My first hot rod Norton

Please do not compare my build to Ken's, He is a truly gifted craftsman, I'm a junk yard dog. This is a bitsa, nothing matches. With that said this is my present plan. I have been gathering parts for 5-6 years, I'm a opportunist, buy cheap! So in March I found a 850 engine that was rebuilt but left set without valve covers or timing cover. Tear it apart and found it has a ported RH10 head with new factory valves and triple springs with titanium retainers. Also it was resurfaced about .030. It is at the machine shop getting ck'd out and Black Diamond valves. The bore was standard with factory pistons and new rings. Bores were honed but not perfect. Every thing in the bottom end was new but dirty. Had a new Norris cam. In my stash of parts I have a Mega cycle 560 00 cam and radiused lifters I plan to install. 34mm flat slide Mikuni's. With a little hesitation I've decided to get a pair of Mapp's long rods and light .020 piston's. So I'm waiting for parts and deciding on style. Thought I'd like to go for the 70's road racer look. When I mocked up the Norton cast trees, tubes with lowers, and 4 shoe front break with wheel and tire it weighted 11 pounds more then a complete 636 Kawasaki front end I had. 11 pounds is a lot so ditch the 70's look and go for the naked road racer look. The 636 front will need some machining but really an easy fit. Here are some mock up pics promise to add as build progresses Please chime in if you see something wrong!

Upside-down fork tubes should be a worthy addition.

Nice start on the hotrod.

I like your Kawalski 636 front end and brakes. Good choice over the heavier drum setup.

Are you going to leave the crank alone?

Looks like your junk yard dog garage is well equipped to build a hooligan hotrod Norton. Enjoy.

mean gene said:

Please do not compare my build to Ken's, He is a truly gifted craftsman, I'm a junk yard dog. This is a bitsa, nothing matches. With that said this is my present plan. I have been gathering parts for 5-6 years, I'm a opportunist, buy cheap! So in March I found a 850 engine that was rebuilt but left set without valve covers or timing cover. Tear it apart and found it has a ported RH10 head with new factory valves and triple springs with titanium retainers. Also it was resurfaced about .030. It is at the machine shop getting ck'd out and Black Diamond valves. The bore was standard with factory pistons and new rings. Bores were honed but not perfect. Every thing in the bottom end was new but dirty. Had a new Norris cam. In my stash of parts I have a Mega cycle 560 00 cam and radiused lifters I plan to install. 34mm flat slide Mikuni's. With a little hesitation I've decided to get a pair of Mapp's long rods and light .020 piston's. So I'm waiting for parts and deciding on style. Thought I'd like to go for the 70's road racer look. When I mocked up the Norton cast trees, tubes with lowers, and 4 shoe front break with wheel and tire it weighted 11 pounds more then a complete 636 Kawasaki front end I had. 11 pounds is a lot so ditch the 70's look and go for the naked road racer look. The 636 front will need some machining but really an easy fit. Here are some mock up pics promise to add as build progresses Please chime in if you see something wrong!



View attachment 99289View attachment 99290View attachment 99291

Click to expand...

I'll be interested to know how the flat slides go

There is a thread on this forum on set up for flat slides. Crank will be stock, project doesn't warrant a replacement crank. Although I've been warned about removing weight from weak flywheel, we will see how things balance out.

Vellly Good . One FING tho . Ran one of them oil tanks on zer quvick 750 . Tended to run around 90 Deg. Plus . Firm push bare hand on tank - ouch .
THEREFORE , if you lengthened the OIL TANK so it was twice as long , or a imperial gallon , or ran a lockheed cooler for the added volume , you may
get it so the oil volume is not disproportionate . Inadequate Oiling & cooling being typical pommy flaws in severe climates .

Bloke the uva day said his Tri big dirt thing OVERHEADED if the atmosphere was past 30 C . and its watercooled - And has no radiator fan . !
DB4 Astons initialy were inadequate & broke in hot weather - on the continant - where they had faster roads - and Ferraris to ave a go aginst .

If youre really stroppy , a Big ALLOY one would disapate heat as well . Used to run a 2MC capacitor , no battery , You NEED chokes functioning , if you try that .
A modern weeney battery , tho , would give you plenty of room . Id dump the TRAY , too , if you do do a custom alloy oil tank .
Manx Ones have TUBES through for rubber bushes for the support rod / Rods .

A Rev Cut Off at 7200 would let you look at the road ahead whilst storming past rivals , rathen at the instruments . LAG in cable driven Tach.s too .
The Olde KROBER was the bees knees . Impulse - instataeneous - lectronic .

Far out , anyway . Full Steam Ahead ! .

Schweet!! Thx for Posting, I'd really like to have your media blast cabinet. I see you have an earlier frame with the centrally mounted oil tank, how's the side stand lug? That was a problematic arrangement on the earlier frames, might be worth looking at while the engine is out. Cj

Do you know what Megacycle 560 cam you have? There are a few of them.

Did Someone Mention SIDESTAND LUG !

If you had P R pipes ( headers ) you WOULDNT HAVE a Sidestand Lug ! .
Shoulda whacked mine off & puttem on , even tho they were the early ones , kinked at the head fitting so theyre more parrallel at the top .

Always been fascinated by the clymer / AXTELL " 1 7/8 " header recomendation , 26 inch . L & R Hi Pipes in this Dia. i think'd be cool ,
if there were no kinks - mandrel bent , or massage to match at joins if the Olde Pipe Bends welded Trick is utilised .

looks like it shouldnt hang around .

The old P. r. rearset Alun. Plates are Ex. 1/4 alloy , easy to replicate . Or the Shortened ( rearward ) standard footrests , would elp getting it of the line .

@Matt - Urgh - I got a set of 1 3/4 headers and after carefully boring the exhaust nuts to suit....an extra 1/8'" would trash the nuts completely. Those guys must have a different set-up for that diameter.

Think its just threaded pipe screwed in , as a 'hard face 'to protect the alloy . ?



Definitly If it were out to 920 or more , Id look at Manx etc pipe sizes . rpm's / 1 Cyl. Capacity ,
Big diameters sorta work like 'dump tubes 'till its up in the power band , and DONT restrict top rpm's .


Maybe something a bit like this ? Was more experimental in the 20s . 1920s !



Apologies if were getting a bit carried away with the pictures .


We await developments , on the 'Free Range ' Commando wit eager anticipation . FINALLY someones put some CARBURATORS on one . Should go like snot , as was once said . Complimetarilly .

Just got back from a quick trip to Texas and am gathering more parts, got rods and pistons from MAP, studs from CNW, motor studs from Greg Marsh. When ordering rods there was some discussion about a replacement crank center/flywheel with a steel one. Is any one making just the center?? Mega cycle cam is etched with 56000 and 10/92. It is new just been on someone's shelf

Molnar makes cranks, you could enquire about buying only the flywheel, but I doubt he‘ll sell one.

560-00 is a great choice IMHO. This is what Megacycle say:
“Best all around road/road race performance. Strong mid-range, increased top-end.
Wide smooth power band. OK with stock pistons in 850 Commando.
Check in all others models.
Must use spring kit #901-N. or equivalent.”

*note the bit about upgraded springs being required*

*Also note they need radiused lifters…*

Second cam on page 15 here:

Got spring kit and radiused lifters with the cam, I was lucky in buying a box of "Junk". LOL Taking cylinders and pistons to machine shop today or tomorrow. .020 overbore.

mean gene said:

Got spring kit and radiused lifters with the cam, I was lucky in buying a box of "Junk". LOL Taking cylinders and pistons to machine shop today or tomorrow. .020 overbore.

Click to expand...

I agree with Nigel. I think you'll like that 00 cam based on the lift duration and lobe center numbers. It should work everywhere and have a nice top end bump for a little of that hotrod feel. I have not used one myself, so I'm talking through a layer of ass smoke, but the numbers are close to the 2S.

Put Norton on a diet to loose weight this morning! Aluminum! Let you know weight saving! Waiting for 3/4 - 20 tap from E-bay $12.95

If you intend to use the bike often and it really goes, you probably need a billet crank. I would not buy one which is lighter than the standard crank. Bikes with heavier cranks often perform better than ones which have light cranks. Triumph 650s proved that.
As far as exhaust pipes are concerned, I believe in keeping gas speeds higher. With my pipe, the ID of the pipe exactly matches the ID inside the exhaust port. I have two stubs threaded in, and use slip joints with springs to hold the pipes back against the stubs. I bought two insulator rings from a Yamaha two stroke - the stubs screw in and tighten against them. Even with four strokes Kadence effects happen.

For weifght saving - The motor in my bike, is held with titaniu,m bolts. I visited an aircraft parts dealer and found some 3/8 UNF titanium bolts which were out of shelf life, and had them shortened. Aircraft people know engineers who can machine titanium.

Regardless of anything you do, you need a better gearbox. Even a manx gear cluster with a Commando first gear would be better than the usual box. Many people cannot get their heads around the reason close ratios help a bike to accelerate faster, You will not know until you try it. With the heavy crank, when you change up a smaller distance between gears , the crank does not have so far to go to reach peak revs. With wider gears rthe crank tends to bog down, and you wait.