Chris
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2008
- Messages
- 1,632
Hi
Helping out a man who has just come back to biking (70 years old) & has added a Commando to his stable.
Its a bitsa 750 engine 850 frame,center punch numbered cases to match the frame ( new ie Andover Norton cases) m reg 1974,odd switches lots & lots of things wrong. Unfortunately he was unaware & paid a lot of money for it. It had been stood for 16 years & supposedly was rebuilt by the owner previous to that. ie up to 8 years before. A local bike dealer (not classic)sorted the bike for him (not!) Exhausts not tightened,clips not in the fin or the rose. Center stand bent & not bolted up to the frame,side stand, wrong spring wrong stand! Bike running on one cylinder when they tried to hand it back to him! New coils fitted when it broke down on the first run. Clutch plates stuck (fresh oil added) Nice goo. Gearbox oil changed (not) Oil tank over filled.They stripped the front caliper & fitted new seals & pads. Nice job spoilt by the fact they drilled out the mirror mount tapped it & helicoiled it (again nice job) Not a lot left of the piston rubber boot & a teaspoon of swarf in the piston seal area.Result no brakes. Pads are rock hard pattern Lockheed racing stock. Rear mudguard bolt has split the guard, a piece of rubber was wedged down the side so that when the seat was on you could not see it move!!! The list of what they did not do is even longer. Sadly they charged him modern workshop prices. So 6 grand later!
I have worked my way through the brake m/cylinder & rewired the Lucas Rita, thrown the Chinese coils! gone back & forward & finally found the fault was the pick up on the Rita. No coils required or the new carbs to replace the ones that were blocked!!! fitted my new spare Boyer & rewired again. Result?
He is delighted!
We now have a bike that runs, it still doesnt stop but it slows down a lot better.
What he would like is a front brake switch but when I removed the rubber cover from the switch/brake hose connection, no wires! I have not opened the headlight yet & am hoping the wiring is in there!!! Any help? wiring colours or where to look for the connections. Not sure what loom he might have?
Thanks.
p.s. Let me know the ref for the soft EBC pads or whatever make for road use Lockheed race caliper (more feel required) Goodridge hose already ordered.
He is looking up transfers & bits to buy. He says the bike is a keeper.
all the best Chris
Helping out a man who has just come back to biking (70 years old) & has added a Commando to his stable.
Its a bitsa 750 engine 850 frame,center punch numbered cases to match the frame ( new ie Andover Norton cases) m reg 1974,odd switches lots & lots of things wrong. Unfortunately he was unaware & paid a lot of money for it. It had been stood for 16 years & supposedly was rebuilt by the owner previous to that. ie up to 8 years before. A local bike dealer (not classic)sorted the bike for him (not!) Exhausts not tightened,clips not in the fin or the rose. Center stand bent & not bolted up to the frame,side stand, wrong spring wrong stand! Bike running on one cylinder when they tried to hand it back to him! New coils fitted when it broke down on the first run. Clutch plates stuck (fresh oil added) Nice goo. Gearbox oil changed (not) Oil tank over filled.They stripped the front caliper & fitted new seals & pads. Nice job spoilt by the fact they drilled out the mirror mount tapped it & helicoiled it (again nice job) Not a lot left of the piston rubber boot & a teaspoon of swarf in the piston seal area.Result no brakes. Pads are rock hard pattern Lockheed racing stock. Rear mudguard bolt has split the guard, a piece of rubber was wedged down the side so that when the seat was on you could not see it move!!! The list of what they did not do is even longer. Sadly they charged him modern workshop prices. So 6 grand later!
I have worked my way through the brake m/cylinder & rewired the Lucas Rita, thrown the Chinese coils! gone back & forward & finally found the fault was the pick up on the Rita. No coils required or the new carbs to replace the ones that were blocked!!! fitted my new spare Boyer & rewired again. Result?
He is delighted!
We now have a bike that runs, it still doesnt stop but it slows down a lot better.
What he would like is a front brake switch but when I removed the rubber cover from the switch/brake hose connection, no wires! I have not opened the headlight yet & am hoping the wiring is in there!!! Any help? wiring colours or where to look for the connections. Not sure what loom he might have?
Thanks.
p.s. Let me know the ref for the soft EBC pads or whatever make for road use Lockheed race caliper (more feel required) Goodridge hose already ordered.
He is looking up transfers & bits to buy. He says the bike is a keeper.
all the best Chris
