What Did You Do With Your Commando Today?

[NORTSTER1974]

After a brief (6 month) interlude I've managed to migrate my Combat motor into the frame.

No point rushing these things.

With a following wind it should be ready for the road in time for spring.
Which spring is anybody's guess...

Hey Andy, don't forget to install the horn!

 

[Fast Eddie]

Hey Andy, don't forget to install the horn!

You do not ‘install’ a horn on a Commando…

You start with a horn… then install a Commando on it

 

[Starvingphotog]

Well, the weather has been warming up here in Michigan this past week and probably would have been warm enough to go for a ride. But then I remembered what one of you fellas said about brine on the roads. So, I put it up on the lift to start my spring shakedown, and crossing my fingers that my Matt might send me my electric start kit, just maybe it will show up this spring....Heck it's only been almost 3 years since I ordered it. Can't rush quality, right?......

Oh, and I have this bit of jewelry I'm installing as well...

 

[batrider]

Love the sock on the muffler!

 

[Nortoniggy]

On Sunday, had a ride out to break in newly refurbished front brake. New disc, pads, caliper pistons and braided hose. Stopped near Eastham, Worcestershire to look at the snowdrops.

 

[YING]

On Sunday, had a ride out to break in newly refurbished front brake. New disc, pads, caliper pistons and braided hose. Stopped near Eastham, Worcestershire to look at the snowdrops.

Iggy,
Nice looking motorcycle!
Mike

 

[Andy Higham]

That's a big lump in front of the steering axis, It would probably be better on the right, behind the fork leg.

 

[Nortoniggy]

That's a big lump in front of the steering axis, It would probably be better on the right, behind the fork leg.

When the bike was new, and my only transport, I rode it all year in all weathers. Riding around town in heavy rain you could see the water hitting the fork leg, then running round it and draining into the caliper behind the fork leg. The brake wasn't great in those circumstances. Then the Mk111 came out with the legs reversed and I read one of the reasons was to stop the caliper getting waterlogged. I swapped mine over then and it did make a difference. I couldn't detect any detrimental handling.

Over the years I improved it further with the decent racing caliper and then a sleeved master cylinder. Both made a significant improvement. Also with the larger caliper making a stay for the mudguard would be messy if it was behind the fork leg. Only benefit of being behind the fork leg would be aesthetics I reckon.

You also have a fairly big lump of wheel in front of the steering axis that you can't do anything about.

 

[Starvingphotog]

Quick question fellas. I'm looking to install this on my exhaust to prevent the rose nuts from backing out and wonder if you guys have had luck with these widgets, or whether safety wire is more reliable. I have safety wire on there now and once it has failed me. Any pitfalls to look out for when I install them?

 

[B+Bogus]

Lock wire every time here.
I believe the lock rings are unpopular because they allow the collar to rattle around and damage the exhaust threads. No personal experience as I've never used them

 

[Fast Eddie]

Quick question fellas. I'm looking to install this on my exhaust to prevent the rose nuts from backing out and wonder if you guys have had luck with these widgets, or whether safety wire is more reliable. I have safety wire on there now and once it has failed me. Any pitfalls to look out for when I install them?

View attachment 123984

They are bad news.

They do not ‘lock’ the nuts, they simply stop them backing off.

That means they will allow a nut to loosen just enough to allow vibration and fretting to destroy the threads in your head!

Lock-wire (done properly) is by far the best as it will keep the nuts in tension, maintaining the torque.

But you don’t need that really, so long as they’re tightened properly and nipped up in the first few hundred miles (just like the head fasteners) they’ll be fine.

You need to tighten them A LOT, you can’t really over tighten them.

A great trick from Ludwig is to tighten them when hot and the engine is running, the vibration acts a bit like an impact wrench !

 

[Mart UK]

I had those lock washers. After a hundred miles or so, they failed to keep the exhaust tight. I unbent them and tightened the exhausts up (while hot and mallet on spanner tool tight) and made the mistake of re-bending the tabs. Of course, after a few more heat cycles, the exhausts needed one further tightening. This time the tabs were too weak and broke off.

I was left with tight exhausts but an annoying tinkle from the loose washers. I couldn't bear to remove it all again, so I bodged it. I put a couple of dollops of high temp RTV silicone mastic in the gaps to stop the washers moving and let it cure. That was 5,000 miles ago and all is still tight and quiet. So, I can't recommend those lock washers. I can recommend getting it all hot and applying some force to tighten it, but don't go stupid, you can always do it again.

 

[Richard Tool]

Bronze exhaust roses did it for me - tighten while hot over 3 heat cycles.
Haven’t had to touch them in several years .

 

[Starvingphotog]

Well, thanks for the advice guys! I tossed them into my box of stuff and have no plans of installing them. I installed these bronze exhaust pieces that I had in that very same box of goodies I bought a while ago. Figured I would install them to see how they look. Seems the same ones did the trick for Richard so I'll torque them once I start it up for the first time this coming season while it is running and hot just you like guys suggest. I started installing that NYC Norton reed valve breather today too and leaving the sump to drain overnight before I finish installing the valve tomorrow.

 

[ashman]

When I brought my Commando new I always had troubles with the stock set up vibrating and coming lose but since hard mounting my 850 into the Featherbed frame back in the early 80s I have never had any more problems with lose exhaust rose, rubber mounts/Islastics do some strange thing to wear and tear of the rose and exhaust treads, I don't use any locking devices on my stock rose, same rose that came with my bike from the factory and same exhaust treads.

Ashley

 

[Starvingphotog]

yeah, I know that stock engine setup does move quite a bit. If I did a slow mo video of it at idle and at 3k I imagine I would be surprised at what I see in terms of movement. I plan to finish up my breather today and text my local bike shop guy if he can balance my wheels for me next week. I'll go through my spring checkup on warmer days, unless my wife has other plans for me to work on the house....

 

[Richard Tool]

Well, thanks for the advice guys! I tossed them into my box of stuff and have no plans of installing them. I installed these bronze exhaust pieces that I had in that very same box of goodies I bought a while ago. Figured I would install them to see how they look. Seems the same ones did the trick for Richard so I'll torque them once I start it up for the first time this coming season while it is running and hot just you like guys suggest. I started installing that NYC Norton reed valve breather today too and leaving the sump to drain overnight before I finish installing the valve tomorrow. View attachment 123997
View attachment 123998

Just a heads up as it caught me not paying attention-the bronze is not as strong as the iron/steel stock roses. Make certain that the tooth on your C spanner engages the rose at the root of the fin , otherwise you risk breaking the fin off - ask me how I know…

 

[Andy Higham]

If you use the RGM roses, use the RGM tool

 

[Starvingphotog]

Right on fellas. I did make sure that I engage the teeth on the nuts at the base (thickest part) so that I don't break those beauties off! I lied to. I just checked and they are brass rose nuts I got from my Canadian parts guy living in Florida, Dan McCluskey.

I also finally got that NYC Norton breather installed. Hard to tell and know if I installed it without breaking it. They are tricky to install because of that ledge just inside that sump plug and the swivel spigot in the unit that needs to wiggle its way to the side of the ledge and up. I kept bottoming out the spigot on that ledge every time. So, I put a bit of grease on the ledge and on the spigot to let slide about some and tried again and felt a little resistance but kept gingerly turning and it seemed to thread in fully. If they put a chamfer or some sort of point on the top of the spigot it would be much easier to find its way past that ledge instead of that flat top they have now. Still, I was nervous and wondered whether I damaged the spigot (doing so by pushing it down into the unit by forcing it when there is resistance renders it useless), so I backed it out and took it off and inspected the spigot to make sure it swivels and I was able to pull air through the thing but not push. Seems to still work right, so I threaded it back in and it went in much easier this time with little to no resistance. Snugged it up and ran the hose to the oil tank. We'll see at startup if it works. I'll pull the hose and feel for pulses of pressure.

Time for a beer!

 

[Andy Higham]

Mike Pemberton , the pushrod single specialist, showed me a cool trick with bronze roses.

If the thread in the head is slightly slack, he turns up a mandrel with a taper on one end and a diameter slightly greater than the bore of the rose. He then presses the mandrel through the rose. This expands the rose slightly to make it match the worn thread