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)
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)
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