Original 1970 Commando tool bag?

Does any one have an original tool bag, and if you do can you post or send me a PM of it? I have the tools, but no idea what the bag should look like.

Thx

ps

I have a brand new OEM tool bag, never used. It is still in the plastic bag it was sent in.

That pictured one is much nicer than the original was in '72. It looks like more of a bag than a tool roll. Mine had a black naugahyde roll with a shoestring-like tie. No logo. Fell apart quickly. The other original toolkit I have is in a plain white cloth roll. I suspect it is earlier than '71. Both have compartments to slip the tools into, then the flap is closed and it is roiled up and tied.

batrider said:

That pictured one is much nicer than the original was in '72. It looks like more of a bag than a tool roll. Mine had a black naugahyde roll with a shoestring-like tie. No logo. Fell apart quickly. The other original toolkit I have is in a plain white cloth roll. I suspect it is earlier than '71. Both have compartments to slip the tools into, then the flap is closed and it is roiled up and tied.

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What you describe is exactly what came with my '71 Commando-I'd like to find another bag with tools as someone had sticky fingers!

My '71, bought new, came with a plastic "bag" which was not even naugahyde. It had no cloth backing to it, just black plastic. IIRC, it did have a finished texture of sorts on the outside. It was seamed/sewn with a black cotton tape; the same material was attached in the form of a string/ribbon which tied it up into a tool roll.

Lineslinger said:

I have a brand new OEM tool bag, never used. It is still in the plastic bag it was sent in.


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You have one of the rarest of Commando original survivors. My 72 750 and 73 850 had the cheesier units as others have described. They never lasted long. All of my other Commandos have been purchased long after the original tool bags had bought the farm. Old Britts has good photos

Here are a few pictures of my original tool bag for the 1974 Commando. It is the same part number tool bag as the 1970 tool bag (p/n 017253). However, I have seen pictures of earlier tool bags. They look the same as mine but they are all black including the edging and tie straps instead of a contrasting color. The bag is a leather grain vinyl with no fabric backing. The edging is a plastic vinyl with a herringbone pattern molded into it. The straps are made of leather grain vinyl with no fabric backing as well.

There is an upholstery company called Heritage Upholstery & Trim that deal with British automotive upholstery. They used to be in Washington state and their website used to show various fabrics including the type of vinyl that was used for the tool bag. Since they moved to Palm Springs, CA their new website does not show any of the fabric selections. You would have to contact them to see what is available. The edging may be very difficult or impossible to find so a substitute would have to be used. If you would like I can give you all of the dimensions. Heritage might even make you a bag without too much of a cost.









Peter Joe

The orginal tool bag were really crap I think mine only lasted a few years before it fell apart and the only orginal tool I have left is the cut down allen key for the carbie manifold bolts, I lent my timming cove oil seal tool to a mate back in the late 70s to never get it back, my mate told me he gave it back to me but he never did.
The orginal tools were not that good quality anyway, the tool roll fell apart even not using the tools.

Ashley

That is neat info about the tool bags. I don't even remember what came with the 73? I am sure that it got chucked early on. Too young to know enough to keep that stuff. The best tool bag that I have ever used is the bottom 16" of the leg of a pair of blue jeans with one end sewn shut. It's better to kneel on than gravel or pavement and it can perform the duty of a cotton shop rag if you have the need for one.

I have the original 70 tool bag ,with the strap. Tools seem useless unless in an emergency , though poorly formed/cast.

Torontonian said:

I have the original 70 tool bag ,with the strap. Tools seem useless unless in an emergency , though poorly formed/cast.

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Picture? 1970 is what the OP was looking for.

Bad memory at 67 it seems. My '72 tool kit did not have the hide of the nauga as stated earlier. It was just one thin layer of plastic and it got stiff and cracked. Edging was black. (Same as what xbsser had.) I went thru at least two bags made from jean legs after that.

The original tools aren't all that bad. Got me thru a couple decades of ownership anyway and it wasn't until later that I was able to buy some nice tools. I carry a Commando tool kit on both Brit bikes. The Harley XR1200 came with absolutely nothing for tools! They don't believe in roadside repairs I guess.

Here is a pic from a Norton Commando toolbag with content I found on my mobile phone, don´t know when and where I took it or downloaded it.

I have a complete 74 toolbag and tools. Those (in pix) look like German spanners similar to those that came with my R90s.
Still have the tools not the bike, they are really nicely made. Norton spanners are emergency use only if you are
any kind of mechanic. Tyre spoon do work though.
My tool bag is intact but tired. Perhaps if the restoration company is going to run up a bag for someone we might
consider joining up for a bulk order.

Thank you all very much for the great replies. I now have the information I was looking for.