Muttster: A long, slow '74 resto-mod

L.A.B. said:

gortnipper said:

There is an additional brown bulleted wire from the rear leaving the harness under the tank. When connected at the junction with the other brown wires (from front and rear switches), the brake light is illuminated even though the brakes are not engaged. When disconnected the brake light functions normally.

Curious as to what this additional brown wire is actually for?

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If you are absolutely sure it's a plain brown (and not a brown with a dark tracer) then I have no idea as the only plain brown should be the brake light switches to stop lamp wires as far as I know. :?

As the brake light appears to function normally without it then I suggest you leave it disconnected, at least for the time being.

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That is the plan.

There is no tracer that I could see on it, which is why I just hooked it up in the first place. I checked it again last night when I disconnected it. Maybe it is supposed to have one and was constructed incorrectly. Time will tell, I guess.

gortnipper said:

There is no tracer that I could see on it, which is why I just hooked it up in the first place. I checked it again last night when I disconnected it. Maybe it is supposed to have one and was constructed incorrectly.

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Possibly, as the harness often has unused brown/black, brown/blue and brown/purple Interpol wiring (also purple/black and green/purple).

Fast Eddie said:

Wow gortniper, it's only a kill switch mate!

I can't answer your question, it's way over my electrickery ability!

But I just wanted to float the question: you're not over processing this a tad are you?

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Not my forte I'm afraid.

FWIW, I used the indicator switch (an idea from Roger at RGM) and it works fine. I put an after market left hand bar switch on that does everything I need, in my quest for simplicity.

Of course, this is only an option if you don't run indicators!

Fast Eddie said:

Fast Eddie said:

Wow gortniper, it's only a kill switch mate!

I can't answer your question, it's way over my electrickery ability!

But I just wanted to float the question: you're not over processing this a tad are you?

Click to expand...

Not my forte I'm afraid.

FWIW, I used the indicator switch (an idea from Roger at RGM) and it works fine. I put an after market left hand bar switch on that does everything I need, in my quest for simplicity.

Of course, this is only an option if you don't run indicators!

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I have to run indicators for a Warrant of Fitness here in NZ, since they came stock.

Sorted the horn too. Just have to get a couple new eyelet connectors to tidy it up and on to the kill switch and ignition.

Not quite as tidy as I would have liked. Removed the points wiring, installed the TriSpark, two relays and all the connections for the modern switchgear I am using.

No reflectors? Will it still pass the inspection?

batrider said:

No reflectors? Will it still pass the inspection?

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Shhh... did last time!

I am wondering about getting a better ground to the head. I will likely move the ground wire to the other side/end of the head-steady.

Or maybe will just add a jumper between the coil + and the head-steady mount on the head, since there are tapped holes in the front base. Any reason not to do this?

gortnipper said:

Not quite as tidy as I would have liked.

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I guess everything is relative. I found these pix as I was clearing out some space on my computer today. Whew!

This is largely how I found the wiring when I got the bike, and after 10 years in storage on top of that.



This is what things looked like after storage before I gave it a good clean.

I figured out why I was having such a bitch of a time with routing my clutch cable with my flat bars. I have a Venhill, which is listed on their site as:

NORTON COMMANDO F/L CLUTCH CABLE
N01-3-101
1969-73 750 MODELS 'UK' - BARS; 1973-77 850 MODELS 'UK'- BARS (51" OUTER FOR ALLOY LEVERS) Clearance wire is 95mm (3 ¾)

So, of course I ordered that when I was thinking I would stil use UK barrs. Wrong.

On AN on the '74 page I find:

7
CLUTCH CABLE 51", US, Featherlight (06.2492, 06.6477)
part-no: 06.2813

Hmm...

In the Mk2a parts book it lists 06.4963, and one can only find that via a p/n search on AN - not on the 74 page (which appears to have a mish mash of cables/years - except this one??!!)

06.4963
CLUTCH CABLE 48" (EUROPE Pre MK3) Featherlight

Guess I get to cut my Venhill down about four inches and solder on a new nipple. Now, who can do that for me in AKL for a beer,,, or six?

I had the cable cut down, but the new end stop was too large in diameter to fit into the tranny, despite him having the old one at hand. I filed down the head of the stop ok, but the neck was still to large to go into the yoke on the operating lever. So, I tried to file that down a bit and as it was thin, use a crimp to compress it. It fit, but it made me uneasy so I ordered the 06-4963 cable, which is the right length and has the right end stop. However, the lever end has a different horizontal barrel nipple - solid and without the plastic sleeve, and too long. Had to file about 1.5mm of the end to get it to fit in the lever. Sigh.

At the same time, I ordered some new long exhaust locking rings - 750 style. My old long rings were of the pre-72 style and very worn and natty. Not a good look with the new FA head.

I purchased a pair, and one of them appears to be slightly too large in diameter and will not go in further than half a turn by hand, or a turn with the exhaust wrench. I had lubricated the threads with anti seize, to no avail as it was starting to remove metal from my head. I also cannot get into my old RH10 head at all.

I have some old short 850 nuts as well as the D12/167 nuts without the reinforced lugs, and these thread into the heads easily.

Note that the other new lock ring went on fairly snugly, but nowhere near as impossible as this one.

Also, as you can see in the photo, on this first attempt the chrome has flaked off two of the lugs quite badly on this ring. The chrome is VERY thin.



AN have done right, and are sending me a replacement lock ring, but buyer beware on these.

As I said in an earlier post, I had the old DomiRacer chrome muffler and foot peg stay plates, which were cheap and blistering badly. I didn’t like the new AN stock matte chrome ones as I had become rather attached to the chromy look. So, I had the lot re-chromed. The plate is very thick and looks great (much better than the AN plating on the stock plates or on the exhaust nuts). A couple of small imperfections, mostly right around the mounting holes and not from three feet.



Happy.

I do have a spare set of these that I will be listing shortly for sale, since the chroming minimum allowed me to do both sets.

Well, AN has a problem.


I just ordered the CNW nuts, which I should have just done in the first place. I hope I havent screwed up the head threads on the one side as I am slightly concerned that I may have been overzealous to get my rebuild finished and persuaded the one I did install in a bit too eagerly. I hope not. :-|

In the one step forward and three steps back category...

I attempted to start it for the first time this and after kicking it 15-20 times I realized that I must have statically timed it 180 degrees out, as it was only occasionally backfiring. So I rectified that and kicked it another dozen times or so. No go. Some kick backs, so the static timing is still out.

Both times I had set the static timing on the TriSpark and got centred the unit between where the red test light fires on.

Pulled the plugs and the spark seems intermittent and weak (though it was outside in bright conditions), even with a new set of plugs laid on the head. I had installed new coils with the rebuild, so dont think that they are likely to be the issue.

I guess I will have to go back to ground zero and re-check the scribes on the rotor with the degree wheel, etc, unless someone has a bright spark idea?

But, the result of all the kicking is that the "knuckle" of the kick start has bent severely, as you can see in the pictures, and is now hanging up on the shifter lever. I can turn the motor by hand with the kick start, and I have not damaged/bent the stock start lever in the 30 years I have owned the bike. Anyway, I will need a replacement "knuckle", and have sent a mail to RGM to see what they say.




I had high hopes of going round the block yesterday...

gortnipper said:

Shhh... did last time!

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If you need some, I have a spare pair.

Danno said:

If you need some, I have a spare pair.

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Should be OK, I have my old ones somewhere if I need them.

I got a response from RGM overnight:

Roger says it is on its way now. So, sweet.

While I am waiting for the RGM replacement part to arrive, I looked again at my timing. I think that when I had to scribe new marks on my rotor, I went 28 ATDC,,, not BTDC. Doh. All back together and waiting for the kick-start knuckle now. Tick tock...tick tock...

I would remove the shifter and try kicking it with the original kicker

Got the timing right and the Muttster fired up today. Using the hirider tank as it is easier to work around, and the old headers until I get stuff dialled in. Then will put on the new tank and headers. I need.to sort the carbs, as it feels.they are a bit rich. Also, it is hard to shift gears when running, especially at a stop when I have it really whack it into first. Am getting a lot of.wheel spin in the stand, so it seems the clutch is dragging or maybe the primary chain is too tight.

Kids quite enjoyed running up and down our 700 m drive on it. It feels so small and nimble compared to the Duc...