50 Years of Norton Design: Interview with Brian Slark and Mick Ofield

johnm · Nov 16, 2022

Thanks for posting. Very interesting.

cliffa · Nov 17, 2022

Thanks for posting GN.

Interesting to finally find out why the Mk3 caliper was moved to the left and in front of the fork leg.

jaydee75 · Nov 17, 2022

I enjoyed that. Thanks.
Jaydee

BritTwit · Nov 17, 2022

Great stuff!

Deckard · Nov 18, 2022

Yes, an interesting conversation with principles of the Commando era history. As an American Navy service veteran in 1971, I was all in on a Commando for $1430, with shipping to US for $100. Still own it today.
To those who have not been to the Barber museum, there's a track next to it where they have races and track days.
It sounds like a brand track day was going on during this recording, just wondering what brand, 'cause the engine
noise was very distinctive.
I was there while it was a Porsche track day and there was a Cobra in the mix. It was far more enjoyable to hear the Cobra come by at full throttle. American V8's, I guess

NPeteN · Nov 18, 2022

Big block music

jan nelder · Nov 19, 2022

cliffa said:
Thanks for posting GN.

Interesting to finally find out why the Mk3 caliper was moved to the left and in front of the fork leg.

Could you write that up, as I missed it skipping through video.
Pity they didn’t show older and newer switch gear they were discussing and the P76 drawing.

acotrel · Nov 19, 2022

Manx Nortons do not look primitive to me. The trouble with Nortons is they tried to be something they were never going to be. A Manxman is an excellent motorcycle.
I also worked in conjuction with designers in engineering factories which had all of the old British structure. They were very self-defeating. I think the 961 might be OK - JUST !
ISO9000 was developed from BS4891 which the British developed during WW2. Deming took ISO9000 to Japan. The British need to take a leaf out of their own book. The problem is that industrial democracy has a role to play in continual improvement. Oligarchs hate unions, so we all become wage slaves.

Mark Savage · Nov 19, 2022

cliffa said:
Thanks for posting GN.

Interesting to finally find out why the Mk3 caliper was moved to the left and in front of the fork leg.

I got why is was put in front of the fork leg, to deter braking lag in wet weather conditions as water would spout into the caliper on the rear, but missed why it was changed to the left. Possibly to ease casting set up at a guess?

robs ss · Nov 19, 2022

acotrel said:
Manx Nortons do not look primitive to me. The trouble with Nortons is they tried to be something they were never going to be. A Manxman is an excellent motorcycle.
I also worked in conjuction with designers in engineering factories which had all of the old British structure. They were very self-defeating. I think the 961 might be OK - JUST !
ISO9000 was developed from BS4891 which the British developed during WW2. Deming took ISO9000 to Japan. The British need to take a leaf out of their own book. The problem is that industrial democracy has a role to play in continual improvement. Oligarchs hate unions, so we all become wage slaves.

You single out the Manxman as excellent.
Strange! To me it is a just a 650SS with a tank that is impractically small and a questionable colour scheme (yes - subjective!)
So why are the 88SS, 99SS or 650SS not excellent? ...or their base variants for that matter?

mdt-son · Nov 19, 2022

Annoying racetrack noise spoilt parts of the interview for me. Otherwise an interesting performance, especially listening to Mick Ofield.
The inside story about development work on the projected Mk4 Commando was very interesting.

- Knut

cliffa · Nov 19, 2022

Mark Savage said:
I got why is was put in front of the fork leg, to deter braking lag in wet weather conditions as water would spout into the caliper on the rear, but missed why it was changed to the left. Possibly to ease casting set up at a guess?

Yes, it was the cheapest option presumably. Keeping it on the right would have meant new caliper and fork slider castings. I think I'm right in saying that all they had to do was change the hub to a circlip bearing retainer, change the spoke lacing and remove the front stay. Some of the calipers have a steel wiper fitted to the leading edge as well. Not sure when that was introduced.

I don't think it's much of an issue with more modern pad friction materials though.

Mark Savage · Nov 19, 2022

mdt-son said:
Annoying racetrack noise spoilt parts of the interview for me.
- Knut

I thought that too, just converting petrol into noise, I must be getting old

Thomasa · Nov 19, 2022

Water in the caliper was a major issue on my first disc brake bike, a CB750 Honda. In wet weather I had to increase my stopping distance by about double.

cliffa · Nov 19, 2022

Thomasa said:
Water in the caliper was a major issue on my first disc brake bike, a CB750 Honda. In wet weather I had to increase my stopping distance by about double.

Folks complain about the Norton brake, but the swinging Honda caliper was pretty dire when new and got progressively worse as the pivot seized. But back then the aquaplaning pads on all bikes were frightening for the first few seconds. The only good brakes (by comparison) were Guzzi and Ducati who's unplated rusty discs seemed to dissipate the water quickly.

Bonzo · Nov 19, 2022

What a great video!

Thanks for posting gortnipper

jan nelder · Nov 20, 2022

Deming and the methods he introduced to Japan after WW2 around quality control were crucial to improvements in their industry. I doubt if many UK firms even now know much about some of those ideas, let alone implement them.

Fast Eddie · Nov 20, 2022

jan nelder said:
Deming and the methods he introduced to Japan after WW2 around quality control were crucial to improvements in their industry. I doubt if many UK firms even now know much about some of those ideas, let alone implement them.

Not only the U.K.
It’s actually very interesting to go into big companies around the world and discover how little they know and use.
Most big companies are successful DESPITE and not BECAUSE OF their leadership.
Demming et al SHOULD have become irrelevant years ago. But in reality they are just as relevant, and almost as misunderstood, as ever!

robs ss · Nov 20, 2022

Fast Eddie said:
Not only the U.K.
It’s actually very interesting to go into big companies around the world and discover how little they know and use.
Most big companies are successful DESPITE and not BECAUSE OF their leadership.
Demming et al SHOULD have become irrelevant years ago. But in reality they are just as relevant, and almost as misunderstood, as ever!

THE basic principle of Deming was/is "listen to the operator" - something many major corporations of today continue to fail on.