Starting cafe racer restoration Commando 850 MK3 from Spain

javifoto70 said:
Hi Eddie,

I will study your interesting and complete report, since keeping the classic look is capital to me I will probably study the Hagon to see if they have adjustable ones (at least preload and hydraulic rebound).
Your Commando looks impressive and such deep upgrade must be a rocket to ride!
For my MKIII I will try to make a cafe racer that a guy from the seventies would have done with a look closer to a Triton and within these limits I will try to get good suspension, brakes and handling.
Click to expand...
I went from Hagon to Ikon (same as Koni in the 70s, so period correct. Couldn't be happier with the Ikon 7610.

Study Matt's bikes in the gallery and his line of great parts. Some of them are available in EU from Holland Norton Works.

Colorado Norton Works ™

coloradonortonworks.com coloradonortonworks.com

Also Kenny's bikes

 
gortnipper makes a good point, Koni shocks along with Marrazochi were THE shocks on the 70s.

Ikons are the new Konis. So are perfectly period correct for a 70s cafe racer. Given their great performance, they’d appear to be the ideal balance of period vs performance in that regard. And they’re not expensive.

Avoid cheap copies from the Far East completely if you place ANY value on performance. Even if they were free they’d still fail to give value for money IMO.
 
Yesterday I received a supposedly OEM Norton Lockheed disc brake caliper I bought on ebay US.
I dismounted it, it was in bad condition but possible to rebuild. My surprise is that instead of including inside two pistons (Norton MK3 reference 06.1896 according to Andover assembly) it only includes one piston and as a inner piston includes a sort of thinner piston with a protrusion. Find here the picture I did.
I am confused about what spare parts do I need to buy (I assumed I needed two equal pistons and two gasket plus the cover gasket).
Can anybody tell me which caliper model is this and what spare parts do I need to buy?
Will this caliper be compatible with my MK3 fork and disc?


Starting cafe racer restoration Commando 850 MK3 from Spain
 
javifoto70 said:
Yesterday I received a supposedly OEM Norton Lockheed disc brake caliper I bought on ebay US.
I dismounted it, it was in bad condition but possible to rebuild. My surprise is that instead of including inside two pistons (Norton MK3 reference 06.1896 according to Andover assembly) it only includes one piston and as a inner piston includes a sort of thinner piston with a protrusion. Find here the picture I did.
I am confused about what spare parts do I need to buy (I assumed I needed two equal pistons and two gasket plus the cover gasket).
Can anybody tell me which caliper model is this and what spare parts do I need to buy?
Will this caliper be compatible with my MK3 fork and disc?


View attachment 102919
Click to expand...
If the bore on the caliper is in good shape just buy a rebuild kit with stainless steel pistons. That caliper will work just fine on your bike. It also looks like you have a inner piston stuck in the caliper. Can be hard to get out but doable.
 
Oh yes now i under stand! The imner piston Is Stick at the bottom and the small rusty part I took out Is an old pad. How do you suggest to get tthe imner piston out?
 
javifoto70 said:
Oh yes now i under stand! The imner piston Is Stick at the bottom and the small rusty part I took out Is an old pad. How do you suggest to get tthe imner piston out?
Click to expand...

If you have a compressed air line then you should be able to blow it out using the bleed nipple port if you block off the drilling to the outer piston (preferably using a pointed tool, not your finger, see link).

Rebuild a Norton Commando Disc Brake Caliper - Motorcycle Classics

Rebuild and update Norton Commando disc brake calipers.
www.motorcycleclassics.com
When refitting the inner piston do not insert it more than is absolutely necessary to fit the brake pad because pushing the piston all the way into the caliper can blank off the feed port making it almost impossible to then bleed the air from behind the inner piston.

Edit: Although I expect you may already be aware, the Mk3 front disc brake would have originally been on the left-hand side of the wheel, not the right-hand side as it is in your pictures. The caliper, disc, and fork sliders are the same as the previous right-hand brake assembly.
 
Last edited:
L.A.B. said:
Edit: Although I expect you may already be aware, the Mk3 front disc brake would have originally been on the left-hand side of the wheel, not the right-hand side as it is in your pictures. The caliper, disc, and fork sliders are the same as the previous right-hand brake assembly.
Click to expand...


This would be assuming the front end including the wheel came from a mk 3 including the wheel
 
baz said:
This would be assuming the front end including the wheel came from a mk 3 including the wheel
Click to expand...

The hub in the pictures is Mk3.
The alloy rim obviously is not Mk3.
With the exception of the brake line fittings, the fork parts (sliders, stanchions, etc.) are the same as pre-Mk3.
 
I am a bit confused with the bad news about the disc not being on the MK3 OEM left hand side.
As for aesthetics the disc as it is on the right side as the rear one looks good to me but I would not like to buy new expensive parts for this reason.
What do you suggest me to do with the parts I already have including the disc caliper I just bought to make the the system work?
 
javifoto70 said:
What do you suggest me to do with the parts I already have including the disc caliper I just bought to make the the system work?
Click to expand...


All you would have to do to return it to standard would be to swap over the fork legs and fit the hub accordingly which will then put the brake back on the left-hand side also refit the tyre for the correct front wheel rotation.

Or leave things as they are if you prefer to have the brake on the right because the Mk3 hub can be fitted either way around due to the circlip bearing retainer.
 
Ok, that sounds good and easy! For a moment I thought I was facing troubles. I than will leave things as they are and I will just replace the disc because beside being very rusty it has been turned by a mechanic and I now its thinkness is only 5,5mm which is clearly below Norton specs.

Since the front master cylinder is missing I plan to buy a new 1/2" - 13mm bore one. My plan is to buy this one
Do you think that can be compatible?
 
javifoto70 said:
Since the front master cylinder is missing I plan to buy a new 1/2" - 13mm bore one. My plan is to buy this one
NISSIN : Kit de cilindro maestro de freno retro [Todo en un tipo redondo] [74755] Do you think that can be compatible?
Click to expand...

Yes, it should be. Or, as you intend to replace the disc, then you might want to consider upgrading the disc and caliper. The caliper you have could then be used for the rear brake as the front and rear calipers (and discs) are the same.
 
Alright, I hope that the front master cylinder upgrade together with Ferodo Platinum brake pads and stainless stee brake line will get a good braking power keeping the original Norton Lockheed calipers that look fantastic.
 
javifoto70 said:
Alright, I hope that the front master cylinder upgrade together with Ferodo Platinum brake pads and stainless stee brake line will get a good braking power keeping the original Norton Lockheed calipers that look fantastic.
Click to expand...
I have the Brembo 13mm master cylinder with S/S hose and Platinum pads in the OE calipers and find it an adequate set up.....
(Mind you, I also run an exhaust system that slows the bike down, too :-) )
 
L.A.B. said:
If you have a compressed air line then you should be able to blow it out using the bleed nipple port if you block off the drilling to the outer piston (preferably using a pointed tool, not your finger, see link).

Rebuild a Norton Commando Disc Brake Caliper - Motorcycle Classics

Rebuild and update Norton Commando disc brake calipers.
www.motorcycleclassics.com
When refitting the inner piston do not insert it more than is absolutely necessary to fit the brake pad because pushing the piston all the way into the caliper can blank off the feed port making it almost impossible to then bleed the air from behind the inner piston.
Click to expand...
This is the way I got the piston out of my caliper.
 
Following your instrucciones and links I finally took the caliper brake inner piston out.
I want to make a custom stainless steel hose, can anybody tell me the kind of screw I need to order to fit banjo into the caliper? Is it an M10x1,25? And which length?
 
javifoto70 said:
Following your instrucciones and links I finally took the caliper brake inner piston out.
I want to make a custom stainless steel hose, can anybody tell me the kind of screw I need to order to fit banjo into the caliper? Is it an M10x1,25? And which length?
Click to expand...
From memory it's 3/8" unf
Hopefully LAB will be along with the correct answer
 
javifoto70 said:
And which length?
Click to expand...

Although a banjo and bolt should work, the original fitting to the caliper would have been a rigid pipe with a pipe nut.
andover-norton.co.uk

Motorcycle parts and spares for Norton motorbikes - Genuine Andover Norton Spare Parts - Andover Norton Motorcycles Parts - Original Andover Norton Parts

Motorcycle parts and spares for Andover Norton motorbikes: Andover Norton manufactures and supplies all Genuine Factory Spare Parts for Norton motorcycles built before 2002.
andover-norton.co.uk
 
L.A.B. said:
Although a banjo and bolt should work, the original fitting to the caliper would have been a rigid pipe with a pipe nut.
andover-norton.co.uk

Motorcycle parts and spares for Norton motorbikes - Genuine Andover Norton Spare Parts - Andover Norton Motorcycles Parts - Original Andover Norton Parts

Motorcycle parts and spares for Andover Norton motorbikes: Andover Norton manufactures and supplies all Genuine Factory Spare Parts for Norton motorcycles built before 2002.
andover-norton.co.uk
Click to expand...
Is the casting of the caliper machines to take a banjo ?
It's so long since I've owned one I can't remember
Simple enough to machine if not
 

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