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My Norton is taking shape

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    My Norton is taking shape

    This 66 N15CS was a pile of parts when I got it. It's been an archeology project to figure out what's missing and how it all hangs together, because this bike has a strange pedigree and no frame and body diagrams are available. It's frame is Matchless, as found on G12 and others, with a Norton Atlas 750 engine, Roadholder forks, and the normal Lucas electrics and Amal carbs as seen on the UBMs.

    As I put it together like a puzzle, it's turned out to be in very good shape and is mostly complete. The oil and fuel tanks were custom painted by a local sign painter and it's hand lettered and striped. I like it but it's not original. I'll continue the theme of making it look and run great but not try to make it original. I have a disc front off a Commando to replace the drum, for instance.

    I just put the swingarm together and Right now I have some old Suzuki GS850 shocks on it as they are about the same length and fit the bike for rolling around. Front yoke (triple tree) and fork rebuild coming up next, as I also tackle the engine and gearbox, full teardowns.

    It has a single VM34 Mikuni and 7.6:1 compression pistons, so it's not a firebreather, but should be very tractable and fun.





    Cylinders .040 over and decked to remove spigots, as I have a better non-spigoted head (a protruding ridge to locate cylinder head which really is not needed so Norton ditched it).



    Time to paint the barrels and get all the correct studs and nuts etc. Crankshaft is still being reground, it's been a 3 month wait!



    I made an engine stand from plywood, I ain't paying $100 for some fancy schmancy metal one!



    Footpeg mount is odd, is from a 1946 design or maybe even earlier. Square locating rod is positively located by the transmission mount plates, but the pegs themselves are not! Seems they would have locked the pegs in place as well with a square hole in each side's bracket. Weighs a ton.




    Pushing in the swingarm 'pin' with some all thread and sockets/tubes.



    The centerstand spring will be interesting to get on. I think someone bodged it up with a curved loop to help find it with your foot, but then it appears a hunk is cut out of it. Again, no diagrams whatsoever to show me, just some Matchless YouTube videos I've found. I need a side stand, but people are asking as much for one as I paid for the whole bike (150)

    Last edited by oldGSfan; 02-05-2022, 12:18 AM.
    Tom

    '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
    '79 GS100E
    Other non Suzuki bikes

    #2
    Great to follow along, Tom.
    Like the engine stand.

    Not staying original, aren't there repro side stands out there?
    Redoing a CB77, complete original side stands are in the $500.00 range. I found reproductions bits for less than half.
    2@ \'78 GS1000

    Comment


      #3
      That looks like a really fun project! Keep going...
      Ed

      To measure is to know.

      Mikuni O-ring Kits For Sale...https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...ts#post1703182

      Top Newbie Mistakes thread...http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=171846

      Carb rebuild tutorial...https://gsarchive.bwringer.com/mtsac...d_Tutorial.pdf

      KZ750E Rebuild Thread...http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...0-Resurrection

      Comment


        #4
        Thanks Steve, it just came to me to stop looking for Norton (which always seems to have a markup...thanks Keanu!) and check Matchless, AJS, etc. as many Britbike parts are shared. I found one which may be right for only 63$ on eBay, repro from India. It even shows measurements so I will check if it's right. I bet it is.


        Originally posted by steve murdoch View Post
        Great to follow along, Tom.
        Like the engine stand.

        Not staying original, aren't there repro side stands out there?
        Redoing a CB77, complete original side stands are in the $500.00 range. I found reproductions bits for less than half.
        Tom

        '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
        '79 GS100E
        Other non Suzuki bikes

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks Ed it sure is. I'm just finishing up restoring the inside of my '69 Airstream Caravel, so now some time will free up. That took a few months as I basically gutted it. Maybe I will flood the zone with some pics of that, after all this is the 'other projects' section.

          Originally posted by Nessism View Post
          That looks like a really fun project! Keep going...
          Tom

          '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
          '79 GS100E
          Other non Suzuki bikes

          Comment


            #6
            Tom. I, for one, would love to see pics of your remodeled Airstream.
            Rich
            1982 GS 750TZ
            2015 Triumph Tiger 1200

            BikeCliff's / Charging System Sorted / Posting Pics
            Destroy-Rebuild 750T/ Destroy-Rebuild part deux

            Comment


              #7
              Beautiful. Leo Goff was getting his street P11 into the 11s back in the 70s and 80s. That is basically your bike but with the Chrome Moly Matchless G80CS frame. Nortons fast and reliable compared to the BSA Triumph and AJS/Matchless twins.

              I had this Atlas in the 70s up to the 90s. I did commute on it, and toured it as as far as a 1500 mile week. Never rode one with a Matchless frame. The Atlas shook a lot.

              sigpic Too old, too many bikes, too many cars, too many things

              Comment


                #8
                I have received most of the parts I need to refresh it all, not cutting corners. Lots of research on fasteners. I have the barrels .040 over with NOS oversize low comp pistons, the crank is ground and I am ready to take on the engine and the front suspension and brakes. New stanchions, fork rebuild kit, and going to a disc brake from a Commando - not terribly strong but beats a drum. I figured it's not going to be stock with that paint and seat, and I got a great deal on the disc setup.

                I lost 2.5 months after the parts arrived March 1 as I had to travel north to take care of my ailing dad (RIP). It was quite the ordeal and I'm mentally and physically worn out, but the Norton will provide a welcome diversion. I'll post pics when I get to the nitty gritty.
                Tom

                '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                '79 GS100E
                Other non Suzuki bikes

                Comment


                  #9
                  Tom, my sincerest condolences on the passing of your father.
                  Rich
                  1982 GS 750TZ
                  2015 Triumph Tiger 1200

                  BikeCliff's / Charging System Sorted / Posting Pics
                  Destroy-Rebuild 750T/ Destroy-Rebuild part deux

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Sorry to hear about your Dad, Tom.
                    Agreed, some thrashing in the shop can provide respite from the storm.
                    2@ \'78 GS1000

                    Comment


                      #11
                      This is the build I've been waiting for since you first showed us the beautiful body parts more than a year ago!

                      How is Mister T?
                      1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red

                      2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Rob S. View Post
                        This is the build I've been waiting for since you first showed us the beautiful body parts more than a year ago!

                        How is Mister T?
                        Well, life got in the way and I am finally back home, doing OK considering. Top tip: plan for your eventual demise and don't hoard stuff. What a mess.

                        The bike is going to be really nice, it had 10K on the clock and by the innards I can tell it's correct. For instance, inside the two piece crank is a 'sludge trap' that was quite clean - I've seen some teardowns online with huge globs of sludge in there. The transmission is really good but I'm replacing bushings and bearings anyway. Those old AMC gearboxes are very robust and smooth shifting. Today I mounted the new shocks and I like the ones I got, no shrouds. I hate shock shrouds for some reason and the rear needed some chrome. I also scrupulously cleaned the fork lowers and will assemble them tomorrow, will post pics as I go along. There are some great tips on making the big twin relatively non-leaky that I'm reading up on.
                        Last edited by oldGSfan; 05-20-2022, 03:40 AM.
                        Tom

                        '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                        '79 GS100E
                        Other non Suzuki bikes

                        Comment


                          #13
                          What a stunning bike. I envy you!
                          "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
                          ~Herman Melville

                          2016 1200 Superlow
                          1982 CB900f

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Here's a pic of the Long Roadholder forks ready to assemble with new springs, stanchions, lowers from Commando with disc brake mount. Bushings and seals were a kit, not terribly expensive. The stanchions are about an inch longer and the mudguard has a bit more clearance for off-roading as compared to Atlas & Commando of that era. I need to decide what tires to mount, it would look cool with something a bit dual purpose but I may just go with tried and trusted Avon Roadholders. I've been seeing modded UJMs with full knobbies, all I can say is wow.

                            .
                            Last edited by oldGSfan; 05-20-2022, 04:35 PM.
                            Tom

                            '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                            '79 GS100E
                            Other non Suzuki bikes

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Crankshaft is bolted back together, with fresh regrind it looks great, too bad it's hidden!

                              I also put the rockers in, finishing that job, the spindles were in very good shape, all looking good. It's a little tricky putting them in with a spring, they are a press fit so I heated the head to 200F in the BBQ and lightly drifted them in, making sure the oil passage holes to the tappets are oriented correctly.

                              The crankshaft halves will come together with the proper 'superblend' bearings and I will need. I have made a few of my own tools, the MacGyver is strong in me.. My valve spring compressor is a real hack with a C clamp and a cut spark plug socket












                              Tom

                              '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                              '79 GS100E
                              Other non Suzuki bikes

                              Comment

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