Here is a page covering the 1971 Norton Commando of Access Norton Forum member Kjell who is based in Norway.

The bike has received a few upgrades and mods over the years.

Electronic Ignition

A popular upgrade in the late 70s and early 80s is the Lucas RITA electronic ignition system.

Kjell’s RITA is slightly unusual in that it is the older AB5 unit. You can tell it apart from the more common AB11 as the casing has cooling fins.

A RITA is easily spotted on the Norton Commando, as the “reluctor” plate (the trigger inside the point cover) is very large, meaning the standard points cap cannot be used.

Regulator/Rectifier

Next up is the combined regulator/rectifier.

This is an “A REG ONE” unit from Al Osborn at AO Services.

This was a popular alternative to the Lucas Rectifier and Zener Diode, particularly for Nortons in the UK, as Al Osborne is the Norton Owners Club “Electrical Technical Advisor”

The installation instructions for fitting the “A REG ONE” can be found here

The blue can MC2 capacitor has also been removed from the bike.

The Turn Signal Indicators and their associated wiring have been removed by the previous owner, as has the superfluous Interpol wiring.

Charge Warning Light

In lieu of there being no assimilator currently fitted, Kjell has got a Charge Warning Light ready to go on the bike.

The nice thing about the Improving Classic Motorcycles unit is that you can retain the original warning light – so it looks totally factory.

It gives you a lot more useful information about the state of the battery and charging system compared to the standard assimilator unit, which looks for AC output from the alternator stator only.

Wiring Diagram

Here is the Wiring Diagram for Kjell’s bike:

Custom Norton Commando Wiring Diagram – Kjell PNG 3066×1841

This is available as a PDF too – it can be downloaded here.

Updated for 2023

Kjell has recently updated his bike with a Tri-Spark electronic ignition, and in lieu of the twin 6 volt coils, he has fitted the dual output single tower coil from Colorado Norton Works (it’s the brilliant Crane Cams unit) which is really neat and tidy.

Here is the updated Wiring Diagram for Kjell’s bike:

Custom Norton Commando Wiring Diagram – Kjell PNG 3066×1841

This is available as a PDF too – it can be downloaded here.