Ben is right, but I think he's exaggerating the problem. The rubber bush and spacer clamping arrangement of the swingarm is pretty weedy on the scale of the frame. You might feel a wobble, you might not, but instant death is not the natural consequence of Paul's modification.

Oh come now Paul, Just because Beng is less than diplomatic in his posts I think it's pushing definitions to the limit to describe the total discussion as 'fevered rhetoric', both Swooshdave and myself have made sensible observations containing no personal attacks or making any claims whatsoever. Furthermore whether or not any of the people commenting within a forum designed to elicit comment, have themselves contributed any technical advance to the subject in question is beside the point. Likewise historic examples of insufficient product testing making it to market simply reinforces the case for some sort of testing - I'm sure there were many clever engineers involved in the design of the Pinto and I'm equally sure that many hours of testing were involved, notwithstanding the end result.

In a nutshell; As a purchaser and user of Norton aftermarket components, I personally would like to know that any modification that I put on my bike has at least been thoroughly tested by the producer of the product , I am not advocating "over scrutiny" and "forced extended testing" but you haven't even run it to the end of your drive and back. The bikes fitted with the kits that you have so far produced appear to be many months away from turning a wheel, surely there is somewhere a happy medium between no testing whatsoever and thousands of hours of testing.

I recommend that you get Hobot to use it for a year throwing it at the ground, at deer, at hogs and anything else he can set his sights on. If it survives that I will buy the kit and build a bike around it, even though I don't currently own a featherbed chassis!

Here's my problem (on the forums)-

I DON'T USE EMOTICONS.

"keep 'em guessing" I sez.

'nuff said.

Triton Thrasher wrote:Ben is right, but I think he's exaggerating the problem. The rubber bush and spacer clamping arrangement of the swingarm is pretty weedy on the scale of the frame. You might feel a wobble, you might not, but instant death is not the natural consequence of Paul's modification.

No, instant death is not a worry and I am sure the bike will go down the road, and what the OEM setup adds is "weedy". But then the entire featherbed frame, street or Manx version, is a collection of marginal and "weedy" components that when all assembled and working together have often cracked and/or fallen apart. BUT if pauls untested creation falls apart, seizes up or breaks in use, then serious consequences are a possibility.

This has nothing to do with me at all, is not a matter of Paul vs. Me, it is a matter of Paul vs. The brilliant engineers Rex and Cromie McCandless and sixty years of recorded Norton racing history and millions of miles of street use.

For a "crafter" to take a design that a real engineer has produced and proved for decades with thousands of GP races and start making changes is ridiculous.

And Paul, that is all you are is a crafter. You have an eye for aesthetics and you already stated in a previous thread that your main reason for doing this was vanity, to make "my Triton, my Triton". And of course there is profit too.
If you walk around a craft-fair, you will see girls stringing beads together for jewelry, old men with scroll-saws making whirly-gig lawn ornaments, and women making leaded-glass christmas ornaments, maybe each in the shape of a motorcycle. Paul this is the league your creations are in. Everything at the fair looks good, but it is not the real thing.

Go ahead and build and sell all the bikes and parts you want, I just thought that if you put others before yourself then you would prove they were better and safer than the OEM setup before claiming they are, or before taking advantage of innocent motorcyclist that are more ignorant than yourself, or that blindly look up to you by offering them for sale.

I think beng is spot on in this instance. It is not very responsible to offer untested modifications without at least testing it on your own bike or with someone wiling to do the testing. Cart before the horse scenario

Points taken graciously.

Thanx.

In the case of selling an untried part which seems like it may well cause problems, its well worth making 100% sure product liability cover is up to date, as should anything unfortunate occur its very likely lawyers eager for a big payout will be knocking on the producers door.

Carbonfibre wrote:In the case of selling an untried part which seems like it may well cause problems, its well worth making 100% sure product liability cover is up to date, as should anything unfortunate occur its very likely lawyers eager for a big payout will be knocking on the producers door.

Sharks don't eat sardines

Jean

Jeandr wrote:

Carbonfibre wrote:In the case of selling an untried part which seems like it may well cause problems, its well worth making 100% sure product liability cover is up to date, as should anything unfortunate occur its very likely lawyers eager for a big payout will be knocking on the producers door.

Sharks don't eat sardines

Jean

"fish are friends, not food!"

swooshdave wrote:

bwolfie wrote:
"fish are friends, not food!"

Someone has a young kid.

2 of them

bwolfie wrote: "fish are friends, not food!"

Not in my house

Jean

Fish are friendly food.