Norton Commando

inazone242

Registered user
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
637
Reaction score
0
Location
Leeds
My 73 Commando coming together after a few years stored under my bench in pieces :eek:
forks and front end will be complete in a couple of weeks that just leaves finding a decent painter for the tank and panels, a rewire and thats about it.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4300.jpg
    IMG_4300.jpg
    76.6 KB · Views: 1,198
Right up my street that is! Well done! Stainless primary adjuster!!! That's dead posh!

My two, the 750 i've just finished over last summer, and the 850 mk 3 is unrestored mostly bog stock with 7000 miles.
IMG_5320-M.jpg

IMG_2979_1068-M.jpg
 
Right up my street that is! Well done! Stainless primary adjuster!!! That's dead posh!

My two, the 750 i've just finished over last summer, and the 850 mk 3 is unrestored mostly bog stock with 7000 miles.
IMG_5320-M.jpg

IMG_2979_1068-M.jpg

is that a mikuni or a mk2 amal carb.
 
Mikuni, works well and its a very easy starter, the bike has a few mods done as I bought it as a wrecker with a blown up engine, the original engine was built by Mick Hemmings and was tuned up just a touch too much hence the grenaded engine, so i put it all back to stock (ish) but added a new oil pump and mk 3 timing cover, pazon ignition and single carb, as so much was altered i ended up building my own wiring loom, dead easy, i bought a standard new loom and stripped that to provide the correct colours in the right places, bit of a faff but i'm sure future owners might appreciate the effort.

What are you going to do with the fiberglass fuel tank, has it survived the ethanol so far?
 
Mikuni, works well and its a very easy starter, the bike has a few mods done as I bought it as a wrecker with a blown up engine, the original engine was built by Mick Hemmings and was tuned up just a touch too much hence the grenaded engine, so i put it all back to stock (ish) but added a new oil pump and mk 3 timing cover, pazon ignition and single carb, as so much was altered i ended up building my own wiring loom, dead easy, i bought a standard new loom and stripped that to provide the correct colours in the right places, bit of a faff but i'm sure future owners might appreciate the effort.


What are you going to do with the fiberglass fuel tank, has it survived the ethanol so far?

Had a Mikuni on it over 20 years a go, took it off to put on my 850 then succumbed to a very good offer for the 850 and left the mikuni on it :blast
The Amals on mine are new with the anodised slides and better qulity control so they should be ok and stay intune a longer than the originals, it was a hard descission to stop with the amals.
Allways built my own wiring looms like you say its dead easy doom so many i dont need a diagram any more, also has Rita ignition.
The petrol tank is steel so no problems with modern fuels.

Oh and this particular one ive owned since 1980 :bounce1
 
Carbs are a personal thing, i never had many issues with twin amals once i'd got rid of the bored out ones I had on my first commando, 32's bored out to 34's didn't leave much meat to hold the fragile slides still!

The tank fooled me, i thought you could see the glass ones because there was no seam in that little arc around the side panel, live and learn!!

Good luck with it, i've a few projects on at the moment but once they are done i'll be back on commandos again! 'The devil you know' so they say!
 
I've always been a bit of a Norton man, but Commando's are a bit too modern for me :rob

I bought my '63 650SS as a jigsaw puzzle of a rolling wreck. Bought with the heart and not the head. Everything was totally knackered; - but you only fully discover that when you start the rebuild.

The bore was +60 and knackered, the crank was -40 and knackered, valves, camshaft, clutch, etc., etc, and Jeremy Corbyn has more spark than the mag had :D:D

Anyway, it now looks how I want it to. It has cost far more than its current value but its been great fun.
 

Attachments

  • 043d.jpg
    043d.jpg
    85.8 KB · Views: 1,108
I've always been a bit of a Norton man, but Commando's are a bit too modern for me :rob

I bought my '63 650SS as a jigsaw puzzle of a rolling wreck. Bought with the heart and not the head. Everything was totally knackered; - but you only fully discover that when you start the rebuild.

The bore was +60 and knackered, the crank was -40 and knackered, valves, camshaft, clutch, etc., etc, and Jeremy Corbyn has more spark than the mag had :D:D

Anyway, it now looks how I want it to. It has cost far more than its current value but its been great fun.

Porn, pure bike Porn!
 
I always wanted to own something along those lines. Sadly, now I could afford it I couldn't ride it.
 
This was at the Bristol Classic Bike Show last weekend . .

Its not really my kind of bike, but for some reason I just had to keep looking at it :confused:.

What a lovely job :thumb2:


DSCN7177_zpsedqcr6d6.jpg



DSCN7178_zpssdvbxtu4.jpg



DSCN7013_zpsdf3ulvxa.jpg


A bit 'Off Topic" - apologies :topic.

Bob.
 
I've always been a bit of a Norton man, but Commando's are a bit too modern for me :rob

I bought my '63 650SS as a jigsaw puzzle of a rolling wreck. Bought with the heart and not the head. Everything was totally knackered; - but you only fully discover that when you start the rebuild.

The bore was +60 and knackered, the crank was -40 and knackered, valves, camshaft, clutch, etc., etc, and Jeremy Corbyn has more spark than the mag had :D:D

Anyway, it now looks how I want it to. It has cost far more than its current value but its been great fun.

That's lovely :thumb

In 1966 I bought a new BSA A65L but deliberated long and hard over a 650SS, but I was a BSA man at heart :eek:

The Lightning was a heap of trouble ... should've gone 'Norton' :blast

:beerjug:
 
You didn't make the wrong choice Micky. In reality they were all just as bad in those days. It just that now we see them through rose tinted glasses. I had an Atlas in those days; one of the pistons parted company with its gudgeon pin; - that took out the valves; - that took out the rod; - that took out the crankcase; - for a young apprentice that was fecking expensive!!
 
Yeah .... tell me about it. The Lightning 'picked up'n one of the cylinders, semi seized, three times. Each time when not really thrashing it, but rather just cruising :blast

I ended up having to get rid, took it back from me for what I owed :eek:

Silly thing is that overtime it went in for repair I borrowed the old blokes Lambretta scooter from across the road .... that never missed a beat :D

:beerjug:
 
That's lovely :thumb

In 1966 I bought a new BSA A65L but deliberated long and hard over a 650SS, but I was a BSA man at heart :eek:

The Lightning was a heap of trouble ... should've gone 'Norton' :blast

:beerjug:

I love my Lightning, but they are a heap of trouble until you get them sorted. Especially if you buy a basket case like I did, I had the choice of an A65L or a Commando, but either was going to be a wallet emptying experience... Mines just about done now and its purring like a loud oily kitten... Thinking about it I should have begged borrowed or stole the money and bought both....
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2611.jpg
    IMG_2611.jpg
    107.5 KB · Views: 851


Back
Top Bottom