Combat with Norris RX camshaft

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Ken,

Some serious lift and duration; up there and beyond the Megacycle N480 and +D grinds.


JimC said:
BTW, I don't see a RX grind. Was there one?
Click to expand...

Ta Da! :D

Combat with Norris RX camshaft


RX is what was stamped on the cam but the profile looks like a Norris "D"

Combat with Norris RX camshaft


Maybe Dave Comeau would be willing to do an overlay of the data (Norris "D" and Norris "RX")

Still looking for some credible catalog documentation.
 
The reason I was questioning is the Norris catalog, I'm assuming that is what Ken posted, shows no RX grind. As for the serious lift and duration, the Norris R cam I had transformed my 69 Commando into a real performer. You were never late for a movie with that bike. I know I was pretty much King-of-the-Hill when it came to street drag racing with that bike.

I had no idea how much of a hot cam it was before I bought it, I only needed a replacement cam. I was living in Minneapolis at the time, around 1972, and my local Norton dealer, Leo's, suggested it. Probably some members from the Minneapolis area remember Leo's when they sold Nortons. They are still in business selling BMWs, Kawasakis and Suzukis.
 
JimC said:
The reason I was questioning is the Norris catalog, I'm assuming that is what Ken posted, shows no RX grind.
Click to expand...

+1

As "illf8ed" started this thread and labeled it "Norris RX" perhaps he can shed some light. I was beginning to feel alone with the Norris RX until I saw this thread.

As for the "Norris Days" and Jungle Pam:

broken link removed
 
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From 1972-1974 I bought three new Commandos from Leo's in Minneapolis.

Jim C, wonder if I knew you back then

Do you remember the name of the head Norton mechanic at Leo's during those years?
John S
 
No, John, I don't remember the head mechanic at Leo's. I was strictly an over the counter customer. I mostly dealt with Oscar Bedeaux, who you probably know was killed in a snowmobile accident.

John, I probably knew you if you drank a lot and married crazy women.

Leo Hauck was the original owner of Leo's. The Bedeaux brothers, Dale , Jerry, Mike and Oscar, came later.
 
I found this out by goggling; Leo's was, at one time, the world's largest Norton dealer. Something for all Norton trivia buffs. That's in a state that has a summer, if it falls on a weekend, people go to the lake. In Minnesota, "the lake" is plural. Somehow, those Scandahooveins replaced a lake with the lake.
 
Forgive me for carrying on like this. I'm normally not this loquacious. It's the double martini I had with dinner.
 
JimC said:
The reason I was questioning is the Norris catalog, I'm assuming that is what Ken posted, shows no RX grind.
Click to expand...

Jim, the catalog page was from a 1976 catalog. Norris certainly had some other grinds available, including the RX, as well as the N480 and D+ John mentioned. Maybe they were listed in later catalogs.

Ken
 
For anyone interested, the following is from Megacycle's archive. Click on the image and you will get an enlarged version.

Combat with Norris RX camshaft
 
Thanx JimC i snagged the photo sheet for another list asking about the RX cam they have and my own file.
 
Got about 150 miles running In the Norris RX I put in over winter. Head has new valve guides, seals, black diamond valves, mushroom tappets...fully reworked . It revs much easier now. Previous owners mistake putting a std camshaft in a combat engine has been fixed. It took me 14 years and 30,000 miles to figure it out.

Hobot...have to set up the idle above 1200 rpms and it's a rough idle, but it runs really nice. This is what a cobat should be...I like it :)
 
Oh My illf8ed, 14 yrs of missing out on extra Combat zip! I am strangely ambivalent after my Saturday climax as more zip would tempt me right out of control on un-tamed Cdo. Love to sense your G's joys and dialing in success, but I'm deflated to seek any more than on plain Combat w/o all the stuff it takes to handle any more. If you don't care much about drive train I bet if you start jerking throttle on off in 1st or 2nd letting rev's/speed build a bit you'll suddenly be popping wheelies : ) Not fastest get go but how all the magazine show off bad bikes power.

Number one thing I see to help big cams idle is higher compression, so give that some restless thought. IIRC there is also a way to notch slide or buttery fly to let more air flow over the pilot circuit so draws fuel mix enough at lower rpm. Not sure how to apply that to your carbs. How about a little video to rev up our inner motor juices with you.

Consider the linkages and the fork upgrades that magnify the spunk while leaned or behave yourself lain over.
 
Have not explored how to post video yet. Just got a GoPro Hero, though. Not too interested in raising compression as that was what my problem was with the std cam....182 psi cranking. Needed some more overlap to reduce that. Except for occasional insanity, I've slowed down a lot in the last few years. Could actually smell the buckeye on this morning's ride.
 
David, ya take a video, then transfer to your 'puter, then upload to youtube or photobucket or webshots and such, then place that video URL in the space left by tagging video icon just above new post text window.

There should not be the same detonation proneness as std cam in 10 CR as RX with say 10.5 or 11CR, since the effective compression stroke don't begin until intake closes, which is delayed in aggressive cams. Combats w/o base plate are common like mine, but much more shortening means diddling the push rod geometry. Ive had a HI CR mean cam P!! that idled at 600 w/o any stumbles and was easy in slow traffic or deep sand off road on low throttle. I've been in vintage pits and don't hear their race engines idling at 1200 or having to give much throttle to ease off in the crowds. So implies to me might find even more pleasures configuring to tolerate the RX in sane street use.

I like the slow BoPP BoPP BoPPs of fairly hi CR and racy cam.
 
Will try the video when I get some time.
Head got some minor milling at Raber's last winter. I'm getting nervous about piston to valve clearance, so don't want to risk reducing that more. Did put in some .060" shorter pushrods and that made it possible to get some adjustment with new mushroom adjusters. Running .012" clearance although Norris suggested .020.
 
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