Norton Break Downs?

Shelby-Right · Sep 24, 2022

My 73 750 broke down about 6 miles from home , had to call the misses to bring my pickup (stick shift) ramps tie downs etc , she was good about it , it was the zenner diode shorted , has got the podronics now , she bought me a genuine shindegin sh775 for Christmas and a new plug !

All ok at the moment , building confidence to do a 200 mile run . Wondering if I need AA membership ? .

KiwiShane · Sep 24, 2022

Only thing that has ever stopped me was a failed Portugese layshart bearing and another was a bent valve because of poor machinist work on the exhaust valve guides...only thing that has temporarily stopped me for a hour so to make a temporary clutch spring compressor was a loose mainsharft nut....I chop off the boyer connectors from new and fit decent ones....never had any trouble with that brand EI...Now on my third one in 40 years...with 2 Commando's...oh and a silly bitch that pulled out in front of me that caused damage and a touch of concussion

Shelby-Right · Sep 24, 2022

Big_Jim59 said:
I live in fear of breaking any of my motorcycles. This is actually quite funny because I have the ability and the facility to fix what breaks. It got me thinking, "what is the worst thing that has happened to your Norton while out on a ride?" (And lets exclude racing mishaps like holes in the crankcases and exploded gear boxes.) Did it keep you from getting home?

I'll start. I have two. The first happened while I was on a group ride with my '73 750. The seal on the oil filter let go (I still don't know why) and it oiled the back of my bike. I let it cool down, reset the oil filter & gasket, checked the oil level, cleaned it up as best I could and rode it very carefully home.

The second issue occurred with the same bike. I was riding with Bert on the way to the Lake Of The Pines Norton rally. Bert was on his BMW GS. We had just passed a line of slow moving cars and when I pulled back in the lane I could hear a jingling noise. It sounded like a washer dancing around on a stud. Sure enough, my middle engine mounting bolt, on the back of the engine, had broken. It was sticking out, captured by the primary case, and a washer was jingling back and forth on it. Do I know my sounds or what? I called the wife to bring the truck because I didn't want to ride it with that bouncing around in the hole. She has never let me forget it.

Is there some sort of list of the most common issues or is it fairly general and dependent on condition and who has worked on it in the past for general maintenance and settings . It would be nice to future proof it for reliability, I realize it's an old bike, all I require is tidy and reliable. Cheers

ILLF8ED · Sep 24, 2022

Shelby-Right said:
Is there some sort of list of the most common issues or is it fairly general and dependent on condition and who has worked on it in the past for general maintenance and settings . It would be nice to future proof it for reliability, I realize it's an old bike, all I require is tidy and reliable. Cheers

There are the typical bearing issues which you should already have fixed. Lucas electrics are really not that bad and at least on par with contemporary Japanese and European motorcycles. Wire is wire, but those metal tube in a rubber block connectors have a life expectancy of not more than 10 years, so inspect and replace so you don’t get left in the dark.

Big_Jim59 · Sep 24, 2022

Shelby-Right said:
Is there some sort of list of the most common issues or is it fairly general and dependent on condition and who has worked on it in the past for general maintenance and settings . It would be nice to future proof it for reliability, I realize it's an old bike, all I require is tidy and reliable. Cheers

I am actually using this to build confidence. Debby, rewired my 850 from the ground up and I trust her work. I have a list of all the things that have been done to it and I have my own detective work and bits of fettling. I am getting used to taking it out and actually riding it. I started thinking about the things that made me call for the truck on my last Norton and I was interested in the experiences of other Norton riders. It looks like loose connections leads the pack for most redundant issue.

Shelby-Right · Sep 24, 2022

It looks like the most important thing with owning a Norton , from looking at all these breakdowns , is a good women that can drive your pick up !

KiwiShane · Sep 24, 2022

Shelby-Right said:
Is there some sort of list of the most common issues or is it fairly general and dependent on condition and who has worked on it in the past for general maintenance and settings . It would be nice to future proof it for reliability, I realize it's an old bike, all I require is tidy and reliable. Cheers

There was a list made up years ago by the NOC ?....of faulty part #s etc usually hardening issues with the likes of kick start pawls or rear sprockets etc...but was quite comprehensive...ive got it some where but buggered if I know where I put it....been on many reasonable long trips where the Nortons have shined....not so much for a few of my mates with v twins...

Richard Tool · Sep 24, 2022

The only time I was stranded was a broken 30 year old unlubricated clutch cable - only me to blame .

marshg246 · Sep 24, 2022

No Norton stories but when I was 18, I wanted to visit my grandmother in Grand Rapid, MI. I lived near St Louis, IL. I started off around 10am on my Triumph 500 for the approx. 450 mile ride. About 50 miles from home, the thunderstorm started, and the rain never stopped the whole way there. Another thing did stop though - spark to my right cylinder at about 75 miles to go. By then I was 12 hours in to the 7-hour ride, so I continued on one cylinder. I was a prune when I got there, and my grandmother was a mess expecting me hours before. Next thing I knew, she had me in a hot bath. We had a nice week, I found the broken wire and had a much nicer ride home.

No jacket, no face shield, just glasses, no gloves, no boots, just a bag with some spare clothes.

Big_Jim59 · Sep 24, 2022

marshg246 said:
No jacket, no face shield, just glasses, no gloves, no boots, just a bag with some spare clothes.

I remember those days. My rain gear consisted of a plastic sandwich bag to put my wallet in so it didn't get wet. If it rained you got wet and if it stopped raining you blew dry in the wind.

That Triumph didn't have much power on one cylinder. Must have been miserable.

johnm · Sep 24, 2022

Didn't get home on the Commando twice in 44 years.

Once broken wire in Boyer pickup.

Once an ignition feed wire was trapped and cut by the handle bar stop. I should have caught that one and would have except I was immediately offered a trailer lift before I had time to check it over.

Lots more times I failed to get home on my Matchless and even once a Honda. But only twice on the Commando.

Shelby-Right · Sep 24, 2022

johnm said:
Didn't get home on the Commando twice in 44 years.

Once broken wire in Boyer pickup.

Once an ignition feed wire was trapped and cut by the handle bar stop. I should have caught that one and would have except I was immediately offered a trailer lift before I had time to check it over.

Lots more times I failed to get home on my Matchless and even once a Honda. But only twice on the Commando.

So the boyer pickup , was that a the wires moving around inside the housing foam to fix or on the PCB ? .

Mart UK · Sep 24, 2022

I had to turn around and head home a couple of times, with fouled plugs. Due to partially blocked oil drain from valve gear (Wellseal from rocker covers) and/or valve clearances too tight (my fault for not checking after re-torquing the head). No damage done.

I still listen to every noise and vibration though and feel triumphant as I get home!

I had my 1st puncture on a bike this summer. Luckily it was tubeless and an easy fix. I wouldn't have the kit with me to fix a Commando puncture at the roadside.

johnm · Sep 25, 2022

Shelby-Right said:
So the boyer pickup , was that a the wires moving around inside the housing foam to fix or on the PCB ? .

The standard wire break inside the cable where it joins the trigger plate. I had no foam housing at that time. More than 20 years ago.

BERT · Sep 25, 2022

Has anyone out there tried being towed on the bike? If one was stuck in a rural area not far from home, a little far to push and a little close for the truck, whether it would work...

johnm · Sep 25, 2022

Towing on a bike is certainly possible. I have done it and you wrap the rope once around the bars and hold it with your hand.

YOU MUST BE ABLE TO LET THE ROPE GO SO IT WILL UNWRAP FROM THE BARS AND ALLOW THE BIKE TO RUN FREE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TIE THE ROPE TO THE BIKE BEING TOWED.

I AM SHOUTING LOUDLY.

I knew of a guy who ran over the rope, crashed and sustained permanent brain injury.

So frankly I don't think it's a good idea. It may also be illegal in many countries.

baz · Sep 25, 2022

Yes I have done it
As stated above you MUST loop the rope around the centre or as near centre of the bars and be able to release the rope instantly
Do not tie it to the bike
Do not try and hold it at the end of the bars

Richard Tool · Sep 25, 2022

BERT said:
Has anyone out there tried being towed on the bike? If one was stuck in a rural area not far from home, a little far to push and a little close for the truck, whether it would work...

Did it in the dirt more than once - and indeed follow the advice above regarding tow rope connections.

Fast Eddie · Sep 25, 2022

Yes I’ve done it too. Not easy. And frankly can be quite dangerous. I would imagine you’d be open to the accusation of driving without due care and attention or even dangerous driving if you happened across a zealous copper.

Chris · Sep 25, 2022

Scary as f**k. Dont!
I have long legs & have used the sidecar method with my feet on the cars bumpers. Starting off is a worry & never went that fast.

Norton Break Downs?

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