By Grant Tiller on 4 April 2020 ( 2 Comments )

Lucas/Wassell 1970-74 Norton Commando Headlamp Harness

Wassell make a great wiring loom for the Norton Commando.

Specifically I am referring to this sub-harness Lucas Part Number 54960724 which is listed as being for the Norton Commando 1970-74 Headlamp Harness.

Wassell sell this item under the Lucas name, as they have licensed the rights to use the name for some of the classic motorcycle parts.

An excerpt from the Wassell website about this licensing deal is as follows:

In 2014, Wassell acquired the licence for the Lucas brand from Lucas Industries Limited, for Classic Motorcycle parts. In conjunction with Lucas, an extensive product development programme for Classic Motorcycle parts was initiated, to once again, establish Lucas as a market leader within the industry. Further information is available at www.lucasclassicmotorcycle.com

In 2019, Wassell acquired the extended licence for Lucas Classic products, and Girling products worldwide, for Classic motorcycles. The Lucas Classic programme launched in 2019, and included the Lucas Classic Car, Lucas Classic Landrover, and Lucas Classic Motorcycle divisions.

The Wassell history page is an interesting read, and I urge you to take a look!

However, since the very beginning, the “Installation Plan” on their website which is also handily printed in colour and included in the packaging when you buy the item is actually wrong.

Here is the original “Installation Plan”

I have highlighted the parts that are incorrectly labelled and wrongly drawn:

This is the corrected version of the “Installation Plan”

As usual, I have contacted Wassell about this in the past, as I have helped a few people that have run in to issues.

However, as usual, it has fallen on deaf ears, and several years on they still have not changed it.

Hopefully this will help someone somewhere!!!!

There are several errors on the paper instructions/guides that come with the Lucas/Wassell harnesses.

To my knowledge, the harnesses themselves are fine – they are made by Autosparks, whose history can be traced back to the original ones supplied to Norton.

Here are the pages with corrections:

Hi Nigel – so sorry that you didn’t get my reply to your qery a few weeks ago.

Please find it below – I think it covers everything you asked about:

Ashley at Andover is a great guy – very knowledgeable!

This page on my site will cater for your upgrades:

https://granttiller.com/tri-spark-podtronics

Your will be the 1972 onwards diagram.

A couple of things to note:

With a modern battery, there is no need for the capacitor anymore.
The electrolytics in them starts to degrade after a few years anyway, so they are classed as a disposable item these days.
Your new PODtronics reg/rec will do a good job of smoothing out the voltage.

Also be aware that the original warning light assimilator (the silver can Lucas 3AW which is found on a spring mounted between your ignition coils) is NOT compatible with your PODtronics reg/rec and must be removed.
The original is pretty useless anyway – all it does is tell you there is something other than zero volts AC coming out of the alternator stator.

I use and recommend the Standard version of the charge warning light from Improving Classic Motorcycles – it is detailed on the page, and shown in the wiring diagram.
Be sure to order the Standard 12V Positive earth Charge Warning Light

The backlighting on the speedo and tacho are connected via one or two wires (depending on what Norton had in stock at the time)
They will either earth out via the body of the instrument, or more often will have an earth cable which will go back to the headlight shell.

Originally the two cables that go to the holder would have been red (earth) and brown with a green tracer.
Aftermarket replacements are usually red and black.

The pilot light with tacho and speedo backlighting will come on with the tail light when your ignition key switch is in the ignition + light position (which is fully clockwise) or in the parking position (which is fully anti clockwise)

Hope this helps!

Grant

2 replies ›

Nigel Boyce says:

17 December 2025 at 18:49

Hi
I have the 1973 Commando which I am rebuilding nuts and bolt upwards
and have a new wiring loom from AN which still has rectifiers Zener Diodes etc
Do you have a picture of the main wiring loom but uses Tri=spark and Podtronics?

- Grant Tiller says:
  
  17 December 2025 at 19:29
  Hi Nigel – so sorry that you didn’t get my reply to your qery a few weeks ago.
  
  Please find it below – I think it covers everything you asked about:
  Ashley at Andover is a great guy – very knowledgeable!
  
  This page on my site will cater for your upgrades:
  
  https://granttiller.com/tri-spark-podtronics
  
  Your will be the 1972 onwards diagram.
  
  A couple of things to note:
  
  With a modern battery, there is no need for the capacitor anymore.
  The electrolytics in them starts to degrade after a few years anyway, so they are classed as a disposable item these days.
  Your new PODtronics reg/rec will do a good job of smoothing out the voltage.
  
  Also be aware that the original warning light assimilator (the silver can Lucas 3AW which is found on a spring mounted between your ignition coils) is NOT compatible with your PODtronics reg/rec and must be removed.
  The original is pretty useless anyway – all it does is tell you there is something other than zero volts AC coming out of the alternator stator.
  
  I use and recommend the Standard version of the charge warning light from Improving Classic Motorcycles – it is detailed on the page, and shown in the wiring diagram.
  Be sure to order the Standard 12V Positive earth Charge Warning Light
  
  The backlighting on the speedo and tacho are connected via one or two wires (depending on what Norton had in stock at the time)
  They will either earth out via the body of the instrument, or more often will have an earth cable which will go back to the headlight shell.
  
  Originally the two cables that go to the holder would have been red (earth) and brown with a green tracer.
  Aftermarket replacements are usually red and black.
  
  The pilot light with tacho and speedo backlighting will come on with the tail light when your ignition key switch is in the ignition + light position (which is fully clockwise) or in the parking position (which is fully anti clockwise)
  
  Hope this helps!
  
  Grant

Lucas/Wassell 1970-74 Norton Commando Headlamp Harness

2 replies ›

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