I love all your videos, but especially the ones where you're out on the road. I'm no longer able to get out on a bike and these are super fun to watch. Thanks for doing these!
Hi Chris. I am so enjoying your videos that I decided to order your Norton Commando manual. I restored a MK III ( not the engine) and found rear of the bike the most challenging.
It is not a 37x, forks are 39, cylinders mid 38-39, gearbox and primary chaincase mid 38-39, and rear brake pedal is 38 model year onwards, 37 had a very short pedal mounted in front of a smaller, fixed clutch dome. Frank told everyone it was a 1940.
Yes, the bike is definitely a Bitsa. Probably assembled, as I said in the video, after production finished, with parts left over in the factory. Incidentally the engine is stamped as being 1940 (which I think is why Frank thought it was a 1940 model, as did I to begin with) but there's no actual record of an engine with that engine number in the factory records. The bike itself was not actually registered until June 1941. However, officially it remains a 1937 Model X as that was when the frame was made (as verified by the club dating service) and motorcycle dating is based on the age of the frame, not the other parts, so a 1937 Model X it officially is.
@@Chris.rooke150 Must be late 37, after September as the footbrake mount is part of the frame , I would call it a late 37 built, 38 model. with later additions.
You have a fantastic piece of history there. It looks like it just as it did when it came off the the dealer's showroom floor almost 90 years ago. A real piece of motoring history. Thank for sharing it with us. By the way, I had a 1968 BSA Lightning and I was lucky if it started on the 3rd kick even when it was new.
You are going to have the same problem I have with all my old bikes. By the time we get them all sorted, we have absolutely fallen in love with all our "victories" and it is now IMPOSSIBLE to ever part with it. Gorgeous bike. Perfect color!
It was very well stored and covered in something like ACF 50, which was a pain to remove, but I'm very glad he'd put it on. I think he'd fallen out of love with the bike a bit, mainly due to its refusal to start, and that's why he'd put it into long term storage and then sold it to me.
steal !, advance, retard, choke, kick start, decompressor, fuel petcock, tickle the carb', primer kicks, numptie miscreants would not have a clue, rolling it off the rear stand and stowage would bamboozle them alone. They would have lost interest and gone back to gawping at their 'idiot lantern' Enjoy, beautiful machine. ps i wouldn't have a petcock on the oil feed, i couldn't trust m'self 8(
Lovely views and a magnificent bike! I think you're on to something with the gearing because whenever I've seen a Model X on video before, they seem to be lower revving compared to yours. Incidentally, my late aunt used to talk about a boyfriend you regularly took her out on a 1000cc Matchless during the late forties. She was always thrilled to be on the back of a bike.
goodness me. i've had gearbox casings with far more damage that i've had welded, machined and put back into serviceable use with no concerns, admittedly they were made from unobtainium. ps it you are going to scrap that case, i'll have it. and one last thing, that Matchless is gorgeous.
Dewalt is a great choice! Alos one proud owner of a T160 although i must confess the motorcycle has been tampered with and these videos are very helpful. thank you for posting the content, sir.
That doesn't sound right, but it's a while since I did one of these so I can't comment specifically until I do the one on this engine, probably in a month or so's time.
As far as the starting goes, the same thing happens in high end piston aircraft. It's call charge length, it blows though, simple enough. The new aircraft are hard to start because of the fools who design them. Not enough memory, not enough testing, lazy. They just don't want any help. Yes, I might have something to do with Space-X. Oh, and I just bought a 1972 Norton, third one. Good on you for the vid.
Question - have you ever had to close the gap on that spring? My new Andover spring has to much gap, and the bike won't come out of 4th. If so did you use any heat? I put the old spring back in for now, works fine. Great videos thanks.
I've never had a spring that's too loose/wide. Every new spring I've used has been too tight and required opening out a little - yours is the first I've heard of being too wide. 🤔
Greetings from Wisconsin, and thanks for the timely video! I recently removed the outer cover on my '73 750 Roadster just for the purpose of fixing an oil leak from the kickstart shaft. I had on hand a new gasket and O-rings. But that hairpin spring was especially worn from rubbing against the pawl carrier for half a century, so I ordered both springs from Andover. The hairpin spring came tight, so I adjusted it. All is well now, no oil leak, and it shifts like it should 😊
What about the shimming of the kick shaft? The measuring and shimming procedure? Some suggest the new rollerbearing creates shimming problem. And that a proper rollerbearing should be used instead. 🤷🏼
Do you mean replace the dodgy Portuguese layshaft ball race with a decent ball race? If doing the roller bearing conversion yes you will need to shim the the kickstart quadrant ISO shims are good for this and fit well
On most British bikes take-offs for vacuum gauges weren't usually fitted, so you can't use them (take-offs are normallyon the inlet manifolds). Some later bikes, like the Norton Commando 850 MKIII, did have them, though. Some owners do modify the inlet manifolds on their bikes with spigots to take vacuum gauges, but I've never bothered.
Nice video editing btw front and rear cameras. That is a very nicely modernized Norton that maintains the classic look. Lots of theories on the cause of the throttle sticking open. My guess is a slightly rough area in the guide slot on the slide that got hung up on the guide pin in the bore. That’s why it only happened at full on. Fortunately the spring pressure was enough to snap it down! Lovely country roads too. Where abouts are you?
Not sure, but I don't think so. The shell wouldn't fit with the inner casing if so, and they're definitely flush with each other. Away at present but will double check on my return.
I had the throttle stick open on my mk 2a, 50 years ago. It was early morning, middle of winter, with a dusting of snow on the ground. I set off for work, shut the throttle to slow down for a junction, and it stayed open. First reaction was to pull the clutch in, so the revs went right up, then, not really thinking clearly, I let the clutch back out. At this point the bike started fishtailing, blew right through the junction, fortunately clear of other traffic, before I came to my senses and hit the kill switch. Luckily, I was able to let it coast to a halt without hitting anything, or dropping it on the very slippery road. A real brown trousers moment. After snapping the throttle open and closed a few times, I restarted it and carried on to work. I was lucky to survive the recklessness of youth - nowadays I would have stripped the carbs and cleaned the slides before daring to ride it again, and certainly not in the snow.
Thanks for that. It's that sudden panic that's the problem - you just can't think fast enough, and then it's too late! Lucky in my case - very, very lucky in your case. 👍
I had a couple of IT Yamaha both of which had the throttle jam open and it was ice. As soon as heat from the engine/exhaust heated the carb it freed. This was cold weather and some water in the fuel due to condensation, Evaporation of fuel in the carb reduced the temperature enough to freeze the carb open. Bye the way I know where you live. Missed any B-17 recently?
Here's the first video of a series on rebuilding a Triumph Trident T160 gearbox. There is also a series on rebuilding a Trident T150v gearbox. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ymE8QquTMXA.htmlsi=5xtcfps7yuNYm0sW
Hi Chris, if you ever need any drifts Spacers dowels that kind of things making i would be willing to help if you dont know anyone with a lathe Mill etc, Cheers Baz
That's great! Much appreciated. I could defo do with spacers etc being made up. There is a small company near me who have done work for me recently, but they're hard to get to, so I may well be calling on you at some time in the future. Thanks again. 👍
