... And found that there is no number on the plate on the headstock. The date is stamped on as 9 73 but the frame number space on the plate is blank. It's not been messed with it simply hasn't been stamped. It does have a number stamped directly into the headstock on the right side. The numbers do not match. And it starts with an F.
Did this ever happen from the factory? Or is there something else going on here?
After much research on the web. It seems that there is quite a deal of confusion on the web as to Commando engine/frame numbering for the period 73-75.
I was thinking that my best chance of finding out if she was shipped with the engine number matching the frame is to request a factory record certificate from this site. I've searched for a sample certificate but have been unable to find one. Does anybody know if that information is on the certificate?
I purchased the bike as a matching numbers 74. So I'm doubly confused .
Any insights would be greatly appreciated,
Carl.
btw: Not had a chance to fire it up as there is a ton of work needed before I can even contemplate that.
Carl, This sounds as if it…
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Many thanks for the email…
Many thanks for the email address.btw: I replied to this earlier in the day but my response is missing. Yesterday I tried several times to add to my post and on several occasions the responses disappeared. This morning I noticed someone had very kindly consolidated my responses into one post. Is the forum software having issues?
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The red headstock plate is…
The red headstock plate is really just a US market federal conformity certification although we all tend to refer to them as the the frame number. Many Commandos therefore didn't actually have a true frame number.
If yours has an 'F' number stamped on the headstock, that is correctly speaking the frame number and should appear on any licensing documents. As Chris says, it could easily have left the factory and therefore 'match' but it won't be identical.
You may or may not have an Italian-made Verlicchi frame (that can be checked by measuring the tube diameters).
I had a 750 with no date stamp. A lack of other data wouldn't altogether surprise me.
New plates of the correct type for most years are available from Andover Norton along with the hammer drive screws. If a previous owner has changed the plate carefully, it would be difficult to tell.
In the real world, assuming the documents show identical engine and frame numbers, most of us would give the frame a good thick coat of paint and stamp a red plate up accordingly.
Commando owners in general are not that fussy about numbers, perhaps due to the lack of frame stamping on most of them.
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Carl,
This sounds as if it is one of the Italian framed Commandos and I would expectrthe headstock number to be in the format 1*****. It is most likely the Engine No. and Frame No. are the ones that go together, it's just that very unusually for a post-war Norton, they are not the same.
Drop an e-mail to the NOC Records Officer - Twins explaining the details and he will advise you about a Factory Record certificate.