Back when I made a living working on such things we had a customer with an Atlas and he was the bane of me. The bike was complete but a bit ratty. He had no money and every time he showed up it was something different. It shook itself to pieces. We didn't have service advisors back in those days so there was no one to run him off. It made me love Commandos and hate the Atlas.
Yep it's gotta be 360 crank, lumpy cams and slow idle...have to be careful tho bikes have been known to vibrate off their stands, absolute disaster, but comical for non bikers it seems.
Hi Mike, excellent video, as usual. I have some stories regarding my visit to Brooklands Museum, to the Classic TT, on the Isle of Man and to two shops in Saint-Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings and some research I did in loco, in Bexhil-on-Sea, about the famous motorcycle pioneer, journalist and clergyman Cannon Basil H. Davies, whose pseudonym was Ixion. As you must know, he rode motorcycles from 1898, until his death in 1961. He is the author of Motorcycle Cavalcade, a mandatory book to everyone who want to understand the History of British motorcycle industry since its birth, until 1950, the year the book was launched. The shops were G.S. Gedge, stabilished in 1897 and into motorcycle business since WWI, where I interviewed its owner, the other one was Cosmo Classic, a garage especialized in maintenence and restorarion of old bikes. If anything of that interest you, let me know. I'd be more than pleased to share those stories with you. I don't use any social media [Facebook, Instagram, nothing att all], so, if you want to have access to the stories, please, inform an e-mail to which I may write, privately, to you. The visit to UK happened in 2014, so the stories might be a little old. Best regards from Brazil. ✌
Hi Felipe. It's very nice to hear from you. Thank you very much for sharing the story. That sounded like an amazing trip to the UK. Please feel free to drop me a line any time at themightygarage@icloud.com. Best wishes, Mike
Hi Brendan. I hope all is well. I'm hoping to provide an update on the Manxman over the holidays. Poor old Shep is still at the back of the garage unfortunately. Best wishes, Mike
You are so meticulous and gentle when you work on bikes, and your attention to detail is remarkable, it's a real pleasure to watch Mike. Thanks for what you do. 👍😎🐸🏍
Somehow Mike, you always have something interesting to watch on Sunday morning! What a fine example of an older Norton, I've not seen one of those since the seventies, except here on your channel with so many classic bikes to show off. I had an atlas for a couple years, never got it together, sold it as a basket, like I bought it. This one is very fine sounding, very nice idle and even sounding. Everyone needs another ride about, you can't just stop because it runs nice! I look at these old bikes and seriously consider what they would do with a heat isolating set of manifolds. I did the extra gaskets back in the day, and it helped but they do tend to boil off the carbs. I don't have much experience with "printed parts" but manifolds would probably be a fairly easy part to do that way and isolate the heat. That compression was pretty much as good as it gets, both sides within a pound or so. On top of that, the bike is an absolute beauty! Thanks Mike!
Hi John, many thanks for your great note and advice. Yes, I'm sure that some kind of insulation spacers or washers will help keep the carburetor is a little cooler and avoid having to keep flooding them with each start. I hope all is well. Best wishes, Mike
@@TheMightyGarage I had the opportunity to build some big engines in the nineties, Harley's, and was exposed to the phenolic spacers that isolated the carbs from the heat of the intake manifold of "S&S super" type carbs. It took me back to the issues of heat and Brit carbs I experienced in the sixties. I've long considered spacers for the Brit bikes, say half an inch or so in thickness. I don't have problems here, in the country as I did living in city confines and traffic heat.
Hi Kevin, thanks a lot for your note. Yes, they definitely help a lot. Especially in verifying if the cable lengths are set correctly. Best wishes, Mike
Back in ‘63 I had a 650ss….loved it but it had to go back to the factory (Bracebridge Street Birmingham….still don’t know how I found it without a satnav!). Problem was the tappers needed adjustment every few weeks and my local dealer couldn’t fix it; Norton replaced all the rockers with “modified versions”!! Wish I’d kept it…..hindsight eh?🇬🇧
Many thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, that's a really cool bike and it was a pleasure to work on it and especially to ride it :-) best wishes, Mike
Great machine Mike , mine was the 'Burnt-red/orange' colour , very fast with dunstal pistons/cams etc. The big-ends failed eventually , too-much compression I suspect . A retired Norton-mechanic from Britain took it home to restore , still 'out-there' somewhere no-doubt . I shudder these-days at the speeds I did with those old drum-brakes . Dave NZ
Morning Mike, I do enjoy my Sunday morning viewing with your videos. A question for you - that you might be able to do a short video on. Are you a self taught enthusiast mechanic, or do you have some sort engineering background, perhaps a bit of both? It would great to hear your story. Thanks.
Hi Glenn, thank you very much for asking. I'm self-taught, but I've been working with motorcycles and bicycles for most of my life :-) here's a little video with more information that I hope you will enjoy… As I say, I have a face made for radio :-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IeBHd1yj1QE.html
Hi Chris, thanks a lot. Yes, someone did a very nice job restoring this bike. I love the attention to detail and the way in which it was put together with great care. Glad you liked it and hope you will enjoy the final video on Sunday in this little mini series :-) cheers, Mike
Top of the morning Mike! 19 degrees in Wisconsin this morning. Beautiful sunrise but no riding anytime soon. I’m content with workshop activities and living gregariously through yours and others riding videos. Few people are aware that Motorbike maintenance and aerobic exercise can be accomplished at the same time! Truly appreciate your expertise and wit! May God bless you and your family this Holiday season as well as throughout the year. 🙏🏻🌞🏍😎
Hi Mick, thank you so much for your really kind email. I sincerely appreciate it. It was very nice of you to say. I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I get a lot of pleasure out of making them and especially from working on the bikes and riding them afterwards! That's always the reward at the end of the project. I hope you are doing well. All the very best to you and your family for the holidays. Take care, Mike
😮 It runs! Very nice job Mike! Appreciate you working out the bugs! She sounds great! 😊 165 compression on both cylinders! Awesome attention to detail! Boom!🎉
Hi Mike beautiful Norton another job well done. Raining, cold and a dark afternoon here in the UK what better way to spend an afternoon with a coffee and catching up on your videos.. keep up the good work mate! Best wishes Eddie
Hi Eddie, thanks a lot for your note. Yes, the weather has turned here now. It's pretty cold and damp and we had some snow the other day. Glad you are enjoying the videos. Best wishes, Mike
In the early 1970s I had one of the last 600 Domies and a pal bought an Atlas that had only been used for racing, it had every performance mod possible, would not idle and you had to ride the clutch to pull away, he de-tuned it enough to be easier to ride and made the final drive ratio easier to live with, it was still a very fast bike compared to my almost standard Domie.
I agree! In many ways, I love the look of the atlas model. They definitely look more like a traditional quintessential British classic motorcycle. Best wishes, Mike
Many thanks Martin. I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. There should be one more video in this mini series coming on Sunday morning and then it onto the next project in the garage :-) best wishes, Mike
I forgot is was 'Sunday' .. 😂🤣😂 must be an age thing .. the bike sounds to have settled after the carb clean, also agree on a longer 'test ride' .. he he .. 😂 Thanks as always for sharing Mike .. 😉 .. 👍 .. 🏍
Hi Terry, thanks a lot for your note. Hope all is well. Glad you enjoyed the video. Hope you will enjoy the video coming this next Sunday! Best wishes, Mike
Mike. Can I book my A10 for a service a week Tuesday would be great lol 😂. I’m learning so much from these videos, so a big thank you and your neighbours for making it happen. Ray 🇬🇧
Many thanks Dave. I'm hoping to do a quick recap/update of the Manxman during the holidays. I haven't made much progress on the rebuild, but I have been collecting some "parts"! I hope you are doing well. Best wishes, Mike
Hello Mike, Greetings ftom England. Another superb video. I am really looking forward to you taking the Atlas out for a longer test ride. It will be interesting to hear how you rate it, say compared to your Commando. I am in the closing stages of my build of a circa 1958 600cc Dominator, from parts. It should be finished early in the new year. I can't wait to ride it!. Best wishes for Christmas.
Hi Peter, thanks a lot for your note. I really appreciate it. I hope you will enjoy the video coming up on Sunday! 😉 good luck with your Dominator! They are awesome bikes. Best wishes, Mike
I'm sure you already know this, To improve compression on a older engine squirt some Redex down both bores and leave it for 24 hrs, use 2 old spark plugs with the HT leads off so when the redex is in the bores slowly turn the motor over a couple of times, after 24 hrs replace the good spark plugs and then start the bike, you'll have to do this outside as the white smoke from the redex is like a foggy day on the M6 motorway at 4am on a winters day.. Redex eats away at the carbon build up on the piston rings and the valves,, you may see little black pieces in the white smoke, that will tell you the Redex has worked, ..I did the Redex thing on my 1965 Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor and it worked, the Enfield had been standing for about 5 years when I bought it, some call it 'the old motor trade trick', (mid 70s when i lived in great britain), I also used to own a Norton Dominator slimline frame, Norton make a good motorcycle, interesting video...good job
Hey, Mike, I always like your tone-videos ( especially when the Vincent or the „disco-ball“ are on the road), but I LOVE your videos working on the bikes… such a kind and beautiful work! Greetings from northern Germany Manfred
Hi man Fred, I hope all is well. Thank you for your note. I'm glad you enjoyed the videos, especially the workshop videos. I get a great deal of pleasure from riding the bikes, but also from working on them in the garage. Especially when they burst into life! Best wishes, Mike
Wow,even the seat needs loctite,on these old lumps😅 Gonna try that on my BSA seat cover.Thanks for the tip! I was surprised to see a lack of tufnol insulators, in the initial video. Cheers
Ha ha, that was funny 😀. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I agree, the tufnol or other insulators would definitely help I'm sure. Thanks a lot for your note. Best wishes, Mike
Wondering if it had methanol in the fuel. I know that is a big problem for classic cars where the fuel boils after the car has been stopped. You are lucky to be able to obtain methanol free fuel in Oregon, not the case here in California, though it is not difficult to remove.
Two different compounds Sir, you are thinking of Ethanol. My colleague sent me a picture of Ethanol Free fuel in California and it was $22.00 per gallon, proving you get what you vote for.
@@t.s.racing Ah yes, you are correct. Ethanol fuel sucks, for older vehicles, but for newer ones poses no issues. Watched some videos on how to remove it, its quit simple.
The Atlas is one of my favorites. What a cool bike. Did that battery have a volt meter built into it? That's a great idea. You can buy a cheap multimeter for 5 bucks... every high end battery should have that feature.
Thanks a lot Dave. Yes, that's the first battery I've seen with that feature. I thought it was dead cool. I agree, that would be a great feature to include in some of these higher and batteries. I think this one was relatively inexpensive. Best wishes, Mike
Hi Nikola... haha, yes the Shep Atlas project is definitely jealous of this bike, although hopefully it will look quite different to this mostly standard set up. I'm hoping to do some thing a little more custom with Shep one of these days! Best wishes, Mike
might be try iridium sparkplugs. they make a big difference on my bikes with not so perfect mixture managment. starting, idling, running...... also especially with plugs sooting from idling Regards from Bavaria
Beautiful ! so well done . This is the model Norton of today should build , enough of the trying to go against Ducati etc with the new Commando ( most can't afford it ) , build this bike just like Royal Enfield did with the Interceptor/GT Continental 650 ,, they would kill the market with one like this !
Hi Christophe, it's great to hear from you. I hope all is well. It didn't vibrate much at all while I was riding. It was smoother than I expected. It did vibrate quite a bit at idle but nothing too bad at all. Overall, it is a lovely bike to ride. Best wishes, Mike
Good morning. T140Vs and T140Es all have the balance tubes. Possibly yours are disconnected and plugged? The theory behind the balance tubes is to compensate for any vacuum differences between the the two cylinders. It’s very crucial too proper engine operation through the entire RPM range. Make sure you use the proper hose. A very firm and thick line that will not collapse when hot and under vacuum pressure. Cheers!
Thanks very much Mick. Yes, I agree completely. The balance pipe on my commando came off on a ride one time and it made a huge difference with the running of the bike. It nearly cut out several times and I was so relieved to see that it was just simply the pipe that had fallen off at one end. Best wishes, Mike
Thank you very much. Yes, I'm sure that's what it needs. I do believe that could help improve the situation. It starts really well if it's flooded, but the carburetors were getting really hot. Best wishes,
The 750cc motor was a piece of misery. Its intractable vibration would make a rider's fillings drop out his teeth. This is why the Atlas production run was short. It was replaced by the fine Commando. The Commando's motor shock just as horribly, but the isolastic suspension shielded the rider. The pity of the Commando was the abandonment of the featherbed frame.
I have to agree Jeremy. From what I understand, they should've kept the featherbed frame and changed the engine instead of the other way around :-) cheers, Mike
Mike, I just purchased an ultrasonic cleaner just like yours, what do you recommend for a cleaning solution and what percent if possible, thank you and as i always comment, great job on the videos.
Hi Phil. Yes, the ultrasonic cleaners are excellent. I use an 80/20 mixture with 80% being hot water and 20% being the simple green (purple) cleaning solution. I get the water quite hot before putting it into the ultrasonic cleaner, so that it doesn't have to work too hard to warm the water up. I then placed the parts in the ultrasonic cleaner for 10 minutes and then stir them around and do another 10 minutes typically. If they are filthy, I will rinse out the solution and repeat. The big tip is not to leave parts in the solution for too long as it can damage parts, especially the alloy carburetors. I hope everything goes well. Best wishes, Mike
Thank you Guy! Yes, I suspect the spring was fitted on the wrong side. I let Paul know. It's a bit of a tricky job, so hopefully he can switch it over to prevent the spring from catching which causes the hang up on the main stud. Best wishes, Mike
Hi, yes, that is generally the gap setting for many of the old motorcycles. You can also make it a little smaller for bikes that have a weak spark (0.018"). Best wishes, Mike
Ha ha, you will have to wait and see which motorcycle is on the bench next :-) there is one last episode on this Norton Atlas on Sunday morning and then I will review the next project :-) best wishes George
Hi Steven, it's never too late to start. You could pick up a used motorcycle/moped and give it a go. They are relatively easy to work on and tons of fun. Good luck! Cheers, Mike
