“wife is out of town” … hmmm; you ain’t the first member of this forum to have to tailor your timetable around that consideration.
It sounds like your model bike is pretty much identical to mine – which was assembled in June 1970. Another question – does your headlight mount with ears, or a halo?
Here are some of the issues that I discovered when doing my rebuild:
• You can get a “brake improvement kit” for your front tls brake. If you do, you somehow have to rerivet the substantial rivet on the front brake shoe. After I had an engineer friend do mine – and he used the high tech solution of pounding it with a hammer – I found the instructions of how to make a specific tool for the task on the Old Britts website – which apparently can get a really neat factory like finish when used in a press. Just need a lathe – and a press…
• You can replace the steering head bearing with a taper roller bearing, but it is a bit thicker, with the consequence that the steering lock will not work any more as the top part of the yoke sits slightly higher than before. I am not sure if a ball bearing is any thinner.
• If you use a slightly wider front tyre than stock (I got new rims), the tyre will probably be wider than the original mudguard stays will permit, and therefore the stays will have to be widened by welding in an insert. I think these are narrower than later models.
• This model does not have a cush in the rear hub. I understand that one incidental benefit of a belt drive is some flexibility in the belt; I don’t have one and don’t notice, but if you have to replace your primary chain anyway that might be a reason to upgrade to a belt drive
• There are a number of subtle differences between this and later models. I found it really useful to use the Andover Norton exploded diagrams for reference, but theirs start at 1971; which is not so helpful in a number of areas
• The front brake cable for this model is different to later models; I bought the wrong one and couldn’t get it to work; ultimately replaced it after my attempt to cut and solder ultimately failed.
• I also had trouble with the new throttle cable; the outer cable was too long for the inner cable; and I could not get the bike to rev less than 3000 rpm until I diagnosed the problem and cut back the outer cable to allow the carb slide to close properly. I don’t know whether that was an issue related to this model, or just the cable.
• The bolts and spacers attaching the headlight to the halo are smaller than the later model ones and not directly interchangeable.
• Different wiring harness to later.
• Look at the advertisements (I think that there is a link on the site) for the correct signwriting on the side covers and tank. If you are going to repaint I think that the correct colours for the Norton logo on the tank is black with gold outline; correct for side covers is gold with black rim; and “Commando 750 Roadster” on sidecovers – the “Roadster” was dropped on later models. Correct colours are specified in the Ron Bacon book; I can let you know these if you require.
• As you need a new tank a metal one will be much better in the long term. My painter repaired my fibreglass one after strongly recommending that I get a new metal one and advising that he would not guarantee the repair; I had blown my budget and didn’t want to pay the price for a metal one at that stage; he was right; two years later the tank is showing the first signs of the fibreglass beginning to expand.
• This model came without mirrors or provision for mirrors on the handle bars. I bought some that were a Royal Enfield accessory; they took up too much room on the handlebars and scratched the chrome; I now have good bar end mirrors and really like them.
• The trademark curved Commando handgrips were not on these bikes; see the advertisements.
• Probably the original rear shocks were semi shrouded (mine were); Hagon do a new semi shrouded shock, which I now regret not getting (at the time the one thing I was determined to do was to get rid of the shroud – and the local supplier did not have them - funny how your opinion changes).
• Early model chain guard; I see that CNW does these in stainless; mine had been removed; I bought an uncoated one from Norvil and paid a fortune to chrome it.
• Paint or powder coat for the frame? I powder coated the frame and engine mounts (and did the mounts in silver rather than the stock black; which I really like even if it is wrong), but see the issues with powder coat on the Old Britts site. If I was doing it again I might paint for ease of fixing scratches. My painter swears by two pot finish.
• And then there are the endless possibilities for upgrade or not which you can find debate about on this site, such as additional strengthening on the swingarm as per mk111; options for strengthening fixing of swingarm spindle; electronic ignition and if so what type; upgrade of alternator; upgrading isolastics to vernier; (and which of hemmings or norvil type isolastics if yours need replacing) stock headsteady or Dave Taylor or Norvil or Old Britts or CNW?; and some little things like the foot brake return spring from Norvil that the Norvil people say will save your life if the brake cable breaks; and stock carb set up or other such as Mikuni or the CNW option; upgrade of front suspension to one of the several discussed on this site; reed valve or not?
