What are all these switches? Help.

Okay,

I found the kill switch. It's the big red push button. Now the questions: (1974 Commando 850)

1. The headlamp switch is a 3 position lever. 1st click is on - 2nd is "more" on? Or am I the moron? 2nd click (position 3) appears to do nothing. Ideas please.

2. Left hand thumb controls. Middle lever is turn signal indicator - correct? What does the bottom black push button do? I imagine that some housewife in East Wloverhampton is wondering why her kitchen light keeps switching on and off but I suppose that it's just my weird idea.

3. Right hand thumb controls. Middle lever is headlamp dimmer (hah - what a colossal misnomer that is. Any dimmer would actually be no light escaping whatsoever similar to Hawking's theories on Black Holes and Space time. see - A brief History of Time for a completely incomprehensible explanation.)

3b. What do the upper and lower black push buttons do? Am I really annoying the East Wolverhampton housewife now? Is she peeing in the dark more than half the time?

4. Where is East Wolverhampton?

5. The ignition switch. It appears to have 14 different positions. While I now understand that this is advantageous in the boudoir (thanks to a book my wife gave me for her birthday - see the Kama Sutra for a completely incomprehensible explanation). Seriously, key rotates to two positions both clockwise and counter-clockwise (anti-clockwise for you fussy British types). Seems best position 2 clockwise rotation. Thoughts on this too please.

I am going to a huge vintage motorcycle show and swap this weekend in Tsawwassen (no really, that's how you spell it) and would like to know what to buy/ask for to get all the electrical tickety-boo (sp?).

thanks.

well, on my 73 850, there are are four switch stops.

Turning the key towards the rider gets the parking lights to turn on, never use that.

Turning the key away from the rider from the parking light location finds the OFF position.

Turning the key one click further away is the ignition on location.

And one more final turn away is the ignition and headlight and tail light location.

I don't believe there are three Nortons wired alike, on which all the switches do the exact same thing.

Anyway, SOME 3-position toggle switches in the headlight shell will yield:
-OFF
-"pilot" (small 12v bulb)
-ON (main headlight hi/lo bulb)

SOME keyswitches are wired as follows:
-one click left = tail light for emergency parking, key can be removed
-OFF
-one click right = ignition on, no lights
- two clicks right = ignition on, with lights

The typical Lucas headlight dip switch has 3 positions:
-OFF
-Dim
-Flicker

The black (red on later models) momentary type (push to activate) buttons can be wired to do the following:
-Headlight "flasher", activates high beam if low beam is selected
-Engine (ignition) "kill" button
-Rocket launcher
-Innumerable other uses

roqueweiler said:

1. The headlamp switch is a 3 position lever. 1st click is on - 2nd is "more" on? Or am I the moron? 2nd click (position 3) appears to do nothing.

Click to expand...

Wrong switch? '74 should only have two positions = OFF & ON.

roqueweiler said:

2. Left hand thumb controls. Middle lever is turn signal indicator - correct? What does the bottom black push button do? I imagine that some housewife in East Wloverhampton is wondering why her kitchen light keeps switching on and off but I suppose that it's just my weird idea.

Click to expand...

If you have the direction indicator signal switch on the left side (as both switch assemblies can be swapped over) then the bottom button is a spare (it would have been used for the electric starter the factory were supposed to have fitted from '71!).

roqueweiler said:

3. Right hand thumb controls. Middle lever is headlamp dimmer (hah - what a colossal misnomer that is. Any dimmer would actually be no light escaping whatsoever similar to Hawking's theories on Black Holes and Space time. see - A brief History of Time for a completely incomprehensible explanation.)

3b. What do the upper and lower black push buttons do? Am I really annoying the East Wolverhampton housewife now? Is she peeing in the dark more than half the time?

Click to expand...

With the dimmer switch (dip switch) on the right hand side (dimmer isn't an entirely accurate term, as the switch is there to select a lower angled or "dipped" headlight beam) the lower button should flash the headlamp, and the upper button sound the horn?

roqueweiler said:

Where is East Wolverhampton?

Click to expand...

About 5 miles from West Wolverhampton, at a rough guess?

Riders Manual: http://britmoto.com/manuals/Manuals/Riders_3.pdf

This info being provided is from an all original 1974 bought new, with nothing changed.

Ignition Switch should be a 4 way switch; position 1 Parking lights (Required by European law at the time if I remember correctly), Position 2 OFF, Position 3 Ignition on (no lights), position 4 Ignition and lights. This is going clockwise on the switch.

Light Switch on Headlight: Position all the way left OFF, Center position Pilot light, Position 3 Main Beam.

Left Switch Cluster: Center Toggle Turn indicator Indicator. Red Push button Kill switch. Other one is not connected to anything if I am remembering correctly.

Right Switch Cluster: Center Toggle High/Low toggle for Main Beam. Upper Push Button: Horn. Lower push Button Flasher button for headlight, and no it is not the other kind of flasher :wink: .

Hope this helps

ebowling81 said:

Light Switch on Headlight: Position all the way left OFF, Center position Pilot light, Position 3 Main Beam.

Click to expand...

That's strange, as a three positon switch doesn't tally with the wiring diagram or switch description ("Two position light switch"), or the Lucas two position switch (part number 34660) as listed '71-'74.

Selecting "Ignition with lights" at the keyswitch should already give "pilot lights"? And the headlamp switch is then used to select either main headlamp ON or OFF?
So there's no requirement to have a three position headlamp switch. The riders manual reference to the switch selecting "parking lights" in the left position, and "headlamp and tail lamp" at the right position certainly seems to be wrong information.

My 74 only has a 2 position headlamp switch, 1. pilot light only and 2. pilot and main bulb , only has any effect when the 4 position key switch is at lights on position.

I wish to register a complaint:

GP beat me to

Off
Dim
Flicker

Unclviny

I'm sticking with "there are no three old Nortons wired alike"

Actually, it'll be a housewife in Andover who's getting PO'd. N-V left Wolverhampton about 1971. In any case, prior to that, Commandos were built in Plumstead, East London.

My '74 works as follows:

Key has 4 positions as described elsewhere.
Headlamp has a two position switch; vertical is the pilot light, to the right is the main beam.
Left switch cluster:
Bottom black button is the flasher
Top black is the horn
(bottom and top might be reversed, I can't remember right now :roll: )
Two position toggle activates the hi-beam (sometimes, dang 36 year old switch!)
Left side
Bottom is the kill button
Toggle is the directionals
Top is the spare

This is the way the owners manual lists it as well.

Wierd.

"Conventional" layout is horn on the LEFT, kill button on the RIGHT...

wow,

first I self deprecatingly call myseld a "more" ON (moron)

then, without provocation of any sort, one of you calls me a "dip switch"

I'm not posting anymore if you guys won't play nice.


Thank you for all the help/replies

frankdamp said:

N-V left Wolverhampton about 1971. In any case, prior to that, Commandos were built in Plumstead, East London.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure that's completely right, Frank?

Norton Villiers (later NVT) had certainly moved the main Commando production line from the AMC works in Plumstead Road SE London to North Way, Andover by 1969.

However as far as I'm aware, NV didn't leave or close the Wolverhampton factory, as Commando engines were assembled at Wolverhampton, and sent overnight by road to Andover (apparently a small number of Commandos may also have been built at Wolverhampton each week?).

I believe main Commando production eventually transferred to Wolverhampton during '73,-where it continued until the collapse of NVT.

geoff71 said:

My '74 works as follows:

Key has 4 positions as described elsewhere.
Headlamp has a two position switch; vertical is the pilot light, to the right is the main beam.
Left switch cluster:
Bottom black button is the flasher
Top black is the horn
(bottom and top might be reversed, I can't remember right now :roll: )
Two position toggle activates the hi-beam (sometimes, dang 36 year old switch!)
Left side
Bottom is the kill button
Toggle is the directionals
Top is the spare

This is the way the owners manual lists it as well.

Click to expand...

Grandpaul pointed out my folly - on my list the "second" left side is actually the right, i.e the throttle side

Doh, you are right I was thinking about my Triumph. The Norton only has a 2 position headlight switch.