The FREE Norton from ED in NH

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RobsNorton

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Sep 9, 2010
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First POST and TRUE STORY:

I have been going to this Guy Ed's House since I was 16 (now 42) and always wanted this Motorcycle behind his house after getting a ride on it waaay back when.. All I knew is that the Bike was a Norton and that he would not part with it.. Well after many years (26) the Bike was given to me yesterday.. and was brought Home tonight.. This after sitting a good 15 Years with NO ATTENTION at all except for the occasional "Tarp" tossed over it..

This is going to be a Future Project of mine.. But for now It's HOME.. Thus I'm here studying "What's What" as I have no idea what size Engine or Year that it is.. Literally it sits outside in my Van as I'm typing away here.. Planning on unloading it tomorrow and looking for Numbers ASAP!

Will post pictures as I learn how to do so.. OK?

and YES.. Glad to be here!~ 8)

EDIT: I made a short Video of all the pictures on YT for all to see...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXHWYvPjwlE

Rob
 
That seasoned gift should take about $4500 to get roadworthy then couple more grand to make pretty to look close. Best wished to full your dream. World can always use another educated Nortoneer and demanding Commando.
 
RobsNorton said:
EDIT: I made a short Video of all the pictures on YT for all to see...
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXHWYvPjwlE[/video]

Rob
Click to expand...

All you need to do to embed the video instead of a link is to click the "video" button instead of the "URL" button. :mrgreen:

Luckily you're new so I'll cut you some slack. :D

Actual video and not just all stills? So awesome! My guess is 69-70 but the numbers will tell the truth.
 
you know what they say.......there is no free lunch, looks like a challenging project for an ambitious man, best of luck.
 
With the tilted engine and rubber mounts it's a Commando and therefore a 750. Good thing you're taking lots of shots to compare it to in a few years from now. One thing for sure... the price was right!

Those are some hiway pegs!
 
appears to be a 69-70 with a 71 or later front forks and yokes, speedo revcounter & side covers are all 69-70, head light & brackets and maybe rear wheel are 71 or later
 
I agree with possm, it has the 69/70 seat, central oil tank, 71 or later headlamp. Chainguard may even be 68 or so. Little bit of mish-mash. Looks like a best improved project. Mine wasn't quite that bad a shape cosmetically. Welcome and get your wallet out.

Dave
69S
 
Makes one wonder what would be left as a sign of civilisation after 10,000 years or more seeing how it has degraded after only 15 years of sitting out in the rain.

Good luck on your rebuild

Jean
 
Not so excellent at all except for the emotional history. It might even be better to just leave it on display in front yard or hanging in a tree and just go shopping for all the parts brand new, frame up and save some money and the terrific long tedious error prone turmoils. Almost same satisfaction of Nortoneering but with less damage to sense of man hood and a LOT less wait to enjoy the real deal.
Realistically to bring it up to good looks and function may cost more like 10 grand.
Of course if it was a HD, its cost a few 1000 to acquire and maybe 20K to restore.
If you want to test your manhood in mental and emotional maturity and financial resources and handling of family reactions to subtracting time, attentions form them, have at it. Its shown me my infantile tantrum throwing childhood side more than once by a couple of pretty decent condition Combats to go through.
Its really improved my sense of self worth as much as how weak willed I still am at times. I'd be sorely tempted to see what Colorado Norton Works would give for it in trade for one of their $20K bikes http://www.coloradonortonworks.com/
Its also a good place to get ID of who you might be spending with on parts to spiff up the rust bucket.

There is a clever compromise I've seen at rallies where internals are renewed but all the rust and bug poop and tears and rot is left as is for visual double takes.

BTW if it does not have disc brake on RH front nor low rear engine breather hose, its not a '72 Combat. '73's tend to be more 850's than 750's. Big ~1" wide sump plug was used prior to and after '72's tiny plug. My buddie's '71 has breather hose off the LH front of cam case bush bulge. Engine or stem tag numbers will reveal the model and year.


hobot
 
It's a much better start than this one was, and it turned out pretty well...

The FREE Norton from ED in NH


Just in case, the TOP photo is "before", BOTTOM photo is after!
 
Thanks Gents for the comments!

UPDATE: 9/10/10

I soaked the entire thing in spray Oil to free up Nuts and Bolts.. The Aluminum LOVES the Oil..

I then pulled the left side cover OFF and It was 1/2 full of water and muck.. Most of it washed out but since It's coming all apart anyways it will be fine.., I cleaned off a few spots looking for the Frame numbers and found nothing.. I did find the Engine number: Engine# 20M3S/140578 - So maybe someone here can identify it faster than me?

I removed all the non-factory parts and any extremely rotted garbage on it:
The Foot-pegs on the down-tubes (aftermarket junk)
The incredibly ODD Handlebars with the Risers (I would like to see Clubmans on it)
The ROTTED Mufflers from the clamps-back (Head Nuts are STUCK at the moment)

If you watch my other Video's I have two little Jap-Bikes that me and a friend will be welding up Frames for this Winter.. This is not NEW to me.. It's just a matter of putting things away and restoring one part at a time.. then putting it all back together.. on this one however I wont need to make a Frame from SCRATCH like the two Jappers.. I also have a 1931 Chevy in the works.. and I work on what I want.. when I want to.. all in time and they will be DONE.. I sell NOTHING !

I'm not afraid to take on the project.. almost didn't but with it in my Van all day today at Work I decided that nobody would be able to do it BUT me.. So the CHASE IS ON !

With all the skills and Friends that I have this project should go rather well, Not super FAST but well.. Enough that It should be back together in no time and much cleaner than it was.. Summer 2011? Who knows.. I rush nothing..

LOVIN the Black one!

Here's my THOUGHTS:

Powdercoated Parts:
Frame in Black-Wrinkle
Hubs and outer Rims in Silver/Black Vein
Spokes in Copper Penny
Engine and Covers all polished and cleared
NEW Fenders Front and Rear
Clubman Bars

More or less like the black one but with my own colors that reflect the fact that It's OLD.. OLD Machinery colors.. coppers/blacks/even a little machine gray..

My friend and I cast aluminum too so be ready for some CUSTOM parts with the Norton LOGO on them in given areas.. :shock:

I'm working on a NEW Video in a minute.. will post when it's done and try to embed it.. Photos are boring without explanation as to what's going on eh?

EDIT: VIDEO COMPLETED !

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQuSStfHpks[/video]

Rob
 
I detected a slight Boston accent, am I right :?:

If you keep it to paint, polish AND lots of elbow grease, you can have a runner for less than what was quoted before, don't forget e-bay, there are many engine parts going for peanuts.

Jean
 
Congrats, Rob, and welcome to the club... you're in the right place. Hopefully, you don't have a high maintenance woman, or a kid in college, and you'll be able to get it right without the better part of a decade, as mine did. cheers, Don
 
140578 would make it 1970, probably late summer or early fall. It will be a project. It's pretty close to the way the S model in my avatar was when I got it (also free!) back in 1993. It had been sitting about 18 years when I got it. Best of luck with it. You will need a few whitworth tools when you start getting deeper into it, but that's basically just gearbox and engine parts.
 
RobsNorton said:
... Well after many years (26) the Bike was given to me yesterday.. and was brought Home tonight.. b
Click to expand...

Nice! Actually I'd say it's a very good base for a restoration as most of the important bits are there so you won't have to find out how everything goes together. Some details identify it as a 1969 to 1970 Roadster or S so have a look at DogT's excellent thread on his resto (Dave, don't you dare to stop it! :wink: ). The front end is a later model with post-1971 yokes and head lamp brackets. If you intend to go for originality I'd also recommend trying to restore the seat with a new cover, almost all of the early Roadster/750S repro seats I've seen just look slightly wrong.

I wish my 1970 would have been have as complete as yours.... :mrgreen:



Tim
 
I think Nelson hit it right. It is a '70 with some later front end parts for some reason. Yes the seat is important if you want the 69/70 look. I got a nice seat cover from Walridge for that year, the pleats were a bit smaller, but not real noticeable. You may need some new padding too. Mike at Walridge will tell you that there was no Norton logo on the back, but I have a 69/70 'S' and Roadster Riders Handbook and it shows the silver Norton logo on the rear of the seat with a silver bead along the bottom.

Just being anal. Take your time and have fun with it. I have about 8 years in my restoration. Keeps the finances more reasonable too.

Dave
69S
 
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