Norton Break Downs?

Mine was increasing trouble starting and keeping the idle going - had to rev to keep the bike from dying. It was the massive connection "block" of wires under the tank - the connections had been corroding slowly but surely over time and had finally created enough resistance to account for the behavior.
 
Mine was increasing trouble starting and keeping the idle going - had to rev to keep the bike from dying. It was the massive connection "block" of wires under the tank - the connections had been corroding slowly but surely over time and had finally created enough resistance to account for the behavior.
Springboarding off that, it bears repeating.
Replace every female snap/bullet connector on your bike.
Somewhere I posted pics.
 
Springboarding off that, it bears repeating.
Replace every female snap/bullet connector on your bike.
Somewhere I posted pics.
Is there a way to make bullet connections last, like a smear of dielectric grease, or something?
 
I once had a carburettor shake itself off its rubber mount on one of the inlet manifolds that had been made by some idiot that didn't put a grove in the manifold for the hose to grip ahem
Easily rectified
One time I had to trailer my bike home I'd come off and wiped the Lucas Rita off my timing cover
Couldn't repair that one
 
NOT corrosion, they crack
They will corrode if they hold water or moisture as well and remember the original connecters are getting old, 50 years old in fact, wiring can go brittle as well, earth points corrode as well and bikes that live in a cold climate seem to suffer more with wiring and connectors, not so bad in a warm and dry climate, but wiring does get old and hard same as connectors.
 
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That is a mess of variable resistance connections.
All hidden inside the rubber.

Edit: It wasn't just my bike. There is a PATTERN FAILURE here. I'm too busy to research & collect data, but I've heard of many bikes with this issue. (Not just Nortons).
Perhaps those with data logging skills could create a list that would show the pattern of build dates/model/etc.

JMWO
 
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Just twice in 23 years of ownership - the transmission bearing, and the boyer ignition went south.

The bearing - kickstart lever hit me in the leg, then I pulled in the clutch and I was skidding to a stop in the road. lucky I was going slow, and the master link was where I could undo it so could get the bike off the road.
The boyer gave me fits for a long time, til I figured out what the problem was and replaced the ign system.
 
Just twice in 23 years of ownership - the transmission bearing, and the boyer ignition went south.

The bearing - kickstart lever hit me in the leg, then I pulled in the clutch and I was skidding to a stop in the road. lucky I was going slow, and the master link was where I could undo it so could get the bike off the road.
The boyer gave me fits for a long time, til I figured out what the problem was and replaced the ign system.
Lucky save with the gearbox
 
View attachment 99702
That is a mess of variable resistance connections.
All hidden inside the rubber.

Edit: It wasn't just my bike. There is a PATTERN FAILURE here. I'm too busy to research & collect data, but I've heard of many bikes with this issue. (Not just Nortons).
Perhaps those with data logging skills could create a list that would show the pattern of build dates/model/etc.

JMWO
My new 5 double connector had a short happening between an out and the center connectors....first signs of it was weird hard to trace e-faults, then blowing fuses etc. The rubber just wasn't formed correctly to prevent the short or it had melted within weeks of first fitting. Now I only use individual doubles/triples or singles....makes the whole mess easier to fit under thank than the 5-block.
 
Breakdowns requiring Hauler....in 4 yrs of owning my Commando....I count 3 AutoClub-level events.
1. Head gasket (copper) blown through some 45 miles from home. Right in middle of pandemic and hauler would not carry passengers so left me on side of road to sort myself out. Nearby town had a car rental that was willing to collect me but wanted about $200 for the car rental one way to Vancouver. Ended up with a taxi to a town within public transit range of my home...$45 charge plus another $3 for the bus fare.
2. Was about 125 miles from home, within about 10 minutes of my destination, when bike started to no longer respond to throttle input...kept running but would not gain speed. Pulled over and was idling very rough. Shut down. Kicked over slowly a few times ign off...very ugly sorts of sound were heard. This was first long ride since getting major work done over winter...so imagination ran wild that something was broken deep inside. While waiting for a hauler, took each plug out to peer in side. No visible issues, could see valves still there and moving etc. While re-installing plugs, discovered one carb flange bolt to maniold missing and carb free to swing on remaining bolt. Big relief it was to be an easy/inexpensive fix...but had no way to do a road side repair. The shop that had them on/off did not use locktite nor lock washers on these.
3. On a test ride up local mountain, stopped halfway up to have a look about. Found oil piddling out from near oil filter. Filter was fully seated, not undoing. Best I could tell, one of the original connecting hoses had cracked (turned out correct). No way to roadside repair and too risky to try to ride home with that much oil coming out over rear tire etc. Another hauler.

My other bike, modern Bonneville, had had two haulers in its 7 yrs of my stewardship. Once from a rear tire flat. Once from a front & rear tire flat within milliseconds of each other after a cop-er pulled a spike strip across the highway was I passed by at 60 mph. The federal government picked up the tab for that last one, plus over night my accommodation.
 
Breakdowns requiring Hauler....in 4 yrs of owning my Commando....I count 3 AutoClub-level events.
1. Head gasket (copper) blown through some 45 miles from home. Right in middle of pandemic and hauler would not carry passengers so left me on side of road to sort myself out. Nearby town had a car rental that was willing to collect me but wanted about $200 for the car rental one way to Vancouver. Ended up with a taxi to a town within public transit range of my home...$45 charge plus another $3 for the bus fare.
2. Was about 125 miles from home, within about 10 minutes of my destination, when bike started to no longer respond to throttle input...kept running but would not gain speed. Pulled over and was idling very rough. Shut down. Kicked over slowly a few times ign off...very ugly sorts of sound were heard. This was first long ride since getting major work done over winter...so imagination ran wild that something was broken deep inside. While waiting for a hauler, took each plug out to peer in side. No visible issues, could see valves still there and moving etc. While re-installing plugs, discovered one carb flange bolt to maniold missing and carb free to swing on remaining bolt. Big relief it was to be an easy/inexpensive fix...but had no way to do a road side repair. The shop that had them on/off did not use locktite nor lock washers on these.
3. On a test ride up local mountain, stopped halfway up to have a look about. Found oil piddling out from near oil filter. Filter was fully seated, not undoing. Best I could tell, one of the original connecting hoses had cracked (turned out correct). No way to roadside repair and too risky to try to ride home with that much oil coming out over rear tire etc. Another hauler.

My other bike, modern Bonneville, had had two haulers in its 7 yrs of my stewardship. Once from a rear tire flat. Once from a front & rear tire flat within milliseconds of each other after a cop-er pulled a spike strip across the highway was I passed by at 60 mph. The federal government picked up the tab for that last one, plus over night my accommodation.
Had you just robbed a bank?

JK
 
Had you just robbed a bank?

JK
Nope, but the guy coming opposite direction, swerving into my lane as he went past the cop car, had robbed a bank. I just happened to pass by at the exact time he did. 8 hrs from home, no bike shops open on that Monday except a small dirt bike place an hour's tow away. He fitted my up with fresh rubber (could still see two "fangs" of spike strip stuck in each of my previously nearly new tires).
 
As I stated in a previous post, concerning the installation of cheap ebay turn signals, I purchased male and female bullet connectors plus a few four-socket female connectors from Cycle Terminal in New Jersey. They come with clear insulators and they just fit really well. I have some standard Lucas bullet connectors I was using on my '66 T100 project but the new connectors were a dream to use and worked treat. It's silly but I have never been so happy with a product in my life.
 
As I stated in a previous post, concerning the installation of cheap ebay turn signals, I purchased male and female bullet connectors plus a few four-socket female connectors from Cycle Terminal in New Jersey. They come with clear insulators and they just fit really well. I have some standard Lucas bullet connectors I was using on my '66 T100 project but the new connectors were a dream to use and worked treat. It's silly but I have never been so happy with a product in my life.
The Japanese ones. They snap & unsnap easier.
 
My previous mk3 had the clutch cable snap at a stoplight 50th & 11th in the U District in Seattle. Restarted and slammed into gear when revving it up and made it all the way to John's Cycle without stopping. His cats were not pleased to see me. They never were.

I was traveling between Biloxi, MS and NOLA with a mate on a 750 once. He broke his throttle cable. We rewired the junction to his choke cable to use that as a throttle to get back.

The first day I bought my current C'do, I had a rear flat on the way home, ~20 miles out. Called my girlfriend so as to get my pickup.

I also had the same 10 way block failure that left me by the side of the road a couple times. That prompted a total strip down half a dozen years ago.

My CS silencer broke at the inlet flange 1200 km from home. Had to wire it on. The loose ended header meant it was vibrating so much the pipe was banging on the sidstand bolt, which wore a hole in it by the time I got home after two days hard ride.

Had a short in the headlight shell, the three way switch had a spare tang that was hitting something. Went thru a bag of fuses by the side of the road with help from a random nice guy going to the store for me before got to the cause.
...
 
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My CS silencer broke at the inlet flame 1200 km from home. Had to wire it on. The loose ended header meant it was vibrating so much the pipe was banging on the sidstand bolt, which wore a hole in it by the time I got home after two days hard ride.
...
The throttle cable fix was smart. I do try and carry a little bailing wire and a few zip ties at a minimum but I am a firm believer in the idea that no matter what I bring with me, it will not be anything like what I will actually need.
 
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