5 speed gearbox

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Cheesehead Commando

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Hi, everyone! I have a question, and I am hoping someone can help me with it. I came across a Commando-based race bike that had a 5 speed gearbox with the initials NRLV stamped on it. Does anyone have information on this? Is this a Nourish built tranny? Does it have a good reputation? Thanks in advance for your input!
 
Is it in a Norton shell, or a different one? What does the outer cover look like?...Triumph or Norton?? can you post a pic??
 
There were/are a couple different manufacturers of 5-speed gearsets for the Norton/AMC box. Quaife is probably the most popular, althought there was (is?) a company called TT industries in New Zealand that built a pretty beefy one. McIntosh racing was another. However, I am not aware of Nourish building such a gearset.

Most of these were designed to fit into a standard case, although many offered strengthened cases to help combat breakage. It still was like putting 10 lbs of s#1! in a 5 lb bag. Gear widths are narrowed on a design originally made to back up a 15 hp engine.

I don't recall ever seeing NRLV on any cases. Of course my Quaife was in a stock Norton case.
 
Nourish makes a set of g/box cases which take a special mainshaft to mate up with the Norton clutch. It uses a Triumph 5speed gear cluster and also triumph inner/outer covers. It will fit into standard Norton engine plates (featherbed etc, never tried it on a commando, but it might fit too)

TT Industries is a relatively new gearbox (in the last 3 years or so) who's box looks similar to an AMC/Norton box but uses a modern cluster/gearchange mechanism.

Quaife now do a similar box with modern selector mechanism which is lighter and has "cassette" type gear cluster.....it also looks similar to the AMC box. The "older" type of quaife cluster now has needle rollers in the sleeve gear and is stronger than the earlier type....My first Quaife lasted for 28 years without problems. I eventually upgraded the cluster about 5 years ago and had no problems whatsoever.

A Quaife shell is thicker on the drive side and has 2 extra thick stiffening ribs down the back. Schaefleitner also did a 5 and 6 speed box for Nortons, but was better suited to the Manx, as the gears were narrower and too fragile for a tuned commando. There was also the PGT box as sold by Seeley etc, which I think had a slightly different selector mechanism/clutch lifter..

hope this helps
 
Thanks for the feedback! Sorry, I have no photo. The shop is located out of state. But the Nourish/Triumph connection makes sense. I remember the cases being a bit different than stock Commando's. Any idea about the reliability of the unit? Was the Triumph cluster and the case up to the task? Does Nourish still make them?

Again, thanks for any feedback. I would like to purchase a 5 speed, but hard to find them used. New is expensive.

Alan, is that you???
 
Hi ,

yes the box is quite reliable....all triumph 5 speed internals. i know a few people using them in Weslake/NRE outfits and solos. Nourish still supplies them....my mate got a mainshaft recently to put a real (diaphragm) clutch on his wessie. The clusters are easier (cheaper)to get spares for as it's just standard Triumph stuff

Cheers

John
 
Thanks, John! All good information. Funny I haven't heard of this box before. Any modification to the stock Commando clutch necessary? Do you know of a website that has info on this box? Thanks again..
 
I have that in my bike, it's a a Nourish shell (or case) and special shaft by Nourish. It all takes the Triumph 5 speed cluster and you need an in-between plate and outercover of a right-food-shifter Triumph too. (where big change is you find a left-foot-shifter 5 speed cluster)
It would take the AMC clutch on splines but I wnet for the diaphragm of a Commando with a special innerbasket to get it aligned for a 500 Domi.
Case looks very much like AMC case but is different. I needed to make minor adjustments to engineplates to get it in.
 
I have that set up in my race bike with the Triumph cluster and a Commando clutch. Herb Becker modified the Triumph outer covers so that it would fit in the featherbed frame. No kickstart is used on mine, because there is no room. It works well. No problems. I don't know if Nourish still sells that set up these days.
 
marinatlas said:
Hi, there was also Nova who made an AMC style 5 speed............
Click to expand...

In May 2013 I had a long discussion in the Nova factory, which is less than 10 miles from here, they do not do a complete AMC 5 Speed box. I believe they did do some shafts.
 
I have run one of these NREV gearbox shell/ Triumph 5 speed cluster gearboxes in my racebike for a number of years. It works well although I have had my issues with the shifting of the Triumph cluster and I do lust after one of these lovely but pricey TT gearboxes.
 
You need to keep an eye on the exchange rate. Last summer it was at a long time low but has run back up
lately. 1.26 per 1 dollar USD now.
Money well spent believe me.
 
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