Knocking / rattling inside primary drive case + backfire

dobba99 said:

Wow, you really must have scrutinized the photos with a magnifying glass,

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No, there's a good-sized picture of the engine number (click the image to enlarge):

dobba99 said:

So why did the OP say it was a Mk2a?

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The OP is a novice Commando owner so had no reason to know "Mk2A" in the ad. wasn't correct (could be the seller didn't know either!).

In this case there may be no warranty as to the quality of goods sold, but a private seller must still not misrepresent the goods being sold. If they claimed it is a mk2a and it is not and the buyer was given no reasonable opportunity to inspect and verify, there ought to be an opportunity. But you'll need a solicitor and more cash to throw at it, which is why sellers often get away with it.

If its a private sale you would need proof of the misrepresentation ie a witness that heard him say he knew it was a MK1 but was going to sell it as a MK2a. Not going to happen, so suck it up and make sure it does not go bang is my advice.

kommando said:

A rebuilt bike with no miles and sold by the rebuilder is a red flag to me. Too many posts of first time buyers pulled in by the aesthetics of a fresh paint job and the rebuilder cutting costs by not doing the internals over the years. I would be opening up the primary and take a lot of photos and post them here, if it shows shoddy spannering and/or worn parts I would get it looked over by a professional.

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Not just first time buyers, I have got in at the moment, an ES2 that the owner has had for approx 60+years, in bits for 50+ of those yrs and decided to get it restored. He rode it around for 800 miles or so. We saw it at a club run out and from a few feet away it looked good. Up close it was a different matter, we pointed out the oil leaks, loose bolts etc
A week later he brought it to me to sort out. Christ what a mess, nothing was tight, oil pissing out from everywhere, petrol leaks, no oil in the forks, headstock loose, fork top nuts finger tight, No lights working, not charging and that was just looking at it.... The internals.... The inlet valve guide fell out of the head when relaxing the spring compressor. (no wonder it burnt oil) Spark plug almost the same, it had been inserted at some point and the insert came out with the plug, looking in the hole there was hardly 20% of the thread showing. Little end bush fell out of the conrod when removing the piston (it could be rocked sideways quite a few degrees) Gudgeon pin (Piston pin) had been battered to the extent that it had burred the end of the pin, i had to make a saddle puller to extract it. Gearbox leaking oil from everywhere, it had munched a shim, what was left of it was in the bottom of the box. Oil tank leaking (it was cracked behind the mounting bracket). Wrong nuts on bolts, The most alarming was a 5/8" whitworth nut screwed onto the 9/16 cycle thread rear axle, it had been chromed though....

kommando said:

If its a private sale you would need proof of the misrepresentation ie a witness that heard him say he knew it was a MK1 but was going to sell it as a MK2a. Not going to happen, so suck it up and make sure it does not go bang is my advice.

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No, just the advert containing the misrepresentation. There does not need to be a fraudulent intent. If the seller was simply negligent (he had the frame number, after all), the right to rescind the contract or seek damages is there under the Misrepresentation Act 1967.

All that glitters is not gold
I watch Paul henshaw (performance classics) he's had a spate of "restored" bikes brought to him to sort out
There's some really shoddy dangerous workmanship out there
Buyer beware

Well, I guess we’ve sufficiently scared the OP half to death by now guys …

"
Notice to bidders

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion."

From the auction link.

M-Hawk said:

Thanks John, appreciate the comments.

I plan to ride it and use it well, so I'm happy for it to have a few oddities and imperfections about it. I'll look at the horn location, and some of the other things that L.A.B. mentioned though.

First job is to get it running sweetly!

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Good plan, just LOOK at the horn location.

M-Hawk said:

Thanks for the replies, fantastic. I think I'll take the case cover off as the next step. I'll keep the thread updated.

Any clues on the backfiring issue would also be appreciated. Cheers!

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It depends on if it's really a backfire or a very loud bang. Very loud bangs are explosions in the exhaust caused by being too rich and having unburnt gas hitting the hot exhaust. Actual back firing and/or stumbling can be caused by many things. You may need to lower your needles but it's hard to say without knowing the throttle opening.

The choke must be wide open at all times - open is pulling on the cable - all the way tight. I eliminate the choke on every Amal concentric equipped bike I build. Some will say it's needed for starting - in 54 years I've never had/used one.

Say what throttle opening rather than RPM that the backfires happen. There are four basic phases of tuning for the carbs and depending on the gear you're in 2000 rpm would different throttle openings.

Has anyone suggested buying a workshop manual??

Requisite bedtime reading for any new owner

Plenty of bedtime reading (manuals, parts books and more) here:

L.A.B. said:

Plenty of bedtime reading (manuals, parts books and more) here:

Technical Information

RECENT ADDITIONS Clutch Information. http://a20b767e.magix.net/#xl_xr_page_127 https://www.gewinde-normen.de/en/index.html https://www.ring-plug-thread-gages.com/ti-thread-data-charts.html Norton Service Tool Catalogue...

www.accessnorton.com

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Doesn‘t always guarantee a good nights sleep! Especially if it’s read AFTER doing some work.

Deets55 said:

Doesn‘t always guarantee a good nights sleep! Especially if it’s read AFTER doing some work.

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I don't think it's been said, please check the tyre dates. Good luck with your new bike, once it's sorted, they are a joy.

hayabusaman0 said:

I don't think it's been said, please check the tyre dates.

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"New Avon road runner tyres front and rear"
The front is marked 4217 (week 42, 2017) and the also relatively unworn rear (date not visible) is likely to be of a similar age so still usable.

EstuaryBoy said:

Has anyone suggested buying a workshop manual??

Requisite bedtime reading for any new owner

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OP has stated that he has already ordered the appropriate manuals. Gotta have ’em.

Thanks for the input everyone.

This bike was located in northern Scotland, and I'm in Norfolk so I couldn't practically get there to have a look before buying. I did speak with the seller on the phone - he sounded genuine, and the bike looked genuine from the pictures as far as I could tell so I took the risk whilst accepting that it's not at all the best way to buy anything, let alone a 49 year old motorcycle.

I'm not bothered that it's actually a mk1, and I'm only slightly miffed that it's not the smooth running bike that was described in the ad. There's absolutely no point looking to the private seller for a refund or anything of the sort. That would be a waste of my energy that would be much better spent cracking on with getting the bike running and making sure that it's safe to ride.

I'm practical and mechanically minded, and can turn my hand to most things (I also own an old Land Rover so me and oily surprises are old friends). Yes there are issues with the bike, but I'll work through them and I'll enjoy the process. I've got ALL of the manuals now!

The useful tips people have already given me on here are really, really appreciated. I'll probably ask for more help as things progress, so thanks in advance for that.

Cheers

It always pay to do a full service on any new bike you get, go over the whole bike, check timing as well replace spark plugs and check leads, even pull the carbs off and give them a good clean out don't trust anyone no matter how genuine you think they are as well it help to get to know your new bike.
I also own a Land Rover but a TD5 Defender duel cab tray back.

Ashley

M-Hawk said:

Thanks for the input everyone.

This bike was located in northern Scotland, and I'm in Norfolk so I couldn't practically get there to have a look before buying. I did speak with the seller on the phone - he sounded genuine, and the bike looked genuine from the pictures as far as I could tell so I took the risk whilst accepting that it's not at all the best way to buy anything, let alone a 49 year old motorcycle.

I'm not bothered that it's actually a mk1, and I'm only slightly miffed that it's not the smooth running bike that was described in the ad. There's absolutely no point looking to the private seller for a refund or anything of the sort. That would be a waste of my energy that would be much better spent cracking on with getting the bike running and making sure that it's safe to ride.

I'm practical and mechanically minded, and can turn my hand to most things (I also own an old Land Rover so me and oily surprises are old friends). Yes there are issues with the bike, but I'll work through them and I'll enjoy the process. I've got ALL of the manuals now!

The useful tips people have already given me on here are really, really appreciated. I'll probably ask for more help as things progress, so thanks in advance for that.

Cheers

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Pretty much normal actually. Some people's idea of perfect is other people's rough as guts.

The bike looks very nice to me and probably as good as you will get unless you buy from a really top end place. My comments were not really about any big issues I saw but more in response to you saying you would like it as correct as possible. You have probably done fine with the bike and fixing a few issues like the chain case noise will get yiu a reliable machine. Making it perfect is something else again. I rebuilt my bike top to bottom about 3 years ago now and I have only recently got exactly how I want it. It takes a time and if your used to old machinery you will get there in the end.

Diagnosing any old Brit bike with an electronic ignition that isn't running right, I start with the battery.