will probably buy this '70 commando
- Thread starter goo
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Hey goo, Drum brakes are fine and easy to get. If you haven't ridden a reasonably fast bike with drum brakes, then they
will take a bit of getting used too. As with most things Norton, you will need to learn about setting them up properly.
Some of the guys here will help with that.
Not many kick starters get brocken that I know of.
Electrics,.... There's a topic to pick. For peace of mind most will say.. Electronic Ign. Plenty to pick from.
I see some interesting cable routing on that bike, probably stems from the fitting of low bars.
AC.
will take a bit of getting used too. As with most things Norton, you will need to learn about setting them up properly.
Some of the guys here will help with that.
Not many kick starters get brocken that I know of.
Electrics,.... There's a topic to pick. For peace of mind most will say.. Electronic Ign. Plenty to pick from.
I see some interesting cable routing on that bike, probably stems from the fitting of low bars.
AC.
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Relined the 71 Commando Fr Brake on the Triton with AM4 race lineings , for Raceing . 
Kickstarts . HYMPH . Saw a once mint one at the swap meet , was going to go for $ 5 .Made the seller
Glare at the unmarket foot arm / hinge . The rest still sat angled forward , so the boot stays put .
PAINFULL if it slips off .The SPLINE was RxxTed . Torn Out . ( historic ancient s/h lever ) so . SO . so .
It had had two tengths of five eights of stuff all use . :shock: . IF the splines are cleaned imaculately ,
AND the Shaft Splines . And the fixing ' adjusted ' in a vice , if necessary . And installed with a few drops
of loctite . On The Splines . WITH a High Tensile Pinch Bolt . Periodically . ! There not too bad . :lol: :|
The Top Hinged arm stop can be hit with a Arc Welder & dressed , for the coorrect Fwd Angle . And the
end float addressed there too . . .
With the gnatty little mufflers , a Foot Crank offset 5 yards isnt nesseary . In the humble opinion of this
chap , the PROBLEM is that the FOOT is way off over From The Spline . Most inefficent Mechanically .
The I.o.M ( Isle of Man ) P.R. Commandos with their HIGH Compression ran starter levers NEAR STRAIGHT
that were ' somewhat longer ' . Creating something of that ilk would be a rewarding exercise .
from scrap components , with a large Oxy Acetalyne for Softening , Arc welding ? halves together ,
and hand finishing . The ' Foot Crank ' on any pommy bike tends to be a ' Coustom Fit ' Requirement . :idea:
The Idea is to place the FOOT on the Lever , engage the mechanism , and then throw your weight on to turn thu .
Stabbing with the foot will shock load the entire train of components . :? :wink:
E Bxxdy lectrics . All the whineing and insults to Lucas REALLY pixx me oxx . REALLY .
WHY do the Poms Drink Warm Beer ? " Lucas made the Refrigerators " . :lol: :shock:
The WRECKTIFIER is Sxxt, often mangled . Solid State replacement 50.000 volt , tuppance . NO problem .
ALTERNATOR . Three bits of carboard , 25 /30 thou thick.Between Stator & Rotor on tightening stator required .For Alignment .( Factory service tool No ' Kelloggs Cornflakes pcket ' . 8)
Leads can dry & cook in the boiling oil . A little slack is left in the case . DRAGGING the leads from the outside with both feet on machine , leaning back , can cause trouble with wires .
The Electrics are the Next Step up , tecnologically , from candles and gas lamps . Quite Straightforward .
Any idiot can rewire one in a few hours .Or half an hour , Or the Primary System in ten minutes , while eating fish & Chips .
CONTACT BREAKER ASSEMBLY .
Prior to summer I would service the unit. Remove , with Advance unit .Actually you can leave the shaft in & just pull the
points cam .Clean , inspect for slack . CHECK THE SHAFT FIT . LUBE .2 Drops ! or Three of grease . The Fit here if worn will throw out the points gap / dwell and opening point .Just like any knackered distributor .So most fit electronic ignition .
As they CANT adjust a Set of Points . :shock: :cry: :lol: :roll: :!: Oh Dear . hence bad rep. Earlier 4CA is a bit Suss.
COMMANDO is ' 6CA ' Dual Point , one Cam Heel . easy Peasy . piece of the proverbial to Adjust . But best occasionally dismantled , cleaned and lubed .This is theraputic and helps you form a relationship with the machine .UNHURRIDLY .
6CA are fitted to all pommy stuff , 68 odd on , So points available.However Triump Adv. unit is Opposite Hand rotation , so not directly intercangeable . Like the BSA unit , Which IS Direct Fit .And gives 50 % increase in retard available , to 36 deg. from 34 .So gives 5 deg AFTER tdc at idle , very good tickover thus .
Or fit a electronic , probly has ? . lots of s.h. Adv. units around from the blokes whove fitted electronic solid state ign .
If youve got a 19 T G'box sprocket , you should be able to do the afterburner take offs .
Later bronze plate clutches generated gooky paste if slid frequently .So Fed In, or Let In
at 3.500 to smoke rear ror Max. Traction ! :lol: 8) Probly Barrnet or other U.S. made plates in there by now .
Isolastics are a science , but easiy assimilated .Service / maintanance .
One of those suckers with two kids on it should pull out to redline uphill out of Taupo , 115 mph , No trouble (16/18 stone )
Any of the crew chiefs local , ? Bit like a F-16 Id Say .
Kickstarts . HYMPH . Saw a once mint one at the swap meet , was going to go for $ 5 .Made the seller
Glare at the unmarket foot arm / hinge . The rest still sat angled forward , so the boot stays put .
PAINFULL if it slips off .The SPLINE was RxxTed . Torn Out . ( historic ancient s/h lever ) so . SO . so .
It had had two tengths of five eights of stuff all use . :shock: . IF the splines are cleaned imaculately ,
AND the Shaft Splines . And the fixing ' adjusted ' in a vice , if necessary . And installed with a few drops
of loctite . On The Splines . WITH a High Tensile Pinch Bolt . Periodically . ! There not too bad . :lol: :|
The Top Hinged arm stop can be hit with a Arc Welder & dressed , for the coorrect Fwd Angle . And the
end float addressed there too . . .
With the gnatty little mufflers , a Foot Crank offset 5 yards isnt nesseary . In the humble opinion of this
chap , the PROBLEM is that the FOOT is way off over From The Spline . Most inefficent Mechanically .
The I.o.M ( Isle of Man ) P.R. Commandos with their HIGH Compression ran starter levers NEAR STRAIGHT
that were ' somewhat longer ' . Creating something of that ilk would be a rewarding exercise .
from scrap components , with a large Oxy Acetalyne for Softening , Arc welding ? halves together ,
and hand finishing . The ' Foot Crank ' on any pommy bike tends to be a ' Coustom Fit ' Requirement . :idea:
The Idea is to place the FOOT on the Lever , engage the mechanism , and then throw your weight on to turn thu .
Stabbing with the foot will shock load the entire train of components . :? :wink:
E Bxxdy lectrics . All the whineing and insults to Lucas REALLY pixx me oxx . REALLY .
WHY do the Poms Drink Warm Beer ? " Lucas made the Refrigerators " . :lol: :shock:
The WRECKTIFIER is Sxxt, often mangled . Solid State replacement 50.000 volt , tuppance . NO problem .
ALTERNATOR . Three bits of carboard , 25 /30 thou thick.Between Stator & Rotor on tightening stator required .For Alignment .( Factory service tool No ' Kelloggs Cornflakes pcket ' . 8)
Leads can dry & cook in the boiling oil . A little slack is left in the case . DRAGGING the leads from the outside with both feet on machine , leaning back , can cause trouble with wires .
The Electrics are the Next Step up , tecnologically , from candles and gas lamps . Quite Straightforward .
Any idiot can rewire one in a few hours .Or half an hour , Or the Primary System in ten minutes , while eating fish & Chips .
CONTACT BREAKER ASSEMBLY .
Prior to summer I would service the unit. Remove , with Advance unit .Actually you can leave the shaft in & just pull the
points cam .Clean , inspect for slack . CHECK THE SHAFT FIT . LUBE .2 Drops ! or Three of grease . The Fit here if worn will throw out the points gap / dwell and opening point .Just like any knackered distributor .So most fit electronic ignition .
As they CANT adjust a Set of Points . :shock: :cry: :lol: :roll: :!: Oh Dear . hence bad rep. Earlier 4CA is a bit Suss.
COMMANDO is ' 6CA ' Dual Point , one Cam Heel . easy Peasy . piece of the proverbial to Adjust . But best occasionally dismantled , cleaned and lubed .This is theraputic and helps you form a relationship with the machine .UNHURRIDLY .
6CA are fitted to all pommy stuff , 68 odd on , So points available.However Triump Adv. unit is Opposite Hand rotation , so not directly intercangeable . Like the BSA unit , Which IS Direct Fit .And gives 50 % increase in retard available , to 36 deg. from 34 .So gives 5 deg AFTER tdc at idle , very good tickover thus .
Or fit a electronic , probly has ? . lots of s.h. Adv. units around from the blokes whove fitted electronic solid state ign .
If youve got a 19 T G'box sprocket , you should be able to do the afterburner take offs .
Later bronze plate clutches generated gooky paste if slid frequently .So Fed In, or Let In
at 3.500 to smoke rear ror Max. Traction ! :lol: 8) Probly Barrnet or other U.S. made plates in there by now .
Isolastics are a science , but easiy assimilated .Service / maintanance .
One of those suckers with two kids on it should pull out to redline uphill out of Taupo , 115 mph , No trouble (16/18 stone )
Any of the crew chiefs local , ? Bit like a F-16 Id Say .
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- Jul 25, 2010
- Messages
- 5,865
Timings set 28 or 31 tdc . figure ' 34 ' above is tripe . half the thing dissapears on edit . Fudge .
31 minus 24 gives 6 degrees ( :lol: ) btdc ign. at idle. Std . BSA Adv points cam gets it 5 deg AFTER tdc.
slightly stiffer springs $ 2 , or ex almost anything Lucas . ( land rover , etc std. lucas auto Adv. Any distributor )
Points can be set with bits of cardboard , ciggarette papers , and other scientific appuratus extremely accurately .
Dog T runs the high pipes as it raises the centre of gravity , so lofting the front wheels easier .
:wink:
Having a liesurely yarn with the bloke , if he's owned it for a number of years , will get a ' Ive etc etc . '
Dont let that throw you . Get it in writeing with purchase .
How Many miles / owners . ?
Also a ' Id like to do etc etc from him will show you how to go with it from there .
10.000 on a rebuild it should still be crisp . When they eventually use a little oil , its nothing , unless you wanna ' race ' it .
t.b.o is 50.000 plus , if maintained .
How many miles has it done in the last 10 years , and whats the reason for the sale ? ?
31 minus 24 gives 6 degrees ( :lol: ) btdc ign. at idle. Std . BSA Adv points cam gets it 5 deg AFTER tdc.
slightly stiffer springs $ 2 , or ex almost anything Lucas . ( land rover , etc std. lucas auto Adv. Any distributor )
Points can be set with bits of cardboard , ciggarette papers , and other scientific appuratus extremely accurately .
Dog T runs the high pipes as it raises the centre of gravity , so lofting the front wheels easier .
:wink: Having a liesurely yarn with the bloke , if he's owned it for a number of years , will get a ' Ive etc etc . '
Dont let that throw you . Get it in writeing with purchase .
How Many miles / owners . ?
Also a ' Id like to do etc etc from him will show you how to go with it from there .
10.000 on a rebuild it should still be crisp . When they eventually use a little oil , its nothing , unless you wanna ' race ' it .
t.b.o is 50.000 plus , if maintained .
How many miles has it done in the last 10 years , and whats the reason for the sale ? ?
DogT
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That's a pre-71 bike, with the central oil tank, and flat seat. The brakes can be fine if you take some care. Arcing the front brakes will help a lot if it hasn't been done, there's a upgrade plate that stiffens the front brake system, but I don't have any experience with that part. RGM and Commando Specialties sells high friction pads for the front, I haven't tried them yet, but others say they help, it's not a racing brake. The rear brake, at least on mine I can lock it up if desired, what more can you ask? There is probably no cush drive in the rear drum if it's true to it's age. That can be changed if desired, if you don't thrash it it won't matter. Are the Amals in good shape, does it idle consistently?
Your only issue is what is inside the bike despite how good it looks. Are there any records on upgrades or repairs, like superblends, superblend layshaft bearing in the gearbox, real seals in the gearbox cover, tach drive, new sealed bearings in the wheels, new pistons, that year had slotted pistons that tended to come apart with high reving? And who did the work? All these things you will want to do if they haven't. Most likely the oil tank will leak out of the breather into the air filter, typical of that style tank. It can be fixed, I have done it, ask if required. Does it still have the original timed breather off the left side crank case or a new style breather?
It's a really nice looking bike, but make sure what you're getting, especially don't pay too much. There's a 75 MKIII for sale now on the forum for $6K and has been fully restored by Phil at Fair Spares in San Jose, but that's completely across the country.
Good Luck,
Dave
69S
Your only issue is what is inside the bike despite how good it looks. Are there any records on upgrades or repairs, like superblends, superblend layshaft bearing in the gearbox, real seals in the gearbox cover, tach drive, new sealed bearings in the wheels, new pistons, that year had slotted pistons that tended to come apart with high reving? And who did the work? All these things you will want to do if they haven't. Most likely the oil tank will leak out of the breather into the air filter, typical of that style tank. It can be fixed, I have done it, ask if required. Does it still have the original timed breather off the left side crank case or a new style breather?
It's a really nice looking bike, but make sure what you're getting, especially don't pay too much. There's a 75 MKIII for sale now on the forum for $6K and has been fully restored by Phil at Fair Spares in San Jose, but that's completely across the country.
Good Luck,
Dave
69S
DogT
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If you want to spend the $$$. I think you can approach their work on your own, but what do I know? I'm just not one to throw items to vendors and then put them together. That said, everyone that used Vintage seems to have good results.JimC said:
Dave
69S
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The TLS was pulling up the light Weight Triton from 106 into the haipin effectively , the reinforceing plate mightve made
if more responsive over about 60 , was smokeing the front , or squealing from there down , with raceing rubber .
ONLY real effective ' test ride ' would be to get him to go for ten minutes to get up to temperature ,
and another ten at 100 mph odd .( ordinarily I wouldnt let anyone on it unfamiliar till warm ) .
If it handles that well & is still intact , it ant be too bad . Should actually relish more severe use than that if A1+ mechanically
if more responsive over about 60 , was smokeing the front , or squealing from there down , with raceing rubber .
ONLY real effective ' test ride ' would be to get him to go for ten minutes to get up to temperature ,
and another ten at 100 mph odd .( ordinarily I wouldnt let anyone on it unfamiliar till warm ) .
If it handles that well & is still intact , it ant be too bad . Should actually relish more severe use than that if A1+ mechanically
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DogT said:
Not everyone has the free time you do. :mrgreen:
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swooshdave said:
says the man with over 5500 post!
:shock:
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Just noticed the Green Machine's got the headlight protector ring , Like The ' S ' . See if its " Comando S " on the papers .Looks like a INTERESTING bike .Owner Maintained ??
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Goo you never said how much the seller is asking for it. I paid $1200 for my 70 S model back in 1978 from a dealer ,but just by eyeballing the photo in 2011 I would hazard a guess at $4500.
from the seller,
"She has new pistons, guides and valves and runs very strong. The frame was powder coated and everything polished. I am looking in the neighborhood of $6200. I don't think it would take too much to take it to the next level."
came down a few hundred
"
"She has new pistons, guides and valves and runs very strong. The frame was powder coated and everything polished. I am looking in the neighborhood of $6200. I don't think it would take too much to take it to the next level."
came down a few hundred
"
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Yes it is in lovely shape ,the mufflers , the vomit paintjob and the tad high price are easily changed. Drove mine with glass tank for years without any cages hitting me and going up in fireball ,went to steel. Ask if he did the roller layshaft conversion just for fun, if not you will be going there.
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