Norton Commando 850 Mk 2

There are a lot of Commandos about, and many of them are still on the original wiring which is getting on a bit. Gary decided he wanted to eliminate occasional problems from his rebuilt 850 with a ground-up refresh.

The bike already had electronic ignition and a new regulator rectifier. These are excellent upgrades but need careful mounting, and there’s not much space. It’s also an electric start model, and the original solenoid stuck on, which was pretty disconcerting. It can happen! Fortunately a replacement worked perfectly. New high-capacity battery leads help make the most of a slightly cantankerous starter system.

Gary’s switchgear had been repaired at least once before, but these old Brit switch clusters are surprisingly rebuildable. Lots of silicone grease should keep corrosion away from the cleaned contacts for a long time to come.

With the other mods Gary had made, the result is a very well sorted Commando.