Scooped a '72 Commando today

We call that ' a full sevice ' . :shock: :lol: 8) ( strip , clean , lube ) Replace only disfunctional components .

Tecnically thats a " Overhaul " ( inspect and fit to satisfactory opperating condition )

Racers'd call it Blueprinting .

Which some'd regard as Reconditioning .

A fine line between pleasure & Pain .

I like them in red. Could be my bike save the indicators and front disk. That was a real find: the kind of bike to buy versus a bag of bolts. Well done!

rvich said:

Nice find,,,,,Might as well pull the headsteady off and look for the "C".
Russ

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Yep, it's there,

-Bill

That means , If you pull up beside a Z1 at the lights , youre obliged to blow it off . :twisted:
After all , people have been know to take on Tiger Tanks , on Big 4s & 16 H's .
3.500 offf the line , and hold it there, for starters .

About 2 months ago I snuck my combat out on the road (just got it earlier this year, no title yet etc...) Ran it 1/2 mile up and back, wringing it out both ways. When I got back to the shop I was giggling like a school girl. What a hoot it is. I need to get my 850 project done so I can get going on the Combat. A proper hooligan Norton. Spins up quickly, and you really need to hang on. I think a few large tiewraps for the hands are in order :shock:

Well, today was the day, after a few months of 'trying to find the time' it all came together.
I did most of it in the garage, but some items found their way to the shop at work and I can assure you that I only did this stuff during lunch, I would never stoop to doing this type of thing on company time :wink:

- Rebuilt forks
- Carbs rebuilt
- All new cables (air/throttle, clutch, rear brake, speedo, tach)
- New wiring harness (it came in a box of spares with the bike, good thing too)
- Rebuilt front caliper, new hose, rebuilt master cylinder and smartened up disc
- New battery, Sparx Reg/Rec
- Bosch H4 headlight
- Rubbers right around, rider, passenger, kicker, shift
- NY7C plugs, HGK resistor caps, Tri-Spark 6V coils
- Dave Taylor head steady (original was frigged)

You get the idea, I won't bore you. Anyway, after I got the Boyer ignition set with my timing light, carbs synched etc I did the 'seat-of-the-pants' test and all I can tell you is that this bike kicks ass! None of the fine gentlemen from our local constabulary saw fit to drop by (lucky me)

Sounds like you and I are on the same page. If you haven't read my post from yesterday (850 Barn find running) check it out. I did almost everything you did minus ignition and headsteady. I too did not go crazy and attempt a total resto. What's the point. Goes to show that there are still 'finds' to be found out there.

Nice bike and project.

So far I've done over 200 miles, and after the usual tweaking and dialing in, this bike is quite the runner! In fact I had initially left the ancient el cheapo Kenda front tire on with plans to change it out to a new Dunlop TT100 (along with the rear). This proved to be a fairly bad idea because every time that I approached the 70mph mark I was treated to the most aggressive case of tank slap-commando weave-speed wobble ever. The new tires, tubes and strips were sitting patiently in the trunk of my car the whole time. Okay, let's try this again, ah, that's better, not much of anything in the wobble and weave department til about 85mph and then it was only minor. There is much to be said for quality tires and spending my time on a thorough going over of these wheels on the truing/balancing stand. I got the1 1/8 ID split shaft collars form my local industrial supplier, milled the flats and drilled tapped them etc ready for the pivot spindle mod, no surprise but there was a bit of slop there. I'll post a whack of photos of this past winter's work on this bike.

Take care guys,

-Bill

A good Combat will spoil ya off the duller models : )
Just realize the Boyer curve dulls a Combats response. There must still be some fault in your Combat as 85 mph is my comfy rpm rate on 19T base line cruise speed, in cop-less opens this year I regularly zoom to 100 or more w/o any dang distraction of weaving wobbles even on fairly rough surface and wind gusts while lifting boots from scrubing on road with raised rear sets. It took two new tires to stop the danergous almost instant tank slapper if I let go of bars below 50 mph. Racers have assured me they have never found a speed that upsets a Cdo in beeline blasts. Beware THE Hinge on leaning hot sweepers into the 80 and above. The smooth power and ride can fool ya into a lull before extra thrills onsets. Following or leading a modern into this state is good way to suddenly already be well into THE HInge antics and better have some reserve space to let off and raise up some or becomes a flopping fish off the deck. Also might play with fork oil grade, On stock Roadholders I had to go up 20/50 to stifle the twitches and bouncing on lighter lubes that added to some the weaving wobbles of worn out tires.

Munkybarz said:

So far I've done over 200 miles, and after the usual tweaking and dialing in, this bike is quite the runner! -Bill

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It's because it's red!

hobot said:

Also might play with fork oil grade, On stock Roadholders I had to go up 20/50 to stifle the twitches and bouncing on lighter lubes that added to some the weaving wobbles of worn out tires.

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I gave the forks the treatment back in the winter



On reassembly and installation in the yokes etc each side got 6ozs of Dexron III ATF which has been just the ticket. I've used transmission oil in the forks in the majority of my bikes over the years. Cheap and good I say.

Ok pretty to view the nice forks all laid out. Some time might try power steering fluid but be aware its moisture absorber to can rust stancions if not changed out now and then. Thanks for letting me enjoy your joys, keep it going eh.

fastback said:

Suddenly there's a bunch of Ontario guys here....
;-)
Phil

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Who's from Ontario 8)
( Barrie, Ontario )

Downtown Toronto ,Artscape Wychwood Barns.

I'm in Owen Sound.
My Grandfather drove streetcar for the TTC and was stationed at the yard at Wychwood and Benson from 1928 til 1962 and had a house right on Ellsworth. My wife grew up on Braemore gardens.

[/quote]

Who's from Ontario 8)
( Barrie, Ontario )[/quote]

Well, I'm from Ontario. Used to live in the Annex when I had my first Comando, a black with gold pinstriping Combat. Had a couple friends around there with Commandos as well. One notable was a bitsa with large f/glass cafe tank, S pipes, dual disc XS650 front end, dirttrack style f/glass seat and homemade rearsets. We'd frequently be seen parked outside Sneaky Dee's around 1am after a full day riding the twisties way up North. Sometimes accompanied by a ratty Katana.
But now, only the ratty Katana is left living downtown. The cafe/tracker Commando lives in Peterborough, my Commando is out Kitchener way with a good mate of mine, and I'm in Adelaide, South Australia with another Commando, which is from out west of Toronto as well oddly enough.
Wish I could be home now, miss the trips up to the fun roads in the North, and blasting along the DVP at night and down the valley and through Rosedale Valley Rd.

Monkeybarz , I live in your grandfather's old workplace.The streetcars would pull in for maintenance into the workbays off of Benson. Drop by and view Barn 2 and view the huge posters of T.T.C. days of old. Wychwood Barns now an Arts and Culture venue. Cowboy Don you long for the days of old ,Toronto now has 130 Condominium projects going up ,you would not recognize it.

staticmoves said:

fastback said:

Suddenly there's a bunch of Ontario guys here....
;-)
Phil

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Who's from Ontario 8)
( Barrie, Ontario )

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Sudbury area here...