1969 Norton Commando S side case very hot

Hello everyone,
This is my first post on this forum. I recently acquired a 1969 Norton Commando S. Even though I have been riding motorcycles for 53 years I have never had and know nothing about British motorcycles.
So a little of the back story. Two weeks ago I visited a good friend in Virginia and he said to bring my pickup so I could take the Norton Commando that he was giving me back home. It is a 1969 Norton Commando S. It had 4 miles on the odometer. He bought the bike from Randy Baxter in Iowa in 1987. It had 4 miles on the odometer. He kept it immaculately for 30 years and never started it up or rode it.
So I brought it home to Asheville, NC, put it in my shop and began to clean it up. Once the 30 year old crud was removed it looked incredibly good. Not quite showroom but pretty close. Once the tank was cleaned out and new plugs installed it started in 8 kicks. I have ridden it and it is very strong and idles well once warmed up.

So here are my initial questions/issues. The right side engine case seems very hot. Almost seems as hot as the cylinder heads. Too hot to touch for long. Does this seem normal? I'm thinking it is too hot but don't know the cause. Another issue. At low rpms it vibrates a lot. Uncomfortably so. But once the rpms reach 3500 or 4000 it is extremely smooth. As smooth as my old CB 750. Possibly the isolastic rubbers need shimming?

All this is totally new to me but totally interesting and engaging. I hope to make the Norton a regular rider.

Thanks for listening.

I am in shady valley tn (aprox 2 hr away ) and would be more than happy to take a look at it. it is hard to do much diagnosis on line or phone and some of this stuff just needs a good eye to look at and go from there. you can also call me @ 407 484 3388.

Yes, the timing case will get too hot to touch. The engine oil goes through it. Amazing story. We need a picture or it didn't happen. As far as the vibration, they will shake somewhat until the rpms get up, but an engine spring like the later bikes will help with the low end vibration. But your isolastics are prolly also old and my opinion is that the new rubbers in the iso's are not as soft as the 69 types. What color is the bike? Realize ethanol will mess up the glass tank.

I hope these pictures upload successfully. I took these pictures after an initial cleaning. No polishing or deep cleaning. Once I thoroughly clean and polish I think it will look beautiful. The tank is showing its age and wear. There are a few chips and wearing through the top coat. The color coat has a lot of spiderweb cracking. The chrome shows little or no pitting. Some of the fasteners are showing a rust like corrosion.
My plan is to change all the fluids and take the bike to a local Norton mechanic and restorer next week. I would like his blessing that all is well before I start riding it.

Not to rain on your parade, but I doubt that red is the original color. There are a few aftermarket things I see on it too. The cylinders would have originally been silver. What is the date on the headstock plate? Looks like a nice bike. It appears to be a well preserved early bike.

DogT said:

What color is the bike? Realize ethanol will mess up the glass tank.

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The last photo shows it has a later steel fuel tank.

Not to worry about raining on my parade. I'm trying to find out all I can about this bike. It is like unraveling a terrific mystery. I had never even seen a picture of the S model before. I am gaining a lot of respect for Nortons and their place in motorcycle history. I'm also getting a sense that they may not have been entirely consistent in what they used to produce their product. Especially in the last few years of production.
The gas tank is in fact metal, not fiberglass. I will get the numbers and post later today.
Jim

The number stamped on the motor seems to be 20M3S/132144. The number on the plate on the frame is 132144 Apr 1969

Looks fab to me! Yes, after a good run you'll find the cases and covers all hot, even the gearbox if you've been running long enough.

Interesting, mine is also APR 69, 132031. I wonder if your oil tank has the timed breather return going into the top of the oil tank or into the 'top hat' on top of the oil tank. Also the rear mudguard, does it mount from a plate off the web at the rear of the large central tube or off a bracket between the shock top mounts? I've seen both types. Your seat looks very original for the year. Looks like you have the original front mudguard and stays, you'll be hard pressed to get anything larger than a 310-19 on that. Most of them were replaced and caused problems later because the larger/later stays/guard would foul in the S type headers with hard braking. Your bars seem to have a larger rise than mine. Have fun with it.

Could be original paint. Those bikes were originally all silver metalflake gelcoat. The red or blue color is a tinted clear coat applied. With the black cylinders, allen head screws in the timing cover,I'd say the engine has been apart at least once. So what? Ride it and enjoy it!

milfordite said:

Could be original paint. Those bikes were originally all silver metalflake gelcoat. The red or blue color is a tinted clear coat applied.

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The fuel tank is steel, so it must be at least 3 years later than the bike.

DogT, I'm not familiar with the oil tank terminology so I can't answer that question. The rear mudguard/fender is attached to a bracket between the shock absorber mounts.

Milfordite, ride it and enjoy it is exactly my goal. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this bike. Everyone's comments and observations are very helpful. I'm planning to attend the Barber Vintage weekend in October. Norton owners seem to have a presence there and I hope to gain some more knowledge there too. Several people have asked for more pictures, so here are a few more.

You've still got the original chain oiler on that bike. That's the nylon line that goes to the rubber cylinder between the battery and the rear guard. I couldn't stand the oily mess it made on the rear tire and crimped/soldered closed the spigot that attaches to that nylon hose. For less than $50 you can buy a new chain from Old Britts every year and replace it. Those oil lines are interesting, originally they were just 3/8" rubber hose with crimped ferrules on the ends. Be careful of that blue device behind the battery, that's the MC2 capacitor and at this point I'm sure it's not good unless it's been replaced. You really only need it to work if you want to run the bike without a battery. It's easy to disconnect it, I forget the procedure but it doesn't involve any new components. I got a sealed AGM type battery for mine. Sounds like your bike has the same rear guard mount as mine, yours is the only other one I've seen like that. Ride it and enjoy. Let us know how you like it.

I'm a fan of the built-in oil feed to the rear chain! I expect it depends on the prevailing weather conditions wherever you live, and what conditions you're prepared to ride in, but if you live somewhere where it rains a lot and you don't mind the bike getting wet, that chain really suffers if it isn't kept oiled, not to mention the sprockets – a particular issue if, as standard, your rear sprocket is integral with the rear brake drum. If you live somewhere dry and don't ride in the rain, then you can probably do without it. But if you live somewhere like the UK, where the bike was built, and don't mind the rain, I would definitely keep it – just be aware that the bike will mark its spot from that oiler when parked for a while! My bike had the spigot for the oiler blocked off when I got it, but it became such an issue for me I re-installed it! I'd much rather get a spotty back wheel than keep having to adjust and replace the rear chain etc. Don't forget that the built-in oiler allows you to adjust the flow rate. Cheers.

So how would you compare the built in oil feed as opposed to cutting off the oil feed and lubricating the chain manually with an aerosol can product?

For me the thing's always been, if you do any mileage in the rain with a chain drive, the spray-on stuff washes off in no time, no matter how long-lasting it claims to be on the tin. Your chain won't mind too much so long as it remains wet with water – it's not great but is better than nothing – but the moment the chain gets dry it's wearing, and badly too. With constant lubrication, the chain pretty much laughs at the rain. I was deeply impressed when I found that Norton had this covered – BSAs I've owned did too – I don't know how well-known kits like the Scottoiler are around the world, but people pay a lot of money to keep their chains oiled (https://www.scottoiler.com/uk/Kits.html). Back in the 80s, when I worked as a motorcycle courier in London, fitting a Scottoiler doubled the life of my chain and sprocket sets from around 7,000 miles to around 14,000. Say no more? Kits like the Scottoiler are more sophisticated, for example they shut off completely with the engine, so your bike doesn't mark its spot, but the Norton setup's fine for me, I just take care if I'm going to park somewhere like my parents' driveway ... :wink: Strictly speaking the Norton setup shuts off with the engine too, but the small amount of oil that's already in the line will still drip out. HTH