Mk 3 or Pre Mk 3?

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AltaNorton

AltaNorton

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I have a '72 Combat 750 Interstate. However I have came across many sites that talk about Mk3 or earlier Nortons. How do i determine if mine is a Mk3 or a pre Mk3 bike? I would love to know especially because Old Britts (what seems to be a very useful site) often references these two different eras of bikes.

Thanks,

Matt
 
mattthomas4444 said:
I have a '72 Combat 750 Interstate. However I have came across many sites that talk about Mk3 or earlier Nortons. How do i determine if mine is a Mk3 or a pre Mk3 bike? I would love to know especially because Old Britts (what seems to be a very useful site) often references these two different eras of bikes.

Thanks,

Matt
Click to expand...

MkIII is 1975 (or later which isn't much).
 
MarkIII also have shifter changed over to the other (wrong) side :mrgreen:
Up to 74 right hand shift.
75 MarkIII also introduced electric start.
CNN
 
Hey, thanks a lot, am I right in saying that most other bikes also had left side shifting except for Nortons up until '75?

PS
To tell you the truth I'm only 15 years old, and my dads old Commando has been sitting around in our garage since before I was born. I have developed a love for old Brit bikes such as these, and if my dad doesn't take action to restore his beauty, I definitely will save up through many summer jobs so I eventually can restore it. For the time being however I am trying to get to know the bikes the best I can so that I don't end up with a mammoth job that I can't finish. Thanks for all your help and I'm sure that I will have many more questions for people alike to hopefully answer.

Matt
 
More confusingly the 750 models themselves ran from the Mk1 - Mk5 (V) but in general when people refer to the Mk3 they do mean the later (last) 850, good luck
 
First two replies are off track and are refering to 850's, try the norvil site
 
splatt said:
First two replies are off track and are refering to 850's, try the norvil site
Click to expand...


However, the Norvil website information has so many omissions it is misleading and innaccurate, as according to Norvil, certain year/mark models don't even exist!


This is a more comprehensive list.

750cc
Original Commando 4/68-3/69
750 R 3/69-9/69
750S 3/69-6/70
Fastback 3/69-8/70
Fastback MkII 9/70-12/70
Fastback MkIII 1/71-12/71
Fastback IV 1/72-3/73
Fastback LR (Long Range) 4/71-12/71
Fastback LR MkIV 1/72-2/73
Roadster 3/70-12/70
Roadster II 1/71-12/71
Roadster IV 1/72-2/73
Roadster V 3/73-10/73
SS (Street Scrambler) 3/71-10/71
PR (Production Racer) 4/71-10/73
Hi-Rider 5/71-12/71
Hi-Rider IV 1/72-2/73
Hi-Rider V 3/73-10/73
Interstate 1/72-2/73
Interstate V 3/73-10/73
850cc
Roadster MkI 4/73-12/73
Roadster MkIA 9/73-2/75
Roadster II/IIA 1/74-2/75
Roadster III 2/75-9/77
Interstate MkI 4/73-12/73
Interstate IA 9/73-2/75
Interstate II/IIA 1/74-2/75
Interstate MkIII 2/75-9/77
Hi-Rider MkI 4.73-12/73
Hi-Rider MkII 1/74-2/75
Hi-Rider MkIII 3/75-?
John Player Replica 11/73-2/75
 
this is the type of info that I would like to see in a seperate TECHNICAL section.
 
While comprehensive, even LAB has missed some models !!

850 Roadster Mk II
850 Interstate Mk II

Numerically the most common 850s ?

Cheers.
 
splatt said:
this is the type of info that I would like to see in a seperate TECHNICAL section.
Click to expand...

there is a TECHNICAL sticky at the top of this section, first post.
 
Rohan said:
While comprehensive, even LAB has missed some models !!

850 Roadster Mk II
850 Interstate Mk II

Numerically the most common 850s ?
Click to expand...

Whoops! :oops: Well spotted! And I've edited the list. As both MkII and IIA Roadsters and Interstates were manufactured over approximately the same production period.

(And I've added the list to the Tech.sticky)
 
L.A.B. said:
splatt said:
First two replies are off track and are refering to 850's, try the norvil site
Click to expand...


However, the Norvil website information has so many omissions it is misleading and innaccurate, as according to Norvil, certain year/mark models don't even exist!


This is a more comprehensive list.


John Player Replica 11/73-2/75
Click to expand...

I see the JPR was made till 75.
Was a Mark III JPR ever built?
I thought I saw one back in the day.
 
splatt said:
First two replies are off track and are refering to 850's, try the norvil site
Click to expand...

Not really. Thread starter asked how to tell between a MKII and MKIII. Those first two replies gave info about MKIII besides the obvious difference in engine displacement.
 
MichaelB said:
John Player Replica 11/73-2/75

I see the JPR was made till 75.
Was a Mark III JPR ever built?
I thought I saw one back in the day.
Click to expand...

There were no MkIII JPNs built, apparently.

The "MkIII JPN" featured in the '75 brochure is supposed to be a mock-up or a photo "re-touch" job I think.
 
All very good info but the coolest thing is that your interested in the first place! Welcome Matt, I think it's great that you care about the bike so it won't just rott away. Perhaps it will motivate your dad & the two of you can work on it together. My first bike was a Norton, I see no reason why you shouldn't suffer from the same fate.
 
Coco said:
splatt said:
First two replies are off track and are refering to 850's, try the norvil site
Click to expand...

Not really. Thread starter asked how to tell between a MKII and MKIII. Those first two replies gave info about MKIII besides the obvious difference in engine displacement.
Click to expand...


Did you bother to look at what year he is asking about ?, and yes the norvil site is lacking
Do you have any indication of chassis numbers LAB ?
 
splatt said:
Coco said:
splatt said:
First two replies are off track and are refering to 850's, try the norvil site
Click to expand...

Not really. Thread starter asked how to tell between a MKII and MKIII. Those first two replies gave info about MKIII besides the obvious difference in engine displacement.
Click to expand...


Did you bother to look at what year he is asking about ?, and yes the norvil site is lacking
Do you have any indication of chassis numbers LAB ?
Click to expand...

Oops. Mk2 or Mk3 Combat... :oops:

I thought he was asking how to tell the difference between a Combat and e-start MK3.
 
I don't think that the earlier 750s were very often referred to by Mark numbers. The factory may have used them internally but most owners seem to have quoted '1969' or '1970' etc. The idea of having different marks available at the same time with differing trim types could only lead to confusion.

It does seem that the first machines with the rear breather were generally referred to as MkIVs (ie 1972 models) and the 1973 series with the black clockholders, square tail light and cast area behind the timing chest were pretty well universally referred to as MkVs.

However, a quick look at my brochure collection and the parts books doesn't seem to show any 'Mk' reference aimed at the customer until the 850 MkIII
 
79x100 said:
However, a quick look at my brochure collection and the parts books doesn't seem to show any 'Mk' reference aimed at the customer until the 850 MkIII
Click to expand...

But factory parts supplements do exist for both the "850 Mk1A", and "850 Mk2 and 2A" models.

And, in my copy of 'Norton Commando Gold Portfolio' there is a reprint of a January 1974 Motorcyle Mechanics road test article entitled "CATCH THE 850-Norton introduce the uprated Mk2A Commando".

Also checking through some old magazines, September '74 BIKE magazine has a 'West London Motorcycles" advert offering "Norton Mk2A Roadster £830", and Norton M2A Interstate £841"!
So it seems evident that the 850 mark numbers were being used at that time, also Mk1 was probably applied retrospectively, because there was no "Mk1" until there were Mk1A/2/2A models.
 
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