1970 Commando

NPeteN

NPeteN

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Had some fun reading on the forum this past week, interesting lot you are, proud to be a member. Again thanks to all who responded on my previous thread and sent photos, everything is appreciated.

Will be posting here periodically, don't expect anything spectacular.

Short update to get started:
USPS lost my service manual and parts list so progress was limited.
Stripped the wiring harness and front end, removed and cleaned the oil tank, cleaned carb.
A lot of cleaning and wiping. Good times in the basement. Here are some fun photos, bike cleaned up pretty good.

1970 Commando

Damn hippies!
1970 Commando

As it sits now
1970 Commando


1970 Commando

Close quarters work area.
1970 Commando


Happy with my progress so far. Looking forward to diving a bit deeper once I have the proper literature. Thanks for reading.
 
I have one that looks a lot like that, and am having much fun working/learning about all things Commando.
 
Peter, don´t loose the nuts with the white caps holding the headlamp "halo", they are made of unobtainium.
Do your seatknobs have securing pins? Mine were without them and had a differently thread to the later ones.
I lost one and had to change the whole shock bolt.
 
rivera said:
Peter, don´t loose the nuts with the white caps holding the headlamp "halo", they are made of unobtainium.
Click to expand...
I have a pair of those, NOS in a little baggie, somewhere out in the jungle...
 
rivera said:
Peter, don´t loose the nuts with the white caps holding the headlamp "halo", they are made of unobtainium.
Do your seatknobs have securing pins? Mine were without them and had a differently thread to the later ones.
I lost one and had to change the whole shock bolt.
Click to expand...

Caps are accounted for. As for the knobs, no retaining pin, I'll have to thread lock them. Liking how visible everything is on this bike. Easy access and plenty of room to work.
 
Nice Pete, See the small hose coming off the oil tank banjo bolt... That's an old school chain oiler. I plugged that line because it just makes a mess and nobody oils a chain with engine oil anymore.

The headsteady you have there is crapola. If you pay shipping, I'll send you a box headsteady that I removed from my bike when I installed the custom made rose joint headsteady that Jim Comstock produces (which is even a better choice) I had the original one you have on your bike and vibration put a stress crack in it. Change it now, so you don't have to take stuff back apart later...

Also, do the kegler clamp engine cradle swingarm tube modification now while you have the easy access to the cradle with the bike apart. You'll never have to wonder about what causes the snake dance handling of early bikes like I did for decades. (yes, decades...) I think NYC norton sell a kegler clamp kit, so you don't have to make your own, like many of us did.

Last but not least, a reed breather is IMO an essential modification. On '70's there's a breather port on the end of the camshaft with a disk that rotates with the cam to allow air to escape. It's crude and probably doesn't seal all that well either. Jim Schmidt makes a reed breather that threads right into the hole there which improves it's efficiency. A reed breather helps your bike no leak oil because it efficiently eliminated the crankcase pressure caused by both pistons descending together. Our bikes have a frame cross member that blocks the use of a sump mounted breather that later year bikes can use to eliminate crankcase pressure, so our options are the timing side breather (old britts style) or the jim schmidt style.

good luck
 
Replace the seat knob pins with stainless steel split pins. You might have to drill the hole out a bit.
 
Been collecting parts over the past few weeks. Have the forks apart, tires off, wheels apart frame on blocks. About ready to start rebuilding, waiting on a large package from AN.

Interested to hear what you all would consider the best electrical setup for a 1970, I'll be working off the standard wiring harness.
I've done a lot of reading here on the forum regarding this topic, maybe too much. Curious as to how you guys have your electrical systems set up and what kind of results you are getting.

Thanks in advance.
Pete
 
<--That has a custom wiring harness with a 2-position ignition switch. My '73 has the stock harness with all the rubber-covered connectors replaced with new. The original connectors were made with inferior metal sleeves that disintegrate inside the rubber over time. Replace them all and throw the old ones in the trash regardless of how you end up wiring the bike.

And consider adding an electronic ignition. Best electrical mod you can do on a Commando.
 
Yes , Boyer or Pazon ignition, an electronic regulator replacing the Zener diode, rectifier and capacitor.
A 180 watt high output stator and you´re fine.
I once was on a ride home at night and merely made it home running on battery because the original 120 watt stator did not produce enough power for lights, ignition etc. Bike stalled at every stop and I had a hard time to kick it back to life.
 
rivera:

Interested to see that you have a "Navigator". It wasn't a roaring success, even in the UK market. I hadn't realised any were exported.

Frank Damp
 
Frank,
mine came also from England via Belgium to Germany.
I don´t know if they were imported to Germany.
A friend of mine used to work for the German Norton Importer Wüst back in the days and he said he never came across one of the Lightweight Norton Models.


Sorry for highjacking this thread..;)
 
No apology necessary Uli. From what I have seen, you have great taste in motorcycles, would be a shame not to show them off, so thanks!

I have a 6v Pazon, podtronics and 6v PVL coils coming, along with a new harness. Decent starting point. Possible new stator down the line as you have suggested. Looking forward to some electrical work.
 
Hmm. I was under the impression the voltage of the EI was dependent on/in reference to the voltage of the coils and not the overall system itself since It runs through the coils exclusively?

The more I read the above paragraph the more it strikes me as not being the case...
 
Last edited:
The voltage of your bike is 12 volts, you use a pair of 6 volt coils wired in series which makes up 12 volts of resistance. A norton has a wasted spark ignition meaning that both coils fire together all the time, but obviously only 1 cylinder is under compression with the valves closed, so only one cylinder fires at a time.

The '70 model originally came with a pair of 12 volt coils and wasn't a problem firing points ignitions, but the lower resistance of a pair of 6volt coils are better for electronic ignitions. Later model commandos didn't have a pair of 12 volt coils, the factory switched to a pair of 6 volt coils
 
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