Next Bike, New Project

Have just purchased another 1973 850 and take possession early January so will post pics as I go with it. I have to blame most of the forum members I am afraid to say, with all the helpful hints and tech upgrades my first one would always be in bits in the workshop, so had to get it mate to do the upgrades and keep a daily ride going.
Thanks to you all!!!
Will post some pics over the next few days.
Where is the link to check on the engine no.s/dates of birth???
Regards Mike

Such Hardships , think what they'll be worth a Hundred Years from Now . :mrgreen:

Thanks Matt for the encouragement, probably no one around to know how to start them let alone any dino juice left to run them in a hundred years!!!!!
Regards Mike

man, congrats...where did you find it?? ive been looking hard for a 850 with no luck. talking to one seller but he is outta town till early Jan....

Pick this one up, add about $2 to $3K of parts and a bit of elbow grease, you'll be ahead of the game and won't have to go to New Zealand.

It's not really as bad as it may look at first glance, mostly cosmetic, but a going over all the bits is in order (as in ANY bike you may find) to make it a reliable, SAFE, ride.

Question is, do you want a project or a turn key?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=Vie ... MEWAX%3AIT

JD

jeffmack said:

man, congrats...where did you find it?? ive been looking hard for a 850 with no luck. talking to one seller but he is outta town till early Jan....

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I understand the decision. I have two bikes as well with the plan being that one can always be torn apart for some much needed upgrade or maintenance and if I do my job correctly, the other will be riden during the process for feedback as to which upgrades it needs. And they say perpetual motion is a myth!

BTW, I have good friends who live on Devonport Road. Every time I see one of your posts I get lonely for the place. I have a boat that has quite a bit of history in your part of the world, as it was built by two brothers who grew up on Devonport Road. It was launched in 1949 and took line honors in the Trans Tasman race in 1951. Are you a sailor as well as a Norton addict?

Cheers
Russ

Hi Russ, no not a sailor but a boat/fishing/spearfishing person. I spear and fish out of a mates boat, spear and fish out of a kayak.
This second bike is not as rough as the one listed on craigslist above post, it is tidy but the guy has just informed me that he had trouble getting it registered(titled??) so not sure why, he thinks about $600 Kiwi pesos might do it.
I will post the pics I have off trademe (kiwi equivalent of ebay) and here is a link to some of the Nortons sold during the year here in NZ. Remember we are a population of 4.2 Million not 400m like in the States!!!!
http://motorcycle.donkiz.co.nz/used-mot ... ndo_nz.htm
It might suprise you about the prices here,smaller market though and far cheaper than Australia, their dollar value is higher than ours as well
Another thing is the one I bought has totally conflicting engine nos, the gearbox has the same numbers, but it doesn't tie up with the data base and year of manufacture. This one is 153640, i have zoomed in on the pics I have and can see that there is no barrel flange ,like 750's,on the right and left sides of the mill, the bolts are all the way through a la 850, but the numbers are very strange!!! Can anyone shed any light on why the numbers are so low for this model yet match the gearbox??
Yes want a runner and a project , hence the reason for two the same.
Regards Mike

Feel free to blame me/us anytime. 4.2 Kiwis and 30 million sheep can't be wrong.

No blame pointed anyway, all you guys have a bigger market to choose from, and I mean Nortons!!!!
regards Mike and his girlfriend Baaaarbaaara!!!!

Any comments welcomed on these pics please!!!
Regards Mike

Nice score 850. That gastank is dangerous in my book.

Yes, have you or any of your mates have a spare steel one lying around as am happy to be the recipient?
Go figure my first has a steel tank and fibre glass side covers, this one has a fibre glass gas tank and steel side covers!!!!
What's you take on the engine n'os 153640????
Regards Mike

Hey madass if you are reading these any chance you could knock out an alloy one, direct copy of Roadster unit maybe a touch bigger overall(so you don't notice at first glance) with a bit more efuel capacity? Food for thought!!!!
Send it to me in Singapore before the 5th Jan yeah right!!!!!
Regards Mike

I am hardly an expert in these matters, but regarding the numbers...
The low number would lead you to believe it was an earlier production year than 1973. I am sure this must be the case, the real question is how did it get to be registered as a '73? Does the frame number match the gearbox and motor? As I understand it the remanufactured barrels from Andover Norton for the 750 motor are made in the 850 style with through bolts rather than the flange. Maybe you have a 750 motor with a new set of barrels on it?

Russ

Easy , let me ride it for a year , and I will figure it ut , and let you know . :lol:

looks clean & straight , looks like the post 850 introduction frame ( the angled inner shock gussets ) .

Wouldnt worry about the sucker , looks like its not suffered overuse , or excess neglect .
An average dude with 3 or 4 bikes over the years ? some simultaeneously , will be figureing to do what your figureing to do .
( Ya gonna put ALL the bits back where they came from . :wink: )

153640 puts it (the engine anyhow) before Jan 72. First 850 was 300000, Apr 73. Have fun with it.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

153640 puts it (the engine anyhow) before Jan 72. First 850 was 300000, Apr 73. Have fun with it.

Dave
69S

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If the engine is stamped 153640 there's something amiss.

Need frame tag (at the headstock) and gearbox numbers too.

Late style cases + early series serial number = unanswered questions.

rvich said:

The low number would lead you to believe it was an earlier production year than 1973. I am sure this must be the case,

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I somehow doubt that, as "153640" doesn't appear to be a legitimate 1971 number, [Edit: We now know otherwise] and a '71 engine number would normally have the 20M3S prefix. The cases appear to be 850 type, as they have the '72-on raised engine number pad and what appears to be the standard 850 breather, also the frame seems to be the later 850 Mk2 type.

L.A.B. said:

rvich said:

The low number would lead you to believe it was an earlier production year than 1973. I am sure this must be the case,

Click to expand...

I somehow doubt that, as "153640" doesn't appear to be a legitimate 1971 number, and a '71 engine number would normally have the 20M3S prefix. The cases appear to be 850 type, as they have the '72-on raised engine number pad and what appears to be the standard 850 breather, also the frame seems to be the later 850 Mk2 type.

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Would the gearbox have also had the 20M3S prefix? And the frame tag as well?

I guess what I was trying to say is that I doubt that number comes from a standard 850 production run. But I have read about stranger things here! It is of course entirely possible that the numbers on the entire bike are faked.