1975 Norton Commando MkIII

After ten or so years waiting, my Norton Commando MkIII is all finished up bar a few little things.
I've heat cycled the motor and done a couple of shakedown runs but I'm going to change up the gearbox sprocket to give it a bit more in the legs first up.

Also, I have a problem with the chain tensioner so I will look into that while its apart as well.

Very happy to have this bike all finished up after all these years dreaming about riding it. The restoration was done by a friend of mine Steve Atherton in Sydney. There is no way I would have had time to do this project with my work load over the last few years. The paintwork was done by Peter Flemming of Star Enamelers and its as good as his work usually is. He is an amazing painter no doubt. Most of the parts on the bike are original and came to me in many boxes of bits...maybe baskets even. Im looking for a very good original (not repro) set of MkIII mufflers if anyone is holding. I love Nortons.

1969 Shovelhead progress...

Have been working in the shed again. I found it hard to get motivated over the last year after we came back from Born Free but I'm really trying to get my shovelhead finished before the end of the year. 

this is how it sits at 14th July.

I have the gas tank and oil tank mostly roughed up but I will aim to get them completed in the next two weeks.

Am I back?...

....not actually sure, i'd like to be, but i've been here before and couldn't do it. I'll have a go and see what happens.

here's a shot of the knucklehead Brado and I built for born-free this year (2017).

BF8 45 Frame

Here is the frame I'll be using for my 45 build for Born-Free.

Its a frame that was altered in the early 70's by a bloke in Sydney who fitted up a Triumph four speed box. Its in fairly good nick as you can see but has had a bunch of stuff brazed on like brackets and the whole bottom transmission cradle. 

The two lower rear legs were also replaced and the left lower has a flattened section that has obviously been bashed flat. Choppershit for sure. Ill be reworking this area and the cradle to make them a little less bushrepair like.

There's braze everywhere as you can see. The main castings are all in great condition. There are also a couple of brackets that i will remove, including the rear fender bracket.....very ugly.

My hope is to finish this frame really well, meaning very clean and smooth for paint. I want to highlight the cast sections but there is a possibility i may remove the neck and turn up a new one to fit the J model springer ill be using. If I do, I'll probably lower the neck and rake it just a touch to get it sitting right. Not sure about that yet, Ive got a few alternatives, including another Norton girder like the one fitted to my Norton Atlas.....I really want to play out this J model front end and see where it goes first though.

Born-Free 8

I'm so excited to have been asked by Mike and Grant to be a part of the Invited Builder line-up for Born-Free 8. To stand alongside all these other amazing blokes who I've been following for so long and be building a bike for everyone to see is just a total spin out.

I'm very thankful to everyone who has encouraged over the years to follow this crazy dream of building motorcycles, especially my beautiful and amazing wife. I'm hoping she will be able to come with me next year and see what a totally amazing show Born-Free is. 

I'm going to try and get really serious with my blog posts to keep everyone up with what I'm doing. I don't want to keep anything secret and I don't want to leave anything for last minute so I'm going to make regular posts here as well as on Instagram to keep momentum up and make some headway.

I feel so privileged that I'm the first one to represent Australia, there are so many great builders here who build better than me and do this for a living so I'm hoping to do them proud too.

Norton Atlas 2015

Choppers to Chopped 2015

Ok Everyone,

Here is the link to the Google Map for thursday and Friday rides

MAP

From Hume in the ACT to Corryong on thursday night its just over 300kms.

From Corryong to Chopped on Friday its about 465 kms.

Norton Progress

Finished up the exhaust fabrication, all in stainless and after i took these shots i made up some brackets to hang the rear on both sides. Took me a long while to get these right. Don't know why but the simpler the design the harder to get perfect.

Installed a baffle in each pipe also to get some back pressure and keep it quiet for the man.

Next up is to finalise the tins and get them down to Karl for paint.

Motor is in on the Norton Atlas...

Need to pick up some fasteners this week but the motor is all lined up and sitting in the frame now.

I forgot how good it looked in there. I think this version of the bike is going to look a lot better than the old version due to the oil tank change and the rear fender sitting lower over the tyre.

 Also, Im waiting on the exhaust bends to turn up so i can build the new exhaust. 

coloured balls

2 FOR 1 ALL WEEKEND

Any bloke or girl that buys a Dead Man on a Pan shirt this weekend gets a Machine logo shirt free in the package. I'm trying to fund the Norton Atlas shipping to Born Free 7 in about 4 weeks from now so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks to all in advance.

over to the right is the shop

Norton Atlas motor for Born Free 7

 Thought I'd post up some shots of the Norton motor all finished up. I should have it in the frame this weekend. Ive got some work to do on the engine plates first but should be able to get it done.

New Machine Dead Man on a Pan shirts in the store

paint it black

New T Shirts up next week.

Should have new T shirts in the shop next week.

I will post up when they are in. 

Ryan Ford did this little thing of the dead man on a pan. I love it, thanks so much Ryan.

KH

Thought i would post up a couple of shots of the KH before it gets put away. I've isolated the oiling problem to the scavenge pump not working. Either the woodruff key has sheared or there is some other problem causing the timing chest to fill up with oil. a

As the pump is still working its building pressure and therefore forcing oil out the path of least resistance being the timing chest breather. 

Its a very pretty bike i reckon.

Ive got a few plans for it though. Including changing the front hub, changing the sissy bar, and repainting the whole bike in a real light leaf green like the 1980s aston martin vantage colour. 

Narrow the bars a touch, run the front pipe through to the back of the bike, and change the taillight for something a little more period. 

Me and Troy

"A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

George Eliot

Photo by Scott of Pipeburn