Commando front disk brake on Featherbed chassis

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laurentdom

laurentdom

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Hi All,

I consider changing the original (drum) front brake of my Dominator for a Commando disk brake, but I would like to stay with the 7" yokes to keep the genuine look of the bike (headlamp, headlamp stays ...)

As far as I know, I will have to change the yokes for Commando's 7 " 1/8 yokes if I use a Commando wheel .

In other words, is there an easy way to install a Commando (or other makes maybe) disk brake front wheel in a 7" Roadholder fork?
Changing the sliders for Commando ones doesn't seem too tricky. The problem comes with the yokes.

Many thanks for your replies.

L.
 
Hi Laurent , you had better finding out a set of Atlas or early Commando yokes (triple trees in the states), they are 7 . " 3/8, and you could put right away your commando stanchions and disc front wheel while keeping the headlamp stays, and forks shrouds....hope this help!!
 
Thanks a lot Pierre.

That's definitely the best way to follow.

At the moment, I'm a bit annoyed with my valve-to-guide clearance problem (see my other post).

What would you recommend as bronze guide to standard Commando valve clearance?

Merci d'avance.
 
Hi Laurent, Jim had replied , and believe me he's a far better engineer than me.............!
I think you are doing the "decontamination" of your bike , sometimes it's happen...we don't like , but we must do it.
I had bought the proper hone tool when a buddy of mine had fitted the Black valves into the new bronze guides (Kibblewhite too , if my memory is good), and what I know is the inside diameter of those guides had to be honed after assembling into the head (even before they were tiny smaller than the valves stems ) which is a good practice ,so nobody is tempted to fit them as is from the box!!!
 
Merci Pierre.

You'll have been a constant and expert help all along my project.

I've completely dismantled the cylinder head (valves, rockers etc....) and plan to bring it to the guy who machined and installed the guides rather to honing the guides myself (I don't have neither the tool nor the knowledge).

Enjoy your week-end.
 
If you are changing the fork yokes, a minor change in offset can change the trail and make the bike dangerous (or it could be better) . If you are unsure of what you create, sneak up on it when you first road test it. It is possible to end up with something which might throw you onto the road, and jump on you.
 
When I convered my 74 850 Commando to my 57 Wideline featherbed, I just swapped the original Commando frontend to the Featherbed frame and run the 850 rear wheel as well but with new Akrot alloy rims, I have had this set up since 1980 (33 years now) and it handles great, when I got my Featherbed it had a frontend with it but was not very good at all but didn't have any wheels, so it was easyer to just convert my Commando frontend, it also looks good and all ways get good comments about my bike where ever I ride it.

Ashley
 
What did you do for steering head bearings ?

Commando uses those plain sealed ball bearings, and featherbed has thin stem with races and lots of balls...
 
I used new Commando steering bearings, I have had no troubles with them at all.

Ashley
 
Interesting. Wouldn't have thought those bearings would just slot into there, must have a looksee.
Thanks.
 
I am fitting a commando front end to my 61 slimline featherbed!

:mrgreen:

Commando front disk brake on Featherbed chassis
 
No not at all they are just right, but the tread with the big nut at the bottom just fits on with a few turns of the nut so make sure you have a good lock washer on, I have never had any probems with in in 33 years of riding this bike, it was a 6 days out of 7 riding bike till 4 month ago when I brought a new Thruxton, my Norton Featherbed has done well over 130,000 miles and had a major rebuild 3 years ago to look like it is in the pics.

Ashley
 
I can only speak for a late (61) featherbed - the roadholder stanchions are 21 3/4" in length

Whereas the commando ones are 23 1/4"

The good news is that the fork parts are interchangeable. You may want to retain the old stanchions when you fit the commando sliders, to ensure your centre stand still works.
 
ashman said:
but the tread with the big nut at the bottom just fits on with a few turns of the nut so make sure you have a good lock washer on,
Ashley
Click to expand...

If you have the large nut on the bottom of the fork tubes, then these are not Commando, but earlier long roadholder parts, circa 1940s and 1950s.
 
gtiller said:
The good news is that the fork parts are interchangeable. You may want to retain the old stanchions when you fit the commando sliders, to ensure your centre stand still works.
Click to expand...

At a broad level, maybe. But not entirely ?
The dommie parts use 26tpi cycle threads, where the Commando stuff (mostly ?!) uses NF fasteners.
This will likely cause a problem in the top fork nuts, if you try and thread the wrong spring retaining bolt into the top fork nut.

With Nortons using long roadholders, short roadholders and Commando forks (and manx parts) , it is quite possible to assemble a set of forks where nothing will actually fit correctly to anything else. And the slight difference in thread sizes means the parts start to go together, but any further and stripped threads is the likely result. Or wrong length springs and damper parts.

Its a minefield out there...
 
For 30 years I rode this bike without and stands fitted because I ride this bike very hard in the corners and didn't want anything to scrape, everything on this featherbed is made to never scrape, pipes where made for the bike, foot pegs sit high, but after the last rebuild I put on a bolt on side stand, so far it hasn't scraped at all.

Ashley
 
Everone knew my bike as it was always the one leaning on a fence or post or side of a house when parked :lol:

Ashley
 
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