Hello All,
I recently purchased a 1961 Norton 99 Dominator Cafe Racer. She has been running superb and kicking second or third attemp, however following a battery charge (I believe it is negative earth) she wont start, I may have hooked it up incorrectly! She will not spark now, plenty of fuel getting to the carb.
If anyone can help with the electric set-up that would be very helpful, I have included a couple of pictures. BR Jon
Pictures attached
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Nice bike.The first thing…
Nice bike.
The first thing to look at is what has changed since it last ran.
In this case the battery one presumes.
Your text is telling me that you are not sure of the right polarity for this set up.
My first port of call would be to look at the legend plate on the black box in the picture and trace back to where the positive terminal ends up in the harness, this will tell you whether or not the bike is positive or negative earth and to then see if your new battery is wired up appropriately.
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Polarity
As factory standard, your Norton would have been wired as a positive earth machine. Looking at your photos it looks as if it has had some (or all) of the electrics re-done and thus whoever did it may have taken the opportunity to change it to negative earth (a fairly common practice these days). If the Boyer unit does not have reverse-polarity protection (which I believe the Boyer doesn't) then connecting it wrongly may have damaged the unit i.e. 'blown-up!'. After ascertaining what the polarity of your bike actually is and wiring the battery accordingly you may be lucky and the Boyer has survived. Good luck!
HtH.
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Correct Mark
Mark's words are correct, very likely that reverse battery has 'stopped' the plot. But looking at the picture of wires under the tank, there has been a serious attempt to have safe tidy wiring BUT total disregard for wire colours hence we do not know what is going on with the wiring? Shame, spoils a good bike.
To clarify, the battery should have two wires, one wire, a red one going to Earth (if Positive Earth) the other a Brown/Blue live going to the Fuse. (if the polarity is changed then the Earth wire becomes Black.) SIMPLES
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There is MORE!
I have just seen, this machine has a Dynamo fitted! And it has an Alternator primary drive case!
If it was a dynamo machine then the use of a Boyer ignition is trouble looking to happen as battery charging would be inadequate. I think we have a Mongrel.
Oh by the way if you remove the trumpets from the carbs. you will gain a more little performance on acceleration. These trumpets look good but restrict the carb.
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Welcome
New to classic motorcycles
Jon, from your header looks like this is your first venture into the classics. Feel your pain. Us older ones should be more careful to tell new owners of all the trick "improvements" we have made.
Keep with it, look out your local branch, and enjoy the ride.
Welcome
Peter
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As others have said...
... it does look like a bit of a mongrel although a very pretty machine. You can tell whether an alternator is fitted by looking down the back of the primary chaincase and seeing whether there is a fairly thick (3/8" or so) PVC cover cable coming out of it which should then be connected by 2 (or 3) bullet connectors to the regulator. It may be that there isn't actually an alternator in there but it has for some reason been fitted with alternator chaincases. It can't really be running both an alternator and dynamo although I suppose anything is possible......
All these bikes are 60+ years old and most have been used at some time by impecunious youths (whatever their age!) who will have made various mods which will have seemed OK to them at the time with no thought as to what future innocent owners may understand. Are you in contact with the seller, who may know more?
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A dynamo is fitted
This machine has a dynamo, which you can see clearly. If it has a dynamo primary chaincase, you can't fit an alternator!
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That ribbed alloy thing…
That ribbed alloy thing looks like an electronic regulator for a dynamo.
Why did you charge the battery?
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In fact it looks like the…
In fact it looks like the notorious Wassell dynamo regulator.
Is there a polarity and voltage written on the side of it?
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Thank you all….
Many thanks for all of your comments gents, very interesting and knowledgable. Gives me something to go at. Hoping she will be running for the Norton OC meet at The Wharf Welford if anyone plans to go it will be great to meet.
Thank you again all for your help and to Peter for the welcome. I will get there with it!
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But you won't.....
But you won't have enough electricity to run electronic ignition!
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Did this bike ever run again?
Indeed did this bike ever get back on the road? Was there anything of significance in the Alternator chain-case?
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Shame my post was deleted…
Shame my post was deleted. It highlighted a concern I have regarding how we treat people new to classic bikes, as we all have been at some time.
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Pictures attached