New Forum Member, might as well be polite and all...

[swooshdave]

Like some of you I had a Norton a while ago. Probably 15 years ago I got a bad bug and had to have a Norton. HAD TO HAVE.

I had some contacts in the Portland area and came up with this nice Interstate. That's me, sh*t-eatin' grin and all. Definitely less hair then than now (you read that right) and I'd like to think that I may weigh a wee bit less now (that part may be optimistic).

Somewhere along the same time I also picked up a basketcase 72 Combat. I can't even remember how much I paid for the Combat, but I'm sure it wasn't much. At one point I even had Kenny Dreer sort out the engine. This was well before the whole Norton thing (the Vintage Rebuild days, but I knew him before that, that being another story for another time).

Fast-forward a few years and I needed a bit of money. I exchanged the Interstate with my dad for some fundage . The bike(s) and I ended up in NC for a short while (I'm back in Portland now). Both bikes are back there but if everything works out I should get the Combat back in a couple months. To say I'm excited is an understatement, even though I know there is a bit of work to do. Maybe one day the Interstate will come back home too.

In recent years I've been involved in another kind of riding, vintage observed trials and motocross on some Bultacos. That's some fun stuff too.

I've redone three Bultacos and don't have a major projects (aside from raising a three year old!) and I'm looking forward to the Norton.

I've started a Commado page and will also have a blog going too as I go along. The Commando page is first with the blog to follow.

 

[grandpaul]

Looks like a double-handful of Combat...

I had a Pursang like the one in your bottom photo; cool old bike, but I couldn't ride it anywhere near it's potential.

 

[MichaelB]

Wow, Nortons and Bultacos. Who'd a thunked?
Back in the day I rode a Norton on the street and a Pursang in the dirt.
Like minds ...
Welcome.

 

[swooshdave]

but I couldn't ride it anywhere near it's potential.

Don't let me fool you, that poor little Pursang only gets ridden properly when I let someone else on it.

 

[Cookie]

Hi,

Nice machines!

 

[swooshdave]

And here's the 72. It's now traveling West somewhere this side of Nebraska. More pictures upon it's arrival in a few days.

betterthanchristmas...

 

[swooshdave]

So here's the bike unloaded. Sure it's in a million pieces, but it's a Norton so I can figure out where the pieces go. The bigger problem was were to stick all the Bultacos.

Game plan is to re-assemble dry, sort out what's missing, then disassemble, refinish and reassemble. Two weekends tops!

The engine is fine. It's been used in another bike (why? because oil line check valves sometimes fail) so all it needs is tidied up and put back in. After messing with the crankcase vent first, of course.

There is a new alloy Production Tank and bodywork (fairing will come later) but I'll probably run it in the Roadster configuration first as it gets sorted. The tank (came off a 75 parts bike picked up many years ago) is ok... on this side. Big bash on the other side. The Roadster seat is new. I still haven't sorted through the boxes but there should be plenty of parts.

Next I think I'll unbox everything and inventory. That should be a fun picture. :mrgreen:

 

[Cookie]

Nice stuff Dave.

 

[swooshdave]

My question to answer ratio is going to alter. :mrgreen:

 

[Cookie]

But you do have a fully assembled Norton to look at don't you? It sure is handy having four early Goldwings when I want to see how a part goes on I took off last month.

 

[swooshdave]

But you do have a fully assembled Norton to look at don't you? It sure is handy having four early Goldwings when I want to see how a part goes on I took off last month.

Nope. No reference. Except working on my Norton in the past. But I'm not worried, I've got this forum. :mrgreen:

 

[Cookie]

This year has been quite a Norton refresher for me. Things I was sure I remembered about how they go together have come back a bit but sometimes I find I recall quite wrongly.

 

[swooshdave]

This year has been quite a Norton refresher for me. Things I was sure I remembered about how they go together have come back a bit but sometimes I find I recall quite wrongly.

Well, I've already got the battery tray and oil tank in the right spots, I figure I'm 90% of the way!

 

[chris plant]

hi swoosh,make sure you,ve got the horn in right place first and you,re 99% there

 

[swooshdave]

hi swoosh,make sure you,ve got the horn in right place first and you,re 99% there

Who needs a horn when you'll have hollowed out Dunstalls on the SOB?

 

[Cookie]

I know I moved that obnoxious horn on my last Commando but I can't remember where I put it. I think I just missed a $1300 on CL here in SF.

 

[swooshdave]

Mocked up the rear isolastics. Had to hone out the bore to clear some rust off. Heavy silicone spray and a proper amount of force and they went in. The vernier isolastics must be a bit easier to install that the older ones. Just one piece and two rubbers to worry about.

And then spent some time touching up the timing side.

How do you like the engine stand? Made that 15 some years ago and it still works. Mostly.

I also got the top triple clamp in, but can't find the lower nut. There are going to be a lot of little parts like that missing. They'll slow down the mockup build. But better to deal with them now that after the refinishing.

Lower fork bushings are new and will not go down the sliders. Going to clean the sliders real good and then apply a slight amount of heat to get them down past the spot where the upper bushings sit. That should get them down to where the wear is and they should fit fine. Probably need the rest of the internals too. Only have one damper tube at this point.

 

[Cookie]

I've got a tank holder I use for stripping paint that is far uglier than that. Every time I use it again it has rotted and gotten shaky somewhere else. I grab whatever scrap wood is handy and screw it on.

 

[swooshdave]

I'm going to move this build to a new thread.