Norton parts availability, through the decades ?

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marshg246 said:
Tough job having everything everyone wants. Today, I have 1603 distinct parts (6474 total parts) and two people have called wanting things. In both cases I had everything but one each wanted. About 85% Commando, 10% Triumph, and the rest common to both or BSA.

Think of the cost or maintaining that inventory - what I have today cost me $73594.96, and I have no doubt that over half of the parts I have now will never be sold.
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I'd buy some but all I have are postal money orders. :)
 
Jdub said:
Brian Slark and other state-side expats were tremendously helpful to me in the '80's. I also joined the Northern California Norton Owners because there was a great wealth of knowledge and used parts (Art Sirota, etc.). Otherwise yes it was on the phone to Fair Spares or similar. AN is a godsend to me now especially given you can build a new Commando from scratch thanks to them!
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If you were in Northern California in the 80s as I was and still am, you know Brooks Cyclery which Bob Raber then took over in San Jose, Mean Marshalls in Berkeley and Fair Spares America also San Jose. Hall Burdette in Sacramento. Monroe Motors in San Francisco….many more.
I don’t recall any lack of parts before the internet at least for Commandos.
Most of these are now retired, but Andover Norton is a good go to these days.
 
My P11 is like it is because I could not get anything for it in the 70's. Couldn't even get a seat for it. That and I didn't really care at all if I restored it. As a matter of fact I had no idea what it was supposed to look like at the time. Too busy partying. Anyway it was before big clunky brick sized mobile phones, and the internet. A lot of driving around the bay area to get parts (really cheap gas) and using the land line phone was required.

Fortunately, Norton motor parts were plentiful thanks to Brooks Cyclery (Bob at the counter) being less than 5 miles from where I was at the time. I used to run into Phil Radford buying parts at Brooks after Brooks retired and it was renamed Rabers Parts Mart. Later on in the late 80's early 90's for rebuild 3 and getting a somewhat correct fuel tank and oil tank I had moved south and was 40 miles from the new Rabers Parts Mart location, and few more miles from Phil Radford's home Fair Spares. I remember Mike Raber had a heck of a good sense of humor. He used to call me the Conquistator of Gilroy. The internet was just ramping up, and nothing like it is today. Still no iPhones. But I digress...

New classic British bikes owners have it good for parts availability today, really good if money is no object.
 
ashman said:
I have owned my Norton from new in 1976 old new stock 74 Commando, have never had any problem getting parts, been getting my parts from BJ's here in Brisbane since 1978 always has everything I need, but lucky my Norton hasn't need to many parts more upgrades to me and of course since the internet things are easier to source worldwide and so many upgrades now that were not even thought of back in the 70/80s, most of my upgrades are sourced overseas now and only use BJs for things I need in a hurry and lucky that is rare and it's been sometime since I had parts sent from OS, not since the last major build/upgrade about 12 years ago, for some reason my Norton just keeps going and is very reliable in the way I have built it and keeping on top of the maintenance plays a big part in that, was a everyday rider till 2013 and is now semi-retired, it's been retired from everyday riding.
But it's great we still able to source our parts and great upgrades that wasn't around in the early days of ownership, my Norton is showing it's age but it has some great upgrades and is always a one kick starter even when it sat for a bit.

Ashley
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Hi Ash, you would recall the problems getting Norton parts from Morgan & Wacker in the early 70's hey. In fact a mate of mine borrowed my disk rotor so he could drive down to Sydney, overnight, to pick up parts. The early 70's was a terrible time for spare parts for Commando, either not in stock, too expensive or staff who couldn't give a flying f....
 
alans said:
Hi Ash, you would recall the problems getting Norton parts from Morgan & Wacker in the early 70's hey. In fact a mate of mine borrowed my disk rotor so he could drive down to Sydney, overnight, to pick up parts. The early 70's was a terrible time for spare parts for Commando, either not in stock, too expensive or staff who couldn't give a flying f....
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Hi Alan, I brought my new Norton from Morgan & Wacher in 1976 but I had no problems getting my parts from there as I knew Stan Bear who worked the front counter and was getting my parts I needed at the right price ;) was great and if they didn't have what I needed then a trip over the Story Bridge to BJs, they always have everything I needed but I been blessed as never really need major parts for my Norton I source them else where cheaper, BJs was good but the owner knew how to charge and never smiled even to this day lol.
I bought a new Norton and 81 I bought a new Triumph Thunderbird and in 91 bought a new 1200 Harley Sportster (silly boy) so 3 new bikes from Morgan & Wacher's, then they went down hill and sold out a few years later when the Grandsons were in charge, Wacher's started there about 1920s and were main Harley dealers for Queensland as well for Norton, Triumph and BMW.
 
I have a friend who loves Harleys. The main reason is, they are completely rebuildable. These days, if a car has chromed bumper bars, you cannot work on it. Japanese bikes are throwaway items. They are extremely good, but they are not designed to be kept going by amateurs. In Australia, we used to have Holden and Ford motor cars - they were much cheaper to run because you could get bits anywhere and fix them yourself. When I road race my Seeley Commando 850, it is always against other old pieces of crap, so I don't scare myself shitless.
'Some things are so bad that they are good' !
 
Schwany said:
My P11 is like it is because I could not get anything for it in the 70's. Couldn't even get a seat for it. That and I didn't really care at all if I restored it. As a matter of fact I had no idea what it was supposed to look like at the time. Too busy partying. Anyway it was before big clunky brick sized mobile phones, and the internet. A lot of driving around the bay area to get parts (really cheap gas) and using the land line phone was required.

Fortunately, Norton motor parts were plentiful thanks to Brooks Cyclery (Bob at the counter) being less than 5 miles from where I was at the time. I used to run into Phil Radford buying parts at Brooks after Brooks retired and it was renamed Rabers Parts Mart. Later on in the late 80's early 90's for rebuild 3 and getting a somewhat correct fuel tank and oil tank I had moved south and was 40 miles from the new Rabers Parts Mart location, and few more miles from Phil Radford's home Fair Spares. I remember Mike Raber had a heck of a good sense of humor. He used to call me the Conquistator of Gilroy. The internet was just ramping up, and nothing like it is today. Still no iPhones. But I digress...

New classic British bikes owners have it good for parts availability today, really good if money is no object.
Click to expand...
When I shot this photo on my Canon SLR I wanted it to look old. That’s why I used black and white. It’s probably 1985.
Norton parts availability, through the decades ?
 
concours said:
Eclipse?
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yeah, I think so. Got it at the Honda dealer in '82 or so. Profile looks like that one, logo looks very familiar, but it had a harness that was mounted around the tank and had four heavy snaps on the corners of the bag that attached the bag to the harness.
 
Had an Eclipse tank bag on a '87 700VFR. Had a 70's something Commando then too. The P11 was functional but no being ridden and parked at that time. I can't remember if I ever used the tank bag on the Commando. Probably not.

Now days with the P11 being the only motorcycle left I use a backpack that weighs about 14lbs with all the tools, water, phone, wallet, and octane booster in it. No way would I put a tank bag on it. lol

My memory is a little foggy, but I think I got an N15 fuel tank and a P11 oil tank while Bob Raber was still in the Brooks building. Late 80's maybe?

Drifting off topic further: Italian Gardens Club was more or less across the street from Brooks Cyclery, I think. Next door was a commercial kitchen supply place. I'd be completely lost in San Jose CA now. That I know for sure.
 
Schwany said:
Had an Eclipse tank bag on a '87 700VFR. Had a 70's something Commando then too. The P11 was functional but no being ridden and parked at that time. I can't remember if I ever used the tank bag on the Commando. Probably not.

Now days with the P11 being the only motorcycle left I use a backpack that weighs about 14lbs with all the tools, water, phone, wallet, and octane booster in it. No way would I put a tank bag on it. lol

My memory is a little foggy, but I think I got an N15 fuel tank and a P11 oil tank while Bob Raber was still in the Brooks building. Late 80's maybe?

Drifting off topic further: Italian Gardens Club was more or less across the street from Brooks Cyclery, I think. Next door was a commercial kitchen supply place. I'd be completely lost in San Jose CA now. That I know for sure.
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It’s been 25 years since I moved away from San Jose. I go there very rarely. Inside the Bay Area the traffic is bad, but outside getting there is much worse. By the time of my photo, Ed Brooks had already retired. Should not dwell too much on the old days. At least we are still able to keep the Commandos running:)
 
Nothing wrong with looking back to the good old days some good memories from leaving school and getting into motorcycles and 2 years later my brand new Norton and still own it as well most of my friend back then are still riding, but some aren't riding the distance that I do, most are suburban worrier's only, at lease I still have a few mates that still clock up the miles on our monthly rides, it's the mates who own and ride Harleys that seem to not want to go far and yet they keep telling me how good they are, but 2 Harley mates have been pulled off the road from the crack down of 1% clubs and extreme Harley mods from the Rapture squad special branch of the Police set up for criminal bikie club gangs, if you look like a club member you are gun for and hassled, but the good thing they leave me and the other mates alone.
One good thing to come out of the crack down is a lot of very quiet Harley's getting around now :D

Ashley
 
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