Early commando restoration to original

Brendan S · Apr 22, 2014

phil yates said:
Brendan S said:

I got very nice glossy print repros of the 68 Workshop manual and parts list from Old Britts about 5 years ago. The workshop manual is only about as thick as a magazine and isn't as useful as the later ones.
Brendan

Click to expand...

My original workshop manual is as yours minus the part? number. Nor stamp thing on top right.
Where is yours printed and by who? On back cover at bottom.

On back of the manual and inside back of the parts list is "Printed by Steatham Printers, Planks Lane, Wombourne, Wolverhampton WV% 8EB Tel: 01902 324555 Fax: 01902 324232". Top right sticker is non-period correct Speed Racer sticker applied by my then about 3 year old son.
Brendan

Matt Spencer · Apr 23, 2014

Random Chap , CHECK THIS OUT > http://de.vintage-motorcycle.com/imagev ... lleryid=19

we'll have to give him 500 % .

phil yates · Apr 23, 2014

Brendan S said:
phil yates said:

Brendan S said:

I got very nice glossy print repros of the 68 Workshop manual and parts list from Old Britts about 5 years ago. The workshop manual is only about as thick as a magazine and isn't as useful as the later ones.
Brendan

Click to expand...

My original workshop manual is as yours minus the part? number. Nor stamp thing on top right.
Where is yours printed and by who? On back cover at bottom.

Click to expand...

On back of the manual and inside back of the parts list is "Printed by Steatham Printers, Planks Lane, Wombourne, Wolverhampton WV% 8EB Tel: 01902 324555 Fax: 01902 324232". Top right sticker is non-period correct Speed Racer sticker applied by my then about 3 year old son.
Brendan

I should have asked published, not printed.

I tried the telephone and fax number.
They are all out for lunch

My workshop manual was published by:
Burman, Cooper and Company, Birmingham B8 2SG
They were all out for lunch too.

I wonder which one is the original?

My parts list was published by Norton in Australia.

phil yates · Apr 23, 2014

frankdamp said:
The very early ones were all fastbacks, and all silver with the orange seat. I don't think any of them got out into the world with the "Green Globe" new Norton insignia dreamed up by some dip-shit PR firm. I think all the early production bikes had the "Norton" script logo in black on the silver tank.

I think I'd emigrated to the US (July 1968) before anything other than the silver fasback had hit the marketplace. I had a chance to buy a Commando at the employee price (I think £ 375), but was so strapped, I couldn't afford to do it. Boeing would have shipped it as part of our household goods. What an opportunity lost!

Quite honestly, though, after seeing all the geriatircs driving their full-size Buicks on the freeways at 45 mph and not even being able to see the end of the bonnet, I decided my motorcycle riding life was over. I've never ridden on the road in the US. I've done some desert riding, but geriatry has go to me at 72!

Frank
At 72, life is just beginning. Get out there and frighten the crap out of those Buick drivers.
Hobot eats them for breakfast!!

phil yates · Apr 23, 2014

Matt Spencer said:
Random Chap , CHECK THIS OUT > http://de.vintage-motorcycle.com/imagev ... lleryid=19

we'll have to give him 500 % .

You found it!!
That fell out of the back of my 72 Fastback on a ride to Oodnadatta!
Not really. But my Fastback came with exactly that.
I kept it for many many years but sadly missing now. My dad had a block of wood
we used to chock up the bike for working on.
I still have that block of wood, believe it or not.
It is a part of my history, and a memory of dad.

DogT · Apr 23, 2014

I forget where I got them.

phil yates · Apr 23, 2014

DogT said:
I forget where I got them.

With cheques bouncing everywhere, Norton must have kept swapping publishers.
I think yours are the originals Dave.

Mine does not have Norton Villiers. Norton Matchless….can't read the rest,
at the bottom of front cover. But contents no doubt exactly the same.

My parts list was published here in Oz.

Phil

frankdamp · Apr 24, 2014

The green blobs were'nt turn signals, just the PR guru's attempt at a coporate logo. The early bikes didn't have any turn signals - you were supposed to use your hands! You're lucky they had brake lights! Regulations were much less restrictive back then.

I'm honestly a bit puzzled by the Roadholder style front forks. My memory is that we had the Ceriani-style forks on the prototypes, where the upper section, bolted to the headstock, is the inner tube of the fork and all the working bits are in a larger diameter lower section where the spindle goes across.

I might be getting confused with the M-X bikes, unless the decision was made to switch back to Roadholders for production. I didn't take any photos during my time at N-V. Sure wish I had!

phil yates · Apr 24, 2014

frankdamp said:
The green blobs were'nt turn signals, just the PR guru's attempt at a coporate logo. The early bikes didn't have any turn signals - you were supposed to use your hands! You're lucky they had brake lights! Regulations were much less restrictive back then.

I'm honestly a bit puzzled by the Roadholder style front forks. My memory is that we had the Ceriani-style forks on the prototypes, where the upper section, bolted to the headstock, is the inner tube of the fork and all the working bits are in a larger diameter lower section where the spindle goes across.

I might be getting confused with the M-X bikes, unless the decision was made to switch back to Roadholders for production. I didn't take any photos during my time at N-V. Sure wish I had!

If you are referring to my earlier question about when were the turn signal stems fitted, I was just being silly Frank (as usual).
I won't get my book out again now at 0230hrs, but all initial Commandos as I recall had fork covers, including the Earle's Court Sept 67 model on display. Later, S type and Roadster were the first with Ceriani forks. Fastback went same same in 72 with the combat engine.

phil yates · Apr 24, 2014

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Early commando restoration to original

Brendan S

Matt Spencer

phil yates

phil yates

phil yates

DogT

phil yates

frankdamp

phil yates

phil yates

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