This 1973 Norton Commando 850 came to us in need of an extensive amount of work. The customer who owns it expressed that it has been sitting for some time and that he was thankful to have found a a local shop who does repairs of this nature, as he had begun considering taking it out of state to have the necessary work completed.
Getting this Norton in was a real treat. Although we have worked on Norton’s in the past, they seem to be much more scarce than many of the other vintage British bikes we typically work on.
Something unique about this relic is that it features a rubber-mounted motor. While that might not sound thrilling by today’s standards, at the time it was produced it was considered very progressive.
For this job we’re largely focusing on the mechanics and leaving the aesthetics to the customer’s discretion at the completion of our work.
Our first task will be to get this beauty running again, which will most definitely include a good carb cleaning as well as the installation of a brand new battery.
The transmission came to us disassembled and will likely prove to be the focus of the job. Disassembled items often present a greater challenge than if they’d arrived intact, as there is almost always missing parts. Our job will be to not only put it back together, but also decipher what and where parts are missing.
Once it’s running well with a complete transmission, we will further fine tune its condition by completing the electronic ignition installation, repairing the braking system, installing a new rear tire, new front turn signals, and trying to track down Norton decals for an authentic completion of our work.
