Single sided swingarm ??

Has anyone ever tried to fit a commando with a single sided swingarm?? I'm not too far off of finshing my 74 roadster and I'm already dreaming of a new project. I was thinking of taking a 75 interstate, and turning it into a cafe racer type of bike, but with a ss swingarm like the ducati's. Any thoughts or idea's??

Soneone here had a VFR (H*nda) swingarm fitted. Did it get to completion ?

First thoughts are that is it going to be mounted isolastically, or directly off the frame. ?
Frame would have to be reinforced, considerably, rather lightweight in that area otherwise ?

Now if it was a trellis / ladder style /spaceframe, may make some sense...

Why? I can't think of any benefits. Graeme

GRM 450 wrote:Why? I can't think of any benefits. Graeme

looking at some of the mods /custom work by a few forum members, i don't know if "added benefits" is a requirement for their ideas


like the saying - just because you can doesn't mean you should

Powereng03 wrote:Single sided swingarm ??

Has anyone ever tried to fit a commando with a single sided swingarm?? I'm not too far off of finshing my 74 roadster and I'm already dreaming of a new project. I was thinking of taking a 75 interstate, and turning it into a cafe racer type of bike, but with a ss swingarm like the ducati's. Any thoughts or idea's??

Sure have, go look at my posts on my 1971 750 project.

Why? I dunno

Here's a thread on the subject. A few members have done them.

monoshock-commandos-t11040.html

For a given strength, the two sided swingarm is always going to be lighter than a singlesided one. The iso subframe issues would basically make it a nonstarter. You'd be committed to the cast wheel that goes on it. In which case you might as well do a front-end graft too, so the wheels match. Can't see a 180/55 on the back of a Commando, not to mention the handling. I have one on my VFR, it weighs a ton.They do look kinda cool though and you don't have to worry about wheel alignment.

Doing coustom alloy engine plates migth give you a chance to do a double the diameter swing arm pin and solve that problem while youre at it .

A Commando with NS 250 ?? honda suspension cleaned up at Pukekohe in 2002 odd / whilst it was precipitateing severely , near a deluge . Was
a keen young mans ' ride to work ' bike . Smooth , throttle ON all the way , smoothly riden .Whilst everyone else had wet nappies .
Basic Roadster , all ' home built ' , plain black , Alloy welded cradle , Honda suspension , Dunstall like system with muffler cans up aft .

Generally ' cowboys ' arnt approved their . This was an example of ' why ' , clear out in front .

Why Not . . . . Just Bl**dy Do It .

Why not just fit the Norton pump in a frame made for the mono shock and single sided swingarm??

There aint one ? , and youd loose the isolastic ' magic carpet ride ' .

here is a link to theforum, scroll down for the pics.

its a vfr swingarm and it still retains the isos

1971-interstate-fastback-restoration-t6785-90.html

wouldn't it be easier (and have a better bike) to buy a ducati?

mikegray660 wrote:wouldn't it be easier (and have a better bike) to buy a ducati?

Nooooooooooo....one of my regrets is that i waited so long to get a Norton in my life....I have ridden many bikes you could name, all types (I work in the industry, was one of the first people to ride a 916 here in USA back in the early 90s) and there are some Very good motorcycles, old and new. Today i rode my 2004 R1(one of 8 bikes in my fleet) to work...was a very nice ride, fast, handles and stops on a dime, 68 degrees and sunny here in San francisco.......but the whole time riding it, all I think about is when I am going to take the Norton out again.
Some of the other guys on this forum can explain better why nothing can replace a Norton. Im still a "newer" Norton guy....Kinda why Im building my 2nd Commando

Rohan wrote:Soneone here had a VFR (H*nda) swingarm fitted. Did it get to completion ?

First thoughts are that is it going to be mounted isolastically, or directly off the frame. ?
Frame would have to be reinforced, considerably, rather lightweight in that area otherwise ?

Now if it was a trellis / ladder style /spaceframe, may make some sense...

No, But I am moving forward with it, just got a fastback tail off Ebay. Had to spend money on the BMW so that has delayed the project...just a bit. (she has over 150,000 miles on her, 1971 R75/5)

i put a clearer updated pictue tonight or tomorrow

You should do this sort of thing IF you keep it forever and not sell it on as soon as it's "finished" to some poor bastard who spends years and thousands of dollars getting it back to a more useable state.

Personally, I think you should find an old jap bike and try out all your ideas on that.