Greg Marsh Enterprises

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Norton Commando
Identification

Updated 03/23/24

Norton Commando
Survey

Updated 03/03/24

Norton Commando
Weights

Updated 02/18/24

Norton Commando
Colors

Updated 02/18/24

Norton Commando
Head Stud Study

Updated 11/25/23

Norton Commando
Service Releases

Updated 06/13/22

Norton Commando
Torque

Updated 02/17/24

Used Parts For Sale
Updated 09/13/20

High Mileage 850
Updated 02/07/24

Customer Combat
Build Oct 23

Updated 03/26/24

Blue 69S
Updated 02/18/24

Mk3 Engine & Gearbox
Delivered 03/07/23

Norton Rear
Wheel Lacing

Updated 05/06/22

Norton Front
Wheel Lacing

Updated 10/22/21

Norton Front
Forks Helper

Updated 01/08/23

Norton Wiring
Updated 09/02/23

Norton Wiring Diagrams
Updated 02/28/21

Combat 5
Updated 02/07/24

Roadster 850
Updated 08/07/23

1973 Customer
BasketCase Build

Delivered 07/15/22

1974 Norton 850
Commando Rebuild

Sold 01/12/21
Updated 06/10/21


1974 Norton Wiring
Updated 11/21/21

1972 Norton 750
Commando Rebuild

Completed 05/15/19
First Place Norton 5/16/19
Sold 01/01/20



1972 Norton Wiring
Updated 09/06/20

Customer Combat
and 69S Builds

Closed 10/18/23
US Flag Thursday, March 28, 2024
August 15, 2022 For anyone who was watching this - you're not crazy. This was to document another pre-sold Combat build. That has fallen through, so I've discarded the old content and am starting again. This bike is for sale - this may be the last Combat I build so if you want one, call me now. It can be any color Roadster you want but will be black if not pre-sold.

Background: I bought three bikes and a bunch of parts from a guy who needed to sell out everything he had. The Yellow bike below was a half built 1972 Combat that was one of the three. The guy bought the bike in 2000 for someone in WA and never titled it to himself. When he sold it to me, the dummy filled in his info as the buyer info - that may it impossible for me to title it in VA. So, I sent the title back to him and asked that he get it titled and return it to me. Instead of doing that simple thing, he went to the MI Secretary of State rather than the MI DMV. MI contacted WA and there we sit months later. No title. To be able to build the bike for the person who wanted it, I bought another one with a good title the plan being to make him a bike and sell off the parts from the other since there is no point in building an untitled bike.

The second picture is the engine from the titled bike. I had a helper a couple of weeks ago disassemble the engine and today I started the beatification process on the crankcases.

Yellow Combat Starting With

Engine Before

March 11, 2023 Quick update.  Several things have gotten in the way of this project.  One is EngineGearbox. That's done now except that it was shipping back with my engine and gearbox stands.  I'll be 73 tomorrow, I'm going to have my right hip replaced in early April, I can barely walk right now, and I got my first cold in 15 years :-(.  My left hip was replaced long ago. Anyway, I still have my rider on one table and a Trident on the other.  Both just need the wiring finished and they will be done. 

I have 23 projects left in my spreadsheet to do; but, I think it's time to wind down. I'm planning at this point to finish:
  1. My Norton 850 Rider
  2. Trident to sell
  3. Rebuild from Hell
  4. My original Triumph 500
  5. The T100D I've been wanting to do for quite a while
  6. This Combat
  7. A titled, matching numbers 850 basket case
  8. My Trident Rider
In that order unless someone steps up and pre-buys one of them. To do that you simply say so, no deposit, no money down, just a "Gentleman's Agreement".  The rest of the bikes, engines, gearboxes will be sold as I get around to it.  Bring a truck and let's make a deal.

June 6, 2023 Still not back on this.  Right now I'm working on a High-Mileage 850 and the Trident (#2 above) is still not done. Just needs the headlight wiring finish and a few more things.  I have a potential buyer for the Trident, but no commitment yet

My hip replacement April 6th went well until things fell apart on May 5th.  I can barely walk now with a cane but the doctor says that everything is OK with the replacement - I guess walking is not important.  It sure makes it hard to get things done!

July 6, 2023 I'm finally able to walk pretty well. I'm stuck waiting for the cylinders to come back from being bored on the High-Mileage 850 and the Trident above is basically done.  So, I'm doing some work on this now.  I finished the first phase of beautifying  the cases today.  Also, I'm going to try to sell the yellow Combat in the first picture to someone outside the US either in its current condition or rebuilt.  If I can't, then I'll part it out and use it to build this one.

July 9, 2023 The cases are finished and ready to go back together. I need to inspect and service the crankshaft and I need to inspect the cam and bushings before I can put the bottom-end together.

July 10, 2023 This is a new one! When the cases are ready I always to a final check that all screws and studs will screw in with fingers only and that every passageway is 100% open. That went fine for the drive size and all the threads were clear on the timing side. But then, I checked the oil passages - all fine except for the very last check - the oil return through the case to the oil pump. nothing would go through. Tried a pipe cleaner - no lock. Then I tried a pipe cleaner with brass bristles in it - still about an inch from making it from the bottom hole to where it turns the corner. Then I tried a long 1/8" drill bit and it would not push through! So, I removed the crankcase drill way plug and had a look. It was all clear to the oil pump hole. Then I started twisting the drill and was removing some sort of hard material. Once I got a hole through it, I use a long thin flat screwdriver to crack it all loose. Then I used a brass bottle brush to completely clean it out. So, back to the kitchen sink for another wash. All good now, but…

It may be a while before I'm back on this. I guess is asking me to build him an engine and gearbox and that's quicker than building this bike. See: Engine and Gearbox for Export

Rupt! (A system programmer term – interrupt and do something else. Of course, I'm already in the middle of a rupt! And that job is a rupt itself!)

November 7, 2023 It's been so long since I looked at this page that I forgot about it, but I was triggered today to look. The Red Combat has been sold but the new owner wants some upgrades and changes. Most importantly for this bike, he wants it to be changed to black. So, this bike will become the new red Combat and there is a potential buyer for it. I still have a bunch projects to finish before I can get back to this:
  • When timing the High-Mileage 850 a new electrical problem (smoke) arise so this is still not done.
  • The 850 Engine and Gearbox for Export to Australia is about 2/3 done. The engine is done, the gearbox except the outer cover is done. Still need to paint a cradle and install the primary.
  • The Frames and Parts for Export to Norway are finished and shipped
  • The Trident is done and sold but not gone. It's having a issue with dying with the clutch disengaged. On inspection it look like the clutch cable inner is too short and I didn't notice it when I installed the new cable. That's why we do shakedown rides!
  • The 69S and the 1970 Bonneville are both for sale and in the way.
  • The bike that was the Red Combat has been sold and I'm waiting for parts to update it to the customer's specification.
  • It seems like I'll never have the time I need to finish re-wiring my rider. It's been on the bench 6-8 hours away from being finished for about three years!
  • The yellow partial Combat is being parted out as I could never get a title.
  • When all that's done,l I only have 23 more project on my list. Someone should start a pool on how many I will get done before I die!











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