1970 Commando "S" restore project

After reading and studing about the 750 "S" model, I have grown fond of the bike. On my first post I rambled on about turning my newly aquired 750 S into a cafe racer. Now I realize how fortunate I am to have such a treasure in a pretty good condition. Being an Arizona, one owner bike that is cleaning up better than I ever expected, I just can't change it. I even am starting to like the yellow! I know it would take a small fortune to restore to a safe, dependable motorcycle. The jury is still out on if I will just take it to a running, 95% original S and sell it or make it my own rider. Either way I will need a few parts that have been changed because of wear by the original owner.
I need help locating the "S" version high swept exhaust with heat shields. I just missed a set of the pipes sold on Ebay by one day! I imagine they don,t come along often. As a last resort, I could buy a set made by Viking exhaust. Old Brits used to carry his pipes, but not anymore. Viking pipes would probably run about a grand for everything. I would like to find some for about half that. I also need a front fender. Mine has only one brace so I know its not original. I would like to buy a real one, not a re-pop. Anyone got leads on where I cn find these items?
Kem Poyner

Try Commando specialties I brought a complete system from them several years ago, new front guards are available from Andover Norton, or try Rabbers SanJose.
Al

"S" pipes, silencers/mufflers, brackets etc. (maybe not heatshields?) should be available from any Andover Norton parts supplier.

http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/Distributors.htm

http://www.nortonmotors.de/ANIL/Norton% ... e-list.php

061320/3 EXHAUST PIPES, 750 "S", PAIR £ 99.80
061312 SILENCER, "S"-TYPE £ 79.80
NM 25542 FRONT MUDGUARD ASSY, "S" TYPE £ 87.75

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The S exhaust pipes should be available at a Norton dealer. Try Walridge, British Only, Rabers, Eurotrash, Commando Specialties. Notice the silencers are specific to that model too. If they have the pipes and silencers, they will have the shields. The front fender may be problematical, I've been looking for one for over a year with no luck. Andover is making the same fender, but I'm not sure about the bridge. The S bridge is shorter than most. I sent someone at andover the measurements for the 69/70 bridge, but I'm not sure they've done anything with it yet.



Then there's the stays, they are shorter than the 71 and up too by about an inch. I think I sent you a link for the 69/70 parts book, notice the S has it's own subsection with all the special parts.

You can look through my thread on restoring mine, just search for '69 Phoenix' and I'm sure you will find it.

If you need info, just let me know, I got mine in 72 in pretty much original condition as far as I could tell, and it seems to have been borne out by others.



Dave
69S

25542A is correct for the front fender on the S according to the spares book. Andover is probably the only place you will get it, but you want to check on the bridge, 25542 is for the 70 Roadster only, it may not be different, don't know. I also think Andover is making the stays, but unfinished like for the FB, you could get them chromed. You'll have to check.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

25542A is correct for the front fender on the S according to the spares book. Andover is probably the only place you will get it, but you want to check on the bridge, 25542 is for the 70 Roadster only, it may not be different, don't know.

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NM 25542 is listed as Front mudguard "Assembly" S type, so maybe it comes complete with the correct "S" bridge?

I noticed the heat shields are listed in the AN new items section.

06-1314 Heat Shield Set, "S" (4 pieces) 49.80

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If it is truly an "S", returning it to it's original form would be the greatest compliment Do you have any clue as to the original color? Mine (a '69) was allegedly Fireflake Red.It's now a VW Beetle yellow as the PO had it painted. I wasn't going to make it correct per the advise of the members regarding the FG tank holding petrol. At present I am more than happy to tool around and listen to the pipes bark and screw the color. Still breaking it in (under 500 mi.) but pulled more than a couple of 6K 2nd gears. WOW!

Good luck on the project whatever you decide to do,

TK

Yeah, I got mine out tonight after dinner and revved it up to 6K in 2nd. Nice feeling.

Dave
69S

I got a call from Andover Norton last Friday - the 'S' silencers are back in stock, so it would make sense to check stock on the other items - They were out of 'S' pipes a while back, but I never thought to ask last week :/

Great to see another 'S' being put back on the road - an Iconic design if ever there was one!



I particularly like this photo as I'm a bit on the tall side myself, and if Clint can get away with making a Commando look like a moped, then it must be OK for me too

By all means keep it an "S". When I got mine it needed engine work but the expense was worth it. Add to your source list Phil at Fair Spares. I just had to replace my mufflers. The ones I had were cheap pattern copies that cracked. He had the real deal made in England. Look and sound great. I have a copy of Cycle mag from Sept 1969 with a road test of the Norton Commando "S" Superbike as they called it. The kick stand on the 70 is garbage and never, Never, NEVER start the bike on it always put it up on the center stand. Be very careful if the bike still has the original fiberglass gas tank. The ethanol in todays gas will eat it up and cause all kinds of grief. At the very least line it with a two part epoxy. I won't' get into this subject very deep but suffice it to say that you can find hundreds if not thousands of pages of opinions on this subject on this forum. If you have a source for AV gas or racing fuel in your area so much the better expensive and will limit you riding range but will save you a lot of grief if you have to keep the tank. As for the front fender and other little bits it all depends on how persnickety you want to be. I have never been very keen on keeping the parts book Peters happy. If it looks right and gets the job done good enough.
A few weeks ago I was leading a ride with a 49 Vincent next to me everybody in the group wanted to ride behind us and take in the music we were making going up and down hills and powering out of the corners.

Back in the 70's my brothers bike looked a lot like DogT's except that the previous owner had put a hooker header on it, anyway that's the bike that got me started on Nortons. I still have the front fender from his bike as it had a little damage on it and he replaced it so I ended up keeping the old one thinking one day......(won't work on my '75 though). I'll take a look in the storage space that I just rented last month and see if I can find it, but the garage was the first thing I moved into it, followed by the rest of the household stuff. If I can dig it out I'll take a photo and post it to see if you'd want it. I'd purchased a fender stay from Domiracer in the past, so they might have what you need too. Cj

Hooker's eh? Like these, as I remember the left side went on top of the right one, one over the other and down under the right side frame tube. They scraped making right hand turns, so they didn't last long. Glass packs and the carb backfired like anything. I never set it up because they came off.



Dave
69S

Clubman Racing also carries the S exhaust parts.

Dave
69S