New member intro

Hello all. I've been a lurker for some time now (great tech advice), and have recently decided to register myself. Enough with the intro's, now on to the important stuff...

My bike is a 71 Roadster 750, this will be my second season with the bike. Bought from Roger Burtnik at Ton Up Bikes in Toronto pretty much as a freshly rebuilt motor with all the other necessary bits to make her run. Spent most of last season and this winter fettling and learning, learning some more and fettling some more... you know the drill. Although I did has the chance to stretch her legs last summer with a 10 day road trip to the Cabot Trail, although I did end up limping her home for what turned out to be a faulty plug cap of all things. Here's a list of the mods to date:

- Tank: Dunstall (factory racer)
- Seat: Unity commando racing seat (honestly, the fit finish & fitment of this particular seat is not the greatest IMO)
- 3 Phase Sparx charging unit
- Dyna dual output coil
- Anti sump valve (no breakage, knock on wood)
- Stainless lines throughout (rocker feed, oil supply/return, brake line etc...)
- pod filter modification

So far this winter I've added:
- 5 plate 850 clutch upgrade
- Clutch rod end seal (thanks to this forum)
- Stainless front caliper rebuild
- Dave Taylor head steady
- XS650 crank breather

This season I plan to add:
- alloy rims and avons for her first tire change
- all stainless exhaust (headers/mufflers)

some photos....



from the Cabot trail run last summer...


in her current state...


clutch rod end seal...


K&N pod filter mod...


650 crank breather...

Welcome,
Your bike is beautiful, many happy times together!
Now when your primary chain someday needs replacing, maybe we can talk you into a belt drive..........
just kidding, lots of great help in spending your money here!

Very nice. Any ill effects of running the XS valve and from what I can tell you also have the timed breather off the camshaft?

Hi acadian
Welcome to the Forum. You will find a very active board here. Good looking bike and nice shot from the Cabot Trail. I took my Norton on the trip around the top of Cape Breton NS. in the mid 80's and found the 72 Combat Norton suited the roads there well. I also lurk around the Tun up Club forums and have seen you there. They have a bit more attitude over there but good guys just the same. Just have a thick skin.
Regards,
CNN

nice bike!

Thanks for the welcome.

swooshdave said:

Very nice. Any ill effects of running the XS valve and from what I can tell you also have the timed breather off the camshaft?

Click to expand...

Have not had a chance to run her with the valve yet this season and I'm not sure what to expect, do you have any experiences? No breather off the camshaft btw... Considering the same valve for my TR7V, but with the shared crank/primary breather.... I'm not certain it will make any difference.

CanukNortonNut said:

I also lurk around the Tun up Club forums and have seen you there. They have a bit more attitude over there but good guys just the same. Just have a thick skin.
Regards,
CNN

Click to expand...

.... thick skin indeed...

Beautiful bike! Orange is such a great color for Commandos.

Exhaust system looks fantastic to me. Why replace it?

acadian said:

Thanks for the welcome.

swooshdave said:

Very nice. Any ill effects of running the XS valve and from what I can tell you also have the timed breather off the camshaft?

Click to expand...

Have not had a chance to run her with the valve yet this season and I'm not sure what to expect, do you have any experiences? No breather off the camshaft btw...

Click to expand...

Unless my eyesight has completely failed me I see the timed breather which would be normal for your bike. It's the elbow and tube on the left side below the barrel.

There were recent discussions about breathers. I don't know what the effect will be, if at all. You're the guinea pig. :mrgreen:

Welcome and my compliments on your beautiful machine! Haven't seen many orange Commandos but it looks really good. I'm planning to go that way when I paint my 69. I'd be anxious to hear how the XS 650 valve works for you also.

I,too, bought a '71 Commando from Mr Budnick at Ton Up. Fireflake orange, completely restored, all stock. He does good work. Mine has a drum front brake. I've had a lot of fun just riding, not fixing
Doug

Hi and welcome to the forum! Nice looking bike and photos too.

swooshdave said:

acadian said:

Thanks for the welcome.

swooshdave said:

Very nice. Any ill effects of running the XS valve and from what I can tell you also have the timed breather off the camshaft?

Click to expand...

Have not had a chance to run her with the valve yet this season and I'm not sure what to expect, do you have any experiences? No breather off the camshaft btw...

Click to expand...

Unless my eyesight has completely failed me I see the timed breather which would be normal for your bike. It's the elbow and tube on the left side below the barrel.

There were recent discussions about breathers. I don't know what the effect will be, if at all. You're the guinea pig. :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

I had no idea that was a timed breather, thanks for enlightening me. I had simply thought the location of the crank breather on the 71's was peculiar to that particular year. I'm also installing an oil cooler (as soon as the p-clamps arrive) mid-bike on the down tube opposite the ignition key side. I chose this location over the front tubes for ease of access to the oil return lines.

Awesome Norton you have! Welcome to the forum, I'm curious about the XS breather with the camshaft timed breather as I was planning on getting one for my current restoration of my '71 roadster which has the timed breather. The XS breather works great on my "73 Dunstall.

Nortasaki said:

Awesome Norton you have! Welcome to the forum, I'm curious about the XS breather with the camshaft timed breather as I was planning on getting one for my current restoration of my '71 roadster which has the timed breather. The XS breather works great on my "73 Dunstall.

Click to expand...

I guess the real question as to it's potential effectiveness on the 71 is "how effective was the timed breather in the first place"?

acadian said:

Nortasaki said:

Awesome Norton you have! Welcome to the forum, I'm curious about the XS breather with the camshaft timed breather as I was planning on getting one for my current restoration of my '71 roadster which has the timed breather. The XS breather works great on my "73 Dunstall.

Click to expand...

I guess the real question as to it's potential effectiveness on the 71 is "how effective was the timed breather in the first place"?

Click to expand...

I suppose we'll find out, I haven't ridden my '71 in 25 years, didn't notice and didn't know better then :mrgreen:

acadian said:

Nortasaki said:

Awesome Norton you have! Welcome to the forum, I'm curious about the XS breather with the camshaft timed breather as I was planning on getting one for my current restoration of my '71 roadster which has the timed breather. The XS breather works great on my "73 Dunstall.

Click to expand...

I guess the real question as to it's potential effectiveness on the 71 is "how effective was the timed breather in the first place"?

Click to expand...

I think it was one of those "the faster you go the less effective it got" situations. My theory is that the timed breather worked on bikes for a long time as if you got the revs up too high the parts would either fall off or the rider would vibrate to death. :mrgreen:

Gday Acadian, must say a great looking Commando mate! Love that orange color, if it were mine, I,d chuck on a set of drop bars like Matt at CNW uses? Rgds FOXY

Hi,

Loioks like Roger of Ton-up has moved or retired.

Anyone know how to contact him.

Id like to say hi.

Ken J

acadian said:

I guess the real question as to it's potential effectiveness on the 71 is "how effective was the timed breather in the first place"?

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum
It did fine on the first NHT 500 like the model 7, OK on the 600, hanging in there on the 650, really asking to much of the same small valve on a 750 especially with a lot of blow by.
Note it was eliminated the timed breather for the combat 72&73 750 and 850.

Dave (who IS french acadian by herritage (via Nova Scotia)) & producer of the CCRS & ACRS :mrgreen: