1970 Norton Commando 750 Roadster
Purchase Date: February 2023
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Norton Norton Norton...
Most of my adult life while working on and collecting motorcycles the Norton Commando has been evading me, until now. When I was a young kid my father had an early 70's Norton Commando Roadster that was stolen. I have very few memories of the stolen Norton, I was very young. Because of this faded memory I've been loosely chasing down a budget-friendly Commando to commemorate my father and have some fun while doing so. He has long since passed on (2001). 
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Norton motorcycles have a cult-like following and the value of them as of recent times has been rising. Collectors are snatching them up quickly making them both difficult to find and expensive.
There have been a few Nortons over the years that I passed on purchasing, some I regret the missing the opportunity and others I am glad I didn't fall for.
When this yellow (not for long yellow) Roadster showed up in an email thread while looking for a pre-'70 Triumph T120 for a local ride, my interest was peaked. After a few back and forth discussions with the owner and some careful deliberation with my wife I pulled the trigger and bought the bike.
There have been a few Nortons over the years that I passed on purchasing, some I regret the missing the opportunity and others I am glad I didn't fall for.
When this yellow (not for long yellow) Roadster showed up in an email thread while looking for a pre-'70 Triumph T120 for a local ride, my interest was peaked. After a few back and forth discussions with the owner and some careful deliberation with my wife I pulled the trigger and bought the bike.
This Roadster needs some work. It is not trashed, although far from mint condition at the same time. I am not doing a full restore on this. The bike will be a reliable driver as I tend to make most of the bikes I work on. The trick for me is to get this up to tip-top running condition in a few months for a 1k ride in late June.
The 1970 Norton Commando 750 Roadster has 56 horsepower with a top speed of 116 miles per hour. The engine is a 745 cubic centimeter air cooled overhead valve twin with a bore and stroke of 73mm x 89mm with an 8:1 compression ratio. The Norton is not too heavy at 398lbs dry. The bike has a fairly small, but gets the job done 3.2 gallon steel gas tank producing a claimed 45-50 miles per gallon.
The 1970 Norton Commando 750 Roadster has 56 horsepower with a top speed of 116 miles per hour. The engine is a 745 cubic centimeter air cooled overhead valve twin with a bore and stroke of 73mm x 89mm with an 8:1 compression ratio. The Norton is not too heavy at 398lbs dry. The bike has a fairly small, but gets the job done 3.2 gallon steel gas tank producing a claimed 45-50 miles per gallon.
February 2023
I have not started the bike yet, have not heard it running; don't even know if it runs. This bike will get a thorough once over before attempting to start it. First things first and I will go over / fix what I can while waiting for parts.
Mufflers:
The previous owner removed the Dunstall baffle caps (yes, original Dunstall mufflers) and was going to drill holes in the ends, he never got to it. I'm glad he didn't, they would be near impossible to replace. I do plan on making a set in the future that replace the caps but for now I just cleaned up and re-installed the end caps (no actual baffle fibers). I can't wait to hear how this bike sounds!
The previous owner removed the Dunstall baffle caps (yes, original Dunstall mufflers) and was going to drill holes in the ends, he never got to it. I'm glad he didn't, they would be near impossible to replace. I do plan on making a set in the future that replace the caps but for now I just cleaned up and re-installed the end caps (no actual baffle fibers). I can't wait to hear how this bike sounds!
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Headlight:
The headlight didn't work. Inside the headlight shell, which is surprisingly clean I tested the wire leads in different switch configurations. All looks good with the exception that one of the positive ground wires lost it's place neatly in one of the connectors. I crimped the wire back into place and replaced the bulb with a 6v / 12v modern P36D LED bulb and voila, we have light. At that point I disconnected (and safeguarded) the high beam wire from the light shell switch so I can use the low beam with the instrument lights and tail light at the same time.
The headlight didn't work. Inside the headlight shell, which is surprisingly clean I tested the wire leads in different switch configurations. All looks good with the exception that one of the positive ground wires lost it's place neatly in one of the connectors. I crimped the wire back into place and replaced the bulb with a 6v / 12v modern P36D LED bulb and voila, we have light. At that point I disconnected (and safeguarded) the high beam wire from the light shell switch so I can use the low beam with the instrument lights and tail light at the same time.
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Voltage:
I suspect this bike might be a bugger with charging so I want to keep an eye on it, at least for a bit until I get to know the motorcycle. I added a small voltmeter and switch that I had in spares from working on other bikes to the headlight power line. Now I can check the voltage anytime. It is small things like this that may save me lots of headaches down the line. |
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March 2023
Speedometer cable:
The cable that came with the bike appears original. It is broken and appears to have been that way for a long time. I sourced and installed a 69" SBK cable, the cable is a perfect fit and feels durable.
Keys:
The bike only came with one key, honestly I'm glad to have one. I purchased a spare from motokeys.com using the key code listed on the single key I have. Upon receiving, the key fits perfectly.
The cable that came with the bike appears original. It is broken and appears to have been that way for a long time. I sourced and installed a 69" SBK cable, the cable is a perfect fit and feels durable.
Keys:
The bike only came with one key, honestly I'm glad to have one. I purchased a spare from motokeys.com using the key code listed on the single key I have. Upon receiving, the key fits perfectly.
Clutch bits:
Not to my surprise, while removing the clutch plates to free them from being stuck in a thick oil goo, I discovered that the small clutch plate pins had been sheared. This is apparently a common problem with the early Commandos only having two small pins. I carefully drilled out the old brass/bronze pins, then sourced a set of new pins of which I had to grind down a few thousandths from the length to prevent them from interfering with the adjacent running friction plate. Installation was fairly simple after cleaning everything up.
I installed a new set of Barnett friction plates and steel discs, keeping the stock configuration.
Not to my surprise, while removing the clutch plates to free them from being stuck in a thick oil goo, I discovered that the small clutch plate pins had been sheared. This is apparently a common problem with the early Commandos only having two small pins. I carefully drilled out the old brass/bronze pins, then sourced a set of new pins of which I had to grind down a few thousandths from the length to prevent them from interfering with the adjacent running friction plate. Installation was fairly simple after cleaning everything up.
I installed a new set of Barnett friction plates and steel discs, keeping the stock configuration.
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Photos and details of the Norton will be added as the project matures.