My First Commando...

1200 is better for engine/charging than 1000 so got it quite good enough for real use. When mech advance of contact breakers got worn it would not settle back to idle retard so impossible to idle below 1500'ish w/o stalling. Might still be a bit of a factor to diddle with time to time in between other cascade of priorities. One reason to run AFT in primary is better able to tell it from engine oil, gear box lube and swingarm drool or fork oil blow back. Its very hard to get flimsy spindle covers to seal anything liquid so might consider hobot short cut with John Deere tractor Cornhead 'grease' which turns flowing liquid on motion but stays congealed in parts not moving so seal grim and moisture w/o ever a drip. Every few season re apply. Power washing coin operated stops before showing up in public places was routine for me and late Wesley but take care not to blast in wheel bearing area much. Its part of Commando worship ritual to get about spotless then ride a short distance and look and repeat till first evidence seen before spreading to confuse, then clean again and again till sealed or runs dry. Only need enough oil or grease retained in spindle bushes to prevent spindle rust not for muh friction wear reasons, only rust decays this area. Hope nothing in rest of your affairs being put off on wasteful hobby horse.

Fuel taps leaking...left side pretty badly. New Paioli's from EuroJumbalya recieved, but they accidently sent two reserve types...waiting for a return/resend to arrive. Since they offer free shipping to my US mail box for $200+, went ahead an splurged on the Vape Wassel EI with new 6v coils for $146. And they had a single replacement turn flasher switch lever...mine was snapped off by DPO.
Since I needed to take tank off for EI install, decided to dismantle the original leaky taps. One was a while plastic conical seal (less leaky) while other a brass conical valve with embedded rubber seal. Cleaned/polished up the less leaky plastic on and put back on until new Paoli arrives.
Took handle bar switch gear apart to clean all contacts, re grease and replace broken lever. I had read on these forums someplace the switch gear can be swapped left/right to give turn signal control to left hand...which I much prefer. Seems to work well...but I'm thinking it should also be possible to keep original placement and only swap the turn signal function. The double through lever is just a different molding than single throw headlamp high beam lever...underlying switch mechanism identical. So I'm thinking to just swap the levers and then swap the wire connectors at the main junction block to give turns on left side, high beam on right, while all other switch remain stock locations. Moving the whole assembly means having kill switch lower left , no ideal, easier to hit accidently when trying for horn. (it is a unique normally closed switch type, not present on left side assembly).

after riding many yrs on other foreign makes i like my signals on the left too but the emergency response for a kill switch has to be on the right if i have even half a change when i need it . I went out and picked up a set of more modern suzuki switch gear, and down the road i will do modernization with them (it also entailed a modern master cyl which then leads to a better caliper and rotor)

however my favourite signal control setup is the BMW one with a signal paddle on each side, much easier to operate with heavy warm gloves which only a great white north citizen can comprehend...

" but they accidently sent two reserve types "
The only difference between the regular and reserve taps (on mine anyway) is the length of the tube that lives in the tank.
Make one different with an exacto knife or razor blade, you're done. Or use the old tubes.
IN fact, the whole idea is kinda silly, considering the hump in the middle of the tank separates the left and right sides completely at low fuel levels...

The taps, both old and new, just have flexible mesh screens and no stand pipes as far as I can tell. The two new Paioli taps have "Reserve" stamped on the face plate. Euro jambalaya says there should be a Main and a Reserve...so sending one back for exchange.

Agreed, the concept of main and reserve not too effective. Could get most range by using two reserve taps.

Roadsterization nearly complete, only the tank belies the HiRider truth...



Lovin' the new reproduction seat that arrived yesterday and the Roadster grab rail which I purchased from a fellow AN member. Waiting on some repro mirrors and new main fuel tap.


Having some trouble getting the rubber pads under tank properly situated. Originals were shot and held via zip ties, so not clear if were in correct please. Are there some position measurements available? The thick pad I currently have spanning the frame joins towards rear of tank...maybe 1 1/2" forward of tank rear edge. Tank wants to sit back side high. Front thin pad is maybe two inches back from front tank edge.

Tornado said:

Having some trouble getting the rubber pads under tank properly situated. Are there some position measurements available? The thick pad I currently have spanning the frame joins towards rear of tank...maybe 1 1/2" forward of tank rear edge. Tank wants to sit back side high. Front thin pad is maybe two inches back from front tank edge.

Click to expand...

Parts drawings only show the thin (1/4") rubber for the Hi-Rider tank.

https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-drawing/190/fuel-tanks#

Don't like thought of having rear tank metal directly sitting on frame. I have some thin padding I can try at rear to see how it fits.

Looks good Mike. Too bad that tank is so small, its a great looking profile and has a nice paintjob.
Weird that the parts diagram doesn't show a second rubber at rear.
The rubber tank pads on my bike were wrapped with tatty electrical tape. I used Gorilla glue between the pads and frame.
No problems since.

Glen

Yes, the tank paint is basically flawless...likely re-done by HD's restoration in the nineties. BTW, I did score a reproduction Roadster tank from another AN member...raw metal, Commando Specialities tank. Plan is to ride the little guy for while before committing $500 for a paint job.
Once I settle on pad thickness/position, I'll use either RTV or contact cement to secure.
Any opinions on applying rubber to tank tunnel instead of frame spine? That way the correct pad stays with tank if I end up keeping both.

That's how I did my Egli(attached rubber to tank)
Works fine.

That’s a nicely profiled seat. Where is it from?

Fast Eddie said:

That’s a nicely profiled seat. Where is it from?

Click to expand...

Seat was ordered from Walridge in Ontario Canada....was on special during their Xmas sale for $230 CDN....but it was over sold when I placed my order...so ended up being back-ordered...took almost 3.5 months to arrive. The box shows Wassell of Staffordshire England as the maker.

Well fair play to Wassel, that’s I nice looking seat IMHO.

Many look way to bulbous, like the cover has been forced over a badly shaped, oversized, lump of foam!

I hear you there Fast Eddie. Before ordering, I reviewed loads of pics of seats and liked the the more sevelt ones with the visible side panel seam. Glad this one has that, and the large square pattern top. Also didn't want a strap, but in a perfect world I would choose a silver stencil on back end instead of the gold on there now...but I'd also need to change side covers and tank to silver detailing...just too rich for me!

New fuel taps installed...no more leaking! Had float bowl off, did some glass plating and knocked the float height down a tad...just over 2mm now.
Got her running...still doesn't like much below 2k rpm. Idle tends to vary and hunt 1.2-2k once warmed.
Something strange happening with electrics. Unable to get lighting/flasher/alt./warning to come on no matter ig switch position...this was not so earlier. Once running, flashers/tail/brake lamps all work. Not headlight main bulb or high beam. Parking bulb only seems to come on with
flashers!!?!

Also, if idle is marginal, flasher tends to lower rpm even more to point of flame out.

Besides all those issues, had her out on road for good long test ride...over two hrs total. Just side roads, most 1st and 2nd stuff.
Even at 3-4k rpms, engine seems to sputter/miss? As drive isn't steady...I feel power skipping a beat as she drives along.
Will look into points/timing but will swap out to an EI soon.

Points work fine but need regular greasing to tracks and moving bits. Misfiring can be a failing condenser.

"Also, if idle is marginal, flasher tends to lower rpm even more to point of flame out."

Do you have a good battery? If by "flasher" you mean the turn signal, they use a lot of current.
MIght also wanna freshen up the grounding points (red wires) to the frame.

The hunting at idle cd be partially blocked idle jets?
Do the carbs have new needles/needle jets? They wear out eventually, ya.

Just a bit of feedback - I only ever rode one or other of the two prototype Commandos, as all the production bikes came out of the AMC factory in London. The Wolverhampton factory was where Villiers engines were made and housed the design and development teams for the Commando and the AJS Stormer.

The prototypes both had the original ISO's, which were softer than the later production versions. I never felt any vibrations above idle. My ride-to-work was a rather worn 650SS, which had vibrations all the time. A fun ride, though and it was 45 miles each way, all on back-country lanes. We moved closer to the Wolverhampton plant after selling our house in Kenilworth, giving me an 8 mile ride from a little village just north of the city. We were still living there when I finally accepted the Boeing job and emigrated a few weeks later (end of June 1968).

Battery is new, but will still check it. Bike has a self-resetting surface-mounted 15A fuse, not the OEM 35A blow-rated type. I'm a bit suspicious of that fuse...can not tell its status without a test lamp/VOM. When I got the bike, it had both negative leads (from batt and to rest of bike) connected to the same post of the fuse...like someone had defeated the fuse interrupt for some reason. I've got it set to actually protect things now. It does give zero Ohms when tested...but I have seen some strange readings across its terminals at times. Will replace it with a proper 20A mini fuse that can be checked visually.

What is expected behaviour if fuse is in blown state or battery dead? Bike will still start, by way of the 2MC capacitor correct? Will that have implications for light functions once engine running or should everything still work as if battery/fuse good?

Carb (single 932) has same jets that bike came with (bike mileage of 8500 seems to bear up as true). Pilot could still need further clearing...I now have a proper #78 drill to try out (had used a similar diameter straight wire).