A 1500km introduction to Norton ownership. England to Norway.

stevenfoxall said:

The side tins say "Raydyot Made in England"

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L.A.B. said:

Raydyot made lighting equipment and mirrors. I've not heard of other side panels being marked Raydyot. Are they stickers?

Raydyot

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stevenfoxall said:

,I’d like very much to replace the side panels and seat, the seat I guess I have to stick to an interstate one, but I can fit any side panels ?

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06-5612H Small Hump Seat - Norton Commando Roadster MK3 - BBB

Norton Commando Roadster MKIII Dual Small Hump Racing Seat - UK Made

www.britishbikebits.com

stevenfoxall said:

yes they're stickers. Previous owner told me they were worth alot of money, but i dont think they are. I think i will just repaint them, the metal themselves are in good condition, just the paint is original and bad. I was hesitant to repaint them if they're special or original, but now i think i'll just go for it.

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stevenfoxall said:

yes they're stickers. Previous owner told me they were worth alot of money, but i dont think they are. I think i will just repaint them, the metal themselves are in good condition, just the paint is original and bad. I was hesitant to repaint them if they're special or original, but now i think i'll just go for it.

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stevenfoxall said:

Hello everyone, id like to introduce myself and the new to me 76 850. I have a million questions but i'll save these for specific threads.

Im a 29 year old British guy, working in Oslo, Norway as a Porsche technician. After lusting after a commando for some time i found one back home in England last November. After weighing up the costs of driving over to trailer it back, the wild thought came and i decided to fly over and ride it back, much to the shock of the previous owner. A somewhat stupid thing to ride a 45 year old, unknown to me bike the 1500km or so back to Oslo, and it wasnt without its hicups.

I flew out from Oslo to London and took the train to meet a nice man called Peter (pictured), and had my first glance in the metal of my (soon to be) new motorcycle. After inspecting the machine and striking a deal, i secured my stuff to the back and headed off to the port in Harwich to catch the ferry to the Hook of Holland.
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After the initial ecstasy wore off and the length of the journey ahead of me started to sink in. This was the first week of november and after the sun set, the temperature started to drop, however coming from Norway, i was very prepared with my riding gear. I stopped at a Halfords on the way to pick up some basic tools 'just in case'. Little did i know how much i could rely on this small tool kit in the coming days!

I made it to the ferry and got my head down for some well earned rest. Arrived in the netherlands in the morning and started in the long haul across the continent. After clearing the bulk of traffic around amsterdam, i started to pick up a slight miss. Whilst riding i reached down to see if the lead was properly seated on the plug and as i touched it, it fell apart! Not great. Luckily id broken down next to a small house with some chaps in side who came out to see what was going on. After rummaging around in his shed, one of the guys managed to find an old plug i could throw in to get me to a parts store. Two new plugs later and i was back on the road. But not for long.

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Swallowing up another few hundred kms i started loosing spark again, this time in the middle of the dutch countryside, i pulled over to start to find out what was going on. Within a few moments i found myself deep into the harness trying to chase the loss of spark. Turned out to be a very corroded main earth cable. Big thank you to some kind dutch guys who gave me a ride to another parts store to get hold of some cable. After some hours in a lay by, and then some more in a mcdonalds carpark, the harness was tidied up, main earth replaced, and a few other loose bits here and there sorted, i was again back on the road.

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After loosing a day in the netherlands i rode through the night in the cold and rain to make some distance towards the ferry departure in Keil, Germany. This was almost 500km of high speed but very cold (2c) countryside roads, stopping only for petrol and coffee. Having only passed my test in september and only spent a few hundred kms on a 900 honda hornet, this was really a good chance to get acquainted to the Norton. Other than some rather aggressive vibration caused by a suspected non adjusted front iso mount, it was quite the pleasant experience.
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And then, after a rather length ferry ride from Kiel to Oslo (20hours) all of the sudden she was parked up in the garage next to my 964. Next step is to take the Norton to the authorities to get it inspected and onto some Norwegian plates, and then i can get to fixing all the little bits before spring comes! Thank you for reading, sorry if it was a little long but i thought it was a story some of you might enjoy!

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stevenfoxall said:

sorry guys i was being stupid, i was quoting the Norwegian assigned number, the bike serial number is 330549,

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bsaboss said:

Great story. There was so much in the tale that I wistful about; the bike, the journey, the problem solving skills, but I think the key is "29 year old". I think many on here did similar journeys when we were that age and it's great to know it's still being done.

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850commando said:

with 964 AND a 850 in the stall, you are a very blessed individual. i gave up a 987 Box to further my motorcycle fetish, you will find the the wiring harness is trash. expect to replace the whole thing.

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