clock pod / dial orientation

Andy Higham

Andy Higham

Joined
Apr 16, 2025
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I would have thought the correct orientation for the clocks and pods was the pods clamped up square to the yoke, so the centre distance of the pods is the same as the fork centres. That makes the clocks skew left or right depending on the mounting holes used.
The clocks could be mounted square to the bike and the pods skewed outwards or inwards.

What did Norton intend?????

As an aside I am having a couple of 4mm thick alloy discs laser cut which I will turn a 2mm step on to locate in the bottom of the pods to close them in. Should look a lot better then the rubber monstrosities Norton produced
 
Can explain how they were delivered to the dealers when new, and did it change during commando production? Thanks, I have wondered about this.
 
Just look at the brochures from the time to see the orientation that Norton "intended." But keep in mind that motorcycles were (are) assembled by the dealers so the actual alignment of levers/pedals/gauges, etc is up to the local guy doing the assembly work.
 
Andy Higham said:
I do like symmetry, I can see myself drilling central holes in the pods and mounting the clocks and pods "squarely to the bike"
Click to expand...

What I did was to join the two sets of instrument mounting holes together so they became slots, that way I found the instruments and the pods could be lined up. The plastic covers were only introduced on the 850 Mk2/2A models.
 
I found turning them in slightly prevents unsightly chafing of the cables against the headlamp brackets.

clock pod / dial orientation
 
I'm not that bad !
A few years I fixed a cable tray to a wall, absolutely vertical, finished the job and stood back, about 300mm to the right was a roller shutter door. The shutter was crooked, the gap between the tray and the shutter frame varied 75mm over 3M, it screamed at me !
So I made the tray match the shutter, much more pleasing on the eyes
 
Why do the pods have to be lined up with the forks? Put the gauges in the pods and rotate pods so gauge faces are straight. It is still symmetrical.
I've had mine since new and that's how it is. I'm a symmetry person too but not offended by this.
 
Andy Higham said:
Can't see the engine whilst riding, clocks are right in the face. It's the same as driving a car with the steering wheel not pointing straight
Click to expand...
I test drove a Ford Expedition, somewhere in the 90's... steering column was offset AND coming at a skewed angle toward the driver.
Functional fail. Bought a Suburban.
 

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