- Joined
- Mar 18, 2013
- Messages
- 32
Lots of you have follwed the adventures of my having Brother John's Atlas put back together so I won't bore you with rehashing those events. Suffice to say that I got it to run yesterday, and it runs quite well after sitting for thirty five years. Bought a new MAP Cycle single Mikuni kit to get everything I needed as the bike had a single carb on it when my brother bought it in 1978, but that was AFU. OK, new carb installed. Check. Kicking it over, had decent spark. Lots of compression, obviously as its not as easy to kick at 55 as it was when I was 20. Kicked and kicked. It would pop and run for 6 or 8 revolutions, then die. Man, I kicked till I was beat. No start. Start but no run. Choke on, choke off, throttle on, thottle off. No luck. Disgusted, I called a (nother) restorer in Phoenix with a fair reputation, and he replied that he doesn't work on Nortons with stock magnetos. He'd only work on it if I bought one of those 850-buck BTH or whatever electronic magnetos. Screw that. I called a guy that Colorado Norton Works had recommended in Durango. First thing he asked was whether I'd put new plugs in it. No, the plugs aren't that old. NGK's. He Asked, have you fuel-fouled them? Sure, probably several times, but I've pulled them and dried them. Get new plugs was his reply. Well Hell, OK I'll run down and get new plugs for all the good it will do. Not kidding, three kicks with new plugs and the Atlas is alive and running smoothly. Now, I consider myself a pretty decent mechanic, but I (obviously) am still learning. I found myself saying "In MY day, we never changed out plugs, we'd just cook them on the gas burner and wire brush 'em good as new". I was laughing out loud as the bike purred. Plugs ferchrisake. Best 5 bucks I ever spent. So, as it idled smoothly, I checked for oil flow in the tank. Yep. Leaks anywhere? Nope. Clutch is tighter'n heck, but I've been reading about what to look for to resolve that. I rode the bike up the street, again, first time on the road in 35 years. I was laughing with tears of joy welling up. Got a video of me killing it due to the crappy clutch, but you can hear how well its running. The bike starts with one kick now. Not kidding. Wow.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=35 ... 2&theater/
So next day I meet my brother up in Flagstaff to get it titled in my name. We go to the DMV with his 1978 Wyoming title, hand-typed in those days, and almost get the tag and title when the keen DMV agent says hold on and runs the VIN. That VIN is for a '61 Porsche she says. Well, ma'am with all due respect, those numbers appear all over the Norton motorcycle. Well, we have to do a level 2 inspection before we can issue a title. You have to bring it in. OK, well, I'll arrange that at the DMV down in Cottonwood closer to where I live if you'll witness my brother's signature on the title. She does, and we leave dejected. Oh well, I'll stop in at the DMV near my house to see what the schedule is for a level 2 inspection. For the hell of it, I get a number and wait again and just hand the papers to the DMV lady who doesn't bat an eye, just fills out the paperwork and hands me a Historic Vehicle (solid copper in AZ!) tag and a title in my name. Hallelujah.
I'll be riding the Atlas at the Cottonwood Thunder in the Valley Ralley this weekend. Its been a LONG road getting this gem back on its feet. My brother and I now both have '66 Norton Atlas cycles running and on the road. There's something you don't see very often, a matched pair of almost fifty year old bikes. THANKS to all here who have lent their kind words of support through the ordeal. I'll be riding the Atlas from Jerome, AZ to Cottonwood for its first highway trip in 35 years in a couple days. Less than 10 miles. I'll be honest, I'm a little apprehensive. This from a guy who rode a '73 Triumph T140V Bonny from Maryland to Nebraska, without giving it a thought, in the 70's…. Ride safe Gents. Hunter
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=35 ... 2&theater/
So next day I meet my brother up in Flagstaff to get it titled in my name. We go to the DMV with his 1978 Wyoming title, hand-typed in those days, and almost get the tag and title when the keen DMV agent says hold on and runs the VIN. That VIN is for a '61 Porsche she says. Well, ma'am with all due respect, those numbers appear all over the Norton motorcycle. Well, we have to do a level 2 inspection before we can issue a title. You have to bring it in. OK, well, I'll arrange that at the DMV down in Cottonwood closer to where I live if you'll witness my brother's signature on the title. She does, and we leave dejected. Oh well, I'll stop in at the DMV near my house to see what the schedule is for a level 2 inspection. For the hell of it, I get a number and wait again and just hand the papers to the DMV lady who doesn't bat an eye, just fills out the paperwork and hands me a Historic Vehicle (solid copper in AZ!) tag and a title in my name. Hallelujah.
I'll be riding the Atlas at the Cottonwood Thunder in the Valley Ralley this weekend. Its been a LONG road getting this gem back on its feet. My brother and I now both have '66 Norton Atlas cycles running and on the road. There's something you don't see very often, a matched pair of almost fifty year old bikes. THANKS to all here who have lent their kind words of support through the ordeal. I'll be riding the Atlas from Jerome, AZ to Cottonwood for its first highway trip in 35 years in a couple days. Less than 10 miles. I'll be honest, I'm a little apprehensive. This from a guy who rode a '73 Triumph T140V Bonny from Maryland to Nebraska, without giving it a thought, in the 70's…. Ride safe Gents. Hunter
