My Commando Is A Jealous Be-atch!

Tornado

Tornado

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Been ignoring the Commando past 7 or 8 weeks in favour of my newly acquired '54 Velocette MSS. Decided to blow the dust off the C yesterday and did a good bit of highway riding. Upon return trip, few miles from home, got a strong whiff of fuel while at a traffic light. Glancing down saw fuel peeing out somewhere around the carbs.stopped up and had a good look. All fuel lines ok. Nothing obviously loose, just immediate fuel dump when opening the taps, from somewhere around bottom of float bowl, right side carb. Normally I carry my tool bag on board the Commando, but I'd left it in the Velo for this short run. No way to investigate further or sort anything road side. Auto club would be at least 3 hrs wait time. So decided to schlep it across town on bike paths, sidewalks. After about an hour of this I was maybe 3/4 the way there, but just could not manage the last big uphill. Parked up and walked home to fetch tools after a good rest up.
Upon return I check drain cap and fuel banjo, both good and snug. Joining hose between bowls all secure. No sign of bowl screws coming adrift. So dropped the fuel banjo on right carb and bingo, the banjo pulled away leaving one cracked off spigot in the joining hose.
Had to make one more walk home and back to bike to pick up a replacement banjo from my spares. Got her home under her own power.

I'm convinced she was letting me know she wanted my attentions again!
 
Last edited:
Tornado said:
Been ignoring the Commando past 7 or 8 weeks in favour of my newly acquired '54 Velocette MSS. Decided to blow the dust off the C yesterday and did a good bit of highway riding. Upon return trip, few miles from home, got a strong whiff of fuel while at a traffic light. Glancing down saw fuel peeing out somewhere around the carbs.stopped up and had a good look. All fuel lines ok. Nothing obviously loose, just immediate fuel dump when opening the taps, from somewhere around bottom of float bowl, right side carb. Normally I carry my tool bag on board the Commando, but I'd left it in the Velo for this short run. No way to investigate further or sort anything road side. Auto club would be at least 3 hrs wait time. So decided to schlep it across town on bike paths, sidewalks. After about an hour of this I was maybe 3/4 the way there, but just could not manage the last big uphill. Parked up and walked home to fetch tools after a good rest up.
Upon return I check drain cap and fuel banjo, both good and snug. Joining hose between bowls all secure. No sign of bowl screws coming adrift. So dropped the fuel banjo on right carb and bingo, the banjo pulled away leaving one cracked off spigot in the joining hose.
Had to make one more walk home and back to bike to pick up a replacement banjo from my spares. Got her home under her own power.

I'm comvinced she was letting me know she wanted my attentions again!
Click to expand...
Was this a plastic banjo or a monkey metal one?
I'm wondering why it cracked
 
My Norton never gets jealous, when I brought my new 2013 Thruxton it probably thought, thank god another bike to take over a flogging lol, but it knows it's the number one in my life so no need for it to get jealous.

Ashley
 
baz said:
Was this a plastic banjo or a monkey metal one?
I'm wondering why it cracked
Click to expand...
That would be monkey metal that cracked. My only double spigot in my spares was the old plastic one. Seems fine for now.

No obvious reason why it chose to crack. Had it on the bike past five seasons, doing well over 18k miles on it. Persumably a few decades old. Who knows what stresses it had seen.
 
Never had any problems with the plastic ones still running with the original plastic ones after 48+ years, never has leaked from them, so your old ones should be good, I never replace things if they still working.
 
ashman said:
Never had any problems with the plastic ones still running with the original plastic ones after 48+ years, never has leaked from them, so your old ones should be good, I never replace things if they still working.
Click to expand...
Im sure someone will be along shortly to blame the ethanol fuel for the metal fatigue 😉
 
Oh boy. I had been putting more k's on the /5 this season and the Commando got even twice. Coming back from Huntsville the r. side float bowl plug dropped out, motor ran terrible, sock got wet, came to a stop. Quick thinking, shut off fuel taps and rolled the bike out of the fire hazard. Parked the bike and hoofed it back almost to the last exit on Hwy 11 before, low and behold, there was that plug laying on the hwy. (Shit luck).The washer was gone, the threads were knackered. Walking back to the bike,found a piece of material suitable for a seal and carefully threaded it back in. Fired her up,now 75 kms from the stable. Just a slow monitored drip.
5 kms from the stable, the l. side plug dropped out, this time lodging below out of finger reach. Had to call wife to bring a long screwdriver to get the little devil free.
Finally made it home, but swear the Commando was jealous
 
BERT said:
Oh boy. I had been putting more k's on the /5 this season and the Commando got even twice. Coming back from Huntsville the r. side float bowl plug dropped out, motor ran terrible, sock got wet, came to a stop. Quick thinking, shut off fuel taps and rolled the bike out of the fire hazard. Parked the bike and hoofed it back almost to the last exit on Hwy 11 before, low and behold, there was that plug laying on the hwy. (Shit luck).The washer was gone, the threads were knackered. Walking back to the bike,found a piece of material suitable for a seal and carefully threaded it back in. Fired her up,now 75 kms from the stable. Just a slow monitored drip.
5 kms from the stable, the l. side plug dropped out, this time lodging below out of finger reach. Had to call wife to bring a long screwdriver to get the little devil free.
Finally made it home, but swear the Commando was jealous
Click to expand...
Hell hath no fury like a Commando scorned....
 
I think you all got to do what I do, my bike has no name except for bike, after every ride I pat it on the tank and say thanks for a great day out, nothing more and nothing less, seems to work for me, it's been very reliable in the 48+ years of owning it, it does have its moments but has only disliked me when I have done something wrong and has only left me on the side of the road with a first time a broken chain after doing one big huge burnout in my youth and another chain when it decided to throw the joining link, about 10 years ago, I now use safety wire on that link and of course got stuck at a mates place 100 miles from home a week after the great fire of 82 when the Boyar black box decided the fire was too much for it and a week later after the fire damage repairs were done and first run after the repairs, so really it was just upset with me for not having decent air filters after the conversion to the Featherbed frame, so was my own fault.
I never blame the bike when it's my fault.

Ashley
 
BERT said:
Oh boy. I had been putting more k's on the /5 this season and the Commando got even twice. Coming back from Huntsville the r. side float bowl plug dropped out, motor ran terrible, sock got wet, came to a stop. Quick thinking, shut off fuel taps and rolled the bike out of the fire hazard. Parked the bike and hoofed it back almost to the last exit on Hwy 11 before, low and behold, there was that plug laying on the hwy. (Shit luck).The washer was gone, the threads were knackered. Walking back to the bike,found a piece of material suitable for a seal and carefully threaded it back in. Fired her up,now 75 kms from the stable. Just a slow monitored drip.
5 kms from the stable, the l. side plug dropped out, this time lodging below out of finger reach. Had to call wife to bring a long screwdriver to get the little devil free.
Finally made it home, but swear the Commando was jealous
Click to expand...
Bert,
You must be living right to be able to walk back and find that plug! I had that happen to me but with no luck on the search.
Mike
 
I think it was member SwooshDave out on ride while making a utube viddy with MiTyGarage when something came off Mity's bike. Unnoticed at the time but careful review of footage later showed it departing, allowing them to return to scene to recover the part. I commented they potentially had invented a new type of revenue stream, recording chase bikes for Norton Commando parts recovery.
 
Tornado said:
Been ignoring the Commando past 7 or 8 weeks in favour of my newly acquired '54 Velocette MSS. Decided to blow the dust off the C yesterday and did a good bit of highway riding. Upon return trip, few miles from home, got a strong whiff of fuel while at a traffic light. Glancing down saw fuel peeing out somewhere around the carbs.stopped up and had a good look. All fuel lines ok. Nothing obviously loose, just immediate fuel dump when opening the taps, from somewhere around bottom of float bowl, right side carb. Normally I carry my tool bag on board the Commando, but I'd left it in the Velo for this short run. No way to investigate further or sort anything road side. Auto club would be at least 3 hrs wait time. So decided to schlep it across town on bike paths, sidewalks. After about an hour of this I was maybe 3/4 the way there, but just could not manage the last big uphill. Parked up and walked home to fetch tools after a good rest up.
Upon return I check drain cap and fuel banjo, both good and snug. Joining hose between bowls all secure. No sign of bowl screws coming adrift. So dropped the fuel banjo on right carb and bingo, the banjo pulled away leaving one cracked off spigot in the joining hose.
Had to make one more walk home and back to bike to pick up a replacement banjo from my spares. Got her home under her own power.

I'm convinced she was letting me know she wanted my attentions again!
Click to expand...
They know when they're being neglected, they get jealous

5 years ago my 68 Bonnevile threw a rod after I let her sit for year, while I was loving on my newly acquired 72 Norton.
 
Looks like the relationship is back on the mend....after two weeks of further neglect/punishment for her bad fuel leak behaviour, I rekindled her sparks with a good hard ride today and she performed flawlessly, giving 4 first kick fire ups and lots of power up the local mountains.

My Commando Is A Jealous Be-atch!
My Commando Is A Jealous Be-atch!
My Commando Is A Jealous Be-atch!
 
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