Ignition / Points - Norton Commando 750 (1971)

nortriubuell said:

... just use a different 12VDC for timing light power though, IMO.

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I've never found that to make any difference.

Captain Bill, I think I see what you mean. Everyone is correct above but trying to put it in terms of your original question: AFTER Setting the points gap (Clymer pg. 117 "adjustment"), you should be trying to line up the 28 degree mark on the primary side with a 'paper drop' point on the timing side at full advance. See pg. 120 step 7 in the Clymer manual. If your points are open when the primary side mark is on 28 degrees, you have room to dial the breaker plate counterclockwise to get to that paper drop point. If your points are closed when the primary side mark is on 28 degrees, then yes, it looks like you are out of room to make the adjustment. So repositioning of the AAU on the shaft would be necessary. Hopefully I got that right. If not, the smarter people will chime in.

From the original tool kit, the points tool.
Small blade for setting points gap. Big blade is the screwdriver.

The static timing with thin paper is enough to get it started, but timing is usually off by up to 10 degrees once you put a light on it. It will still start and run.

If you can't do a static timing, and it's still not firing and you're 100% sure you're getting gas at the plugs, remove the plate and the AAU. Reposition the the AAU a bit in the opposite direction so you can get more adjustment from the points plate.

I have a few Nortons, all run great on points.

Thanks all... solved with a new electronic ignition from OldBritts. Bike is running for the first time in 12 years.

CaptainBillK said:

Thanks all... solved with a new electronic ignition from OldBritts. Bike is running for the first time in 12 years.

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Yayyyy !

MexicoMike said:

I rode my original 1971 Norton Commando as my daily transportation for several years and never set the timing other than using the cellophane wrapper of a pack of cigarettes to "set" the timing and never used anything but a matchbook cover to set the point gap. Bike ran great. Never had any issues with ignition or operation in general - in fact, I can't remember anything ever going wrong with the bike as far as a failure of any sort. Ran out of gas once but that was when I discovered that the "reserve" on my Roadster consisted of approx 1 cup of gasoline!

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Just discovered that the reserve and main fuel taps on my AJS were fitted the wrong way round...regardless of the transfer on the tank, so the main tap allowed you to drain the tank......

SteveA said:

Just discovered that the reserve and main fuel taps on my AJS were fitted the wrong way round...regardless of the transfer on the tank, so the main tap allowed you to drain the tank......

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I took my full restoration Yamaha XS750 on a local coast to coast run and the main fuel ran out, so I turned it onto reserve and it went another 50 yards. Once I was recovered home I removed the fuel tap and found the filter had fallen off and so it dispensed fuel all the time regardless of the setting.

Landspeedracer said:

I took my full restoration Yamaha XS750 on a local coast to coast run and the main fuel ran out, so I turned it onto reserve and it went another 50 yards. Once I was recovered home I removed the fuel tap and found the filter had fallen off and so it dispensed fuel all the time regardless of the setting.

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So in theory, if you were drawing from the main tap AND reserve.... you were using twice as much fuel!

well it never went twice as fast.