Norton Break Downs?

[kommando]

Only thing that has ever stopped me was a failed Portugese layshart bearing

That slowed me down but did not stop me, into neutral for kick start, rolled down hill and got into 4th and stayed in 4th for 20 miles through city traffic. Only got to find the split in half balls after the strip down but strangely no damage to the gear teeth only to the bearing side of 4th layshaft gear.

 

[Uncle Frank]

Had a few over the years here is one of the more spectacular - I blew the primary cover off at 100 MPH+ racing a couple of clowns in a red sports car. Still rode it home though...

 

[baz]

Had a few over the years here is one of the more spectacular - I blew the primary cover off at 100 MPH+ racing a couple of clowns in a red sports car. Still rode it home though...

How did that happen?

 

[sammysnail]

Has anyone out there tried being towed on the bike?

In 1970 my Trident broke the primary chain and caused some crankshaft damage (not an uncommon occurrence). I borrowed a carport to park the bike in and removed the engine and took it home in my car.
One Saturday my mate used his 250 Honda to tow me on the engine-less Triumph through traffic across Sydney. Only 15km according to Google, but it seemed longer. Later on he would have towed me about 8k. to the bloke who rebuilt the engine for me, but I have no recollection of that at all. I also made that trip with the Trident motor in a box on the rack of a Honda stepthru. The front wheel was very light.

 

[Big_Jim59]

but I have no recollection of that at all.

They say we repress traumatic events from our memory.

 

[998cc]

Ignition installation failure:
A few years back, I had recently installed a TriSpark ignition. 6 or 7 miles from home, the wiring inside the cover fatigued due to vibration and broke at a connector--my fault. It would have been a 10 minute fix had I brought tools and tape at the time! Wiring is now immobilized in that cover.

My old '71 Commando never left me stranded even after being sideswiped by a passing Goldwing about a hundred miles from home.

998cc

 

[Stephen Hill]

This is not my story but I think it is the straight goods. I knew a fellow who rode his Norton from the interior of British Columbia to Calgary, Alberta, the next province over. Where it broke down. He told me he was towed back to his home town by his buddy on another motorcycle. About 800 miles, took two days. He said he was 16 at the time. Ah, to be young and stupid again.

 

[EstuaryBoy]

Ah, to be young and stupid again.

Do they have parallel trajectories as you age??

I've left one far behind, not too sure about t'other (sense it might be catching up, lately!).

 

[KiwiShane]

That slowed me down but did not stop me, into neutral for kick start, rolled down hill and got into 4th and stayed in 4th for 20 miles through city traffic. Only got to find the split in half balls after the strip down but strangely no damage to the gear teeth only to the bearing side of 4th layshaft gear.

My LS/Bearing gave me no warning ..happened at open road speed ....coming into a corner...locked up everything....felt lucky I wasn't going faster at the time ....

 

[Thomasa]

First there was the layshaft bearing on the MKIII only a few weeks after I got it. I was pulling off from a stop sign when it happened. Whew! Friend came with a Pickup truck.

Then there was the screws (second one) dropping out of the float bowl as our group ride pulled over at the top of Washington Pass (5600'). It was raining and trying to turn to snow. I smelled gas. I took a screw from the top of each carb for the float bowl. We continued on.

Then there was the time in August '92 the clutch completely failed to disengage mid-day of a long day riding two up, much of it in the rain/snow after being kicked out to the Sand Point, ID motel by the US ATF & FBI as they massed to go after Randy Weaver on a weapons charge. Stayed in an indian teepee on the Colville Reservation a couple hundred miles west (straight road, no towns, no clutch function). With the bike in the teepee that evening, I pulled the primary cover and as luck would have it, found the clutch adjusting screw and jam nut resting on the bottom run of the primary chain. Screwed it back in, reassembled and all was well... for me and my wife. Rolled out our sleeping bags and sacked out.

Back in Sand Point however, by the end of the day the body count was: 1 woman (Weaver's wife), 1 FBI agent, and one dog. As anyone following the news at the time remembers, that wasn't the end of it. My personal adventure didn't even make the letters-to-the-editor. Wife had no comment but still pales if I tell the story in her presence.

 

[Shelby-Right]

Oh man a breakdown , today, Queens memorial day, thought I'd get out for a quick ride , got it out of the shed , gave it a start up all good, warmed it up a tad , put the door down , went inside got geared up open gate , started it up selected first gear , moved 1 foot ......broken throttle cable , bugger, slight depression . :-( at least I was home . Just looked them up so many lengths it was a usa import . Just measured the outer from junction to twist grip at 26" so hopefully they'll have one .

 

[ashman]

If well maintained Nortons are pretty reliable I have owned my 74 since new with lots of changes and upgrades over that time the only major failers I have that wasn't my fault was the dreaded lay shaft bearing 12k miles and it blew outside of my house when I put it gear and a circlip mount on a Indian made replacement rear sprocket/drum (but was able to machine the groove deeper for a bigger circlip) the other times it broke down was all my own faults, major fire back in the early 80s after converting the 850 to a Featherbed frame running velocity stacks and leaking fuel tap don't mix, then a week after rewiring it the black box for the Boyar decided to sh.t itself 100 mile from home (fire damaged), as well 2 broken chains once doing a big burn out in my younger days and then a few years ago doing a rev out from a set of lights (only threw the joining link) other than those few things and not really major repairs my Norton have been good has well over 160k miles on it so not bad at all, had a few lay downs but always got home after with minor damage to the bike and myself with a bit of bark taken off me.

Ashley

 

[Uncle Frank]

How did that happen?

Good question - the seal behind the engine sprocket was leaking and the primary case was over filled which wouldn't have helped things. Maybe the centre of the outer case was weakened from tightening - who knows?

 

[elefantrider]

The only thing or things that ever prevented me from getting back home were charging issues, bad battery/bad ground blowing fuses, or the Boyer.

So the first thing I check every now and then (after ditching the Boyer EI for points) is adequeate charging/good battery voltage.

And use a little blue Loctite, or go over most fasteners before each ride.

 

[concours]

None of my 300,000+ motorcycle miles ever ended with a DNF.

If you look/listen, and inspect/repair, they give warning.

Granted, a layman may not know what he is hearing/seeing, but that is a good time to ask a person in the know.

JMWO

 

[concours]

I rode this another 700 miles by skip-shifting by 2nd. 1500 miles from home, here to enjoy the warm Florida weather in March. The show must go on.

Don't do what I do.

JMWO

 

[TomU]

My first car and bike were both Triumphs. Thought breaking down was normal. LOL

Anywho, seems like the majority of breakdowns are caused by vibration. Best preventative measure is to go through and regularly check fittings (mechanical and electrical). Second, have an escape plan if you do break down. There's the roadside repair and then worse case the call to the significant other (which could be a tow company). Regarding roadside repairs, what's are the recomended essentials? BITD, it used to be bailing wire and duct tape. Sounds like float bowl plugs, spark plugs, assortment of common size fastners, electrical wire with connectors. Anything else? Is there any easy repair for a tubed flat.

 

[marshg246]

My first car and bike were both Triumphs. Thought breaking down was normal. LOL

Anywho, seems like the majority of breakdowns are caused by vibration. Best preventative measure is to go through and regularly check fittings (mechanical and electrical). Second, have an escape plan if you do break down. There's the roadside repair and then worse case the call to the significant other (which could be a tow company). Regarding roadside repairs, what's are the recomended essentials? BITD, it used to be bailing wire and duct tape. Sounds like float bowl plugs, spark plugs, assortment of common size fastners, electrical wire with connectors. Anything else? Is there any easy repair for a tubed flat.

One good thing about living in the DC area is Dante (https://www.mototowbikes.com/). Towing bikes is his whole business and he's well equipped to do it.

Spare fuses and a few tools. If you take 50 lbs of stuff, it's still likely you won't have what you need

 

[TomU]

If you take 50 lbs of stuff, it's still likely you won't have what you need

Of course!

 

[Schwany]

My first car and bike were both Triumphs. Thought breaking down was normal. LOL

Anything else? Is there any easy repair for a tubed flat.

I don't think I ever had an issue other than leaky pushrod tubes with the Triumph Tiger 500 I had. Rode that all over the place like I thought it was a modern bike. Was a long time ago though. Just out of high school. That bike I would not mind having today, but I digress.

If I could carry a floor jack it might come in handy for tire changes.

That Orange goop that is supposed to balance tires and stop small puncture leaks might work for tubes. I've got two bottles of it I keep forgetting to put in the tubes and find out.