New to Norton - help please!

Don’t be afraid, I bought my first Commando at 18, not a clue about anything, rode the wheels off it for years. I now know a little 45 years later. They are not as maintenance hungry as the books would have you believe. Learn about the bike, learn what needs checked regularly. With electronic ignition much of the 70s issues disappear, use it regularly and it’s better otherwise it will wet sump which again only adds 25 minutes to the pre ride ritual. My wife and I regularly jump between Norton’s and lh gear change bikes. It’s not an issue, buy and enjoy

First point: lots of the people here have been riding Commandos since they were the latest thing, so we'll have to exercise our imagination a bit in giving advice.

If you're new to classic bikes, I take it that this means that you're also new to British bikes. Can you tell us a bit more about your biking so far? Japanese? Italian? Something else?

From what you say you've managed to find your way to some version of either the Rider's Manual or the workshop manual. If you join the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/10302209470) and look in the files section you will find versions of both for most if not all of the variants, plus the parts book.

I agree with the idea of buying a runner, not a restoration project. There is no reason why a Commando in decent condition should not be a daily rider, and that way you will find out more quickly what needs attention.

On the other hand, if it's only ridden on sunny Sundays you should probably do maintenance on a time schedule, not mileage — perhaps convert the mileage schedule in the Riders Manual at the rate of one week to 250 miles (regardless of actual mileage).

The second point I'll leave to others; my experience is limited to '71 and '72 Fastbacks (given the choice, I'd prefer a '71 unless absolutely set on having a Combat version).

Third point: I also have a modernish Ducati with LHS down-for-first, while my Commando is the opposite, in both respects. I don't have a big problem switching back and forth, but unless you are a reincarnation of Mike Hailwood (whose versatility was legendary), it's best to not ride as if you are in the TT. One way to think about it: have you driven cars on the Continent (either RHD or LHD, or preferably both)? How easily did you adjust?  

Hi Nathan - Welcome

I own and ride both Nortons and Honda’s. I rarely have any difficulty with the LH gearchange to RH gearchange but I do stumble once in a great while with the different patterns - up for first on the Nortons and down for first on the Honda’s- but only rarely.

I whole heartedly recommend buying a running motorcycle as opposed to a non-runner or worse, a basket case , especially if this is your first foray into this world . I can almost guarantee that it will cost you more in the end to complete a bike piecemeal than it will to purchase a complete one , to say nothing about the potential for frustration.

 Commandos are very well supported - in fact , if your pockets are deep enough you can nearly build one complete from new parts .

The pre unit construction ( separate gearbox/engine ) also simplifies working on gearbox and engine .

 Some consider the 1972 750 Combat motor less reliable/ more fragile than the others . I have owned two and have not suffered from it but I may be lucky . However there can be no denying that they make the most beautiful music when they come on song !
Good luck and I hope you will keep us posted on your quest .

hello welcome to other members options   but  I alway go for a basket case that way you know what your dealing with and when you complete the motorcycle you have learnt something in rebuilding it and have something to be proud of for many years  and as you are rebuilding your building a bike with care and getting the best parts and doing mods as you go then you have something with your stamp mark on it and you built it as you want it and you will have peace on mind as everything will be mosty new , but you can buy a nice shiny bike which could turn out to be a horror story  Now over the last 45 years even I had this experience of buying a nice looking suzuki GT550  only 3 month later went bang on the Motorway  You see with nice shinnie bikes you never know witch numpty as been playing with them  nor do you know anything about the bikes history and how it was lookafter   I had 3 bikes that have blown on me, but not one Norton they been mostly reliable   now as for the commando they have a really good engine and box  its the frame that lets it down  I my book you cannot beat a good 650SS  or a Norton Manxman 650  if you can find one, and you know why I said this when you get to ride a good 650SS there a dream to ride you do not need  much in the way of body input the bike goes round corners like it was on rails and it a easy bike to live with and their is two for sale at we sell classic motorcycles  so now have fun   yours  anna j  

I find myself somewhat in agreement with Anna when buying a  shiny attractive bike.  Been caught out a few times . Best to buy a bike thats slightly scruffy but with proven regular use , many years Mot cetificates  or insurance cover notes. If it cannot be shown to start easily and run  with a charging electrical system then no matter how it looks ,its still a potential basket case and needs to be 2/3rds the price of a fully working machine.

When doing military service as a dispatch rider, I rode LHshift, first down at work and a Norton 99 RH, first up when off duty. No problem. Now I have one std japanese street bike 1st down and two jap race bikes with 1st up. The 4 Nortons, the Vincent and the Velo are all RH 1st up. Only ones RH 1st down are the 2 BSAs which takes some miles to adapt to the shift pattern. In my experience shift pattern is a bit more difficult to adapt to than which side the shift lever is.

An old british bike needs more maintenance than a modern bike. Caring of them is a part of the joy. If you do maintain them properly they are quite reliable. They are much easier to work with than a modern bike. A simple task like adjusting valve clearance is done in a few minutes. To do that on a modern jap bike takes an hour or more. And of course a 50 years old bike has worn and might need a major overhaul.

So try to find a running well maintained bike. Anyhow a good warm place and correct tools is needed.

Hello Nathan, As others have said, welcome.

Re what to buy, as your time is precious DON'T  buy a basket case or non runner as it will be years before you get to ride it, if ever. Ok for singles and maybe empty nesters, not people with young families. (Been there, got the tee shirt). Best bet is to get a bike that is, maybe a little scruffy but has been ridden regularly.

Avoid anything with a fibreglass fuel tank.

Buy from a shop and they MUST give you a warranty.  Auction or private you are on your own.

Make up your mind as to whether you want a  bike that is 'original', or one that has the many and various sensible mods done that makes it much more usable in the real world, eg. brake updates, electronic  ignition, belt primary etc.  Both camps are well represented on here and there is much good advice available.

Where in the world are you? There is bound to be someone who lives near you who could look at a bike with you and advise you accordingly. 

As to gears, I have left foot and right foot shift and can change easily between them, but I have now got a 'reverse cam plate' in my gearbox so that the change pattern is down for down, up for up on all of them. For me, the roads are too crowded to make avoidable mistakes.

 If you do decide to 'come on board', then may I suggest that some 'imperial' spanners and sockets would make a nice Christmas present from the boss?

Good luck in your search for the right bike,

George. 

If you stick to the NOC for sale you are more likely to get the well used and maintained variety. Stay away from the just restored ones with no mileage, the money gets spent on the finish and not the engine, all fur and no knickers. Stay away from dealers unless they include a warranty, they tend to not add much value but their own margin.  

Among the very good reasons to stay away from a basket case is how difficult it will be to decide 1) if you really have a complete bike  2) what is missing and 3) where do all the pieces actually go? If you already own an example, those questions can be answered. But not easily if you do not.

I agree with all of Georges comments, especially don't buy a basket case.

The one aspect that hasn't been mentioned is most of the commando models do not have an electric start, If you can cope with that fact then go ahead. If you have been brought up on non kickstart bikes you might want to see what its like.

Try asking an obliging commando owner to let you try kick starting the machine. If you decide that its not for you all is not lost. The 850 MK3 has an electric start and can easily be made very reliable.

Earlier models can be retro fitted with an Alton or CNW electric start kit.

If searching for a bike so fitted, it will command a higher price than one not wearing an electric boot.

You could do with someone knowledgeable about these models when you find one and ask if they can view the said machine for you. Like all things when buying something 'new' to you it is all too easy to get caught out.     

Regards

Peter

A couple points have been skimmed over above. The MkIII is left gear change and electric start so both of those worries would disappear.

Most Combats were disasters long term. Now buying second hand-yes it must start easy and run sweetly. Battery charging is not an issue at the most £250 would get all parts new. If it was an oiling problem or running issue these could be very expensive and exhaustive to sort out. One nasty point re camshafts-there was a large batch of these in the 70s that wore out in no time at all. How do you know the cam is worn?-you don't-performance wise you lose the top end ie 100mph plus-bit academic these days. You can remove the rocker covers and measure the lift-hard to be done properly but casually can be worthwhile.

Peter Shand's point about electric starters is well worth noting.

My two penn'orth: you won't get the full classic experience unless you buy a kick-start only machine …

Also, if it won't start easily and reliably on the k/start, in my view there's something wrong with the bike (does not apply to highly-tuned specials; in this case, substitute "bump" for "kick").

Of course, none of the above is relevant if you are injured or otherwise infirm. For my part I'm about to enter my eighth decade, and still feel no need for an electric foot on my '72 Combat.

p.s.: on Combat-engined models; don't be frightened by the scare stories — if it's running, it's been sorted by now.

p.p.s.: bonus point for the first person who explains the heading to this post.

Hi Nathan

Welcome to the NOC.

If your prospective purchase does not require air lever [choke] starting from cold it's a fair sign the carb's are worn. Factor that into the purchase price; let's face it there's bound to be something to sort, on a machine of this age.

I go for engines with the large sump plug / oil filter; remember the spin-on filter works on the return oil-line, not supply to the oil pump, so there's only the gauze in the oil tank on small sump plug crankcases.

In this day and age it's not unreasonable to ask for a video of the bike. WHAT?? what I mean is: I sold my Kawasaki during lockdown [no 1]. The chap was in Bristol; long way to York. So I offered to film the bike; first with engine off walking around describing it, taking in every angle. Then gave the camera [sorry, my wife's phone back to her] put my hands on the cold exhausts, went through the starting and warming-up procedure, while she filmed. Sent the videos to him. A few days later he came with the van and bought it. Not unreasonable, especially as travel is restricted at the moment.

Hop this helps.

At the risk of upsetting Commando owners..a Dominator is somewhat simpler and less stressed. Smaller ones perhaps not as well suited to motorways.

The small sump plugs were not Norton's finest hour, but spin-on oil filters are a fairly straightforward upgrade and really ought to be added to all machines not intended for museums or life as trailer queens (since, as Tim points out, the gauze on the oil tank banjo is only useful for straining out small pebbles).

I have no real experience of non-Commando twins, although the brief ride I once had on a Featherbed twin didn't lead me to think I wanted to own one.

If you want a really stress-free Norton, any of the singles would be ideal. 

'...you won't get the full classic experience unless you buy a kick-start only machine...'

Err, sorry Julian, I disagree; on the mk 3 the electric start is accompanied by a kickstart, one can use either (or both!). Personally, I rarely use my electric start as I prefer to kickstart - that said, the electric start is very useful if the bike stalls e.g. in the rain, in traffic, on a hill, with panniers, tent, etc (or a pillion) ;-).

It also has a few advantages such as the fixed gearbox mounting, hydraulic adjustment for the primary chain, etc.

Any Commando is a great bike & fairly straightforward to maintain with good quality spares & wide choice for improvements, see you at the next rally Nathan?

Hi Nathan,

Lots of good advice already given but I thought I would give you my experiance having travelled down this road before.

I bought my first Norton Commando last year and fell into the classic error trap of buying somthing that is shiny but is an absolute sack of spanners! This wasn't my first British bike as i also have a 72 triumph tiger (which i love) and also had a vist to A&E having performance tested a Dominator front brake at 15 years of age.

I intially looked at a NOC members bike, which as it was the first time i had been to view one decided to see a couple more before i committed. A local guy was selling one so went to look at that and it was stunning. He had imported it from the USA, restored it and alegedly done 1000miles on it before he decided he didnt like it. Having seen his garage and his other bikes i thought he knew what he was doing. I was however sadly mistaken.

In the days of the interent age where information is plentiful he must of decided to ignore all of this, or anything so basic as a straight edge and decided it better to use the powers of positive thinking to hope it will be ok (despite leaving various shims and spacers out of the assembly). After 200miles the clutch packed up so i thought best take it to bits to understand. Turns out the main shaft was travelling by 1/4" when you pulled the clutch in and the gearbox shell was having a party in the gearbox cradle each time the throttle was applied. this led to the drive chain eating the back of the primary drive casing. Why am i telling you all of this? 

2 Reasons:

• Dont buy the shiny bike, try to get one from an NOC owner that is happy to ride it to the other end of the country tomorrow - bikes can be made pretty with little skill
• Don't worry about the mechanical side too much, most is about as simple as you can get (my RGV250 was more complex). The hardest part is figuring out all the different thread forms and spanner sizes - nothing the internet can't solve

I hope this helps, I have a young family also so appreciate it can be a chalenge but i think it is worth it. 

Nathan 

Wanted a Commando since 1972, time and machines move on but My memory hadn’t, so now I’ve had two nicely restored ones in the last 12 years ( had to sell the 1969 750 for my house restoration) anyway I couldn’t get the first one outta my head so I’ve now got a 73 850 and surprisingly they are a little different (in my humble opinion) to ride, the 750 seemed sweeter and quicker (which was reported that way back in the time if my memory serves me) although the 850 does seem to have a surprising amount of extra torque anyone agree with my findings?

I still absolutely love riding the Commando such a joy, it feels almost Medieval, yet alive with spirit it involves one it’s Certainly quick enough but lovely and light in comparison to most of my other quick machines, it’s definitely my first choice of ride! Good luck 

On a note of gear lever operation and positions, the comments you received are spot on, the first up does very very occasionally catch me out as I have a Laverda that’s right change first down, but the one that almost made me drop a Mates (one of a kind)  Egli Laverda 1000 (which was Right change) was when we swopped bikes and my later Laverda had a left gear change, I think it was because I knew I was still riding a Laverda I instinctively changed down with the rear brake!  
They say one fright a day Keeps you healthy well I gained a years worth! 
Anyone else want to put there hands up ? 
 

just seen a black Commando on Facebook Marketplace, that has had £6000 worth of work , including an electric start kit , fitted by Norman White ( one of THE top workshops for Commandos)

 If you have the money, that is the sort of bike I would consider.   cheers, Jan.

Avoid any bike with a performance cam fitted (PW3, 4s etc) They will wear the valve gear out at a faster rate, be less pleasant to ride and use more fuel. If you are tempted by such a machine use that fact to bring the price down.

A bike with a standard cam will still do 100mph plus.

Not sure that I agree about that Facebook Norton. Doesn’t look like 6k has been spent on it. Take a close up look at the carb area. Both silencers are shot. Triple trees pretty rusty.

Might well be ok but not at 9k in my opinion