1955 Norton International headsteady

Hello,
i just got my hands on this beautiful Norton International.



Sadly the frame has little hairline cracks in the stiffening below the steering neck.
I think the reason is that there is no headsteady as needed on the featherbed frame.


Only picture of an International witout gas tank is from Roy Bacons Norton Singles.



Does any of you has abetter picture or drawing how it should look like.

Many thanks in advance (and please excuse my bad english)

Andre´

They more or less all eventually crack at the bottom of the trouser plate welds.

Oh you lucky man !

Mortimer said:

Hello,
i just got my hands on this beautiful Norton International.



Sadly the frame has little hairline cracks in the stiffening below the steering neck.
I think the reason is that there is no headsteady as needed on the featherbed frame.


Only picture of an International witout gas tank is from Roy Bacons Norton Singles.



Does any of you has abetter picture or drawing how it should look like.

Many thanks in advance (and please excuse my bad english)

Click to expand...

Mortimer said:

Hello,
i just got my hands on this beautiful Norton International.



Sadly the frame has little hairline cracks in the stiffening below the steering neck.
I think the reason is that there is no headsteady as needed on the featherbed frame.


Only picture of an International witout gas tank is from Roy Bacons Norton Singles.



Does any of you has abetter picture or drawing how it should look like.

Many thanks in advance (and please excuse my bad english)

Andre´

Click to expand...

Mortimer said:

Hello,
i just got my hands on this beautiful Norton International.



Sadly the frame has little hairline cracks in the stiffening below the steering neck.
I think the reason is that there is no headsteady as needed on the featherbed frame.


Only picture of an International witout gas tank is from Roy Bacons Norton Singles.



Does any of you has abetter picture or drawing how it should look like.

Many thanks in advance (and please excuse my bad english)

Andre´

Click to expand...

Some photos of inter head steady.The grey one is an original that I used as the pattern to make mine.Which was also gone when got the bike.

Triton Thrasher said:

They more or less all eventually crack at the bottom of the trouser plate welds.

Click to expand...

Not if the head steady is properly fitted

It's very important to have a very strong head steady/stay without one or a light one on a Featherbed frame will cause the top front of the frame to crack, even break at the front down frame tubes, the stronger the head steady/stray the better.

I haven't seen those tube types before, only the type fitted to ES2/Model 50(see below).
Same principal though - not actually a steady for the head but rather using the top of the engine to brace the top of the steering head.
The types shown above could allow some pivoting and not give the necessary support.
The ES2/Model 50 type is a one-piece fabrication with a solid two-bolt connection to the engine and the riser connecting near the top of the steering head as well as on the cross-piece.
I realise the top of the Inter engine is different but I can see how two bolts (fore and aft) could work.

If that dodgy tube thing was standard then I could see why @Triton Thrasher would make his comment above.
I have never heard of a pushrod single, with head steady fitted, crack a featherbed frame and it is braking force, not engine power, that will cause cracking.
Cheers