Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

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C

Cal-Neva Speed Shop

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Feb 6, 2017
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Hey guys! I'm brand new to the forum and I am new to
Norton's. I bought a couple of Commandos the other day. I don't know much about Nortons. I collect vintage Japanese motorcycles but I just couldn't pass up these two bikes, especially for the price! My question is, which models do these bikes look like? I know one is a 1971, the bike with no tank, and the other is a 1974. It appears that the 74' may be an Interstate? Is that correct? I am leaning toward a Roadster on the bike with no tank. What do you guys think? These seats are lose on the bikes, I'm not sure which one is correct. The seat on the 74' doesn't fit. Another thing, there are no serial numbers on the 71's engine, but the transmission and frame. Number match the 71's frame number is 149624. Any help with further identifying the bikes would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model

Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Hi,

I am pretty sure the '74 is an 850 Interstate and the '71 is a 750 Roadster. You have the correct match of seats in the pictures.

Nice find, in the UK I would think the pair would go for $10k.

Cheers

Graham
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

The black one could be a Mk11a as it appears to have the black box air filter, I doubt if this has been added at a later date, it also has the black lowers on the speedo/ taco shrouds. In my opinion its impossible from the pics to say which is an Interstate or Roadster as the seats/ tanks and panels can be interchanged.
The early one is a 750, flange bolts and drum brake.
Have looked again zoomed in and can see a back plate for the earlier filter so the later one is probably a Mk11 or could be a 11a with converted filter. Hope this helps!
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

and if you got them for a good price, well done. They look fairy unmolested and look to have been parked up relatively dry and under cover.
Still a long journey ahead though!
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Hi.
The 1971 seems to have the little headlight unit 5 3/4 of the SS type and the frame numbers 149... are compatible (my SS is 149...).
Piero
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Swap the seats between the bikes, you have a interstate tank with a roadster seat on the 850 currently which is not compatible.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Cal-Neva Speed Shop said:
It appears that the 74' may be an Interstate? Is that correct? I am leaning toward a Roadster on the bike with no tank. What do you guys think? These seats are lose on the bikes, I'm not sure which one is correct. The seat on the 74' doesn't fit.
Click to expand...

An original '74 850 Interstate tank would be steel, if fibreglass/fiberglass then it's probably off an earlier ('72 750) Interstate and why the Roadster seat doesn't fit.

Cal-Neva Speed Shop said:
Another thing, there are no serial numbers on the 71's engine.
Click to expand...

It has a later type crankcase, so the cases (or at least the drive-side case) have been changed at some point.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

The 1971 bike has a later 750 engine fitted. A 750 engine with number 1499624 would have a timed breather coming out of the left side forward crankcase area and a rubber pipe/tube going to the oil tank. It may be a combat motor.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

peter12 said:
The black one could be a Mk11a as it appears to have the black box air filter...
Click to expand...
No plastic airbox box on either one.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Welcome to the party, good find. The 74 is considered the best of all years by a lot of people myself included. 71 750 being the last year for the drum brake front is a great find too... Are you located in Northern California? I heard of some bikes up there that kind of matches this description.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Thanks guys for the help!! The bikes are actually in great shape. Now the search for an original tank and side covers!
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

just a small thing that may help if you try to start them ,the commando without a tank fitted has the choke fully turned on, so its slack cable choke on , tight cable choke off cheers
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Interstates Rock! Now, it's fully understood that pretty much anything can be swapped between models, and, after more than forty years, there's no telling what was what when it left the showroom floor. That being said, this is a '74 Interstate that was purchased new by my father (so the history is known), showing how the exhaust pipes take a second jog to lay the mufflers parallel to the ground. At least the Roadster, if not all other models, have the mufflers swept upwards so as to give better cornering clearance.
Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Model


There's links out there where guys are putting Interstate tanks on their Roadsters, so that's a real possibility with yours.
L.A.B., were the fork-to-frame stops Interstate-specific, i.e., a different frame and/or lower triple-tree? My front end doesn't seem to turn nearly as sharply as others, but I currently have nothing else to compare that to.

Welcome to the party, Ryan!

Nathan
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Remember, Interstate TANKS are matched to Interstate SEATS.

You can't mix Roadster seat & Interstate tank, they collide; conversely, Roadster tank & Interstate seat leaves a 3" gap between the two.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Nater_Potater said:
At least the Roadster, if not all other models, have the mufflers swept upwards so as to give better cornering clearance.
Click to expand...

One of the press bikes - the Interstate - road tested back then was taken back with holes neatly worn through those Interstate pipes, just near the gearbox....

Nater_Potater said:
L.A.B., were the fork-to-frame stops Interstate-specific, i.e., a different frame and/or lower triple-tree? My front end doesn't seem to turn nearly as sharply as others, but I currently have nothing else to compare that to.
Click to expand...

There is only one version of yokes and forks and frame steering stop for Roadsters and Interstates and HiRiders (and any other model you can think of..)
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

1) Both seats are Roadster seats. The Interstate tank appears to be fiberglass which would make it a 1972 tank and not the original tank on the '74 850.
2) The 750 has a '72-'73 crankcase. If the frame number and gearbox number is in the '71 sequence, then the engine cases were replaced with later ones. If the frame number begins with "2XXXXX" then it is a likely a '72 or '73 and with the small headlight and drum brake was likely originally a Hi Rider. If it begins with "1XXXXX" then the small headlight would indicate a Hi Rider or possibly and SS originally.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Rohan said:
There is only one version of yokes and forks and frame steering stop for Roadsters and Interstates and HiRiders (and any other model you can think of..)
Click to expand...


Early Commandos had different yokes, as did the MK III. John Player Norton models also had heavy gauge wire in place, around the fork stop, to reduce steering travel.

Never examined an original Production Racer model ...



.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Can someone tell us more about this heavy gauge wire around the JPN fork stops ?

My point was that the Interstate got exactly the same fork yokes, forks etc as the Roadster Models.
 
Re: Found 2 Norton Commandos, Need Help Identifying Which Mo

Rohan said:
Can someone tell us more about this heavy gauge wire around the JPN fork stops ?
Click to expand...
Someone mentioned that to me when I was restoring my JPN, can't recall whether it was in my build thread here, or if it was on the phone. He said his has 'A" heavy, hard wire wrapped around the stop (no way to verify if it was original).
 
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