Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

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GUTS

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Sep 16, 2014
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Hi fellas, I hate to come to a party uninvited but I need some help. I have a 1973 Roadster that was bought new by a friend of mine. He rode it for 3 1/2 years and put only 4000 miles on it and he was killed in an accident. His bike has sat since then and now I am trying to get it running again. I disassembled it down to the frame and wiring harness and detail cleaned everything. I rubbed out the frame with rubbing compound, polished the cases, wet sanded the tank and side covers and sprayed 3 coats of clear and then buffed them out and added new decals(but I cleared over the spots that had flaked off because I just couldn't bring myself to strip the original paint), replaced the small bits that were crusty, poured the water out of the forks and rebuilt them, put on a new seat, pipes, clocks, cables, cleaned the fuel tank, rebuilt the carbs, added new fuel lines, new footpeg shifter and kickstart rubbers, re-sprayed all the silver parts, put on new tires and filled all the fluids. I hooked up the battery(positive ground)and I have no juice anywhere. I checked the fuse with a meter and it's good. Where do I start to figure out whats wrong? Here is the bike.
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Here's how I painted the cylinder.
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

cleaned and ready
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster
 
Having a Commando gets you straight in the door here Sir - Welcome. !
And that Commando gets you a special commendation,
that looks a million bucks with mostly elbow grease to get it to that stage,
looks great !

If it was mine I'd be tempted to get some touch up paint mixed to the right shade, or find something close,
and dab over those flaked off places. But your choice, I admire how it looks anyhow.

Troubleshooting wiring faults can be tricky at the best of times, but the 2 places I'd begin would be at the ignition switch,
and down at the zener diode. Disconnect the red spade (is it ?) off the zener, and see if it makes any difference.
And then get into the ignition switch, and make sure there is continuity across the needed connectors.
Failing that, its probably going to be a wrong connection someplace, which can be the very devil to find.
Sometimes using a hotwire straight from the battery to various places will give you known power, and you can
troubleshoot where the power isn't getting to.
Its also worth triple checking that fuse connector.
hopethishelps, Good Luck ! We look forward to some ride reports....
 
Hi, welcome. :mrgreen: Fuse/fuse holder is most suspect, spring in the holder? Get out your voltmeter, download the free workshop manual (link below) with schematics and just start following wires... the problem should surface right away.

http://classicbike.biz/

It's been mentioned by others here to remove the exhaust tappet covers, pump a few oz's oil in each to lube the cam lobes prior to start. Makes GREAT sense to me on a hibernated bike.
 
For a bike that has sat for that long, you will or should, disconnect each and every electrical connection one by one and clean all those contacts and then smear dielectric grease on each connection.
It sounds like this bike has sat out in the weather judging by the amount of water was in the forks.
Water can get into the engine as well. I guess you change all the fluids, no?
 
Maybe not the issue right now, but you should know this... the female bullet connectors are ALL SUSPECT. I replaced them all and still feel this was the best $20 I ever spent.

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster


Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster
 
I am kind of new to Nortons but it seems as though the electrical systems were a touch "iffy". :wink:
 
GUTS said:
I hooked up the battery(positive ground)and I have no juice anywhere. I checked the fuse with a meter and it's good. Where do I start to figure out whats wrong?
Click to expand...

Does it still have the 2MC emergency starting capacitor (a small blue can suspended by a spring near the battery)? If so, does it have two brown/blue wire connections to the common spade terminals of the 2MC?
Or, do you have a couple of odd brown/blue wires in the area of the battery compartment? If so, either connect them together or connect them to the 2MC and then check if power is reaching the ignition switch?
 
What a beauty! Great luck to find one like that.
Do you know how to use a multi meter? It was invaluable for checking continuity during my restoration.
 
The two sets of brown/green wires are hooked up to the blue can and so is one set of red wires. I unhooked the red wires from the ZD and tried it with no change. I also bypassed the existing fuse holder and tried it with still no change. How do I check the voltage to the switch? I put one lead from the meter on the switch body and touched the other lead to all four of the connections with the switch in all the positions and I could find no voltage. I think I am doing it wrong.
 
GUTS said:
How do I check the voltage to the switch? I put one lead from the meter on the switch body and touched the other lead to all four of the connections with the switch in all the positions and I could find no voltage. I think I am doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

Try checking between ignition switch terminal 1 (should be the brown/blue) and either a good earth/ground point or the battery positive terminal rather than the switch body.
If power is reaching the switch from the brown/blue, then you should get a voltage reading?

Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster
 
GUTS said:
The two sets of brown/green wires are hooked up to the blue can and so is one set of red wires. I unhooked the red wires from the ZD and tried it with no change. I also bypassed the existing fuse holder and tried it with still no change. How do I check the voltage to the switch? I put one lead from the meter on the switch body and touched the other lead to all four of the connections with the switch in all the positions and I could find no voltage. I think I am doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

Are your grounds in place?

Put one lead from your voltmeter on the battery's positive terminal, touch the other to the switch terminals... if voltage is observed, then it would suggest an open circuit on the ground side of the battery.
 
Hot wire it and go one step at a time from there. I know it sound simplistic, but it will eliminate a lot of connections. Great looking bike and good work. You may need a new harness/switches or repair them.
 
I put one lead on the battery pos. and touched the other lead to the terminals and there is 0 voltage from any of them. When I touch the negative lead on the battery to connect it, it sparks a little. Is this normal? How do I bypass the switch and hot wire it?, I mean which wires do I connect from the back of the switch?
 
Very Nice . Correct to maintain its original paintwork on the tinware . :D

If I were me , Id just WIRE DIRECT for the moment , then get out the Continuity Meter . ! :x :evil: :wink:

The wires from the points to the coils are left conected , see theres a earth , and hook a battery to coils ;
there then should be a spark at the points , if you interfere with them with a screwdriver . With a sharp crack ,
acoustically speaking , as they spark .
' We ' are most particular that the spark is at the SAME degrees , both cylinders . A strobe helps but not essential .

The 73 should be a good rorty rip snorting missile . Particularly if the carbs are 32's . But we wont mention Carbs ,
AT THIS STAGE .
:lol:

ANYWAY , theres likely to be spiders & bogymen in the electrical switch contacts . So stripping switchgear and Ign.
switch , cleaning contacts and setting silly little copper contact arms square & true gets them going . the wirings
actually quite good , and unlikely to be a problem unless its chaffed & bared , or hardened and cracked - LIKE where
it comes out of the alternator stator through the Hot Oil . Chopping & soldering & sealing with epoxy theres a good fix.
oftimes the points to coil wires a cracked ( isulation ) too , so bare close inspection .

A wire & bulb connected through a battery will tell you if any wire has continuity or is out to lunch . the COLOUR CODE
is standard British Pre Euro standard , so any lucas cattledog gives the whos what to where .

Now , with a 2S cam , decent valve springs and decent carbs , with a mild port job , you could scare youself silly , brake
all the speed limits , and ponder the Frame Ridgidity . So obviously deserves to be left as made . Bar some decent carbs & valve springs ,
decent ignition , a 1/2 bore matster cylinder & a decent head steady . :mrgreen: :p Iso's at 3 to 5 thou. clearance stop it weaveing
like a Kawasaki .

Should fire off in a few swings . ENGAGE the Kick Start Pawl , and push through . booting it into engaugement can chip the pawl . :(
then theres pawl chips in the gearbox . :shock:

If your not a Towney , a 22T sprockets more like the idea .
Sorry to here he kicked the bucket , glad to see the Commando endures .
 
I'm not familiar with the later bikes, but get yourself a schematic and eliminate everything but the battery and ignition with your own wires and a fuse. It should run then if there's spark, compression, fuel and correct timing. You'll have to study up on the 73 wiring, I can't help you there. If you're not competent with wiring or ignition systems, get help. My early bike is very simple, but it all changed in 71. If you still have the points it should work if set up right and the carbs are clean and also set up right. http://www.jba.bc.ca/Bushmans%20Carb%20Tuning.html

Dave
69S
 
Matt Spencer said:
Very Nice . Correct to maintain its original paintwork on the tinware . :D

If I were me , Id just WIRE DIRECT for the moment , then get out the Continuity Meter . ! :x :evil: :wink:

The wires from the points to the coils are left conected , see theres a earth , and hook a battery to coils ;
there then should be a spark at the points , if you interfere with them with a screwdriver . With a sharp crack ,
acoustically speaking , as they spark .
' We ' are most particular that the spark is at the SAME degrees , both cylinders . A strobe helps but not essential .

The 73 should be a good rorty rip snorting missile . Particularly if the carbs are 32's . But we wont mention Carbs ,
AT THIS STAGE .
:lol:

ANYWAY , theres likely to be spiders & bogymen in the electrical switch contacts . So stripping switchgear and Ign.
switch , cleaning contacts and setting silly little copper contact arms square & true gets them going . the wirings
actually quite good , and unlikely to be a problem unless its chaffed & bared , or hardened and cracked - LIKE where
it comes out of the alternator stator through the Hot Oil . Chopping & soldering & sealing with epoxy theres a good fix.
oftimes the points to coil wires a cracked ( isulation ) too , so bare close inspection .

A wire & bulb connected through a battery will tell you if any wire has continuity or is out to lunch . the COLOUR CODE
is standard British Pre Euro standard , so any lucas cattledog gives the whos what to where .

Now , with a 2S cam , decent valve springs and decent carbs , with a mild port job , you could scare youself silly , brake
all the speed limits , and ponder the Frame Ridgidity . So obviously deserves to be left as made . Bar some decent carbs & valve springs ,
decent ignition , a 1/2 bore matster cylinder & a decent head steady . :mrgreen: :p Iso's at 3 to 5 thou. clearance stop it weaveing
like a Kawasaki .

Should fire off in a few swings . ENGAGE the Kick Start Pawl , and push through . booting it into engaugement can chip the pawl . :(
then theres pawl chips in the gearbox . :shock:

If your not a Towney , a 22T sprockets more like the idea .
Sorry to here he kicked the bucket , glad to see the Commando endures .
Click to expand...

Well, at the risk of being blasphemous and possibly kicked off the board already, I have to admit that I am a Kawasaki guy(but I don't get the weaving part :wink: ), I have 16 bikes and 13 are Kawasaki triples. I just finished restoring this one in July. :mrgreen: :wink:
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

It has friends. :D
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster
 
You my friend are under dire threat of a Kawakazi attack. You better get that Norton out of there fast. Where are you located. I think you need some electrical assistance. Besides your test meter you need a can of Lucas Blue Smoke. The wires look very new and shiny. Is that a new loom you have there?
 
Awesome! I've grown to really enjoy the old 2 strokes. Your Norton looks wonderful as well. It's like going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Come help me with my H1, lol!
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster

Here's one that got away due to a squeeze on my finances. Welcome!
Trying to revive a 1973 Roadster
 
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