First Ride in Many Years
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hobot said:
This is interesting. I have often been told that my old Norton was made from inferior materials by old tooling and manufactured by folks who didn't give a damn. The tongue waggers saying these things were proponents of modern bikes who pointed out that the British bike makers were all out of business because they kept turning out bad bikes and the customers went where they could buy better machines at better prices. I love my old British bikes but had to admit the more modern ones I have do run with less trouble and perform better in many ways.
Still I LOVE my Commando and have since that first ride back in 1971. It just seems better to me in ways that are hard to put in words and when proponents of modern machines are on the attack, I don't even bother to respond. None of this bothers me a great deal as I live in the past most of the time anyway.
What about the Norton is better than the modern machines outside of our affection for it?
Vintage Paul
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Ugh, almost too true, but I now consider a well fettered Commando Combat the easiest most handy competent comfortable cycle there ever was or will be. Had two of them to prove it too me, but of course it took a bit to get them that way and things out of my control ruined those states, I'm still working back up to > half a decade later. As much as we complain or brag on our Norton nursing, you should see the volumes online on all the known faults and fixes for the universal Japanese motorcycle guys. Back in the days the Yamaha 650 twin was in its prime, i tried it and was so disappointed I just gave up m/c's for 30 yr until '99 discovering a Combat by pure fate and karma.
I've even tracked down the communists conspiracy to knock down British products as a socialist labor experiment that added to the mismanagement internally.
I've even tracked down the communists conspiracy to knock down British products as a socialist labor experiment that added to the mismanagement internally.
lcrken
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Lovely bike. I particularly like the retro paint scheme.
I have a couple other things to check on the clutch. Both seem really unlikely on your bike, because you've obviously paid a lot of attention to detail in building it. Stll, I've had experience with both of them happening and screwing up clutch operation on my own bikes.
First, have you checked to see that the circlip behind the clutch basket is still firmly in its groove?
Second, did you replace the handlebar clutch lever? If so, does it have the same distance from cable barrel to pivot bolt as the original? These Doherty style levers were available in different leverages, and the wrong one can make the clutch pull really stiff.
Other than that, as already pointed out, stack height sounds like the only other likely culprit. The clutch pull on a Commando is always going to be stiffer than most modern bikes, even with a hydraulic clutch, but it should'nt be so bad to make riding unpleasant.
Ken
I have a couple other things to check on the clutch. Both seem really unlikely on your bike, because you've obviously paid a lot of attention to detail in building it. Stll, I've had experience with both of them happening and screwing up clutch operation on my own bikes.
First, have you checked to see that the circlip behind the clutch basket is still firmly in its groove?
Second, did you replace the handlebar clutch lever? If so, does it have the same distance from cable barrel to pivot bolt as the original? These Doherty style levers were available in different leverages, and the wrong one can make the clutch pull really stiff.
Other than that, as already pointed out, stack height sounds like the only other likely culprit. The clutch pull on a Commando is always going to be stiffer than most modern bikes, even with a hydraulic clutch, but it should'nt be so bad to make riding unpleasant.
Ken
lcrken said:
I gave this project a lot of thought & attention over the years but had never considered that I might have fitted levers with the wrong leverage. My first Norton had the steel ballend jobs and so I thought they ought to be OK here. If adjusting the clutch stack with the shims Old Brits is sending doesn't sort the issue out, it might be time to check that circlip & look into lever ratios. If I really do have the wrong ones, that will be easy to change. Possibly some of the Italian AL ones might work and still look period.
There are still some other things to sort out too. These mirrors give me a fine view of my shoulders and I have a set of the barend ones that solved this problem on other bikes. We're getting close to having a working bike again after just a few more issues are resolved.
Vintage Paul
DogT said:
Thanks for this, I just measured and did get 7/8. We have at once heavy clutch at the lever and not enough travel to get engagement off the bar & have free play. I'll get the stack right, install the new teflon cable and then see where we are. Mebbee everything will clear up then . . .
Vintage Paul
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