This is a Norton Commando
Roadster Mk3 from 1975 I found in Belgium.
It was bought in the United
States in the early nineties by a couple of friends who went to states and to
make a tour by motorcycle.
After they bought it, it
turned out that the Norton wasn’t the ideal motorcycle to make this journey because
of all the luggage to carry.
They bought another bike to
complete the trip but decided to take the Norton back to Belgium.
There it stood in a shed, occasionally
started en maintained.
Also see my blog about the Norton Commando Interstate I restored
in 2010
I found a couple of issues, which
is normal since the bike wasn’t on the road for almost 25 years.
The inside of the tank was
rusted.
The tires showed cracks in
the rubber.
The inside of the brake
units were full of rust.
The carbs couldn’t be properly
adjusted (new ones ordered)
Too much play on the swing
arm bushings
Leaking exhaust system.
So I fixed all that and gave
it a good tune up.
Cosmetic:
The rims and spokes showed a
little rust. I really like those aluminium rims so upgraded that.
Black tip exhaust were no
good so I switched to the reverse cone silencers.
Put on an older type rear
light.
Did a upgrade on the front
brake system (the old system just doesn’t works that great)
I mounted the original turn
signals.
