What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?

Still on Manitoulin Isl. , the world's largest freshwater island . Norton running very well and using next to no oil on the new J.S . Motor . Headed to Aeolian Machine Shop to visit and then a cabin in Dark Sky Preserve for 3 nights and attending the Wikwemikoong Pow Wow .
 
I think you should change your handle to Canadian Explorer. What you're doing with your Norton (fishing) is what the old man Trudeau (Pierre) did with his birchbark canoe along the many rivers and streams of the country. At least that's what they taught us in school growing up in Waterloo Ontario...:)
 
Fine someone too clean you plate, do it yourself not a hard job, get your hands dirty you are a Norton owner, how else are you going to learn about your bike if you don't get your hands dirty:rolleyes:
Since I don't like to get my hands dirty, I have a big box of disposable mechanic's gloves (thicker and more durable than normal disposables) and put those on before I pick up a wrench. I actually enjoy working on bikes. However, at the moment there don't seem to be enough hours in the day, I have way too many projects and I am trying to figure out how to make time to get the clutch apart. I did find someone to clean the plates, I have a clutch puller and I just ordered a gasket from JS Motorsports. Will inspect when I get everything apart, but the bike does shift cleanly and I think the problem is just gunk on the plates.
 
What a bunch of girls, wear gloves, what's the world coming to, only joking;) so you can't find 30 minute in your life to clean your clutch plates, it's not a major job pulling the primary cover off, put the clutch puller on and remove the big circlip and pull the plates out soak them in a container of cleaning fluid, (kero or petrol) and then a good scrab and dry them before refitting, well make it 1hr at the most and that's taking your time, the clutch is not a hard job to pull apart.
 
What a bunch of girls, wear gloves, what's the world coming to, only joking;) so you can't find 30 minute in your life to clean your clutch plates, it's not a major job pulling the primary cover off, put the clutch puller on and remove the big circlip and pull the plates out soak them in a container of cleaning fluid, (kero or petrol) and then a good scrab and dry them before refitting, well make it 1hr at the most and that's taking your time, the clutch is not a hard job to pull apart.
You work much faster than I do. On a Mark III, getting all the stuff in front of the primary case off and then unscrewing all the bolts in the cover takes me about 45 minutes. Then getting the old liquid gasket off that seals the paper gasket takes another hour of scrubbing. The JS Motorsports gasket should eliminate all that work. At that point I can start in with the clutch puller. My understanding is that properly cleaning clutch plates means sand (or another media) blasting. I don't have a sandblaster.
P. S. I is a girl. We like to keep our hands nice.
 
I went out yesterday on the Commando for our annual Classic Bike club charity ride across Dartmoor. For me it was the first time out in a bike for several months, and first time out on the Commando in over a year now I think about it. :eek: Once again I had to retrain myself how to ride it, right foot change up for down, left foot brake, careful with the front brake, it’s only 4 gears stop trying to find any more. Even the fuel in it was last years E5 with a bit of ethanol additive. After the first 50 miles went by as part of a gaggle of other bikes (I hate riding in a group) I decided to take myself home the fast way. It was then I realised just how smooth the motor is, cruising sweetly at 4000rpm it was smooth as a smooth thing. A proper mile burner, if it wasn’t for the cramped riding position that gave me back ache.
So to today, I’ve drained the oil tank so it can’t wet sump, as it isn’t going to get used for a few months now. Again. Hopefully we will get away to Norway in about 4 weeks time, for a couple of months.
Next I need to get to work on the Triton in order to get it rideable for next Monday’s Classic Club meeting. I really need to prove it truly exists.
Here’s the Commando parked up before the ride.
What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?
 
You work much faster than I do. On a Mark III, getting all the stuff in front of the primary case off and then unscrewing all the bolts in the cover takes me about 45 minutes. Then getting the old liquid gasket off that seals the paper gasket takes another hour of scrubbing. The JS Motorsports gasket should eliminate all that work. At that point I can start in with the clutch puller. My understanding is that properly cleaning clutch plates means sand (or another media) blasting. I don't have a sandblaster.
P. S. I is a girl. We like to keep our hands nice.
I have always cleaned my clutch plates with gasoline ( petrol) , never kerosene ( paraffin) as paraffin is too oily . This would be on 1950 ES2 and 72 750 Commando. Perhaps your Mk 3 plates are different but I don’t believe
so . It truly only takes fifteen minutes or so - you have done all the hard work by disassembling. If you use media blasting I would be wary of using aggressive media on the friction plates as it may become imbedded in the friction material and find its way out later and destroy bearings, etc .
I can’t emphasize enough that gasoline has done the job for me for many years - cheap , easy and risk free.
 
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I think you should change your handle to Canadian Explorer. What you're doing with your Norton (fishing) is what the old man Trudeau (Pierre) did with his birchbark canoe along the many rivers and streams of the country. At least that's what they taught us in school growing up in Waterloo Ontario...:)
On the topic of birchbark canoes, at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough Ontario there is presently one nearing completion. The workshop hours are posted on their website. The museum itself is a must see
 
I was wrong - plates do NOT need to be sandblasted. I talked to a knowledgeable mechanic in my area, who said to soak in brake cleaner and scrub clean. So: as soon as I can free up some time I will start taking Nort apart. Will take photos along the way.
💡

Correct, clutch plates do not need a sandblasted surface. It reduces the contact area on the friction plate.

Yes, even Hobot had it wrong by roughing up his steels on the concrete floor.
 
💡

Correct, clutch plates do not need a sandblasted surface. It reduces the contact area on the friction plate.

Yes, even Hobot had it wrong by roughing up his steels on the concrete floor.
💡

Correct, clutch plates do not need a sandblasted surface. It reduces the contact area on the friction plate.

Yes, even Hobot had it wrong by roughing up his steels on the concrete floor.
Brake cleaner is a quick evaporative .Use outdoors . Gas is dangerous too .
Be a girl and use the gloves and in ventilation . Mechanics who ignore sensible practice have a high cancer rate .
 
In Aeolian Machine shop in Manitoulin . Pierre has been given a stone stock Mk 111 850 from Chris , black.
We worked on his red 850. Got it going for a ride . Lovely area . My Mk 111 is running well . Drinking wines .
 
I scored 3 free metal gallons of 1980s Coleman stove fuel (white gas, naptha) from a storage unit cleanout. I use butane in my camp stoves, at this point, so it's been put to use in the garage. Man, that stuff works well on greasy stuff like clutch plates. I know it's not great to breathe, so a high-powered fan is a must. Doing the job on the N15CS is a pain, but it was self-inflicted as I read an old manual saying to use motor oil. Nope. Cleaning and ATF, no probs. Oh, and the first time I did the job on a long-derelict set of original grimy plates, I used dollar-store degreaser; it also worked fine, just soaked, rinsed, dried, and hit with some brake cleaner afterwards. But I sorta like a faint whiff of naptha, reminds me of old nights camping.
 
I scored 3 free metal gallons of 1980s Coleman stove fuel (white gas, naptha) from a storage unit cleanout. I use butane in my camp stoves, at this point, so it's been put to use in the garage. Man, that stuff works well on greasy stuff like clutch plates. I know it's not great to breathe, so a high-powered fan is a must. Doing the job on the N15CS is a pain, but it was self-inflicted as I read an old manual saying to use motor oil. Nope. Cleaning and ATF, no probs. Oh, and the first time I did the job on a long-derelict set of original grimy plates, I used dollar-store degreaser; it also worked fine, just soaked, rinsed, dried, and hit with some brake cleaner afterwards. But I sorta like a faint whiff of naptha, reminds me of old nights camping.
We are camping now and use birch bark to start the campfire only .
Eating lake trout .
 
C

Fresh lake trout cooked on the campfire? Worthy of a photo I would say.
Being on a Norton camping far up north I simply lost my pride and asked a downrigger boat guy if he could spare any for 2 motorbike campers . He delivered battered deep fried lake trout 2 hrs. later .
Another big water boater caught 10 Rainbows in 2 hours . Limit is 5 .
 
Being on a Norton camping far up north I simply lost my pride and asked a downrigger boat guy if he could spare any for 2 motorbike campers . He delivered battered deep fried lake trout 2 hrs. later .
Another big water boater caught 10 Rainbows in 2 hours . Limit is 5 .
Keep that up and there won't be any left
 
Parking the Norton for a day and using a canoe .
Lubed chain with a rag and Tony bottle of gear oil . Small water bottle of 20/50 going unused .
 
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