Nortons....

Well spent some time in the garage today.
Day started out GREAT. On my way over to the shop I saw my rubber shifter that fell off the other night. It was just sitting on the side of the road!
I super glued it on this time....lol
Very happy that nothing else seemed to have fallen off.

Swapped out the 14 inch floating rotor for the stock rotor and caliper.
While not nearly as cool, it does all work and will let me start using the bike.

Unsure if I still need to bleed the brake more though. First pull is soft, but second is perfect. Happens every time.

I installed the reed check valve.

Tucked up the last of the wire harness.
Have not hooked up all of the idiot lights.
Actually neither gauge is working. Speedo doesnt have a cable, and the tech reads 4500 RPM any time the engine is one......
Will have to sort that.

After the bike got hot the right side pipe had some white smoke.
Really hope it isnt a sign of things to come.

REALLY shouldnt have taken the bike out today, but couldnt resist.
Bike is fully insured, registered and all that jazz. Brakes are new, lights work and everything is fine.....but the tires.
They are 30+ years old. Rear is bald, hard and square.

That being said, I did don my Bell 500 and take it out for a bit. Took a short loop for about half an hour.
Bike did great!

Starting to get to grips with a bike that is right foot AND GP shift.

Carbs need to be sync'ed and properly tuned. They are really close though.
Main thing I need to do is sort the throttle cables though. The cable bit seems too long. Even when I fully extend the carb spacer and link in the cable. I tried to order a "spacer" that would go at the end at the bar, but it didnt fit properly.

This week I will use my Morgan CarbTune and wrap things up.
Probably should check the clearance on the valves as well, one sounds kind of noisy.

Here she is in all of her glory.
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Another thing I need to figure out is this oil leak.
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From what I can see the breather pipe that goes to the airbox is pissing some oil out.
What could that be?

All and all I am having a blast.
Should not be long before I press the bike into daily use and complete my goal.

One more thing I need to figure out is how to set the Head Steady and the Isolastics.
They are just kinda "installed" and not really adjusted.
I should start reading up on that and searching for links to directions.
 
Glad you got it together! Properly sorted out, I really do believe they are the epitome of British motorcycling. Now get it out and have some fun, see what falls off of it! ;D
 
adventurco said:
What a beauty.
Thank you, she sure is cleaning up well.
While the cases are polished the body work might be on the ugly side of "patina" if you get close.

goldy said:
Glad you got it together! Properly sorted out, I really do believe they are the epitome of British motorcycling. Now get it out and have some fun, see what falls off of it! ;D

Still a few small things to sort before putting any real mileage on it.
Tires ordered this morning.

Major needs are carb sync/adjustment, throttle cable to twist interface thingy, islolastics set.
 
Had some sad news Memorial Day Weekend.
On Friday the P47 from the museum that I volunteered at crashed into the Hudson after a photo shoot.
Pilot did not make it.
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Very bummed about the lost.

And now the awkward segway back to a Norton.....

Tired came in.
Went 90/90 front and 100/90 rear.
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Did notice that the FRONT tire on the bike now is a 4.10 and the REAR is a 3.50......
Unsure what happened there......

I should mount them Friday after work, or early next week.
Once that is done the bike will be ridden from my buddy's garage where I work on junk to my apartment and then used as the daily mount!

Very excited about that.
 
Been SCUBA diving or training 5 days a week, so not much motorcycle love.....
Kinda feeling like I have a second job.....

BUT, did have some time to basically wrap up the Norton!

Installed the tires.
Had to cut the front off.....guess it really was time....lol
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Avons still always look backwards to me on the front.
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After the tires were on I tool the bike out for about and hour.
Did a mix of city and highway miles. Figure in that ride if nothing broke or fell off then I am good to ride it anywhere.
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Got the headlight wiring weather projected.
Fixed the brake light switch on the front master.
Installed a new speedo cable, but the speedo still doesn't work.
Tach reads 4500-5000RPM only.
Oil stopped leaking out the breather, so it must be okay now...lol
I adjusted the exhaust valves to quite things down a bit.

Sync'ed the carbs as best as I could. For some reason could not get it perfect on my Morgan Carbtune.
Bike idles and revs great, and goes down the road well.

Do have to set the Isolastics and head steady though.
I think things are too "tight" because the vibrations fall into the "Bit Much" category.

As with any old bike, they are never really done.
BUT I will be grabbing the bike one night this week and bringing it to the condo.
Bike is no where near as loud as I assumed it would be. Has a great tone to it.

Don't have many miles on it yet, only 3/4 of a tank of fuel, but will say the bike seems to feel exactly like I wanted it to feel.
I wanted a better CB450. I LOVED my CB450!
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Bike made a nice noise, was interesting and fun to ride. Kind of the right size. Large enough to ride most places, but small enough to toss around.
Well I was hoping that the 850 Commando would feel about the same size, but have more power and be faster. Pleased to say that so far that is how it feels. WAY different then the SOHC CB750s I have grown accustom too. I like the "character" that the bike has and the way it feels. This is funny as I would assume that in every measureable way the bike is not as good as a CB750.

-Brakes are sub par at best.
-Handles okay.
-Has great torque so it feels fast, I assume in a drag race a CB would win.
-Vibrations make you feel like you are going a million, in a school zone.
-Rides well

I really need to see if I can adjust the clip ons or something because my right hand hurts after a short ride. Maybe just new grips.

All and all I am happy with the way the bike turned out.

Have a set of GIVI soft bags that I want to test fit.
The girlfriend wants to know when we are taking the bike out for dinner, so that is a good sign.

At some point I will fit the Cambery wheels and large rotor, but for now the bike is just going to be a bike.
Looking forward to the summer with it and hope to take some nice rides and have some good stories to tell.
 
So a few weeks of living in the condo lot have not had much ill effect.
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The oil marks are from the bike being over full and "fixing" that automatically.
Zero leaks now! I even checked to make sure it was not OUT of oil.

Bought a set of NEW soft bags on CL a while ago.
Tired them on the Commando and they fit well.
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Also did an uber hipster thing last night.....
Took the girl and bike out for ice cream and to see Chicago for free in the park.
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Time for the bike to leave.

Fun to look back at the project.

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1974 Norton Commando 850.


Period café racer survivor

Can best be described as a “rider” or a ten-footer. Bike was used as a daily ride last season and never missed a beat. I will try and list the bike as honestly as I can. Would rather scare off a bidder by over stating the bad, then have someone unhappy with the purchase.

Bike has a clear title and is currently on the road. Numbers all match. Yes, this is an old British bike, but I cannot think of any notable leaks, noises or issues. About the worst thing I can say is that when sitting in traffic on a hot day the right cylinder will puff a little smoke, I think this is more to do with the oil being over full and leaking into the air box than anything else.

When out with the bike I get great comments and people love to come over to talk about it.

Would not hesitate to ride this bike anywhere. Even if the bike sits for a bit it never fails to start on the first or second kick. It has never let me know or left me on the side of the road.

The bike came to me from a long-time owner. After years of use it was stored and semi forgotten, as is the classic story for so many vintage motorcycles. My main focus was to service the bike so that it would be a reliable and useable classic. Much more attention was put onto replacing parts and making meaningful upgrades, rather than dressing up a barn find. As a long time SOHC Honda CB750 owner and rider I was pleasantly surprised how easy this Norton was to work on and keep on the road.

I am more than happy to work with your shipper to get this bike anywhere in the world. Please note that you will have to actually make the arrangements. I do not have a crate; nor can I build one. Clearly payment will need to be made before releasing the bike.

No reserve beyond the opening bid.
Bike has been listed locally, so if you are serious please contact.

Please feel free to email with any questions or for additional information. I have tried to list the systems and conditions as best I can.



Body Work & Frame:

•No evidence that the bike was ever down or wrecked.

•Frame not modified, cut or rusted.

•Paint on tank and side covers appears to be original. There are some nicks, dings, scratches and fading. It will be up to the next owner to decide if they want to restore this. I personally liked the patina and honest display of the bike.

•Rear tank strap is new

•Under tank rubber pads were changed

•Front tank mounting rubber discs are new.

•Back of the side covers were painted flat black as they had surface rust and were on the bad side of patina.

•Rubbers for the foot pegs are new.

•Seat has a hole and crack that you can see in the pictures.

•Bike was stored outside the whole season so some of the bolts has some surface rust. I did not try and hide any of that in the pictures. I’m sure an afternoon in the garage with some steel wool and oil would do WONDERS for the look.

•Fenders polish up okay, not perfect. Cleaned the undersides of gunk.

•Center stand installed and not cracked. Replaced the hardware and bushings.

•Side Stand installed and works perfectly.



Controls:

•Handle bar switches are OEM stock

•Clutch cable new

•Rear brake cable new

•Throttle cables are new



Gauges:

•Neither the tach nor the speedo are working even though they both have new cables. This issue did not bother me, so I never dug into it.

•Tach bounces around 4k RPM no matter how the engine is running.

•True mileage is unknown. The previous owner road and used the bike for many years. I can only assume that it is NOT a low mileage find.

•None of the “idiot lights” are hooked up. All of that part of the harness is there (new actually) and wrapped under the dash.


Engine:

•External cases have light polish to give the bike a little “pop”

•850cc, was told that the pistons are 1st or 2nd overbore. Unsure what compression ratio the pistons are. Bike pulls very well.

•Gaskets and oil seals changed. Engine cases were NOT split, but everything that could be freshened was.

•Fresh oil and filter (This year Commando has an external spin on filter)

•Reed check valve to prevent wet sump when stored

•Colorado Norton Works oil tank modification that includes new coating and mounts.

•Stainless braided oil feed lines



Ignition:

•Tri-Spark electronic ignition kit. VERY easy to set up. Great spark and performance

•Tri-Spark upgraded coils

•NGK spark plugs

•New wires

•Correct caps



Gear Box Transmission:

•All gears removed, inspected, cleaned and reinstalled

•Fresh gaskets, seals and oil

•New front sprocket

•New chain

•Barnett Clutch (All disc)

•Atlantic Green O-Ring clutch modification



Fuel Delivery:

•Brand new Amal Premier 32mm carbs. These are the more expensive units with the updated jets and upgraded slides. The new slides do not wear like the originals. Carbs perform great and keep the classic look, unlike Mikuni set ups.

•New petcocks

•OEM tank is clean and steel so no need to worry about modern fuel swelling the tank or causing issues.

•Stainless braided fuel line

•New rubber boots from carb to airbox

•Fresh K&N filter to replace stock air box material.

•New choke cables



Isolastics, engine mount and swingarm:

•Front Iso upgraded to modern adjustable unit.

•Rear Iso upgraded with adjustable set up.

•New fiber washers front and rear

•Swing arm rebuilt with new shaft and SS plates

•Dave Taylor head steady

•New rear engine mount shaft



Suspension:

•New rear shocks (Girling reproductions by Emgo)

•New fork seals

•Replaced fork bushings and sliders (top and bottom)

•Fresh fork oil

•New dust caps



Wheels and Tires:

•New Avon Roadrider tires front and rear

•New tubes

•Wheels have some rust on the chrome. No broken spokes or issues

•Front wheel/tire should be balanced, there is a vibration around 35mph

•I have a VERY RARE set of Cambary wheels that if the new owner was interested in I would be willing to give a price on. (They are NOT included with the listing)



Brakes:

•Front caliper rebuilt with SS pistons and fresh seals

•Ferodo pads in the front

•Rebuilt front master

•Rear shoes are new

•I have a NorVin 14-inch floating rotor kit with an AP racing caliper that I never installed. IF the next owner is interested in this I would be willing to give them a price. (NOT included with listing)



Electrical:

•New main harness with cloth wrap

•New secondary harness for accessories under dash is new with cloth wrap

•Most of the connections have been changed with new

•New capacitor

•New battery (smaller than standard)

•New tail light

•Headlight is wired only for high beam. Low works, but not hooked up.

•Bike has no blinkers or electric start

•Charging system inspected and working as it should



Period Modifications:

•Dunstall (?) Fairing with new Gustafsson windscreen. When mounting one of the holes cracked. 90% of the crack is under the fiberglass and out of sight. The fairing itself has some cracks and nicks that you can see in the pictures. A few have been repaired with glass on the backside, these repairs can politely be referred to as functional, they are not pretty.

•Windscreen is not perfectly straight, can see in the pictures.

•Dunstall labeled clip ons.

•Grand Turismo GT grips

•Dunstall decibel slip on mufflers. There is no packing in the baffles, they sound great

•Dunstall (?) bolt on rear sets. These rearsets are set up as a “GP” or reverse shift pattern. The bushing in the shifter arm could benefit from a new bushing to tighten things back up, but it works as is and never fails to select a gear.

•Fairing mount covers the factory VIN Plate and has deformed it. I have a new replacement.


Tool Kit:

•I have a fairly complete set up factory tools to go with the bike.
 
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