Norton Commando - Overdue Maintenance Session

[Dave Swanson]

My lift is clear for the moment, which is a rare event.  I recently finished a year long fettling session of my 77 Lemans, but am very close to having the T3 California monopolize the lift for the winter.  I thought I would take the short lived opportunity of having an empty lift to catch up some overdue maintenance on my 74 Commando.   After having a bike lift for 20 years, and recent hip surgery working on a bike at floor level just seems so...... improper.   

The Norton front brake is in serious need of attention and while I am at that the rest of the bike will receive a thorough servicing.   I am going to install a Colorado Norton Works LED tail light also.  CNW tail lights adapt to the stock housing and are about 3 or 4 times brighter than the bulb.  A nice little modification for safety's sake. 

I know there are a few Norton fans on the board so here she is. 

For the Norton geeks, it is a MK2A. 



CNW tail light.

[radguzzi]

Man that 850 is Beautiful Dave,
CNW does some really nice stuff.   Bright is good for a tail light..! 

Best,
Rob

[blackcat]

Nice Dave, is the brake light expensive?  I was just going to install an LED bulb in mine but this looks like a nice bright light.

[Dave Swanson]

Nice Dave, is the brake light expensive?  I was just going to install an LED bulb in mine but this looks like a nice bright light.

A bit at $100 but the quality and the engineering that goes into it is top notch.   Plus I like to support Matt of CNW in any small way that I can.  Top notch outfit. 

Here is the CNW write up on it.

[maquette]

Amazing Dave! (Again)  Have you ever had a dirty bike? If so, I'd like to see a picture.

[Dave Swanson]

Amazing Dave! (Again)  Have you ever had a dirty bike? If so, I'd like to see a picture.

Ha!  I guess I do have a reputation as a polisher. 

My bikes do get dirty, but don't stay that way long.   

[LesP]

Fantastic Dave and the new paint looks the same.

It's cousin is not far behind. (I seem to remember the numbers (311032) are very close to each other)
One more order from Andover Norton should do it.

Dare I say, done by Christmas.

[Scout63]

Great bike Dave. I installed Paul Goff led bulbs front and rear in my 72 Combat Interstate. The headlight is great but the tail light not so much.

[Dave Swanson]

Fantastic Dave and the new paint looks the same.

It's cousin is not far behind. (I seem to remember the numbers (311032) are very close to each other)
One more order from Andover Norton should do it.

Dare I say, done by Christmas.

Les,  my Norton  is 50 bikes "newer".   

[oldbike54]

 Nice bike Dave .

 Dusty

[Dave Swanson]

This Commando was purchased by an American GI at Elite Motors, London, in May of 1974.   For years I have thought it would be cool to add a correct dealer sticker to the bike but thought there would be no way to find one.  Of course a 2 minute google search found this decal that I ordered from England.   

A nice little addition!

[blackcat]

That's pretty cool Dave.

Mine was brought in from Berliner (titled as a 67) and then "dismantled for experimental tests" in England. Then it was shipped back here again at a later date but who purchased it and what exactly happened after this is an unknown. 

[Dave Swanson]

That's pretty cool Dave.

Mine was brought in from Berliner (titled as a 67) and then "dismantled for experimental tests" in England. Then it was shipped back here again at a later date but who purchased it and what exactly happened after this is an unknown.

Frames were sent back to the UK to be repaired or replaced on the early Berliner bikes.  It seems that some bikes were heaved off the back of the trucks end first if a fork lift was not available when being delivered.  Since the front wheel was removed for transport the forks bolted to the skid many were bent or cracked by this poor handling. 

[blackcat]

Frames were sent back to the UK to be repaired or replaced on the early Berliner bikes.  It seems that some bikes were heaved off the back of the trucks end first if a fork lift was not available when being delivered.  Since the front wheel was removed for transport the forks bolted to the skid many were bent or cracked by this poor handling.

The frame on my bike was not altered when I got it, that was something I had done at a later date with a spare frame sourced for chump change. This was done many years ago and nowadays you can buy frame parts from Andover. In the case of my bike, I think they destroyed the engine.

[Joliet Jim]

Still kick myself for not buying the 850 Commando back in 1982 for $750. I was in a particularly down point of my relations ship with the late Bonneville at the time and told myself another Brit bike was nuts. Now I've got a T160 that breaks 2 things for everything I fix and still strongly marks it spot in the garage. I really need to get motivated on that one.