My first Norton.

At least the panel decals have been placed correctly (for a 71). Now that short rear loop would never get crooked. Looks hot. Could it be lighter than ludwig's? Is that green bungie holding the float bowls on?

Dave
69S

andersonjosh said:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...0489908837653.361956.515412652&type=1&theater

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Cool! As Swooshdave says, more pics please! When a Commando is customized right, it's right.
At first glance, it looks like a similar style to this one:

I'm a new Norton owner myself... I found a Norton in the back of my dad's garage. It had sat for 30 years. I weaseled it out of him (At a hefty price... His only daughter and he made me pay for it!) after months of begging. The first thing I did was cleaned it out. Drained all and any fluids (Gas tank, oil tank, primary, gear box...) I removed the oil tank and stripped the inside of it with kerosene and and drywall screws. Replace oil tank rubber mounts if you take it out, the muffler mounts too. Replace the oil lines if needed, mine were still in good shape so i kept them. If i was you, i would remove the clutch plates and clean them too. You don't want them stuck together the first time you ride. You can make a clutch spring compressor pretty easy if you don't want to drop the $50 for one online. I also took the carbs apart, cleaned the crap out of them, checked to bowls to make sure they were flat and put in new needles and got a carb rebuild kit in there. New plugs, caps and wires too. Oh and in case u didn't know, these bikes can at time require special tools like witworth wrenches, clutch spring compressor, clutch lock tool, exhaust nut wrench, primary cover remover (don't use a large screw driver, it messes them up) and many more...

As said before by others, read the manual. Go over the wiring (the kill switch can sometimes be an issue) and I replaced the old points for an electronic ignition. I think the points were the reason it stopped running 30 years before.

This forum is the best place for advice. I have got a lot from these guys. It doesn't hurt to join a local Norton club too. Wish I had one close in my area. Have fun and even more, have patience. I wanted to roll my 73 850 off a cliff more then once. After six months of working on her (and a lot of money later) she is running beautifully.

That's a great story Sierra, I guess you got everything sorted?

Dave
69S

DogT said:

That's a great story Sierra, I guess you got everything sorted?

Dave
69S

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Dave,

Yes... After pulling the carbs apart again to readjust the needles, I realized there were two different needles in the carbs. When I took them apart before, I took one apart at a time. I didn't notice. I also put in a new ground to the engine, new plugs again and went through the wiring and saudered all the points from the stator up. Still need a new rectifier/regulator and a new seal for my primary cover... Gonna take a trip to Rabers next Saturday. I love me a Rabers trip!... Its like my Nordstroms... haha

HIghly recommend to get a modern solid state rect/reg Timpanium or Pondtronics and toss or leave for looks the Lucas rect and reg. Also can't forget the fork fluids usually 20 grade to 20/50 and expect some striction till the rusted spring in the rusted stanchion burnish in again. Expect some fork seal leaks that show up on engine to fool ya of the source. Commandos have more looks and styles and variations than any other breed. Almost prono to see one as naked as the two shown above. Unless its got lots of Al parts replacements its not as light as Ludwig's, just more spacy airy. I'm treated like a fellow cool guy among the big Twin crowd but you version would knock em over.

Like hobot, If you are going to get a new rectifier/regulator, you might as well get a new solid state regulator, rectifier and regular in one unit. Make sure you get one big enough for your battery/alternator system. Podtronics is a popular system.

Primary cover, just get a new rubber o-ring and put some rtv in the grove and push the ring into it, and maybe a smear of rtv on the outer cover. As long as it's flat (the center stud is not bending it) it will seal fine.

I need to get back to NoCa, but time is getting short.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

Like hobot, If you are going to get a new rectifier/regulator, you might as well get a new solid state regulator, rectifier and regular in one unit. Make sure you get one big enough for your battery/alternator system. Podtronics is a popular system.

Primary cover, just get a new rubber o-ring and put some rtv in the grove and push the ring into it, and maybe a smear of rtv on the outer cover. As long as it's flat (the center stud is not bending it) it will seal fine.

I need to get back to NoCa, but time is getting short.

Dave
69S

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For now I will stick with the original stator, still has good output. The rectifier had already been upgraded to the little black hot box type thing. I don't plan to use the original style rectifier, they are crap... Haha. As for the primary, that's what I was planning on doing. It's leaking pretty good right now. Also need to figure out why my tachometer cable is leaking oil. It got on my favorite jeans. :evil:

Tach drive, send the tach drive to Phil at Fair Spares in San Jose. He'll grove it and put an o-ring in it and that'll be the end of that leak. Mine is as dry as it was installed last year. I remember there was always a pool of oil behind that thing and now it's dry. Raber's may do it too.



It might be a good idea to pull of the outer primary and then take a look at the washer between the inner cover and the cradle stud that holds the inner primary on. The spacing on that stud is critical to not bend the inner cover so the outer cover will or will not seal.

I bought a 1950 BSA B33 from Rabers when he was in Salinas in '63.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

At least the panel decals have been placed correctly (for a 71). Now that short rear loop would never get crooked. Looks hot. Could it be lighter than ludwig's? Is that green bungie holding the float bowls on?

Dave
69S

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the centre stand is missing the spring.. so the green bungie will suffice for now.. redneck bike repairs.. does anyone know a good duct tape supplier? :wink:

its been over a year now ive been hammering on mine (not literally). Im lucky enough to have just gotten tags for it 2 weeks ago. The time and effort will be worth it, now if only i could work the bugs out... :?