Another Basket Case Followed Me Home

I've been trying to reduce the bike accumulation for a while now, and promised myself no more projects, but I couldn't help myself with this one.







Hopefully, most of the parts are in the pile of boxes that came with it. It did include new silencers, still in the box, and a new rear master cylinder. The PO still has the seat, which I will pick up later this week, but he gave away the gas tank and the headlight mounts, and he couldn't find the original handlebar. Other than that, it is supposedly complete, although the front master cylinder might be toast. Overall the bike looks pretty clean, so I'm hoping for the best.

It has 20,000 miles on the odometer, and kicks over smoothly, so one of my first priorities is to cobble together enough bits to try and start it. If it runs well, the I just put it back together with no engine work. If not, it will have to wait a while, until I finish a couple engine builds I already have in progress.

My current street Norton is a similar Mk III, but in Interstate trim, so I'm planning to restore this one as a roadster. Anybody got a repairable or better roadster tank for sale? In contrast to my usual practice, I'm planning to restore this one very close to original. It has a single Mikuni conversion, which I will probably eventually replace with twin carbs, and I'll for sure replace the starter with Dyno Dave's.

Ken

Hi Ken

A really lovely project. I hope it fires straight up for you.

all the best Chris

Aw poo Ken that's just going spread you more thin for the rest of us to feed on. Will ya mess with factory Norton-ness of the engine?

I don't believe it for a second. You know you can't avoid getting your hands deep into this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0_B3vQy7ok FOLLOWED YOU HOME :x

Id be tempted to get new f'Glass , dual 130/90 bulbs , etc & the like . perhaps .

How could you let this happen??? :lol: Keep us posted with your progress, and email me when you're ready to sell that Mikuni/manifold combo.

Very nice. Yep you have the disease

Looks like a 75 ??

Marc

Very nice,
I always wanted to have a MKIII to rebuild!
Do we exchange?
Ciao.
Piero

If you can't scrounge up a set of intake manifolds, I believe I have spares...

Enablers, every one of you! You're just encouraging me in more bad behavior. At least I'm in good company.

I have a spare set of unused PR bodywork hanging in the rafters, and I was tempted to use that and build a replica, or tribute, or whatever the popular term is, PR. Unfortunately, back problems now dictate a more vertical riding position, so I'm going with either standard Commando US market bars or something similar. I like the looks of the Euro bars better, but this has to be a bike that I can ride comfortably. My street Norton has been an Interstate for a while, and the longer tank puts the rider further back than I'd like, so I'm pretty set on doing this one as a roadster, or something very similar. The smaller tank is no problem. I can't ride all that far between stops anyway. I have recently discovered how difficult it is to find a good used roadster tank at a reasonable price, and the ones out of India just don't seem to look quite right. I'm sure I'll find one eventually. If not, I do have other options. I'm giving some thought into doing it in a street tracker style. Then again, I saw a Commando done in a dual sport style a few years back at the San Jose BSA show, and it was pretty slick looking. Or maybe this would be the time to see if I could beef up the chassis a bit and fit a sidecar. In the meantime, I get to enjoy designing the bike in my head.

Ken

Hi,
i have to exchange a NOS PR fairing front mount and i would like to have the monocarb.
Ciao.
Piero

Piero and Nater, I'm keeping the single Mikuni long enough to try starting the engine to see what sort of shape it's in. When I do remove it, I'll let you both know. Piero, I'm always willing to trade parts, but I already have the front and side mounts for the PR fairing, so no need for another one. I think I'm going to just put the PR fairing, tank, and seat up for sale in the near future. They are not original PR bits, but replacements I bought from Mick Hemmings back in the late '70s or early '80s when he was advertising as the only authorized Norvil parts source. Les Emory of Fair Spares eventually prevailed in court, and took the Norvil name, but I always had much better luck with the quality of parts from Mick.

Ken

lcrken said:

Enablers, every one of you! You're just encouraging me in more bad behavior. At least I'm in good company.

Ken

Click to expand...

Ken...I suspect you've choose the worse place to be discouraged!
Probably everyone on this forum has somebody...very close...who is loosing time trying to talk him out of buying or rebuild one more bike...
Don't give up...and post pics of your progress!

Mario
aka Thomasdunstall

Old farts with spinal wear conditions might consider a laid back foot forward high bar extended fork 'bagger' version like me :lol:

hobot said:

...like me :lol:

Click to expand...

Steve, please tell us that's not a picture of you!

Yeah, that was way back when I was a young woman. This spinal decay thing is really what gets most of us in the end by snipping at muscles and joints and circulation and organs. I call bad posture The Sag Factor. Racing around all adrenalized for 10-20 min is one thing but tooling around a couple or more hours can be torture. This touches directly on me lasting and vigorous enough to get much pay back on Peel project. About everything else that damages us from broken bones cuts, burns and broken hearts don't take any real thought or effort just wait till body heals it and carry on with a scar but spinal decay reversal requires intelligent attention or the flair ups come closer and closer and recover longer and longer till ya just can stand it. My butt hurts after a day on Wes's low bar '71 and standard foot stalks but I never get sore or tired on my factory Trixie even with almost back to back 900 mile days to Texas and back with Western bars and rear sets. I plan to rub Peel's handling excess in a bit deeper now and then by fitting the huge fluffy over stuffed King and Queen dual full saddles seat IS tank and foot forward pegs and 8" rise and pull back bars with fairing and hard bags. Sitting and driving and desk work and under dash board or sink tasks or even laying down a while can get ya so aim for best posture which will not fix anything but does slow down the basic sag factor. Yet women wear high heels that kill their feet yet look so dam hot its worth the pain for some, for a while.