bob patton rear linkage ?

850commando said:

so i am opening a can or worms... or at least a well debated topic


1. so i been doing some reading related to the swing arm spindle , and Hobot made a comment about Bob Patton rear linkage... i can't find anything further on this. can someone enlighten me?

2. also been reading about about needle bearing instead of bushings in the swing arm. I understand that someone (debby?) has done this mods about 5 years ago or so.. any further word on outcome? i'm tempted to try it

3. my bushings look fine, the spindle was rusted in, but soaking in diesel, acetone and liquid wrench got it loose. the spindle has surface pitting and so needs to be replaced. what is the difference in length between the older version and the one for mk2a and mk3?

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850commando said:

so i am opening a can or worms... or at least a well debated topic


1. so i been doing some reading related to the swing arm spindle , and Hobot made a comment about Bob Patton rear linkage... i can't find anything further on this. can someone enlighten me?


Bob Patton passed on a few years ago. In May of 2015 I purchased Bob's Commando from the gentleman he left it to.
I've spent the last year going over it and learning of the multitude of intelligent modifications that Bob performed on this bike.
The linkage you speak of is a Panhard Rod (track link is another term) and is just to locate the rear of the engine/gearbox/swingarm assembly relative to the main frame to prevent side to side motion. Combined with the uprated head steady, only fore/aft motion is possible, so long as the isolastic clearances are properly set.
The machine is just a joy to ride.

This forum has been incredibly helpful as I didn't know Bob personally but through his 700+ Access Norton postings I've come to know a bit about him and much about his (now my) machine.
This Commando is in good hands and will be taken care of for years to come.

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