cliffa
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Great minds and all that…Hadn't spotted that
Any successful DIY neutral switch installs on MK2?
- Thread starter art6
- Start date
Thanks all. I'm attempting to use a roller-contact switch, shown below. Different hole and threads, but it won't score the zit on the cam plate. Not finished yet - I'll report back if it works. Or not.
BTW, why do I want a neutral indicator? That embarrassing lurch forward when I think I'm in neutral and release the clutch.
And as an engineer I just can't help myself.
BTW, why do I want a neutral indicator? That embarrassing lurch forward when I think I'm in neutral and release the clutch.
And as an engineer I just can't help myself.
Here's what I've got:
No pointer, and IMHO not a great way to confirm neutral due to play in the shift lever, or at night. Number stampings probably done Friday afternoon just before the pubs opened. Yes, I habitually click up and down to confirm neutral at stop lights, and don't think about it. I'm just spoiled by *other* bikes after riding for 55 years and wanted to see if I could do something about it. But I still believe that kick starting is a motorcycle ritual that should be required by law, so there.
No pointer, and IMHO not a great way to confirm neutral due to play in the shift lever, or at night. Number stampings probably done Friday afternoon just before the pubs opened. Yes, I habitually click up and down to confirm neutral at stop lights, and don't think about it. I'm just spoiled by *other* bikes after riding for 55 years and wanted to see if I could do something about it. But I still believe that kick starting is a motorcycle ritual that should be required by law, so there.
The pointer isn't attached to the shift lever, and doesn't actually touch the shift lever, give it a try, I ran for years without one, then added one to see if it helped anything. And its main use for me is when I'm working on the bike and want to see what gear its in
Thanks. A pointer it is. And my funky neutral light, so I don't have to wear my bifocals when riding. Mo lights, mo betta. And I certainly have nothing against pubs after work on Fridays.
It’s telling that British bikes didn’t include a neutral light on their large premier products when even small Japanese bikes had been so equipped for years. I guess it boils down to an arrogance by management concluding that the purchasers of these bikes didn’t need them. This may be true but anyone in marketing will tell you that everyone likes a few ‘bells and whistles’ at the time of purchase. All it did was to further alienate younger potential owners who looked at the small steering head consoles on jap bikes with a neat array of warning lights and ignition switch and considered anything less than that primitive. My first big bike (T160) was so equipped as was the Mk3 but it astounds me that it took so long. As to why Nortons didn’t include an oil pressure switch, I have no idea. Even when in financial extremis so much more could have been done to keep the bike’s equipment level vaguely comparable to their Japanese opposition.
ashman
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Who need friggin warning lights, my Triumphs had all them bloody bells and whistles for every thing, when I converted my 850 to the Featherbed frame back in th1980 I got rid of everything, no oil/ignition light nothing after 50 + years of owning my Norton I know just by feel of my gear lever when its in neutral or not, I know every sound my bike makes when normal, I just know my Norton, and the best part I run with very min wiring and even less with the Joe Hunt magneto and a very small battery, but that is about to change when I install the electric starter kit, thick wiring for the starter a bigger battery, in fact a few extra changes to be able to run the ES kit, after losing my lower right leg, I had my Norton set up right the way I built it 45+ years ago everything was built simple and now I have to change it all, I like simplicity, with all the bells and whistles to many things can go wrong and why make things harder.
Maybe you are just overthinking things even without a gear indicator on my gear lever I still know what gear my Norton is in just by feel alone and it also tells me my clutch and primary chain is set right just by feel alone, who needs a fu cking neutral switch and trying to solve a problem that not a problem when you know your own bike, but then so many don't know their own bike, same as new Norton owners don't have the knack of using the kicker, the way your bike is set up is how thing work right.
Ashley
Maybe you are just overthinking things even without a gear indicator on my gear lever I still know what gear my Norton is in just by feel alone and it also tells me my clutch and primary chain is set right just by feel alone, who needs a fu cking neutral switch and trying to solve a problem that not a problem when you know your own bike, but then so many don't know their own bike, same as new Norton owners don't have the knack of using the kicker, the way your bike is set up is how thing work right.
Ashley
Hi Ashley, I don’t doubt that everything you say is true, particularly in reference to your experience and what you know and expect from a bike. However the whole point of a motorcycle industry is to sell the bikes and unquestionably by 1970 new purchasers were expecting various refinements. This is irrespective of the fact that many rusted on tragics may have considered them unnecessary and superfluous gadgets. We must honestly and without prejudice ask the question; if faced with the choice of two bikes without brand loyalty, why would you choose one without an electric start for example. If you answer that Norton riders are purists who value light weight simplicity over technology you have instantly alienated are huge much share that given time could have been repeat buyers. Regards Alan
ashman
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Alan I have no problems with modern bikes or cars I have had my share of later model bikes and cars, but having all the bells and whistles to tell you what going on with your bike or car can be annoying/distraction, on my old Norton I have no indicators fitted, so I don't forget to turn them off once I turned, I have 2 fuel taps one normal and one reserved when I get low on fuel, I don't need a neutral light to tell me I am in neutral, I don't need high beam light as I can see by my light whether its on hi or low beam, I have no oil light as my bike uses no oil or drops oil in the 50+ years, I know when it needs servicing, I just know my own bike, a different sound when things not right.
Since my accident I can no longer drive my old Land Rover without many modifications done to it, we just brought a 2019 Honda CR-V with all the bells and whistles, I find it very annoying with all the crap telling me what to do, so many gadgets and a 795 page manual explaining all the gadgets, its taking all the fun out of driving with your own skills and knowledge of driving we learned from a young age and they are making drivers lazy and losing a lot of basic skills they should know before they get behind a wheel and how many times you been forced off the road by a distracted driver expecting their car doing everything for them.
So I just like things simple, makes life a lot easier, I just want to enjoy riding and driving without the B S controlling my car or bike for that matter, yes I am old school in everything I do.
Even with modern cars telling us what to do or to save lives with all the gadgets and yet each year our road toll keeps climbing high and higher and its mostly caused by distraction.
Ashley
Since my accident I can no longer drive my old Land Rover without many modifications done to it, we just brought a 2019 Honda CR-V with all the bells and whistles, I find it very annoying with all the crap telling me what to do, so many gadgets and a 795 page manual explaining all the gadgets, its taking all the fun out of driving with your own skills and knowledge of driving we learned from a young age and they are making drivers lazy and losing a lot of basic skills they should know before they get behind a wheel and how many times you been forced off the road by a distracted driver expecting their car doing everything for them.
So I just like things simple, makes life a lot easier, I just want to enjoy riding and driving without the B S controlling my car or bike for that matter, yes I am old school in everything I do.
Even with modern cars telling us what to do or to save lives with all the gadgets and yet each year our road toll keeps climbing high and higher and its mostly caused by distraction.
Ashley
I agree: habitual reliance on "driver assistance" systems diminish driver awareness and basic skills. Even parallel parking is now a prehistoric skill. But I wouldn't put adding a neutral indicator light in the same category as autonomous braking systems or lane departure warning systems. Its just a DIY challenge for some of us. Even us curmudgeons that believe automatic transmissions are morally wrong. 
Hi Ash, yes, again I agree with much of what you say. The point I was making was that the British bike industry was negligent and remiss in not keeping up with various additions at the time when the Japanese started dominating the market. To be honest the neutral indicator on my 160 makes no riding difference to me compared to my 140 or Mk2. Not including a functional electric start by 1970 was insane and it must be a wonderful upgrade now older riders carrying injuries to keep them riding. I too battle now with my Series 2A Landrover with buggered knees. And yes too, my new vehicles drive me insane with the constant warnings it throws up and default safety modes they have. Many are useless and a distraction on rough country unformed roads. Alan
ashman
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That was the problem with Norton back in the 70s, bad management, old tooling, old designs, not spending the money to upgrade, unions troubles, Gov no longer bailing them out etc etc, no wonder they couldn't compete with the Japanese, but not only Norton but a lot of British motorcycle producers at the time, but the good thing there are so many new upgrade that can be had for our old bikes now with people who do care.
I loved kicking my old Norton over, its a dying art of kicking a bike to life, but having losing my right low leg has forced me to upgrade my Norton and thanks too a lot of good people on this site for showing me the way to keep on riding, well until I go through all the process again in proving I can still ride, just went through the process to be able to drive a car, but over the last 16 years I have done many great upgrades to my old Norton, but I still like it being as simple as it can even with the good upgrades, an old school motorcyclist is hard to change in his ways, but I love my old ways.
Ashley
I loved kicking my old Norton over, its a dying art of kicking a bike to life, but having losing my right low leg has forced me to upgrade my Norton and thanks too a lot of good people on this site for showing me the way to keep on riding, well until I go through all the process again in proving I can still ride, just went through the process to be able to drive a car, but over the last 16 years I have done many great upgrades to my old Norton, but I still like it being as simple as it can even with the good upgrades, an old school motorcyclist is hard to change in his ways, but I love my old ways.
Ashley
