Early commando restoration to original

DogT said:

There probably was a twilight zone and probably also a zone where people made the Atlas/Ranger/P11 into Commandos somehow.

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You are probably right Dave
That would explain some of the issues we are struggling with here.
There was another twilight zone in the history of the Commando, but it went in reverse.
Around 1972, Norton found a whole bunch of Atlas tanks sitting high on a shelf.
They bolted them onto frames and cut the ears of the Fastback seats. They announced it
as the LR Fastback.
Did they really think they were fooling us?? :evil:

phil yates said:

DogT said:

There probably was a twilight zone and probably also a zone where people made the Atlas/Ranger/P11 into Commandos somehow.

Click to expand...

You are probably right Dave
That would explain some of the issues we are struggling with here.
There was another twilight zone in the history of the Commando, but it went in reverse.
Around 1972, Norton found a whole bunch of Atlas tanks sitting high on a shelf.
They bolted them onto frames and cut the ears of the Fastback seats. They announced it
as the LR Fastback.
Did they really think they were fooling us?? :evil:

Click to expand...

No, they were not fooling anyone. The Atlas tank sits on a twin top tube Featherbed frame. It cannot sit on a mono top tube frame as the Commando.

ML said:

phil yates said:

DogT said:

There probably was a twilight zone and probably also a zone where people made the Atlas/Ranger/P11 into Commandos somehow.

Click to expand...

You are probably right Dave
That would explain some of the issues we are struggling with here.
There was another twilight zone in the history of the Commando, but it went in reverse.
Around 1972, Norton found a whole bunch of Atlas tanks sitting high on a shelf.
They bolted them onto frames and cut the ears of the Fastback seats. They announced it
as the LR Fastback.
Did they really think they were fooling us?? :evil:

Click to expand...

No, they were not fooling anyone. The Atlas tank sits on a twin top tube Featherbed frame. It cannot sit on a mono top tube frame as the Commando.

Click to expand...

I wasn't being serious.
It looked like an Atlas tank.

And if I remember correctly, it even had a gas filler identical to the Atlas as opposed to the snap lock fitted to every Commando from start to finish.
But I could be wrong. I never paid much attention to the model. It came and went very quickly.

phil yates said:

And if I remember correctly, it even had a gas filler identical to the Atlas as opposed to the snap lock fitted to every Commando from start to finish.
But I could be wrong. I never paid much attention to the model. It came and went very quickly.

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You take the top of the Atlas tank and make a new bottom. Makes a LR.

You take the top of the Atlas tank and make a new bottom. Makes a LR.[/quote]

Who does?
All the trouble to create a replacement motorcycle and someone wants to put an Atlas tank back on it?
I think the LR tank may have had its origins from the Police Interpol. They wanted metal when all Commando
tanks were fibreglass. In any case, it died a quick death with the advent of the Interstate.

But maybe Norton did do just that, make a new bottom for the Atlas tank. I have no idea.
Might contact the guy who tracked down the Norton girl and see if he wants a new research mission.

Atlas tanks are basically two pressings, top and bottom. Make a new bottom pressing, weld an Atlas top pressing to it and bingo you have a bigger capacity tank. Bigger tank equals Long Range, so guess what they called it, ummmmmmmmmm, I know lets call it "LR".
I vaguely remember the conversation in the Drawing Office, probably/possibly at the time that the Interplod was being concocted that Bob Trigg (I think) said something like "... we could make a Police and civilian version with the same tank....."

There was certainly a push to replace the fibreglass tanks with steel ones. Bob Trigg had to go to an inquest as a result of a rider hitting a van, and being trapped underneath his motorbike, which then caught fire as a result of the fibreglass tank splitting. The rider died. As a result fibreglass tanks were illegal as original equipment on road bikes, from the early 70s (1970 or 1971) on in the UK.

So the speculation that a LR tank looks like an Atlas tank is spot on. It wasn't a case of finding some old Atlas tanks and modifying them to suit a Comandgo. The Atlas upper pressing tooling was used, together with a new lower pressing.

One of the things that NV, well Bob Trigg really, was really good at was creating new models with minimal changes, Fastback, Roadster, S, that silly Hi Rider thing, Interstate , LR, JPN etc etc.
cheers
wakeup

Here We Have It . seeing you asked . Underside of Mr Wolles LR tank . Note : L. R. = Long Range . as at the time , all else was LESS . Not that they called the others ' Short Range ' . Likely also to pacify snivling gits saying ' thats not a Norton ' .



Obviously fairly straightforward , if time consumeing , fabrication . To be Really Annoying , it leaves the Door Open for Free Interpretation of Suitable Tanks ( with new undersides . )

G12 CSR which might be akin to P11 .

theres the olde Atlas / Slimline shell , used on the L R ,

This piece of trash is on Ebay at the moment , if you want to cut up a brand new one . :wink:
( underside , slimline Atlas fuel tank ) then you copuld fit the Chrome Strake Badges , too . http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Norton-Atlas- ... 1175898248

the general idea is you get a unrotten fuel tank for 2S. & 6d. as its got a bloody great ding in it , which you effortlessly eradicate with the underside awol .


REAL ONE in Maidenhead : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1972-Norton-C ... 1503646968

Navigator one for 50 Quid.

likely smaller , thus ' individual ' .http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3147-PETROL-T ... 0838532313


:? :?: :!:

Who'll be first . ( whistling icon )

The LR was half a Fastback with an old petrol tank. Thankfully the Interstate emerged and quickly killed it, mercifully.
No offence to LR lovers.

Phil

Early Shallorer ATLAS one went for 60 bucks , would make a ' Individual ' Long Short Range Tank . ' .

1962 odd , the lower edge is higher up , curved & etc . The L R looks cool with a shortened standard Interste seat , or Custom Base , for skinflints & metalcraftsman . As the Interplod had no tail cowling .
a note to qualify all this ( Tank ) tripe ; The Fuel Tank Filler Cap POSITION is a ' check ' on type .

JUST to SET the RECORD STRAIGHT > ! the ' S S ' / ' Hi Rider ' tanks noticeably narrower between the knees . A whine on Widelines was width .

phil yates said:

The LR was half a Fastback with an old petrol tank. Thankfully the Interstate emerged and quickly killed it, mercifully.
No offence to LR lovers.

Phil

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Theres No Pleaseing Some People . :twisted:

where it all started , Er , a step along the path .

Matt Spencer said:

phil yates said:

The LR was half a Fastback with an old petrol tank. Thankfully the Interstate emerged and quickly killed it, mercifully.
No offence to LR lovers.

Phil

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Theres No Pleaseing Some People . :twisted:

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Just how would I fit Jenny on the back of that??

Nice looking machine though.

phil yates said:

Roy is adamant your bike is a late 67 Atlas. Very puzzling.

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Sorry for the poor photo.




Not an Atlas frame:

Matt Spencer said:

Theres No Pleaseing Some People . :twisted:

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That is, of course, George Kraus. In this particular case he took an Interpol tank and filled in the radio box. So that's where I assume they got the bottom pressing from, just stole it from the Interpol and added it to the Atlas upper.

http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2014/3/17/ ... 01F6sbnvO8

swooshdave said:

Matt Spencer said:

Theres No Pleaseing Some People . :twisted:

Click to expand...

That is, of course, George Kraus. In this particular case he took an Interpol tank and filled in the radio box. So that's where I assume they got the bottom pressing from, just stole it from the Interpol and added it to the Atlas upper.

http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2014/3/17/ ... 01F6sbnvO8

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Mathew and swooshdave
This photo is relevant to one of the questions asked at the start of this thread. It sparked my memory.
No Commando made had solid fork covers as per Atlas,
EXCEPT…..the Interpol.
I don't know why they bothered but they did. They also used rear suspension covers as per earlier Commandos. I think the Interpol arrived on the scene about 1970.

Phil

RandomMan said:

Hello there everyone,
I am restoring an early 68 commando number 126436
The bike was a basket case when I bought it with all of the original body work missing or replaced with later roadster stuff.
I would love if anyone had any info on my bike. It's a wide world out there and someone might know something!!
I have pretty much acquired most the original items I need to bring it as close as I can to original. I assume the paint colour would have been forest green but I believe there is some speculation about possible other colours used.
My bike still has the original frame which I have repaired and covertly strengthened to keep it looking original but hopefully not fail and make a widow of my fair lady.
The bike has what looks like atlas style fork covers. I think I have seen an early press brochure that showed one that looks like a real early bike which has the atlas style covers. Does anyone know of the possibility that my bike may have been delivered this way?? I just want to get it as close as feasibly possible and any factory quirks and deviations in delivery spec make it more interesting.
Any thought, comments or suggestions would be immensly appreciated.
Kind regards in advance people
Cheers Matt

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Regarding the George Kraus special:

"For the Cafe Manx look ‘Roadholder’ Front Forks with full covers from the late Atlas models were installed and the wheels are Aront aluminum rims laced with Buchanan stainless steel spokes."

I believe the same has been done to Random Man's very early Commando. At some stage someone has bolted an Atlas front end onto it.

Phil