Kudos to this forum

[christulin]

Seriously, guys, a lot has changed in the last 30 years.
The service notes recommend that dealers remove the protective coating on new bikes with petrol, for g.d's sake.
I clean carbs with an ultrasonic cleaner; wash parts with biodegradable detergent; got a soda blaster in the garage and can take cases to get vapor blasted. We have powdercoating shops. 3-D printers are starting to come of age. Some of us have CNC machining ability or availability; the factory was using manufacturing techniques and equipment from the '40s.
We can do better than the Norton factory and service shops did back in the day.
Face it, some of us are getting up there in age. I'd like to preserve some of the knowledge and expertise that's out there.

 

[Hobot]

Aw shoot I once took note of details down to how much each item weighed before and after my attacks, but now just do stuff and others will just have to discover and figure it out on their own, just like me and so many other finding strange or missing things on non virgin motorcycles, tractors, lawnmowers, boats etc... Just keep a box of file cabinet of the invoices and instruction sheets or online print outs of it so next inline has a clue to scope of Commando-doom.

 

[acotrel]

Bernhard, clutch starts in road races are a modern invention, and now that I am old they are probably a good thing. Paul Dunstall probably always rode in events were the starts were push, run and bump. With the older 4 speed CR boxes, first gear is where second gear is in a normal four speed road box. That means the bike is easier to push start, and nobody on the grid has a low first gear, and a heaps of revs off the start. If you lose 30 meters off the start in one of our road races , it can be almost impossible to get it back. My Seeley 850 is eligible for Australian Period 4 Historic racing. In that class there have been up to fourteen CB750 Hondas of capacities up to 1300cc. All use methanol fuel. They have five speed gearboxes, so off a clutch start, they do not hang around, and on a long straight they are extremely rapid. I have only had one decent start in one of those races, when I slipped the clutch to an absurd amount. On turn two I rode under the leaders , however a fuel line came adrift and I stopped. The 4 speed CR box is almost good enough to win races, and if the bike had kept going I would have been in front of the lot in that race, however I hate cooking the clutch and straining the transmission like that, (I'm only using single row chains) and in any case it is not the quickest way forward. The big Hondas can be beaten, however not with a 4 speed box off a clutch start, unless you really stick your neck out. These days a big crash could mean that I might end up as a skin bag full of bone chips. I was lucky that I had something to sell so I could buy the TTI box. I made a conscious choice to sell a very good TZ350 and concentrate on the bike that I love. I will probably make another attempt to defeat those overcapacity bikes in May next year, affording it will be a problem.

 

[Hobot]

big Hondas can be beaten, however not with a 4 speed box off a clutch start, unless you really stick your neck out. These days a big crash could mean that I might end up as a skin bag full of bone chips. I was lucky that I had something to sell so I could buy the TTI box. I made a conscious choice to sell a very good TZ350 and concentrate on the bike that I love. I will probably make another attempt to defeat those overcapacity bikes in May next year, affording it will be a problem.

well there ya go - how much can ya stick neck out and not break it right off and how many weekends left to make those imprinted ones that sustain us til the end? Yes you were lucky some other event-need took away the TZ before the ITT's came of age. I took a bunch of chances leaping into Commando owner unplanned-unexpected w/o a job or place to work during a change of life leap of "scared confidence", then jumping on some finance straining goodies that ain't available no mo or way more $$$ if I'd waited. Sir Eddie items and Drouins and Dreer kits and alloy cradle/ iso mounts for instance. On older lists I meet vendors with left over items, like RGM alloy swing arm, for a ride adventure with my buddy. Some months later vender died. So don't sell hobot anything or else...

BTW as weak as AMC shafts and cogs are there is another lurking drive cog weakness in Cdo's to be very aware of that the ITT does not solve. The TS pinon gear teeth can pop off, so better to fit the Atlas version which is thicker. Alan ya need to talk some one into a ride on a fully fettered Combat to see what ya missing out on but also how funny they get creeping up to your Seeley secure-ness.

My sad sack state is i don't need more advice on how to find and fix stuff anymore but sure do need to see others doing it again and again to take it on again and again...

 

[johnm]

" With the older 4 speed CR boxes, first gear is where second gear is in a normal four speed road box. That means the bike is easier to push start, and nobody on the grid has a low first gear, and a heaps of revs off the start. If you lose 30 meters off the start in one of our road races , it can be almost impossible to get it back. "

Agree.

These days in NZ we use clutch starts and our races are 3 or 4 short sprints over a one day meeting. Say 8 minutes per race. If you lose the start you lose the race.

If you use a 4 speed box with a tuned 500 Norton you will have big issues against the modern machines and open class bikes of the line. Which is fine if you want to win the Clubmans class but if you want to win the race 5 or 6 speeds are necessary.

Having said that I can beleive 5 speeds would suit most Commandos. TT boxes are the best in the classic racing world.

 

[christulin]

Johnm,
If you are in Wellington, I think Andy Rackstraw introduced us about 6 years ago. I was impressed by your shop and your bikes while you were preparing for a race but that was before I fell in love with Nortons.

 

[johnm]

Hi Chris

Yes I am from Wellington but sorry I do not remember this or Andy. Perhaps this was some other John. There are lots about. And I can think of at least one possible out in the Hutt who would have been working at British Spares back then. I dont have a shop just build my bikes in a friend garage. All the other bikes in the shed are Velocette so unless you remember falling over about 10 Velos and a BMW or two then you were someplace else. Mind you could have been me. Brain is fading away these days. Too much methanol!

Regards anyway

John

 

[christulin]

Andy lives in Hutt and restores instruments, rides a BMW now but used to ride a Vincent Black Shadow. He gave me a tour of just about every motorcycle shop in the area. NZ may be the best place in the world to ride bikes and race vintage bikes. I need to get back there someday.

 

[acotrel]

With a 4 speed CR gearbox you can choose where you want to lose the race - at the start, or at the ends of the straights. Usually if it is geared low enough for the start, the overall gearing is too low for the straights. It is possible to fit a low first gear and keep the top three close, then the first two corners in a race can become difficult with the big gap between first and second gear. I did not try this approach with my bike, however I think it would just get by the problem on some circuits.

 

[acotrel]

Hobot, about riding on dirt. If you look back to the fifties, most MX bikes were big four stroke singles and for dirt use wider gear ratios were used. Power delivery was not smooth, and was not intended to be . On my brother 's big two stroke sidecars, power delivery is smooth, and gear ratios close. Drive is achieved by careful selection of tyres, he usually uses a trials tread pattern on speedway, never an MX block pattern. With your commando you are halfway between the two extremes. You probably need to chose whether you want slide or drive - to suit the places you ride the bike. I don't think you need a close ratio gearbox.

 

[acotrel]

When I was in New Zealand many years ago, the thing which really struck me, was the number of old British cars about on their roads. It had to do with their import laws, and I think the same applied to bikes. I was in the backstreets of Christchurch, and saw a guy building a car in a garage. When I asked him what he was doing, he said ' We cannot buy Deloreans here , so I'm making myself one'. One thing is very clear in NZ, - whatever you do, you must do it perfectly or you won't survive too well. People like John Britten, and Burt Munro are examples of that mindset. Hugh Anderson told me that he had the choice of working in the mines in NZ or racing motorcycles in Europe. He became world road race champion on Suzukis.

 

[OzT]

I did 8 months contract for Shell in Wellington in 1999, and the thing I liked there was all the old Holdens and Fords from home (Australia) were still running there as day to day transport, as well as Regals and the odd LTD. It was like being home in 70's all over again with the cars!