeah, the oil cooler has to go!

Though this is my first Norton, it is not my first British bike, I had a '72 and '73 Bonnie
a few years ago.
I have several years experience as an automotive tech and later as a motorcycle tech and currenty
work in a local bike shop handling parts... life is good!

I live in eastern Canada in a town called Moncton in the province of New Brunswick...
I'd imagine some of you will have to google that one!

Feel free to drop me a line and I welcome your comments and inputs!

Cheers!

Marc

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bwolfie · May 6, 2012

Welcome, nice starting point.

Torontonian · May 6, 2012

Welcome to the forum Marc. Have the blackflies come out yet ? Drove the Beemer to Moncton and beyond ( Cabot Trail ) last summer. I dunno,kinda like the oily cooler sticking out the side like that. Looks kinda trick. Leave it all rustyish ,just grease all cables and bearings and change fluids n'battery new of course. Happiness , Peter drivin' a 72 Combat called Crazy.

concours · May 6, 2012

Hi, welcome! I snowmobile New Brunswick frequently, been through Moncton, LOVE "Piston Alley" (where you can BLOW UP THE FASTEST SLED YOU CAN FIND!) and Popple Depot! You do know that oil cooler is pirated from an old VW beetle engine, right? Old school cool! :lol:

DogT · May 6, 2012

Holy Cow, that's a hot bike, I especially like the lack of foot pegs. And the oil cooler is just too cool, especially for the Northern Clime. I'll give you $50 for the metal tank.

BTW Welcome.

Dave
69S

Guido · May 6, 2012

Welcome Marc.
I gotta tell you, that just made my day and my day hasn't been going well so thanks for the giggle.
I build racing Vw engines as a hobby and seeing that cooler on there has got to be one of the coolest mods I have seen on a Norton.
A dog house cooler would be better though.
It looks like someone use a pipe wrench on the exhaust nut by the way they are ovoidal and the fins are bent.
Removing them will more than likely screw up the threads in the head as it tend to distort the thread in the nuts.

We're all here to help. You're gonna need it.

Guido · May 6, 2012

By the way, don't take anything we say about the condition of your bike personal.
We generally see a project like yours with adoring eyes and can't wait for pic of the progress.

Torontonian · May 6, 2012

So like leave her be. Why would you undo the exhaust flange nut and bugger things up ? Everyone seems to love the trick oil cooler courtesy Volksenwagon. The rust brown is nice on the eyes and with all the money you save on shiny parts you can buy a big bottle of Deet and catch some N.B. brookies for lunch.

Hobot · May 6, 2012

What a crapped out clapped out Combat with an ugly wart too boot! Its a rare opportunity to acquire one so intact with such patina. Its a rare ego that's strong enough to take the flake of running around on a ratty looking famous model. It takes a strong disicpline not to start wiping and rubbing beyond whats needed to get to stuff to service. There's a few Nortons that show up at rally's running like a top but looking like chicken roost in a moist dirty shed. Similar but direct opposite dilemma of those with a brand new Commando still in its crate.

rpatton · May 6, 2012

Torontonian said:
Leave it all rustyish ,just grease all cables and bearings and change fluids n'battery new of course. Happiness , Peter drivin' a 72 Combat called Crazy.

There's a fad here on the West Coast, probably elsewhere too, of doing 'rust-orations', as opposed to faithful restorations. It's a complete frame up rebuild without altering the outward appearance. I'd like to do it some day, but it would probably be a major pain in the neck having people making offers to buy it all the time. Those compulsive restorers out there

Hobot · May 6, 2012

The real issue of trying to keep a runner this way is the rust and decay cause major things to just fall apart or completely off, often not near home and hearth. Gas tank to mufflers could go at any time and I know what the insides of your front brake system will look like - not to mention insides of stanchion tubes. There is a style of leaving what can be rusty unfinished with perfect chrome new items for contrast.

DaveK · May 6, 2012

Its not THAT bad

grandpaul · May 7, 2012

Welcome! i think that porsche oil cooler looks cool (no pun intended)

pkeithkelly · May 7, 2012

Hello Marc and welcome!

I used to ride a Norton when I lived in Fredericton and Saint John. And have a special place in my heart for that place on Lutes Mountain when I hit that deer on my Trident in the middle of the night, while riding in the rain to join my buddies camping in PEI.

Ah... those were the days.

Congrats on the bike. It looks........ special. Love the custom license plate holder.

I assume you know parts are available nearby, at British Cycle Supply in Wolfville, NS, or in any case, you do now. I still have some buddies in your area who have their old Brit bikes from the 70's stashed away in sheds, always waiting for that magic time when they will get around to restoring it. Maybe you bought yours from someone like that.

In any case, whether you ride it as is, or after a blingy resto, the main thing is to ride the piss out of it. Enjoy the back roads of NB (deer, moose, radar, dogs, pot holes, bugs, tourists with trailers, etc.)

Hobot · May 7, 2012

God Bless your Soul Kieth for taking out another damn deer and living to collect some more!

Most dangerous thing of just hopping on and riding is the front brake can leak out fluid unknown and lose brake completely from on great pull down to next instant nothing at all. Keep eye on fluid level till you know for sure. Other horror I had happen with perfect runner not opened to check on was the comma slotted pistons rubbing on Al gasket that came apart just tooling around on it first 3 wks. Next dangerous thing is the lay shaft bearing locking up rear wheel on the fly and declutching don't release the lock up slide. The fourth issue is so so many things, like cables and Lucas items and Amals tend to quit on about every ride till about completely gone through. Even brand new Nortons are more like a kit the owner has to reassemble to get far away a long time and return as expected.

john robert bould · May 7, 2012

hobot said:
The real issue of trying to keep a runner this way is the rust and decay cause major things to just fall apart or completely off, often not near home and hearth. Gas tank to mufflers could go at any time and I know what the insides of your front brake system will look like - not to mention insides of stanchion tubes. There is a style of leaving what can be rusty unfinished with perfect chrome new items for contrast.

Steve, You can "see" the white goo slowly driping from the fork drain plug :!:

Torontonian · May 7, 2012

The plywood license plate holder is charming ,probably came from a Dalhousie pulp and paper plywood mill ,very local and authentic. Marc may have grief getting the bike to pass a Safety Standards Certification so he won't have to put any expensive plate on it to cover it up. Don't see with these older eyes any goo leaking out of fork bottoms and fork seals not leaking so obviously the front end is a good to go thumbs up.. Fields and backwood lanes I mean , not the King's highways.

MLW · May 7, 2012

Thanks for the welcoming comments everyone!

In view of the current enthusiasm for the custom oil cooler, I thing I might auction it off! Any takers?
It certainly would be the ultimate accessory for a Norton rat bike.
My plans are not to build a rat bike or to do a "rustoration".

What the photos don't show is the extent of corrosion, wear and a great variety of
disfunctional gremlins hiding thoughout...
But then again, that's what I wanted, to build a bike from the frame up,
giving it the best that my knowledge and experience will allow and have a bike that is
truly mine...

DogT · May 7, 2012

Go for it. And lots of pictures and a long thread we can all enjoy along the way.

Dave
69S

concours · May 7, 2012

Looks like she slept out in the rain many years. That engine turn over? If you haven't tried... don't. The damage rust can do when moved is great. Dismantle and inspect, clean, etc.

Marcofexcellence self introduction

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