Pictures of your Norton Commandos

MS850 said:

marc said:

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Love the brakes

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+1

Beringer 4SP02 4 x Ø27 mm? Did you alter the lugs? I can't see an adapter plate in the pic. Which floating disc did you select?

Thanks,

Knut

mdt-son said:

MS850 said:

marc said:

Click to expand...

Love the brakes

Click to expand...

+1

Beringer 4SP02 4 x Ø27 mm? Did you alter the lugs? I can't see an adapter plate in the pic. Which floating disc did you select?

Thanks,

Knut

Click to expand...

Looks like a special fork slider with custom caliper mounts for the Beringer caliper.

Thats a madass disk and slider kit, isn't it ?

Don't know about the caliper though...
Just a label on it (?)

I think you're correct.
The thing that threw me was Madass's disk/slider kit came with a 3 pot Nissin caliper, no?
The caliper in the photo is a Beringer unit.
Maybe the caliper mounts on the 6 pot Beringer match those of the 3 pot Nissin, and it's a straight replacement/upgrade.

I just bought a 1974 Norton 850 Mk2 Roadster. I owned one for 25 years, and regretted bitterly selling it about 10-12 years ago. I tracked down the current owner of my original, immaculate bike to see if I could buy it back, but the present owner wouldn't talk to me!! So I decided to find another. While looking recently I "accidentally" bought a Dominator 88SS about three months ago. Posted pictures of that in the "other Nortons" forum and also on the Rally forum. Then yesterday I wound up buying this bike, (oh dear, from a dealer). Very similar to mine, but this time a USA import bike, with quite a bit of evidence of weather exposure that my Australian delivery bike never had. Not as nice as mine was, yet, but I'll get there in in time I guess.







Here's one area that needs tidying up. New headlight shell going on next, and fork top nuts. Gives a clue to what the whole bike was like originally. They don't usually get this bad in in Australia. Sun/UV damage to paint, instruments etc, but we don't tend to see corrosion anything close to this.



Here's a list of what the dealer has done so far! He claims he's made next to no money on this particular bike. I've no idea what the bike cost him landed here in Australia, but with the way parts list prices blow out, he just might be being truthful.
1. Rear shock absorbers (brand not specified)

2. Tail light lens

3. Dunlop tyres (not specified, but I'd think TT100)

4. DID drive chain

5. Mufflers

6. Header pipes

7. Andover Norton heavy duty kick starter.

8. Professionally polished covers (presumably corroded weathered timing and outer primary case and gearbox outer case)

9. Air cleaner element

10. Air cleaner rubbers

11. Carbs cleaned and set up (which I'd imagine means the slides are scored)

12. Professional paint

13.Fuel taps

14. Rebuilt top end, rebore, 20+ pistons

15. Rebuilt cylinder head with new valves

16. Boyer electronic ignition

17. Fork stanchions

18. Fork seals

19. Four new indicators

20. New handle bar

21. New handle bar grips

22. Master cylinder seal kit

23. Caliper pistons and seal kit

24. Front brake hydraulic line.

25. Andover Norton front guard

26. Speedo drive

27.Speedo cable

28. Tachometer cable

29. Headlamp rim (and headlamp shell)

30. Rear brake switch

31. Front brake switch

32. Seat cover (and fitting by motor trimmer; allegedly very comfortable, but fibreglass base).

33. Foot peg rubbers, front and rear

34. Complete Lucas ignition switch

35. Front brake pads

36. Rear brake shoes

37. Rear wheel drive (cush) rubbers

38. Tail light cover

39. Battery, sealed type

40. Oil filter

41. Rocker feed oil line

42. Head lamp switch

43. Kick start shaft O-ring

44. Gear change shaft O-ring

45. (Drain and refill) oil, primary case, gearbox and engine

46. Spark plugs

47. Re-chromed gear lever.

MGB, you have nothing to be ashamed of there. Very nice bike that just needs a bit of minor attention. Classic classic!

MGB65B said:

Very similar to mine, but this time a USA import bike, with quite a bit of evidence of weather exposure that my Australian delivery bike never had. Not as nice as mine was, yet, but I'll get there in in time I guess.

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Man, that's a pile :mrgreen: To that end, if that is what you consider "not as nice", I wish I could see your previous bike!

Cycle Goon said:

MGB65B said:

Very similar to mine, but this time a USA import bike, with quite a bit of evidence of weather exposure that my Australian delivery bike never had. Not as nice as mine was, yet, but I'll get there in in time I guess.

Click to expand...

Man, that's a pile :mrgreen: To that end, if that is what you consider "not as nice", I wish I could see your previous bike!

Click to expand...

I guess I'm my own worst enemy in being obsessive; my original Commando was a pampered thing. For example I had the engine completely disassembled at 14,000 miles, crankcases "blued" for perfect alignment to minimise oil seepage. The bores were still perfect at this time, with the original hone marks still clearly visible. It was as close to oil tight as any Commando could be. When I was working interstate in a less secure region, I kept the bike in my spare bedroom; just a few loose sheets of newspaper underneath. The rest of the bike was close to as good too as the mechanicals.
The list of what's been done on this bike I've just bought, so far, suggests it was probably rather neglected in recent years. Many items have needed replacement that I'd have never needed to ever dream about on my "dry climate" machine. The fact that the seat is new (fibreglass base! The original must have rusted its base through), and a fibreglass right side frame cover (original lost, rusted, damaged?), new handlebars, the very fact that the engine cases were deemed to need "professional" polishing and so on all suggest a somewhat neglected weathered bike. But something that hopefully in time, and with not too many $$$ I can turn this bike into something closer still to what I had.
I've a long standing friend who's been in the classic bike trade all his working life, first as a seller of Triumph, Velocette and Norton when they were new, and now as a classic bike restorer and trader. He warned me just last night to not fall in to the trap of comparing the "new" bike to my old. But I'll certainly have something to work towards. Fork top nuts, instrument bezels and Mk3 Isolastics will be early on the list of things to attend to. Once I see how it actually looks and rides the list will presumably grow. Wheels pitted? Other corroded fixtures? Frame? etc etc. I'm sure we're all familiar with the story.
The bike should be delivered in a week or so from interstate, when I'll have a better idea of what lies ahead.

In case anyone's interested, here's a Youtube link to the selling dealer demonstrating the bike I've just bought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQE4wdc ... e=youtu.be

MGB65B said:

Cycle Goon said:

MGB65B said:

Very similar to mine, but this time a USA import bike, with quite a bit of evidence of weather exposure that my Australian delivery bike never had. Not as nice as mine was, yet, but I'll get there in in time I guess.

Click to expand...

Man, that's a pile :mrgreen: To that end, if that is what you consider "not as nice", I wish I could see your previous bike!

Click to expand...

I guess I'm my own worst enemy in being obsessive; my original Commando was a pampered thing. For example I had the engine completely disassembled at 14,000 miles, crankcases "blued" for perfect alignment to minimise oil seepage. The bores were still perfect at this time, with the original hone marks still clearly visible. It was as close to oil tight as any Commando could be. When I was working interstate in a less secure region, I kept the bike in my spare bedroom; just a few loose sheets of newspaper underneath. The rest of the bike was close to as good too as the mechanicals.
The list of what's been done on this bike I've just bought, so far, suggests it was probably rather neglected in recent years. Many items have needed replacement that I'd have never needed to ever dream about on my "dry climate" machine. The fact that the seat is new (fibreglass base! The original must have rusted its base through), and a fibreglass right side frame cover (original lost, rusted, damaged?), new handlebars, the very fact that the engine cases were deemed to need "professional" polishing and so on all suggest a somewhat neglected weathered bike. But something that hopefully in time, and with not too many $$$ I can turn this bike into something closer still to what I had.
I've a long standing friend who's been in the classic bike trade all his working life, first as a seller of Triumph, Velocette and Norton when they were new, and now as a classic bike restorer and trader. He warned me just last night to not fall in to the trap of comparing the "new" bike to my old. But I'll certainly have something to work towards. Fork top nuts, instrument bezels and Mk3 Isolastics will be early on the list of things to attend to. Once I see how it actually looks and rides the list will presumably grow. Wheels pitted? Other corroded fixtures? Frame? etc etc. I'm sure we're all familiar with the story.
The bike should be delivered in a week or so from interstate, when I'll have a better idea of what lies ahead.

In case anyone's interested, here's a Youtube link to the selling dealer demonstrating the bike I've just bought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQE4wdc ... e=youtu.be

Click to expand...

Sir, it is quite clear from your words above that nothing short of a full strip and rebuild, with many mods and many $$$ will give you the bike you desire.

Best to admit this to yourself sooner rather than later...!

Interesting fact I've just realised.
We've come to expect US prices for classic British bikes to be considerably less than those here in Australia. Hence the large numbers of bikes imported to here from the US over the decades.

I've just crunched the numbers for this Commando I've bought using the current exchange rate of US vs Australian dollars, where one Aussie $ buys around just 75 cents, US.
The purchase price of the bike worked out at US $11,000 and $11,250 including freight from Victoria to Sydney. Probably not too bad even by American standards?

grandpaul said:

MGB, you have nothing to be ashamed of there. Very nice bike that just needs a bit of minor attention. Classic classic!

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I agree, I wished my bike looked that good when I got it.
MGB65B, I suppose you have one, When I was 15 a neighbor had one not running, I wanted it in the worst way. This was about 1968, It was definitely a "B" model but not sure of the year.
Growing up in SoCal you think Id want something like a '57 Chevy, my friends were getting Harleys and Hondas, I bought a Norton.

I remember growing up In Long Beach and seeing a long row of Daytona 500s at the Dodge dealer. They were so cool! And gas was only $0.35 ($2.26 today, for inflation).

MS850 said:

grandpaul said:

MGB, you have nothing to be ashamed of there. Very nice bike that just needs a bit of minor attention. Classic classic!

Click to expand...

I agree, I wished my bike looked that good when I got it.
MGB65B, I suppose you have one, When I was 15 a neighbor had one not running, I wanted it in the worst way. This was about 1968, It was definitely a "B" model but not sure of the year.
Growing up in SoCal you think Id want something like a '57 Chevy, my friends were getting Harleys and Hondas, I bought a Norton.

Click to expand...

MS850, you're quite right; I have a 1965 model MGB (with "MGB-65B" number (license) plates). I bought it January 17 1970, so just under 47 years ago. It's had a huge amount of use; it's on its third time round the odometer! I personally have covered about 220,000 miles in the car!

I love the British cars and bikes from this period, so I also own a 1962 MGA 1600 MkII, the recently purchased Dominator 88SS, and shortly another 1974 850 Commando Roadster.

I tend to hang on to (and regularly use) my bikes and cars a long time, so I owned a 1967 BSA A65 Thunderbolt for 20 years, and the previous 850 Commando Roadster for 25 years.

MGB65B said:

MS850 said:

grandpaul said:

MGB, you have nothing to be ashamed of there. Very nice bike that just needs a bit of minor attention. Classic classic!

Click to expand...

I agree, I wished my bike looked that good when I got it.
MGB65B, I suppose you have one, When I was 15 a neighbor had one not running, I wanted it in the worst way. This was about 1968, It was definitely a "B" model but not sure of the year.
Growing up in SoCal you think Id want something like a '57 Chevy, my friends were getting Harleys and Hondas, I bought a Norton.

Click to expand...

MS850, you're quite right; I have a 1965 model MGB (with "MGB-65B" number (license) plates). I bought it January 17 1970, so just under 47 years ago. It's had a huge amount of use; it's on its third time round the odometer! I personally have covered about 220,000 miles in the car!

I love the British cars and bikes from this period, so I also own a 1962 MGA 1600 MkII, the recently purchased Dominator 88SS, and shortly another 1974 850 Commando Roadster.

I tend to hang on to (and regularly use) my bikes and cars a long time, so I owned a 1967 BSA A65 Thunderbolt for 20 years, and the previous 850 Commando Roadster for 25 years.

Click to expand...

.
.
Nice, my Dad found a running a '64 chevy 4D, my first car, the MG would a lot more fun. Either me Dad or me realized at the time I would make a living fixing cars and bikes.

Hi all,
I have just joined.This is the current version of my MK3 that I have owned since 1985.
I bought it in Whitstable, Kent, used to dispatch ride it in London for the BBC taking news film back to Studios before the internet was invented.
Over the years it has done approx 120,000 miles and rebuilt/improved/modified many times.
Current spec has 12" floating disc, sleeved master cylinder, Lockheed racing caliper and Norvil Slider, aaloy rims, electronic speedo & tacho, and steering damper.
The engine has PW3 cam, Maney alloy barrels and pistons, gas flowed head withoversize inlet and exhaust valves opened by polished lighted rockers and fed by 35mm Keihin FCR flat slides sparked by a Pazon ignition. I have replaced the starter motor with modern conversion, and have a 5 speed g/box in strengthened shell. I also fitted inline oil cooler(It gets very hot in Perth, West Aust in Summer) & Dave Taylor headsteady.
I find its still very tractable and docile at low revs around town, but really gets up and goes when you open the throttle. I wish the gears were a bit wider spaced apart as for road use it has so much spread of torque and power that it would be better in real world use.
I have collected so many bits that have been replaced or up graded that I am now building a rat bike out of the original bits!

Very nicely appointed Red Roadster, Johnny!

details pls?

have a 5 speed g/box in strengthened shell

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I bought the quaife 5 speed from Mick hemmings in the late '90s and also a strengthened (also quaife I believe) which has extra webbing etc and I have had no problems at all. Took a little bit of tinkering to get the selection right, but its been good, and I have a fairly tuned motor and I am not known for tootling around when the opportunity arrises!

grandpaul said:

Very nicely appointed Red Roadster, Johnny!

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Cheers!

Lovely bike. You've chosen a very nicely balanced selection of mods, and it sound like they work really well as a package.

Ken