mk2a commando

Hi
I'm new to the forum, but hope you can help.
1. i have a 1974 mk2a. it has fibreglass sidepanels, is this correct or should they be steel?
2. what is the correct position of the rectifier, indicator relay and other relay?
3. there is another relay on a spring clip up near the colis, what is the correct location please?
4. were fork gaitors a european spec or an option?

thanks for your help

stephen said:

Hi
I'm new to the forum, but hope you can help.
1. i have a 1974 mk2a. it has fibreglass sidepanels, is this correct or should they be steel? I have a 1974 MKIIA also. It has steel sides. Not sure if fiberglass was used that year.
2. what is the correct position of the rectifier, indicator relay and other relay? Rectifier is below the seat mounted on the back panel. here is a thread that may help.
battery-compartment-wiring-t13620.html?hilit=rectifier#p161370

3. there is another relay on a spring clip up near the colis, what is the correct location please? That is the Assimilator.
4. were fork gaitors a european spec or an option?

thanks for your help

Click to expand...

Do you have a manual? You can download one here and there is some really good info including how to post pictures which would help when you have questions:

technical-information-how-post-photos-t2357.html

The Mark IIA is the European specification special noise reduction motorcycle. Does your motorcycle have the black plastic air filter and left hand side panel with plastic Dzus fastener on the lower side? The reason I ask this is because a lot of people have misidentified the Mark II as a Mark IIA. However, the Mark II and Mark IIA's both had fiberglass and steel side panels. I have a Mark IIA Interstate with original fiberglass side panels. Also if your bike is a Mark IIA the rectifier is mounted on a rectifier bracket (p/n 06-4974) and the bracket is mounted to the front side of the rear frame plate. This rectifier bracket is also used on the later Mark III Commandos. Here is a picture of the rectifier bracket:


The arrow indicates where the rectifier would be mounted and the rectifier faces towards the front of the bike.

According to the Supplemental Parts Book for the Mark II and IIA's the long bellow type fork gaiters were not specified however that doesn't necessarily mean anything. During the Mark II/IIA production Norton made continual changes to the Commando and the parts book does not reflect the changes.

I would recommend getting a factory service manual and parts book including the Mark II/IIA supplemental sheets. The supplemental sheets are individual sheets that are to be inserted into the parts book.

hi
thanks fot the replies.
yes definately mk2a roadster with plastic air box
black capped silencers have been changed for peashooters though
the panel dosent have a dzus fasterner but it may be a replacement panel
thanks again

The Mk 11a seem to mostly be in mainland Europe and USA.

Not common in Australia and NZ except as imports from the US.

My MkIIa came with steel Roadster panels, and I acquired a set of NOS Interstate panels in fibreglass, both with the 'correct' Dzus fastener hole on the battery side

stephen said:

hi
the panel doesn't have a dzus fastener but it may be a replacement panel
thanks again

Click to expand...

The left hand side panel that does not have the plastic Dzus fastener on the side definitely means that you have a non-Mark IIA side panel. It would actually be interesting to me to see how your left hand side panel is mounted (could you post a picture?). Of course the tool tray in your side panel would have had to have been removed. I imagine that the bracket that supports the top of the original side panel also had been cut off and thatthe Dzus receptacle bracket on the battery tray was removed.

The picture of the rectifier bracket that I previously posted may not even work with the side panel you currently have. Originally the rectifier and the turn signal flasher were mounted on the backside of the non-Mark IIA's rear frame plate. However they needed to be relocated to the front side of the frame plate to make room for a plastic tool tray in that area.

If you want the original Mark IIA side panel, it may take a bit of looking around. They don't pop up on eBay too often. You may have better luck on the UK eBay site. Also if your battery tray and your ignition switch/side panel bracket have been cut I believe those parts can still be purchased new. Or you can do like I did and convert your Mark IIA to a Mark II. The Mark II side panels are a lot easier to find. I happen to like the looks of the metal air filter assembly and I think this makes it an easier bike to work on as well.

The left hand side cover on my Mk2a had a bolt with washers at the battery tray to form a stud for a nut,I got the Dzus parts from Andover Norton.

Hi Stephen
Here's a pic of my MK2A left-hand side panel with Dsuz fastener. I bought the replacement from OldBritts. Just let me know via PM if you would like any more pics.
Cheers
Mike

Thanks to everyone on this subject

i'll have a look at what i've got and take some photos later this week

thanks again

hi everyone

The side panel has a hole for a dzus fastrner and looks like the panel in the photos.

I also have a bracket for the rectifier again like the pictures.

So it looks like a mk2a I just don't know if the fibreglass panels are original.

thanks again

stephen said:

So it looks like a mk2a I just don't know if the fibreglass panels are original.

Click to expand...

It has been discussed before, and mentioned here already, that some 850 models had fibreglass sidecovers.

Once they are painted and stickered and pinstriped like brand new, they will look like they grew there...

Rohan said:

stephen said:

So it looks like a mk2a I just don't know if the fibreglass panels are original.

Click to expand...

It has been discussed before, and mentioned here already, that some 850 models had fibreglass sidecovers.

Once they are painted and stickered and pinstriped like brand new, they will look like they grew there...

Click to expand...

+1
If they've got the Dzus hole in them, they simply can't be for anything else :mrgreen:

Retires to safe distance while 'MK1A/Mk2A differences' emerge :wink:

Thanks again to all those who have helped.

Just a couple of other things......

Has anyone got a photo of the rectifier mounted on the mk2a plate with the relay etc, and i assume i should have an oil separator.

thanks again

stephen said:

Thanks again to all those who have helped.

Just a couple of other things......

Has anyone got a photo of the rectifier mounted on the mk2a plate with the relay etc, and i assume i should have an oil separator.

thanks again

Click to expand...

Stephen, on my Mark IIA the rectifier was mounted on the bracket as shown in the picture below. The rectifier bracket itself mounts to the rear frame plate at 3 points, two are at the side panel attach bracket and the third at the fender bracket mount bolt. The flasher unit mounts to the inboard 3/16 hole on the frame plate. The picture shows its relative position.

The wires that connect to the flasher and the rectifier are routed over the top of the 2MC capacitor. The brake wires continue down between the capacitor and the rectifier, then through the large hole at the bottom of the rectifier bracket. There is a grommet required in that hole. There is a small grommet above this hole that I am not sure of its function. Possibly it's for the battery vent tube. The rectifier bracket is also notched underneath the rectifier hidden in this picture but clearly visible in my previous photo. That is where I believe the chain oiler hose routes. There are a couple of other holes in that bracket that served no purpose on my bike.

When installing the flasher bracket I suggest using the shortest screw possible. Otherwise a longer screw would wear a hole in your plastic tool tray.


Norton Mark IIA rectifier location

excellent

thanks