- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Messages
- 226
I bought a '74 Commando 850 a year ago in good, unrestored running condition but a little neglected. The odometer read 14,000 miles. It had a nice patina, a few rusty spots, and I wanted to keep it that way but repair the various faults.
The handling was a little off, so I replaced the front tire that was old and hard. Changed the fork oil and found water and goo so I rebuilt the forks and changed the front wheel bearings. While doing so, I saw that the brake caliper was cruddy so I rebuilt that too.
The horn was missing (I don't know how or why anybody reached in there to take it out) so I added a new FIAM (actually two; one attached to the extra red/white wire) horn.
The wiring was a bit bodged so I replaced the wiring harness and upgraded the headlight. I took the handlebar switches apart and cleaned all the contacts. Now the current is good enough that Now I need to upgrade the alternator to a Sparx 3-phase.
I never could get the single Mikuni dialed in so I swapped it out for an Amal Mk II that works great. I have a couple of spare 930s so I could go back to the original setup.
It dripped oil in various places, so I changed the oil lines. The timing cover was warped and glued on with Yamabond. I used sandpaper taped to a glass plate to flatten the mating surface and installed a new O ring. No more oil drips.
Now all is well and good and I'm ready to do some serious riding before winter comes. I watch "One Week" for the third time. I get invited to go to a bunch of long rides.
A week ago, the left cylinder started smoking, but it clears up after running the bike a few miles. Compression is good and equal in both cyclinders. The bike still runs great.
I think I know the next step. I need to pull the head and cylinders. Then, I should probably check the bottom end. Of course, this means polishing covers, painting the cases and cylinders to make it all shiny. No better time do do this. Then I should upgrade to MkIII isolastics.
There goes the patina. There goes the originality. Where do I stop? At what point does this become just another "restored" Commando?
The handling was a little off, so I replaced the front tire that was old and hard. Changed the fork oil and found water and goo so I rebuilt the forks and changed the front wheel bearings. While doing so, I saw that the brake caliper was cruddy so I rebuilt that too.
The horn was missing (I don't know how or why anybody reached in there to take it out) so I added a new FIAM (actually two; one attached to the extra red/white wire) horn.
The wiring was a bit bodged so I replaced the wiring harness and upgraded the headlight. I took the handlebar switches apart and cleaned all the contacts. Now the current is good enough that Now I need to upgrade the alternator to a Sparx 3-phase.
I never could get the single Mikuni dialed in so I swapped it out for an Amal Mk II that works great. I have a couple of spare 930s so I could go back to the original setup.
It dripped oil in various places, so I changed the oil lines. The timing cover was warped and glued on with Yamabond. I used sandpaper taped to a glass plate to flatten the mating surface and installed a new O ring. No more oil drips.
Now all is well and good and I'm ready to do some serious riding before winter comes. I watch "One Week" for the third time. I get invited to go to a bunch of long rides.
A week ago, the left cylinder started smoking, but it clears up after running the bike a few miles. Compression is good and equal in both cyclinders. The bike still runs great.
I think I know the next step. I need to pull the head and cylinders. Then, I should probably check the bottom end. Of course, this means polishing covers, painting the cases and cylinders to make it all shiny. No better time do do this. Then I should upgrade to MkIII isolastics.
There goes the patina. There goes the originality. Where do I stop? At what point does this become just another "restored" Commando?
