Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Norton bulletin board Just got me a 1971 Roadster - questions

If you email the librarian at the VMCC with the details they are known to reply with bare info for free.

Awesome!!! Great information! Thank you!! If it's only an exhaust difference, then I'm totally cool with that... the halo headlight configuration is likely going to sting quite a bit financially, but it'll at least look and be correct. Now, would a updated center stand bolt up or would I have to use the U shaped scary looking stand? Also, seeing as there was a gap in the production numbers, is it known what filled in the gap in the numbers? Curiously, mine also has the jugs painted with a heavy black paint.

I believe it is possible to fit the later (cradle-mounted) stand but holes would need to be drilled in the cradle or a later cradle fitted.





I don't know but they would also have been building Fastbacks. Edit: Also the factory numbers are not always absolutely accurate.

Its also worth comparing these 'factory numbers' on various lists.
Some of them diverge, wildly, with each other. !!!!

A list someone quoted recently was rather different to anything I've ever sighted before.
And seemed rather dubious. I'll find it...

Very cool.... thank you! While part of me is happy that I won't be tempted to put the high pipes on it to make it "correct", it'd still be cool as hell to have acquired one of the actual S models by chance!

Ok all... Happy New Year!

My latest quest is trying to figure out what kind of handlebar controls were originally on a 1970 Commando Roadster. Left side grip had which electrical controls? Right side had which electrical controls? The bike was never equipped with turn signals, so it'll be rebuilt as such - no turns... my arm works well enough and it'll not be ridden very much or far when completed. This is going to be a sort of amateur restoration, I guess. What am I to be looking for as far as switchgear goes? Thanks all!

Wipac Triconsul* (horn, dipswitch [Hi/Lo] and headlamp flash).
*(Not Ducon or Tricon)





None.
http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Brochures/1970/70Norton.pdf

Something like this maybe.

Where might one find such a thing? My headlight has a switch on it - what will that control then? Off, pilot and regular? Thanks again!

I'd say maybe horn, hi lo and flash. Switch on headlight is pilot or headlight. Think I may have the switch and halo for the headlight. Have no use for them. Switch goes on left side of bars.

https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-drawing/483/commando-r-s-headlamp-halo-brackets
Above is site with parts list(I have #1).

Below is site with side brackets.
http://www.klempfsbritishparts.com/norton?orderby=10&pagesize=100&pagenumber=21

There aren't many new, or good condition used Triconsul switch clusters around.
Parts suppliers (even Andover Norton!) may try to sell you a pattern 'Tricon' switch but it's not exactly the same as it has a magneto cut-out instead of a headlamp flash button.
https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-details/15421/horn-dipswitch-tricon-




Yes, the pre-71 headlamp lighting switch would normally be a three-position (Off-Pilot-Main) Lucas 35710.

One of the buttons could be used to complete a circuit to close a normally open relay, to flash the headlight.

Or you could just not have a headlight flasher.

Yes, I should've mentioned that.

There’s no law saying you had to!

Thats the 1st Law of FORUM INFO, isn't it. ?
Beware the info that wasn't mentioned !!!

KISS isn't always the only info you need....

https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/wipac-tricon-to-triconsul.22585/
at least one guy has reconfigured a tricon into a triconsul .
the internals are mostly the same .
not easy or really sensible for most to try and do ,
but it depends on your skill and patience level .
the linked text unfortunately has the pictures missing .

Awesome info from all! I'll likely just get one of the repops and use the flasher button as a kill switch, although the entire bike will be getting a new harness, so all wiring options are on the table. I like playing with circuits.



Thank you but I recently found an entire halo/headlight assembly with all parts (gauge, switch,hardware, etc) on FleaBay... all together was a reasonable price and they're all getting rechromed now. My next searches are going to be for a pair of the second series of Norton gauges (the ones with the solid green blob and 7k redline indicated on the tach) and a complete tail light assembly. Tail light is looking like it's mostly made of unobtainium at the moment lol...

I have most of the tail light parts.

If you mean a "repop" Tricon then it doesn't have a flasher button. It has a horn (ground) switch/button and magneto cut-out (ground) button.

That particular one I got from here https://www.britcycle.com.au/ advertised as NOS.
They were made in bulk so should be out there.

Ah - I'm clear now. That'll actually work too... kill switches are nice providing you don't hit it by accident.

Using a magneto cut-out won't work with points ignition or most Commando electronic ignitions without further modification (relay etc.) as the Tricon cut-out is a ground switch.

Edit: Or, just not connect the cut-out?
Or, fit a Ducon?

I got one from CBS (vendor here BSA like logo) that looks like the ad LAB posted

That would almost certainly be a Tricon (or Ducon) not the Triconsul in the ad.
https://www.classicbritishspares.co...ches?_pos=1&_sid=c446f38bb&_ss=r