Just picked it up only has 12,000 miles on her , its been in a heated garage for 17 years hasnt been started in 3 has great compression, I took the gas tank off planing on coating it this week maybe have it running by the weekend . Has 2-1-2 pipes with real dunstalls and the center stand that goes around the single pipe as you can see in the pic. Need to get a few parts like carb rubbers ,tires side cover decals and new rubber mounts. (know any good parts places}. Still has the orginal back tire on it . Its was made in OCT of 72' titled in 73' so is it a 72 or 73? Should I take the dunstalls off and put them on a shelf what do you think? anyone know what kind of battery to run? This is my first stock british bike, I have two triumphs 66' and 69' but they are far from stock. looking for any good advice thanks mike
My first norton
- Thread starter Mike Sti
- Start date
- Status
Welcome to the forum! Nice looking bike. I'd keep the dunstall pipes on myself but if you change them do it after you get it running as the carbs will be set up with that exhaust system. If you change too much without 1st getting it running you introduce too many variables.
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2004
- Messages
- 436
I would say you have scored a nice bike. Problem is after you have some saddle time on your Norton, the Triumphs will just languish in the garage. You will know why soon. As for battery, I like to run a 16CLB. It is a much bigger battery than the stupid little one they use. It fits in the space provided and gives you a lot more reserve capacity even without electric start. I'd rather run a bigger battery than spend a fortune on some hopped up alternator.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2004
- Messages
- 20,202
Mike Sti said:
Commando models progress by mark numbers which only broadly relate to actual calendar years.
Your Commando appears to be one of those late 750 MkIV models that had some MkV specification parts fitted to them?
Some enthusiasts consider these '72 750s to be MkV models, however according to the UK NOC who have access to (what's left of) the factory records, true MkV model production apparently didn't start until March 1973 at serial number 220000. However evidence has been previously supplied by our members that 220000 serial machines could have been built prior to March '73 although the UK NOC does not seem to have any record of that, and where records no longer exist for particular machines the actual build dates on the plates cannot always be accepted as being totally accurate.
Hey Mike, Welcome to the forum and congratulations owning a Norton.
Would your Norton maybe have the letters.. D U N S T A L L on the cylinder barrells at the bottom on the base in the casting not letter punched. You may also have the Dunstall 810 kit. 8)
Would your Norton maybe have the letters.. D U N S T A L L on the cylinder barrells at the bottom on the base in the casting not letter punched. You may also have the Dunstall 810 kit. 8)
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2004
- Messages
- 20,202
Nortasaki said:
I don't think it's the 810 kit (too many fins to be the alloy 810 barrels I think)?
The barrels look like the standard factory cast iron ones to me? Silver would be correct for '73 750 MkV (and maybe the upgraded MkIVs?) and the 850 MkI.
I will check an see if its dunstall 810 kit that would be great ... when I get home and see what ser number I have to see if it matches up to factory records. How rare are the 2-1-2 pipes and dunstall silencers? I just looked at some past forum post about them good info . I tell you the norton's seem alot easyer to get info on and get parts for then the triumphs. Just started making a list of parts I need to order and oldbritts.com has it all right there in front of your face. no calling triumph shop digging for item numbers
batrider
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2008
- Messages
- 2,370
L.A.B. - I hope I'm not diverting this too far off track. I never heard the Mark numbers for 750s being referred to back in the '70s. The 850s yes. Is there a description of what the different features of the various Mark numbers for the 750s are? Thanks.
Russ
Russ
The ser number is 21254* so I guess that would make it a late model 72 MKIV. Thanks for all the info
I don't know where the NOC got their Mk type / engine number information from. As far as I'm aware, it first appeared in the 'Commando Service Notes' of 1979 so the bikes were still fairly new then.
There is something odd about the NOC information because they give the change to the square tail light at 230,000 and the last 750 at 230,935. If there were really only 935 MkVs with a square back light then I think that I've seen all of them ! The 1973 brochure shows the square back light on all three road models.
Having spent some time ploughing through the factory records (which are now held by the VMCC), I have to say that I don't recall any mention of 'Mk types' so I don't think that the information came from there.
The least changeable of the typical MkV characteristics is the cast area behind the timing chest (rather than the steel blanking plate) and this bike sems to have that. In combination with the other features, I would say that this is clearly a 1973 model year machine of the type known as a MkV.
It would now seem that the change to the MkV spec occurred at a somewhat lower engine number than the 220,000 number quoted by the NOC but this doesn't leave us with many MkIVs but then there can't have been more than 30935 750s made in 1972/73.
Next time I'm at the VMCC, I shall investigate further.
There is something odd about the NOC information because they give the change to the square tail light at 230,000 and the last 750 at 230,935. If there were really only 935 MkVs with a square back light then I think that I've seen all of them ! The 1973 brochure shows the square back light on all three road models.
Having spent some time ploughing through the factory records (which are now held by the VMCC), I have to say that I don't recall any mention of 'Mk types' so I don't think that the information came from there.
The least changeable of the typical MkV characteristics is the cast area behind the timing chest (rather than the steel blanking plate) and this bike sems to have that. In combination with the other features, I would say that this is clearly a 1973 model year machine of the type known as a MkV.
It would now seem that the change to the MkV spec occurred at a somewhat lower engine number than the 220,000 number quoted by the NOC but this doesn't leave us with many MkIVs but then there can't have been more than 30935 750s made in 1972/73.
Next time I'm at the VMCC, I shall investigate further.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2004
- Messages
- 20,202
batrider said:
The Commando Mark numbering system is reasonably complex!
To list the different features of each individual Mark would be rather lengthy, so I will have to leave that, for now!
However, some "Marks" only lasted for a few months, and others lasted for over a year. New 750 model variants technically had no Mark number for the first production series, so there's no designated "MkI" version of any 750 model, for instance the first Roadster production series made from 3/'70-12/'70 was the "750 Roadster" model, the next Roadster series was 750 Roadster MkII.
The Interstate model, was introduced in early 1972, therefore technically that first model was the "750 Interstate" although it would have been built to MkIV specification (as the Roadster, Fastback Hi-Rider built during the same period were at MkIV spec.), the subsequent 750 Interstate production series model was then known as the Interstate MkV.
If anybody is totally confused by now, it's hardly surprising, as it does take a while to understand the system!
750cc
Original Commando 4/68-3/69
750 R 3/69-9/69
750S 3/69-6/70
Fastback 3/69-8/70
Fastback II 9/70-12/70
Fastback III 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 I 4/73-12/73
Roadster IA 9/73-2/75
Roadster IIA 1/74-2/75
Roadster III 2/75-9/77
Interstate I 4/73-12/73
Interstate 1A 9/73-2/75
Interstate IIA 1/74-2/75
Interstate III 2/75-9/77
Hi-Rider I 4/73-12/73
Hi-Rider II 1/74-2/75
850cc
John Player Replica 11/73-2/75
Thanks for this post L.A.B.
When I was riding Nortons in the 70's I was oblivious to these designations. Now, since getting back into them, joining this group and reading the threads I've been very confused by them. "Since when did Norton riders become intellectuals (spend more time discussing than wrenchin and ridin)" I wondered?
At least now I can easily determine what my mc's are. A kind of flow chart that outlined these progressive differences as they evolved would be a real asset.
When I was riding Nortons in the 70's I was oblivious to these designations. Now, since getting back into them, joining this group and reading the threads I've been very confused by them. "Since when did Norton riders become intellectuals (spend more time discussing than wrenchin and ridin)" I wondered?
At least now I can easily determine what my mc's are. A kind of flow chart that outlined these progressive differences as they evolved would be a real asset.
The wacky thing is that production changes often are not really implemented on the line. Even comparatively well documented companies like Honda tend to have a bit of overlap now and again.
Norton was a troubled company on its way out of business back then, it's a wonder that as much information is available and accurate as it is.
Norton was a troubled company on its way out of business back then, it's a wonder that as much information is available and accurate as it is.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2004
- Messages
- 20,202
RennieK said:
I'm not entirely sure the Norton factory openly referred to any of their 750s by Mark number?
I'm not sure if the 750 Mark numbers were an official model designation originally, or not, or whether it was an unofficial designation given to the models by factory staff, or if the Mark system was adopted at the very start of 750 MkII production, or whether it was actually applied to the 750 models retrospectively somewhile later, maybe after the 850s were introduced?
- Status
Similar threads
