New member. First English bike!

danfr · Oct 17, 2012

Hey guys!

I thought I would introduce myself! I am from Victoria, BC Canada but spend the majority of my time in Vancouver as I am taking a fulltime machinist course at BCIT.

I picked up my first Norton Commando yesterday morning. It's a 1971. Not too sure the specific model (if anyone can help me out here). I've been working on bikes for the last few years, but only Hondas. I'm very familier with the Honda twins and fours, but this Norton is a whole other language.

The previous owner used it for dirt track racing until one race when he put his brake pedal through the primary case and then knocked out the points over and the points. He put the bike into his garage where it sat for the next twenty years.

One question to start things off! Crankcase breathing! Does this need to be addressed? Can I tape in a small valve into the lower case?
http://www.oldbritts.com/12_065199.html

If anyone is in the Victoria area, I'll be there this weekend if you feel inclined to help me with some pointers!

Cheers

Dan

Matt Spencer · Oct 17, 2012

A HOBOT mobile . Adv ? . Keep it below 90 in third . For Starters .

Beware of strong women & fast liquor ,

Takes time to know a machine. Often years of thought and experiance go into a DECENT coustom . Looks pretty well set up . Viva la differance .

tpeever · Oct 17, 2012

Hi Dan,

Welcome to the Commando forum and the wild and crazy world of Norton!!! Looks like you have an interesting project there! Is the goal to keep it in its current form or restore to road-going trim?

I am located in Pullman, Washington which is the eastern part of the state about 400 miles from you but I do frequent Saltspring Island and Victoria so we may be able to meet sometime.

Tobin

danfr · Oct 17, 2012

tpeever said:
Hi Dan,

Welcome to the Commando forum and the wild and crazy world of Norton!!! Looks like you have an interesting project there! Is the goal to keep it in its current form or restore to road-going trim?

I am located in Pullman, Washington which is the eastern part of the state about 400 miles from you but I do frequent Saltspring Island and Victoria so we may be able to meet sometime.

Tobin

The first goal is to clean it up a bit and get it running. I'm kinda digging the dirt tracker style of it right now. I haven't had a chance to do a full assessment. I've noticed there are no signals nor handlebar controls. Maybe a dumb question but I'm assuming this bike never had any to begin with?

I'll likely check out the swap meet in April in Washington. Hopefully I'll see you there.

Cheers

DogT · Oct 17, 2012

Welcome. Not sure when turn signals went on. 71-72? Serial number on the engine and frame at the head stock should show manufacture date and serial, hopefully matching, but doesn't matter. Let us know. To get to run may be easy, but to be reliable may be $$$.

Dave
69S

danfr · Oct 17, 2012

DogT said:
Welcome. Not sure when turn signals went on. 71-72? Serial number on the engine and frame at the head stock should show manufacture date and serial, hopefully matching, but doesn't matter. Let us know. To get to run may be easy, but to be reliable may be $$$.

Dave
69S

I'll have a look at the numbers when I get into the shop. I was previously working at an automotive machine shop in town before I started school. Once I'm done hopefully I'll be back in there working towards my ticket and doing a bit of engine refreshing myself. So it'll be more the parts that cost not the machine work

Mark · Oct 17, 2012

Hello new guy!
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that your bike probably started life as a Roadster
like this one:

That 16" rear rim is not stock, did not have turn signals.

The mechanicals on these bikes are not really all that tough to figure out. Most issues people have are with the electrical system
(ignition/charging) and the old Amal carbs. Basically keeping the thing in tune enough to run.

Luckily, there are modern replacements for the old stuff that will dramatically increase the reliability ,
Electronic Ignitons and solidstate charging stuff as well as modern day carburetors.

Search the site, there is a lot of information available as well as some of the best norton gurus in the business on this site.
Good luck, and start saving your pennies now. you're gonna need every cent that you got!

worntorn · Oct 18, 2012

danfr said:
Hey guys!

I thought I would introduce myself! I am from Victoria, BC Canada but spend the majority of my time in Vancouver as I am taking a fulltime machinist course at BCIT.

I picked up my first Norton Commando yesterday morning. It's a 1971. Not too sure the specific model (if anyone can help me out here). I've been working on bikes for the last few years, but only Hondas. I'm very familier with the Honda twins and fours, but this Norton is a whole other language.

The previous owner used it for dirt track racing until one race when he put his brake pedal through the primary case and then knocked out the points over and the points. He put the bike into his garage where it sat for the next twenty years.

One question to start things off! Crankcase breathing! Does this need to be addressed? Can I tape in a small valve into the lower case?
http://www.oldbritts.com/12_065199.html

If anyone is in the Victoria area, I'll be there this weekend if you feel inclined to help me with some pointers!

Cheers

Dan

That looks like Ian Watson's old bike.

Glen

danfr · Oct 18, 2012

That looks like Ian Watson's old bike.

Glen

ohhhhh??? I'm intrigued! I would love to see pics! I believe I'm the third owner of the beast.

I'm really digging the stance of the bike. That 16 inch fatty rear tire is staying. I don't like deviating too far from stock, but this bike has a history of dirt track racing that I can't ignore and it gives me an excuse to play off that.

davamb · Oct 18, 2012

Greetings from the antipodean Victoria Dan.
Are bobbers in vogue over there? If so, you're well down that path already!

grandpaul · Oct 18, 2012

Howdy from south Texas.

Regardless of the final outcome, I'm betting that "before" picture will allow a significant contrast to the "after" shot!

Hobot · Oct 19, 2012

hehe must have great sense of self worth to show up like mongrel around Norton gatherings. i was lead into being a mechanic by being told how lawn mower simple they are to understand and work on - until you get into the Norton issues that keep list like this active 24/7. A torch will be needed often and fire extinguisher too, in case you reflexly just hold torch too long in disgusted frustration and on second thought decide its still a keeper. Once they have been gone through soup to nuts by you - then a simple delight to work on- with a bunch more tools and tricks of the hobby under your belt.

There must be something about them 16" rears as we see a lot of them and even the most famous Nortoneer ever was TC runs a 16" too riding across USA to various rallys. Must try it someday.

ILLF8ED · Oct 19, 2012

To answer some of your questions,
Breather on a '71 is the timed type with breather tube on the left crankcase end of the camshaft. There is no breather on the lower part of the crankcase as this change occurred for '72 . Don't make any changes unless you plan to race this machine.
Points falling out of the timing case....good reason to put in electronic ignition. Get the best one you can afford, Trispark seems to be recommended. Boyer is probably the cheapest.

get it running then you can determine what else it needs or you want. Keep it simple regarding modifications that are out there. Many are not required as these machines ran very well as supplied by the factory.

swooshdave · Oct 19, 2012

illf8ed said:
To answer some of your questions,
Breather on a '71 is the timed type with breather tube on the left crankcase end of the camshaft. There is no breather on the lower part of the crankcase as this change occurred for '72 . Don't make any changes unless you plan to race this machine.

Unless you can get your hands on one of comstock's sump plug breathers. On a non-72 that is the slickest solution. Especially for those poor early engines with the timed breather.

danfr · Oct 19, 2012

Hey guys!

Thanks so much for all the information!!

Ok, a couple more uneducated questions:

1) Is the bike POSITIVE or NEGATIVE ground?

2) I read both 12 volt and 6 volt coils which seems a little odd. I'm assuming the bike would entirely (including coils) be 12 volt

3) MKI MKII MKIII....? What does it all mean? I'm assuming generation number? If so, what would mine be?

4) the bike came with an NIB Boyer ignition that I'm going to toss in tomorrow. Are there any other electrical weekends I should consider up grading with the Boyer? Stock coils and caps are one to use? Anything else?

Thanks again!

swooshdave · Oct 19, 2012

1) Depends on what someone did to the bike in the last 40 years. Came from the factory positive ground. If you can't tell which is which you may want to step away from the bike and do some learning.

2) You can use 6v coils on a 12v system. If wired correctly.

3) The MKs make a bigger difference later in the model run.

4) Everything *can* be upgraded. All that matters is the depth of your bank account.

danfr said:
Hey guys!

Thanks so much for all the information!!

Ok, a couple more uneducated questions:

1) Is the bike POSITIVE or NEGATIVE ground?

2) I read both 12 volt and 6 volt coils which seems a little odd. I'm assuming the bike would entirely (including coils) be 12 volt

3) MKI MKII MKIII....? What does it all mean? I'm assuming generation number? If so, what would mine be?

4) the bike came with an NIB Boyer ignition that I'm going to toss in tomorrow. Are there any other electrical weekends I should consider up grading with the Boyer? Stock coils and caps are one to use? Anything else?

Thanks again!

DogT · Oct 19, 2012

Yes, can't tell what someone has done in the past. Get yourself the workshop manual and go through it, maybe starting with the electrics, it may be completely changed out or not. Lots of information here technical-information-how-post-photos-t2357.html

You'll need to know the electrics because that will be the first thing to fail (and probably why the points are out) and you need to figure out how to install that Boyer anyhow. Now if you can't figure out what a zener diode is, then start asking questions. Do some homework first, please. We can't start you off from 0.

A serial number off the engine and headstock would really help figure out how it came out of the factory.

Dave
69S

rx7171 · Oct 19, 2012

Being a race bike I'd wonder if the cam is suitable for regular road use.
Maybe putting a dial gauge on the push rods to get some lift data then compare to cams out there.
There are threads on this site that I believe noted data on the common cams or at the very least with a manual you can see what a standard cam has.

There seems to be a lot of folk here including me that feel the Commando standard cam is a very good one for all round performance.

danfr · Oct 19, 2012

It looks like the diode is a one way 'valve' for power? I found the shop manual online and will go through the electrics first and foremost.

I've built a wiring harness in the past and have no problem trouble shooting Honda CB's, but I'm trying to understand the differences. I would like to have the bike running a negative ground and as cleaned up as possible.

Rohan · Oct 19, 2012

danfr said:
I would like to have the bike running a negative ground .

Why ??

That means making everything non-standard.
So that none of the wiring diagrams will make any sense.
Sounds like double-trouble forever more......

At least it works if you leave it standard, and follow the wiring diagrams...

New member. First English bike!

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