What's your story? How did you aquire your Norton?

bill said:

and all it took was a demonstration on US421 to get you to finally buy one :mrgreen:

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concours said:

Had a stiffey for a " snortin norton" since I was 12, finally got one...

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when you ride the best of the british big twins you are spoiled.

MikeG said:

Been riding Brit bikes for 30 years or more,never had a Norton. Rode to North Carolina on my Triumph with this guy. Came home, sold the Triumph bought a 71 roadster. I've put less than 1500 miles on any of my other stuff since

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LOL, Dead Cat Man let me ride his Interstate back from Henry's in Kingsport that year... admittedly loose iso's and all... and I was hooked. That hinge-in-the-middle thing, no big deal, what's a slight change in line when you're healed over?? As for The Snake, well, the bike feels RIGHT AT HOME with the light weight and tractor torque.. :mrgreen:

Because my old man was a Matchless dealer and everyone other person raved about BSA Goldstars, I never had a Norton of my own until about 30 years ago. This was an advantage as in the early 1980s you could pick them up for a song and dance.

The first Commando I bought was a 1971 roadster some kid about 20 miles out in the country had. I went and looked at it and when he started it up it made a loud bearing noise from the drive side of the engine, surely it was a bad main crank bearing. He wanted $300 for the bike, I told him I would give him that if he rode it back to my house, which he did. I figured that since it did not blow up on the way the engine noise could not be too serious. An old friend of mine now has this bike.

My favorite Commando I bought soon after, a black 850 roadster with a late 1973 date on the headstock. It was all original and bought from the original owner for $500. I bought a handful of other Commandos in the few hundred dollar price range also.

The bike that got me on the right track was a 1961 650 Manxman that a customer of my father's had bought brand new at Imperial Cycle Sales in Buffalo NY. He had let the bike sit for quite a few years in his garden shed with 5000 original miles on it, I gave him $500 for it and got many more years enjoyment out of it, as well as having it brainwash me into replacing all the Commandos with featherbed Nortons.

I would not be surprised if I live long enough, that all the Nortons will disappear from my garage and all that will be left is my father's old Matchless G3C trials bike, nice and easy to kick over and light.

My story is not nearly as interesting as the others, but I'll chime in.
A little over 5 years ago, I was fresh out of college looking for a job. Turns out that was not a good time to find an engineering job. So I went back to working construction for my Dad's business. I was single, and had almost no debt (other than college loans) so I was able to salt away quite a bit of my earnings. I had a '76 CB360 that my brother had given to me when he finally gave up on it. I got that running and rode it for one summer, but it just wasn't what I wanted. That was the first bike I ever owned. So I started keeping an eye out for a bigger bike, something like a CB550 or 750, something from the '70's, etc. One night while cruising craigslist, I saw an add for a Norton Commando about 2 hours from my house. Believe me when I say I knew nothing about Norton's at that time. I had rememberd hearing my Dad and Uncle talk about Nortons and how cool they were. So I talked to my Dad about it, told him how much is was (owner wanted $2200). He said "Got the cash?" I said "Yup, I do." So I contacted the guy and asked all kinds of questions about it. It's a 1974 Roadster 850. Not running. Tank is in purple primer, fenders are in gray primer, 2-1 exhaust that was falling off, etc. I didn't have a truck at the time so I drug my Dad along to go look at it.
It was in pretty rough shape, but even then it was too cool! Everything was there, title, box of junk to go with it. Ended up putting it in the truck that day for $1400.
My Dad stayed out of the "negotiations", but later told me he was a little embarrassed that I beat the guy up so much over the price. Oh well, lesson learned.
Took it home and put it in my Dad's wood shop. Came here and learned how to jump the wiring harness to get the ignition lit up. It started!
From there, it sat for 1 year, didn't touch it, but during that year I purchased 95% of the parts that I would need. Took me about another year to tear it down and rebuild it. Luckily, I didn't get into the engine at all. PO said the top end had been done not long ago, so I took his word for it. Been riding it for the last 3 seasons with no major issues. Rebuilding was an absolute blast for me. I hope I'm never forced to sell it. I certainly won't do so without good reason.
Thanks for the other stories guys.
Ben

Brly said:

PO said the top end had been done not long ago, so I took his word for it. Ben

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Hope you checked the valve lash and head bolt torque at least. Nice find at a reasonable price.

Yup, checked the valves. They were a little slack if I recall correctly. When I had the engine out I gave it a good scrub and went over everything.

Ben

FLEA BAY :lol: A guy in Chesterfield had a big shed full he bought in the seventie's. the MK 3 as 6000 un-molested miles, the rims. tyres and rubber bits where replaced,
I assume the concentric's are a bit gummed as the tick over is a pain,

Mine was an ebay deal as well, or started out that way. I was looking for a Vincent in 2003 and spotted another nice looking black and gold British classic- an original 1975 MK3 Interstate with about 15 k on the clock. It now has about 30 k, no big problems. I suppose it is not quite original anymore with Open Peashooters, skinny head gasket, Boyer, four pole starter, a Madass front brake and soon some valenced alloy Akronts.
The problem with most ebay deals is that they are too far away for in person viewing. This one was just 2 hrs south of me(Langley BC) in Woodinville Wa, so I drove down and took it for a ride. That was good enough for me. By the time I got home the listing had run out, so we made a deal, $4,300. This was no screaming deal at the time and perhaps still isn't, but it looked and ran great plus came with maintenance records from a good shop in Washington.. I could see the nonmechanical owner had spent close to 3 k over the years maintaining it, rebuilding forks,brakes etc, so it was ok and ready to ride. Only problems experienced were with the copper headgaskets leaking, first caused by a head stud letting go after running the bike at a sustained 6400 rpm in top gear (21 tooth) .
I helicoiled the studs and eventually fitted a flame ring. 020 gasket which has kept the top end perfectly dry for about 7,000 miles so far.
I dont run the poor thing to 6400 in fourth anymore, though it did pull up the Salmo Creston 8 % 7 miler at 90mph WOT this summer, gaining on a MV Augusta OHC four all the way :wink:

Summer of 1978 and a buddy, Leland, rolled into the yard on a black '74 Norton to show off this recent purchase. I'd never seen a Norton before but was impressed with the music it produced. Couple weeks later I see a '75 Norton for sale in the campus newspaper where I was working. I really couldn't afford a bike as my new wife and I were saving up to buy land to build a house. Two more weeks go by and the Norton is still for sale. Can't hurt to look I reasoned, so Leland and I went to look at it. It had a repainted tank in red, had god-awful high bars but it made the right music. We rode it to the then local Norton dealer, Ren Ruger, and Ren took it for a spin down the main drag in 5:00 traffic. I could hear him wind it up. Ren came back and gave it a clean bill of health so I went to the bank withdrew a hefty percentage of our savings and bought it for $1400. As you can imagine my wife was not over joyed by this development and demanded I sell my other bike, a '72 Yamaha RT1 (360 enduro), to replenish the savings account (to a much lessor degree.) I parted with the 360 straight away. Got rid of the Hi-Rider bars and returned the tank back to black.

Still have that Norton, still married to the same woman. (She rides a Moto Guzzi Norge now.) Still enjoying the music.

When I met my brother-inlaw to be, he mentioned he had a Norton stuffed away in a barn in Northern California. After a few months of logistics, we got what was a pretty complete '73 850 out from under a pile of blankets. It had been stored for about 15 years so all the rubber was shot, paint was bad and there was a bit of rust. Nothing horrible however. I'd always wanted one, and was beside myself he had let it go. It took me the afternoon to get it running (rough with flat tires), he just gave it to me. I'd a Triumph Daytona years before so thought I knew what I was getting into. As they say "Famous last words..." 15 years later I'm still learning. (BTW - Helped seal the deal with his sister too!)

B.Tal, that's the quickest I've ever heard of anyone getting something back once it rolled into Crab's shop. I got my S in '93 as a basket case and spent a lot of time at Crab's learning how to tackle it, but I never let it inside the shop! He had a fire that pretty much closed the shop down and he got ridiculously slow after that. He's still around - moved to Laurel Springs just off the Parkway a few years ago - but the last time I stopped in he still had a customer's bike that had been here in Charlotte 6 or 7 years earlier in the same condition. Still as ornery though and won't sell much. If you're still in the Charlotte area get in touch - we just had a get together a couple of weeks ago with close to 20 Commandos.

I have already written a lot about my Seeley 850 on this forum. It was built out of bits at a total cost of about $2,500. In the 70s, I was still racing regularly and back then we thought the young guys were buying commandos because their fathers had said 'Nortons are good bikes '. My Seeley was originally raced with a Laverda 750 motor in it, and I tried to buy that motor, however it was too expensive. I bought a commando 850 motor for $1300 because that is what the frame was originally intended for. I never believed in the bike after seeing what was inside the motor, so it sat un-raced for 20 years. Eventually I remarried and moved to Benalla which is close to Winton Motor Raceway where I started the Winton Motorcycle Club and became it's secretary. I then decided to race the Seeley 850. When I tried the bike, I was amazed at it's characteristics. I'd never previously raced a bike with such a torquey motor. The standard gearbox was useless for racing, so I fitted a CR 4 speed box which was perfect everywhere, except off the start. I would never have thought that such a garbage motor could be so good. I really love that bike, it gives me no anxiety whatsoever, it is so great to ride it fast. - AND I never over-rev it !

Wait a minute aco. You built a race bike and then didn't race it for 20 years!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:
Isn't that a little strange. :? :? :?

acotrel said:

I have already written a lot about my Seeley 850 on this forum. It was built out of bits at a total cost of about $2,500. In the 70s, I was still racing regularly and back then we thought the young guys were buying commandos because their fathers had said 'Nortons are good bikes '. My Seeley was originally raced with a Laverda 750 motor in it, and I tried to buy that motor, however it was too expensive. I bought a commando 850 motor for $1300 because that is what the frame was originally intended for. I never believed in the bike after seeing what was inside the motor, so it sat un-raced for 20 years. Eventually I remarried and moved to Benalla which is close to Winton Motor Raceway where I started the Winton Motorcycle Club and became it's secretary. I then decided to race the Seeley 850. When I tried the bike, I was amazed at it's characteristics. I'd never previously raced a bike with such a torquey motor. The standard gearbox was useless for racing, so I fitted a CR 4 speed box which was perfect everywhere, except off the start. I would never have thought that such a garbage motor could be so good. I really love that bike, it gives me no anxiety whatsoever, it is so great to ride it fast. - AND I never over-rev it !

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Why do you say "such a garbage motor"
The motor was built for British roads of the times ie, no motorway/freeway.
It was, and still is, a great motor for 90 per cent of normal riding.
Most Commandos and indeed all bikes were built for purpose in those days , ie all rounders.
I also saw your comment that triple cranks tried to untwist themselves . That is just pure crap.
The triple crank is just about the most reliable piece of metal to ever be produced by the British industry.

sam

I had just sold a disaster of a BSA A7, and was on the lookout for a decent bike. A good friend pointed me at a 650SS basket case. He said he had rebuilt the engine and gearbox. It was a few miles away, so I borrowed another friends estate car and went to have a look. It was more or less all there, so we agreed a price, I paid up and brought it home. There were some new Dunstall pipes and silencers which the PO had just bought, a day or two before, these went rusty within one month. Despite that, and with the help of the engine builder, who just happened to be the senior mechanic at the local Norton agent, the bike came together quite well and quickly. It was MOT'd taxed and on the road within a few weeks. Not particularly pretty but functional. The engine builder said that he had built the engine with a Dunstall (racing?) cam and associated bits. Running the thing in was to be honest disappointing, the motor was as flat as a tack, rice pudding skins were not in danger. That was until 4,500 rpm arrived when the thing took off. I was much happier, although the silencers and front pipes demanded a lot of effort to keep the rust at bay, ultimately a losing battle of course. When it was run in it accelerated level with a Ferrari V12 up to 100mph, on the North Circular in London (!!, 30mph limit), and was clocked at 126 mph on the Andover By Pass, but that's another story. By this time it had about 4,500 miles on it, and apart from the rusty bits I loved it. Then the cam gear started rattling. Took it to bits and the Dunstall cam was obviously shagged. So I visited my local friendly Norton agent and got a 2S cam, with rev counter drive. Made some upgrades to the oil pump drive (twice speed), new rocker spindles etc and bolted it all back together. Run in again. This time was different, it would pull tree stumps, revved beautifully cleanly and was a complete delight. It seemed to have a really flat torque curve.
The boss and I rode it around for several years, just doing the routine things you have to do. It was our daily transport, and took us to work through rain, hail, snow and ice without a miss. We went camping with it, did two RAC/ACU rallies on it, winning a plaque both times. Then I decided to give it a refurb, as I was happy with the way it went, but it really did need a tidy up. Took it to bits, epoxied the frame and other bits that were black, fitted a Commando spin on oil filter, rebuilt with all new stainless nuts and bolts (from Dave Middleton if I remember right), made a new harness, easy with a magneto!, new stainless pipes and the correct shape Dominator silencers again stainless, they cost an arm and a leg. It was pretty much all together when we decided to emigrate, and sold it unfinished. The new owner ran a motor cycle shop and was a road racer. He had been injured so many times that he had a certificate from his local hospital to say that he was sane!! There was some doubt apparently.
The only thing to be done was to fit a disc brake set up, I had a early Commando set of forks and front wheel ready to go.
I often wonder what happened to it, I really do hope that the dear old thing has survived. The registration was LCU 230, if anyone sees it, give it a pat from me!!
cheers
wakeup

I brought a 1971 Fastback off US eBay.



Then I picked up a 1974 Mk2A off US eBay.



Hopefully both will be back on the road in 2014.

I have always loved motorcycles. There is just something about that them that just says "adventure" even when they are sitting still. I worked for a couple of years in the late 70s at a Norton Triumph BMW shop in Oklahoma City. I did Triumph/Norton work because BMW work was just changing oil and mounting accessories. I had any number of bikes, Guzzis, a couple of Nortons, a couple of Moto Morinies (that I got cheap because no one knew what they were) but I managed keep the R90/6 I built as my daily rider and I kept that until I was married. With kids, I rode the BMW less and less until it seemed prudent to let it go. I remained bikeless for the next 16 years.

My kids were older and I got the itch for a bike again. I was working with a fellow who had a t-shirt printing business. We were at his shop and in the very back he had a bunch of stuff stored under a tarp. One day he pulled back the tarp and said "I'll bet you don't know what that is?" I took one look and replied that I not only knew what it was but that I knew every piece on it. What he had was a tatty 1972 Command with frame damage and a lot of general neglect. We talked about bikes and one thing and another but that was pretty much the end of it. About three months later he said "do you want to buy my Norton? I'll sell it to you on one condition, that you build it to ride for yourself and not flip it for a profit. I know I will never restore it. I can't i don't have the skills but you can. I want to see it saved." I took the deal and gave him $500. It doesn't sound like much but from my position with two kids, a wife and only one job it was a fortune. I have been working on it and improving it ever since.

I fixed the frame and I have done the sensible upgrade. It still wears some of the original leprous parts but I built it to ride and it has been ridden regularly.

I could never afford one good enough until I was 24 when I finally got a proper job. After the first month's pay packet, I headed straight to Wileman's Motors in Derby to buy a new T160. Unfortunately the last one had been sold but there were 4 new Mk3s lined up (2 Roadsters and two Interstates) with a £1200 price tag.

I tried to bid the late Mr Wileman senior at the price but he was having none of it. I bought a silver Interstate and still have it. It's been a brilliant bike in every way.

My story goes back a long way. My first motorcycle was a Suzuki 80 in 1968. I bought it for $25 from a classmate at school because it didn't run. I was 16 and actually pretty handy and mechanical. I had it running in an afternoon and learned to ride on that POS. The same year a buddy had a broken 66 BSA Hornet that I bought for $200 and that was my start with Brit bikes and I loved that bike and rebuilt and souped up the engine. Over the next few years I had 3 BSA's and 2 Triumph's.

I got married in 1973 and in 1976 I bought a brand new 1975 Commando 850 MKIII for $1800. It was a dream to ride and smooth as silk compared to the BSA's and Triumph's. I remember keeping it on a trickle charger so I could use the electric start. Some days on the way home from work it would just barely turn over but it always started. I don't remember ever having to kick it over. I had a number of crashes prior to owning the Norton and one day coming home from work I had a close call and decided to hang up riding and sold the Norton.

Flash forward to 2012. I was going through a divorce and decided working on bikes would be good therapy. I started out by getting an original 1987 Honda Hurricane and needing parts I put an ad on Craigslist looking for parts bikes. I got so many calls I could have filled a warehouse but did buy a nice 88 with all original plastics and two other complete bikes that ran but were missing most of the plastics (that's 4 bikes).

While working on the Hurricane my girlfriend said we should ride them. I told her "No way am I going to ride one of these with my bad back." So I decided to get a couple of "cruisers" and bought a Honda Aero and a Kawasaki Vulcan. I rode them both and decided I needed something a little "calmer" for crusing so I bought a Honda Trike. That's 7 bikes in a little over 6 months.

I had been looking for a Commando for a few years when I found the bike I have now earlier this year. It's a 1975 850 Commando Roadster just like I had back in 1976. I paid $3500 for it even though it hadn't run in a number of years. It was all there and a decent starting point. I've been restoring it and doing mild customization to make it more street ready and safe.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22794316@N03/8861129722/

So I came full circle back to my Norton

I don't have much of a story....I bought my Atlas new in 1963 for $1050.....still have it. Rode it coast to coast in '66.

Slick

There have been many since my first in '73. That one came from Yamaha of Fontana, had 300 miles on it from new and was a '72 combat roadster. It apparently scared the first owner and traded in for an XS650 or that was the story I was told. Perfect thing to tell a twenty year old.