Bought today 35 year garage find HELP!

According to ludwig if you don't have a lathe an know how to use it, you shouldn't have a Norton. I wouldn't go that far, since I don't have a lathe. But I really think one needs some basic training in the feed and care of the Norton. I certainly wouldn't depend on any general mechanic to work on mine and would be reticent to let even a 'Norton' mechanic work on it, unless it's one of the known reliable ones here on the forum. Most of the bikes will have their idiosyncrasies which need to be taken care of. If it's hard for you to even change the oil, I'd give it a try, but be prepared for some disappointments along the way. For me half the enjoyment is getting the thing to run right, I consider a ride that nothing falls off or breaks successful.

Dave
69S

Well, the non-mechanic status is an issue, you'll need to become competent at some basic troubleshooting, you've been around long enough to remember chokes, what they are used for, flooding, clearing a flooded engine, etc. In addition, we'll help you learn "SUCK, SQUEEZE, BANG, BLOW" and how it's relative to an operator. I'm an accomplished mechanic, and despite my Father always telling me everyone should be a mechanic, I understand everyone is not. BUT, some basic skills (when your mechanic is miles away) can mean the difference between an enjoyable owning/operating experience and a frustrating pain in the ass. Bear in mind that although she's a '74, much of the design, technology, operating/maintenance/repair procedures were decades old when it was produced. Patience is key.

Russ your reply struk a nerve!
I am beginning to think you are correct. Many kids want to be astronauts but are unaware of the work involved. Is the ability to ride keep and own a Norton similiar? I did not have ownership of a Norton on my bucketlist. I like to ride.. I ride my V-Strom 650 great bike lots of fun....I ride my BMW r1200c great bike lots of fun....and I thought I'd like to ride my Norton 850 Commando red-white-chrome..great bike lots of fun.
Perhaps I should sell it.

Here is the scenario on which i bought it. Working out a local recreation center after a shower, I was talking to my rider friend about my BMW R1200C. As I left the locker room the man in an adjoining locker said "I wanted a BMW 37 years ago but bought a Norton instead. The BMW was $6000 and the Norton was $2000." I said I awlays wanted a Norton. He said mine has been in the my garage for the last 35 years and I'd like to sell it. I said what is wrong with it. He said nothing 35 years ago..just never got around to riding it. I saw the bike...Flabbergasted!!! Saw service record..everyting legit.. made him an offer he accepted and delivered bike yesterday. It's sure PURTTY...no I mean real PURTTY...but then so is a Ferrari. If I sell would Ebay be the best?

Rick

No gold digging here, dude - I.M.O.- pass it on at a fair price to an enthusiast who will give it the T.L.C. it has missed out on all these years, you`ve joined the forum so this`d be the place to do it.
& Astronaut skills , don`t think so, more like Engineroom Artificer from a Royal Navy warship type skills.

Rick Cook said:

Russ your reply struk a nerve!
I am beginning to think you are correct. Many kids want to be astronauts but are unaware of the work involved. Is the ability to ride keep and own a Norton similiar? I did not have ownership of a Norton on my bucketlist. I like to ride.. I ride my V-Strom 650 great bike lots of fun....I ride my BMW r1200c great bike lots of fun....and I thought I'd like to ride my Norton 850 Commando red-white-chrome..great bike lots of fun.
Perhaps I should sell it.

Here is the scenario on which i bought it. Working out a local recreation center after a shower, I was talking to my rider friend about my BMW R1200C. As I left the locker room the man in an adjoining locker said "I wanted a BMW 37 years ago but bought a Norton instead. The BMW was $6000 and the Norton was $2000." I said I awlays wanted a Norton. He said mine has been in the my garage for the last 35 years and I'd like to sell it. I said what is wrong with it. He said nothing 35 years ago..just never got around to riding it. I saw the bike...Flabbergasted!!! Saw service record..everyting legit.. made him an offer he accepted and delivered bike yesterday. It's sure PURTTY...no I mean real PURTTY...but then so is a Ferrari. If I sell would Ebay be the best?

Rick

Click to expand...

Awe hell, don't sell it. We'll help you find a qualified Norton mechanic. And ride it, enjoy.

photos

I uploaded a video to You tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGuHhGOPCU

or if that does not work type norton commando garage find
I polished it a little ..sure would like to keep it.
Rick

Re: photos

Rick Cook said:

I uploaded a video to You tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGuHhGOPCU

or if that does not work type norton commando garage find
I polished it a little ..sure would like to keep it.
Rick

Click to expand...

Wow, it's like a time capsule...A Norton owners dream find. I am sure you could get good money for it but a find like that comes around once if you are lucky.

The bike is absolutely beautiful, and it sounds like you got a good deal on it. This just might be one of the finest and lowest mileage original unrestored Commando's in the world. Take your time and go through it. Make it a hobby. The members of this forum can walk you through anything this bike will need, which really isn't all that much. You found a real jewel... you should treasure it.

Re: photos

Rick Cook said:

I uploaded a video to You tube
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGuHhGOPCU[/video]

or if that does not work type norton commando garage find
I polished it a little ..sure would like to keep it.
Rick

Click to expand...

Get it running, run it once and then you'll know if you should keep it or not.

SORRY ; Youre NOT allowed to SELL it . IT owns YOU now .

We expect you to recite the workshop manuel in reverse , blindfold , within 3 months.

SO,

Watch it with the tyres from antiquity , untill you know there ' characteristics ' . I suspect theyre naff in the wet .
Theyre a copy of the 50s ' Grand Prix ' ( Manx Norton , Gillera & the like ) raceing tyres.The things they had to put up with . :shock:
The Trigonic Dunlops are more suited to swinging the bends with the footrests grinding . The Avon's are ' High Hysterisous ' .
Or is that highly hysterical . . . Anyway , running the bends is it Forte , though a 22 tooth ( possibly fitted ) or 23 G'box sprocket gets a relaxed 80 mph gait .

Fluids , Checkem real . Id be 40 Wt monograde for Injun , EP 90 trans , & flush Forks . Probly rubber seals , so ATF & STP to tune , was the go .

Other than fitting English Mk 2 Amals when those fall to bits (rather than some forign tinny ones ) and watching for the old ' Kickstart in the calf =
The potugese layshaft bearings going ' :shock: trick ( maybe it got a real deutsh or swiss one ) generally regarded as upgradeing . Oriental bits
considered cheap & nasty then.Hence downgradeing .

THEN ,
Letting it ' settle in nicely ' , Cool Cruiseing , waiting till the temperatures are up ( 10 minutes rideing ) before getting aggresive , and a slow down , cruise in
getting back to the shed ( stops ) to avid thermal shock .

Most people ( if not lumberjacks ) would sleeve the master cylinder to 12 / 13 mm .And lurk in the mountains lineing up Jap Bikes , to go swinging past through the long bends , footrest grinding , one hand on the bars , giveing a polite wave , as you pass . . . :? 8)

Starting .
Decidedly uncool not to fire it off , first kick . Not to be confused with swinging it through (cold ) to clear / prime .

Theres a thick " Spitfire Pilots Hanbook " available nowadays ( Via Librays ) possibly sensible to read this first .

Not a bad Anachronism . Dragging feet is a por show to. Keep them on the footrests untill stopped .
Cant have any sloppy mannerisms creeping in . The Elite are required to act the part.Thanks .

As I said this is the kind of story Commando addicts love. I watched the video, the bike is exceptional!

Let me expand on my comments about selling the bike to a collector. If you decide you want a rider with all the whiz-bang-ready-to-rock upgrades then this is probably not the bike to do it to. My comment about the Tri Spark got me thinking about it. Once you "molest" the wiring harness it will never be original again. It could be restored to original, but it won't be. To a serious collector, there is a big difference. Most of us own bikes that were molested a long time ago. This frees us to do more molestation. I would think very carefully about how to move forward with that bike so as not to destroy something few of us will ever see. Simply put, you only lose your virginity once!

If you want to keep it and ride it, terrific! But I think that if you chose to sell it, you could get enough out of it to buy most well fettled Commandos. Please do not take it to some hack who does not understand what he is working on. Take it to somebody like Kenny Cummings who will know the difference. That or learn to do it yourself. These are fairly easy bikes to work on and very satisfying.

Just my two cents...or two pounds by now...

Russ

Rick

I don't think that you should sell; you've almost won lotto with this bike - why give it away? Yes - you are no mechanic; but there are lots of us here that are not either, and there are a few experts whose knowledge is stunning - and most fall somewhere in between.

Ideally it will pay to find a mechanic who is familiar with Nortons - or at least period twins; there are ideosyncracies wtih these bikes; but I can't help thinking that in the scheme of things these are relatively simple machines compared to a lot that have been produced since. You recognise that your skillset is insufficient to get you taking the engine and gearbox apart. You have got the bike for an absolute bargain price - but it is quite possible that 35 years of non use has had an effect, and that a reasonable amount of work will require doing before it is rideable; and even before you attempt to turn it over.

Presumably there is a vintage bike club somewhere around your area; if so, there will be expertise there that can assist; and as you have found there is heaps on this site; although there are sometimes diametrically opposed opinions as to the way things should be done; some of those opinions passionately held. And a good general mechanic is better than none, even it he does not have specialist Norton knowledge. You just need to get a bit of knowledge so that you can point your guy in the right direction - like the layshaft issue; and you can buy a spring to put on the rear brake pedal to stop it from hitting the ground if the cable breaks (if that is applicable to your model bike) - I am not sure if yours has a rear disk (and I don't know if any do).

If you want to increase your skill base and get to know some basics as to how the thing works it is a great project. I have gone from zero knowledge to enough to be dangerous - but only with the peripheral stuff - I have yet to take apart the engine and gearbox, and have loved the journey. If you elect to keep your hands clean and send the bike to professionals that is a valid, and sometimes smart, choice. The cost of gearing up with tools and stands etc may well be close to initial mechanics costs.

Prior posts on this thread have good tips about what to look out for before starting. It may be that the carburettors need cleaning and who knows the state of the cylinders.


Probably you will need some mechanical help with that. Once it is known to run I would expect that the most important issues will be electrical, and you will have decisions to make as to keep all of the stock electric components (which on this bike must be a very valid choice) or modify with more modern components. If you troll through this site you will see heaps of threads on these issues.
It would not surprise me if you spent a reasonable sum to get the bike into a state where you are confident that it is rideable and reliable; hopefully not too much; but it is all very doable and by no means beyond you. You just have a choice to make; do you want to invest time into this and some money; this bike is not like a new Japanese machine – it will have issues and will need reasonable attention. Don’t consider it your daily rider – at least for the first year or two until you sort out the bugs that will be there. I suspect that you can genuinely regard the money that you spend on this as an investment.
And get some help the first time you try to start it up; let someone else share the kick starting – you will know about it if you take half an hour to get it going; or find a shop that has a machine that can turn the back wheel.
If I was in your position I would definitely keep the bike and do whatever was necessary to get it running and reliable, and take pride in having a rare machine.

Good Gawd...I watched the video again...

It has a few flaws. The steering lock is missing, the passenger foot peg (right) needs to be adjusted so it stands erect and the right side panel should be replaced with the tab at the bottom behind the Z-plate. Other than that, the last time I saw a Commando that looked like that it was 1974 and I was told to stop sitting on it unless I planned to buy it!

Russ

I won't be able to sleep tonight...

Rick Cook said:

Nice bike, dying to ride, very excited

Click to expand...

Rick,

You got it right first time. Go with what makes you happy. Ride it before you make a decision.

Re: photos

Rick Cook said:

I uploaded a video to You tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGuHhGOPCU

or if that does not work type norton commando garage find
I polished it a little ..sure would like to keep it.
Rick

Click to expand...

Farkenell that is amazing,looks as if its come straight of the production line yesterday. There is no way you should sell that bike Rick because fate has landed it in your FREAKING lucky little hands,,by the way out of curiosity how much did you pay? na second thoughts i dont think any of us want to know,but seriously like someone has mentioned that is a once in a lifetime opportunity(some people win lotto,you got a spankin new commando),so keep it and enjoy the sweet sound.

GREAT video of a very cool bike. That served to just firmly cement what I'd been waffling about, keeping mine in it's original metallic red/silver livery. When I repaint, it'll be as it was born.

Rick,
Like the others have posted,you have the good fortune that would put a large grin on my face every time I opened the
garage.You also have your other bikes for the reliablity issues.I located 2 chapters of the INOC in Ohio.It could not hurt
to get in touch.
Central Ohio Norton Owners
Ralph Rotz
Carroll,Oh
Gmchief@sbcglobal.net

Northern Ohio Norton Owners
Ed Britt
Millersburg,Oh
brittracing@valkyrie.net
I hope this helps you out.Keep your birthday present !!!

Any bets if he rides it once he keeps it?

Phil

Hello Rick, welcome.
Your bike looks awsome, what a lucky find. I gather that you are having second thoughts about whether you should keep it, and I must honestly say that if you are fundamentally opposed to tinkering with it and learning the idiosyncracies of the flawed masterpiece that is the Norton Comando, then it is probably not the bike for you.
Hobot's reply emphasised the front brake. I'm a bit surprised he didn't mention the isolastics.
I have always regarded the most important components of any motor vehicle as being the ones that help to keep me alive; brakes, steering, tyres, suspension. On a Commando there is an extra one:- the isolastic mounting system. Its purpose is to isolate the rider from the engine's vibration, and it does that very well, but if it is not maintained properly it can adversely affect the bike's handling. Hobot calls it "the hinge". If you search the topic "Commando weave" there is some interesting reading there.
One of the problems is that they are somewhat "out of sight and out of mind", especially the rear one. I think your bike should have the vernier adjustable type, which makes adjustment much less of a job than the shim type which was originally on my bike.
However, on a bike as old as yours (and mine, a 70 model), the rubbers themselves are likely to need replacing. This requires quite a bit of work. If your mechanic tells you "yeah mate, I did your iso's", it would not be good to find out he didn't when you crank it into a sweeping bend at 80 mph.
I always like to do my own work on my bike where possible, then i know if it has been done right (or not). With a workshop manual for guidance, mechanically minded enthusiasts like most of the people on this forum can turn a box of parts into a good Commando.
I have just upgraded my isolastics to the vernier type, and when I removed the old rubbers I was horrified at how they had deteriorated. They were like pieces of marshmallow. But it's not surprising really; they WERE 40 years old.
In a long - winded way what I'm saying is: you may be reluctant to start tearing into such a pristine and original machine. Anyone would, but it's gotta be done.
Cheers
Martin

Rick,
You may find this interesting. My present project sat for 35 years without being ridden also. It has 6000 original miles. It is also a '74 MkII very close in production date to your own. Here it is the day I found it.



And here it is the day I brought it home.



They don't all get treated well! I am the second owner of this bike and probably the last, in my lifetime...