My Italian Norton

Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
492
4years ago a friend offered me to some help to install an electronic speedo (Acewell) on my Laverda 750SF2 which had cheap "chopper" mini speedo/tacho on her. I already had to recreate the rear loop of the frame which had been hacked by the DPO... A new seat ($350) was installed and the bike was running. It looked like this without the bikini fairing and flat track seat:
My Italian Norton


In between an accident and other bikes I was only asking periodically how was my bike..." ready next week if you need it!" was the usual answer.
Last Sunday I just showed with my trailer and here is what I got:
My Italian Norton


He "did not like" the stock wire loom, could not fit the new seat (complicated but fitting perfectly!) so he hacksawed both. The gas tank is intact (luck?) and of course the Acewell is not in the bike!!! Did I mention he is a wood worker and the bike covered with saw dust (no spark plugs on either!)???? The 6 wires hanging there must be the begining of a new wire loom: from nowhere to nowhere!
Coils wires were just cut off:
My Italian Norton


But miraculously my AGM battery (brand new 4 years ago) still shows 12.6V before a little charge!
I am trying to be cool but every time I go down to my garage my blood pressure is in the red!!
Philippe
 
The first thing you do with any Italian bike is cut off the wiring harness. At least he got that right. :mrgreen:
 
You need a 1/2 day , & a hillman hunter wireing loom . Take a few DEEP BRETHS and turn the indignation into ACTION .

lets see the butchered seat Et All , I hope its painted Orange ?
 
So is that antique french table you left with the moidakycle shop to be french polished doing any better. !?

If its any consolation, the guzzi I left with the guzzi shop took a year to see any action.
He didn't strip too many parts off to repair other folks bikes....
 
The first thing you do with any Italian bike is cut off the wiring harness. At least he got that right.

Alas if seraching up Italian motorcycle electrical faults may find pages of each compared to a few paragraphs for Lucas, though Lucas likely supplied left overs and rejects to them. Its one cool looking cycle to me though and hope you can over come what it takes to enjoy it. I'd be overwhelmed w/o a club to guide me over years to work though it.
 
I've been cleaning and working a little: carbs are off to be rebuilt, adapted the speedo drive to a S4 Acewell adapter installed a couple of the electric components and did a stand for the Dyna mini coils. Tomorrow is a big day: DMV!! With a title from Florida, some started docs from 2 owners before me... Should be fun!
 
hobot said:
Alas if seraching up Italian motorcycle electrical faults may find pages of each compared to a few paragraphs for Lucas, though Lucas likely supplied left overs and rejects to them.

One would think but no... the Italians had their own little brand of hell.
 
swooshdave said:
hobot said:
Alas if seraching up Italian motorcycle electrical faults may find pages of each compared to a few paragraphs for Lucas, though Lucas likely supplied left overs and rejects to them.

One would think but no... the Italians had their own little brand of hell.

the blinkers relay is a lucas!
 
swooshdave said:
The first thing you do with any Italian bike is cut off the wiring harness. At least he got that right. :mrgreen:
I don't think so.
I have many Ducati and I never had electrical problems.
Perhaps only the first Laverda have had problems because plant went LUCAS.
Cio.
Pieo
 
pierodn said:
swooshdave said:
The first thing you do with any Italian bike is cut off the wiring harness. At least he got that right. :mrgreen:
I don't think so.
I have many Ducati and I never had electrical problems.
Perhaps only the first Laverda have had problems because plant went LUCAS.
Cio.
Pieo

I think you might be biased! :mrgreen:
 
No,
The old italan bike mounted "Ducati elettronica" and "Magneti Marelli" electrical equipment.
Could you tell me if the MV Augusta, Guzzi, Ducati, Morini, Benelli, Laverda onward, Aermacchi, etc., have had severals electical noice?
I dont remember.
 
Italian motorcycle electrics from the 1960s and early 1970s were pretty awful. It might be hard for some people to believe, but Lucas components were better made. Italian electrics got a lot better from the mid-70s onwards. They had to improve because customers made so many complaints and warranty claims. They started to buy in Bosch parts, for example electronic ignition for the Ducati twins. My Laverda Monjuic from the late '70s had Bosch electrics and if I remember rightly, Japanese handlebar switches.

I'm amazed that some people are still riding around on bikes with 40 year old wiring harnesses. Even a 40 year old Japanese wiring harness is trouble waiting to happen. The Lucas handlebar switches fitted to Commandos and other British bikes of the time are proving to be at least as robust as their Japanese equivalents. OK, I think I'll stop there with the comparisons :)
 
Even hi end cars terminals get rotten after a few decades. I've seen an unmolested intact 750 Commando loom as the cob webs blown off to reveal a very tiddy and robust art work arrangement. Italy had some hard times to over come affording better.
 
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