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2Wheels said:
Found this on the web.

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Wow, I have never seen that ad. Thanks.
 
Digging back through the "little grey cells" some more, I'm wondering whether your frame might be the one I did the structural rigidity tests on. One of the two prototypes was dismantled at Plumstead and the frame sent to Wolverhampton for those tests. It went back to Plumstead after the tests and I think the bike was reassembled and maybe brought up to first series production standard, in particular having a center stand installed. I never thought to check for a serial number when I had the bare frame in the lab!

It's possible that your bike was the one that the Plumstead factory PR folks passed around all the various magazines for road test reports after it had been put back together.

I don't think any of the production bikes would have been described as 1967 models, as the Commando was only officially released to the market after the 1968 show, which I think was in January or February.
 
frankdamp said:
Digging back through the "little grey cells" some more, I'm wondering whether your frame might be the one I did the structural rigidity tests on. One of the two prototypes was dismantled at Plumstead and the frame sent to Wolverhampton for those tests. It went back to Plumstead after the tests and I think the bike was reassembled and maybe brought up to first series production standard, in particular having a center stand installed. I never thought to check for a serial number when I had the bare frame in the lab!

It's possible that your bike was the one that the Plumstead factory PR folks passed around all the various magazines for road test reports after it had been put back together.

I don't think any of the production bikes would have been described as 1967 models, as the Commando was only officially released to the market after the 1968 show, which I think was in January or February.

Frank,

Is it a possibility that the 67 title is because of the production numbers from the P-11 series,etc.? Someone just made a simple mistake?

Speaking of structural tests, my assumption is that with the added horizontal bar as per the later frames that I'm OK in so far as it not snapping. Or am I kidding myself and I should just do a swap to a later model?

Tom
 
Most of the good fame repairman say only a quesion of when, not if. I would ride easy and check it right were those breaks are in the photo very often. Keep an eye out for a 69 frame. Someday it will start to crack.
 
norbsa48503 said:
Most of the good fame repairman say only a quesion of when, not if. I would ride easy and check it right were those breaks are in the photo very often. Keep an eye out for a 69 frame. Someday it will start to crack.
If he has already done the upgrade mod why would it crack? When Norton offered the "recall" didn't they just weld in the lower tube into your original frame or did they actually strip and swap frames. It looks like he has brought his frame up to standards plus has added those diagonal gussets so that section looks pretty skookum now.
 
Blackcat, you appear to have one of the 1st 600 Commandos made. The launch was at Earls Court in September 1967. Silver tank, orange seat, green blob badges. Weird, but this was hippie groovy times. Theres allegedly one in Sydney. Frank Damp is probably correct in the production releases being in early 1968, but there was a bunch of test mules in late '67 and maybe your came out of that initial production and the date code stuck with it. I'd suggest you have some extra value in the authenticity of the bike providing you keep all of the original equipment as fitted. Great colour scheme wish they kept that one going!

Mick
 
I guess I mis-remembered when the show was, Mick.

The show bile was all silver-grey, with a bright orange seat and the green blobs. One magazine wondered if the stand was funded by the Irish Republic, since white, orange and green are the colours of their flag. A visitor to the stand said he couldn't find the switch for those green turn-signals, and were the wires for them running through the petrol tank?
 
RennieK said:
norbsa48503 said:
Most of the good fame repairman say only a quesion of when, not if. I would ride easy and check it right were those breaks are in the photo very often. Keep an eye out for a 69 frame. Someday it will start to crack.
If he has already done the upgrade mod why would it crack? When Norton offered the "recall" didn't they just weld in the lower tube into your original frame or did they actually strip and swap frames. It looks like he has brought his frame up to standards plus has added those diagonal gussets so that section looks pretty skookum now.

I remember reading that you were given an option of either the added bar or a new frame. Does anyone have or know of someone who got a frame with a welded bar?
 
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