Somebody out there (and I do wish we did know who to give him a righteous pat on the back for a job well done) probably ran into a basketcase Norton that they couldn’t pass up and began with whatever they could scrounge up out of the mess they bought. In this case, I gotta go with the 750cc Norton Commando engine and 4-speed tranny and just about nothing else from the original purchase. The frame looks to be of unknown origin, definitely not a modified Norton, and could have easily been a purchase that was originally intended for something else entirely. It’s definitely been stretched quite a bit rearward for better chopper proportions and the hardtail is certainly no famed Norton Featherbed frame. I’m sure there was a bit of ingenuity and creativity involved in fitting the English vertical twin, but it looks happy enough sitting where it is.

 

   One reason why I think it looks so happy as there was a lot of time and effort spent into making it a street runner, but with a few edgy pieces. Like any true motorcycle, the engine is the star of the day and in this case, the star is shining brightly. The cases, cylinders and those beautiful polished Norton alloy engine covers show the love that was put into this probably very late at night in a one car garage with an old component stereo playing classic hits just like the Norton was in its time.

 

  Instead of the stock twin carb setup, it’s been modified to a single carb like so many ex-dual carb Nortons. But, instead of the expected Mikuni carb, the owner chose to modify and install a rare Lectron carb on a manifold of unknown origin although there are a few different aftermarket ones. It’s really neat that he took this approach to doing something different or maybe he just had one lying around and decided to use it. Either way, you gotta appreciate he wasn’t afraid and I’m sure made it work properly. I wouldn’t be surprised if the exhaust is just the original headers sans the classic peashooter exhaust it originally came with and that’s okay with me as they look right although a little more back pressure might make it easier to kick start although sometimes you gotta take the bad with the good. I bet it sounds brappily loud as only a Norton can going through the gears so maybe a little hassle starting is worth it to the builder/owner. A spin-on oil filter is a nice touch that old Nortons never had, but this is obviously a rider so little things like that become practical longevity providers.

 

   There is a right-side handshifter tied directly to the tranny (remember Nortons shifted on the right side until 1975) but I don’t have a clue where the dang clutch is. There’s nothing on the left side either handlebar lever or foot control and the right side only has the bar-mounted master cylinder that I assume controls the single brake in the rear as there’s no brake pedal on the right or a front brake either. First person to tell me where the clutch lever is gets my sincere respect and admiration!

 

    I’m going to take a chance and possibly show my extreme ignorance, but I don’t think the springer front end is anything more than one man’s interpretation that was built on a wooden work bench with a big vise at the end. Maybe this version is not the most artistically machined and cast piece, but somebody really wanted a springer for this Norton and they built their version of the vintage low tech fork. Don’t take this as any putdown whatsoever as if I could build any version of a springer myself from raw materials I’d hang that sucker off my front end proud as sh*t. Yeah, I like it cause some guy did it and that’s about as Old School cool as it gets.

 

   Nice choice of wheels too with a classic laced 21-incher shod with another classic, an Avon Speedmaster MK II tire up front and a solid mirror-finish disc wheel in the back covered in another classic-style dual pinstripe whitewall Shinko square-tread round of rubber. There probably wasn’t a lot of choice when it came time for rolling stock because what else would be better in any way than something so retro-traditional. Fat or super tall, low-profile tires on expensive overdone billet wheels would look like crap with where this build was headed so it was a no brainer style-wise and an economically smart way to go.

 

   There are a lot of personal touches which I assume are personal solutions by the owner/builder to getting this bike done and done while not breaking his budget balls. I wouldn’t be surprised if he learned how to satisfactorily work leather on the nicely sprung seat pan or used his metal skills to fab up the trademark sissy bar/ribbed and lipped fender unit that has just the right amount of old Blighty in it. Or the oil tank that I mistook for a flask at first glance as the prominently engraved “OIL” cap was tightened upside down looking more like “710” to me. I don’t know what the tank is or who made it, but I just like it ‘cause it looks like it works.

 

  Same goes for the bicycle-like handlebars with white grips, the red-grip hand shifter, and garage-fabricated kicker pedal. They’re about as personal a statement as a garage builder on a budget can make and that’s what makes them cool. Or maybe it’s the set of home made floorboards, the first I’ve ever seen on any Norton Commando. Oh and I Googled the hell out of “Nortons with floorboards” and only got a sorta real hit from J.C. Whitney which said “Norton pegs and floorboards” but it turned out to be universal builder’s kit which means here’s a flat piece of metal with some rubber on it and you figure out how to make it fit. Our guy here just skipped that part and knocked out a set himself. So, I still stand by my declaration of the only Norton, especially a custom, featuring floorboards. And, with no foot controls so you couldn’t be floorboardy if you tried. 

 

   Like any custom worth it’s salt (whatever that’s means) no matter the bucks involved, the paint is the most obvious eye-catching statement and our mystery builder did a fantastic job here. The creamy white paint is striking and the red hue balances it of nicely. A bit of really tasteful pinstriping and a nice painted interpretation of the famous Norton logo on the tank that looks more BSA than Norton to me is a gem to behold. There’s just the right amount of playfulness going on here between the various grips and the paint to tie it altogether in a way that looks more fun than bad boy serious.

 

   So yeah, we like this mystery Norton especially the roots of it that are clear to see. Yeah, there may be a few cable ties instead of hidden cables or wiring, but that doesn’t bother me a bit. I bet you this guy built this for a price that would make you laugh and he’s got something that’ll knock ‘em dead anytime he pulls up and parks. A guy riding a bike he built himself from nothing gets respect and deserves every bit of it.