Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Norton bulletin board Location of Seat Logo on 75 Mk3 Commando

I purchased a stencil for the Norton Logo for my 1975 Mk3 Commando seat. I'm not sure where the logo should be located on the rear of the seat. Should it be centered between the seat top and bottom? I've seen photos where the logo is centered. I've also seen photos where the logo is placed higher than the center point and I've seen photos where the logo is lower than the center point. I believe so many seats have been recovered and new logos applied, that many logos are misplaced from the correct position. Does anyone have an original seat that they can measure the proper location for me? Thanks.

Whole books have been wrote on this subject. ?
And thats without whether the logo should be gold or silver ...

Its not a Mk3, but this looks pretty good ?



About where it is on the new Interstate seat I obtained recently.
Which has a silver logo.
(And the pinstriping on the tank is silver).

Hopethishelpsabit.

My tank and side covers are white in the John Player livery scheme. The Norton logos on the white tank and white side covers as well as the text are all in gold, so I assumed the logo on the seat would be in gold as well, but you know what they say about people that assume. Thanks for the quick response. I'm going to center the logo like on your photo unless someone else convinces me otherwise.

I don't actually know if there is any logic about silver or gold logos.
And I just selected that photo at random from the assortment that google offered.
Seat logos being a subject much discussed, it would seem.

Which is to say that this may not be rocket science, at all ....

I got this seat cover from RW Leighton and it fit perfect, but I think the logo is a bit high. Hand rail blocks it, thinking I'd prefer to be centered.

I have 2 MK3 seats. 1 roadster 1 interstate (5 miles never registered)
The logo positioning trend is clear.
While the exposed material from the trim to the sewed seam depends on the type seat, 4 or 5"+ the logo is as follows.
The bottom 15-20% of the logo is below the mid point.
The logo bottom is NOT sitting ON the 50% mid point.
If the logo is centered on the mid point it will be to low
If the logo sits ON the mid point it is to high.

I would go with gold

Thanks Dave. I'm going to follow your guidance, hopefully tomorrow.

I finally got around to adding the logo to my 1975 Norton Commando Mk3. I purchased the stencil from Baxter Cycle. I cleaned the seat thoroughly with isopropanol prior to attaching the stencil. The stencil was very easy to attach to the seat. I used Frog tape and brown craft paper to tape off the rest of the bike to protect it from overspray. I used Moneysworth Best Brillo gold shoe dye to paint the logo. Several light coats did the trick and I believe the shade of gold is virtually perfect. I used a razor blade to catch the pieces of stencil for removal and obviously this required care to keep from cutting the seat. After all the warnings I read, I was surprised how easy it was to apply the logo without screwing up. It was mostly common sense.

Regarding the seat logo colour, I've never seen a silver logo apart from my bike which is a 1976 Interstate mk 3, the tank and side panels are silver with red and black pin stripes logo's in black is the seat logo the correct colour or should it be gold ?

Welcome here. !
If your tank and sidecovers are silver, then it sounds like a silver seat logo would be well matched.
I've not heard of Nortons doing this, but a lot of stuff flew under the radar back then ?

I recently bought a new replica seat for an Interstate, it came with silver logo.
I didn't have any input into this, it just came like that.
I'm not sure of the manufacturers origins, it has a plastic base.

And if you want to attach a pic, you need to upload it to one of these free pic sites,
and show the link to it here.
Many use www.image.org you don't need to sign up or pay or anything just use it.
Keep a mote of the link, in case you want to use it again.

Its a shade disappointing there is no overall view of that Barber Interstate. ?
The seat details in particular.

The White red and blue Roadster there has had its seat replaced -
- has that panel sewn into it - towards the back - that the originals didn't have ?
https://www.accessnorton.com/attachments/2ac08d10-0837-45a3-b3a4-52b6403b46fa-jpeg.9700/

It has the standard pattern Mk3 Roadster seat with the usual stitched panel.

https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/sho...oadster-mk3-squares-chrome-bead-no-strap

Are we going to ignore that the Roadster originals didn't have that ?

And certainly not for the preMk3 Roadsters....

No, "we" aren't ignoring anything as the Mk3 Roadster seat had that seam.
The Mk3 Interstate also had a seam but not exactly the same as the Roadster seat.


"We" were discussing the Mk3 Roadster seat.

ALL Mk3 Roadsters had that seam ?

There seem to be a lot without ....
https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0114-180079/1975-norton-Commando-john-player-special/

(But this is 'restored')
(And Mecum seem to have found a way of hiding their pic links.)

There seem to be a lot without ....
https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0114-180079/1975-norton-Commando-john-player-special/

"Fresh cosmetic restoration"

...continued...
https://www.accessnorton.com/attachments/covernov1975a-jpg.10701/
Also in that magazine test:



Factory press test bike:


http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Brochures/1970/1975NortonLineUp.pdf




https://davestestsandarticles.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/4/5/4845046/cwoct75nortonad.pdf

Are seat details over the years described in precise detail anyplace ?

My Interstate seat, recently obtained, has a plastic base.
Which I am reasonably certain is not standard for the era ... ?

And there must be other suppliers of non-std spec seats ??

Lovely looking bike. Thank you for the reply looks correct then for a silver logo.

The last* Commando off the production line (336539) also looks to have a silver seat logo.
*(336538 'last' according to the NOC and 336537 'last' according to Andover Norton)

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19163/lot/455/

My engine/frame n0 is 334888 so not far from the end of production, thank you for the pictures.