Commando with a single sided swingarm idea.

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Powereng03

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Single sided swingarm ??

Has anyone ever tried to fit a commando with a single sided swingarm?? I'm not too far off of finshing my 74 roadster and I'm already dreaming of a new project. I was thinking of taking a 75 interstate, and turning it into a cafe racer type of bike, but with a ss swingarm like the ducati's. Any thoughts or idea's??
 
Soneone here had a VFR (H*nda) swingarm fitted. Did it get to completion ?

First thoughts are that is it going to be mounted isolastically, or directly off the frame. ?
Frame would have to be reinforced, considerably, rather lightweight in that area otherwise ?

Now if it was a trellis / ladder style /spaceframe, may make some sense...
 
GRM 450 said:
Why? I can't think of any benefits. Graeme
Click to expand...

looking at some of the mods /custom work by a few forum members, i don't know if "added benefits" is a requirement for their ideas


like the saying - just because you can doesn't mean you should :shock:
 
Powereng03 said:
Single sided swingarm ??

Has anyone ever tried to fit a commando with a single sided swingarm?? I'm not too far off of finshing my 74 roadster and I'm already dreaming of a new project. I was thinking of taking a 75 interstate, and turning it into a cafe racer type of bike, but with a ss swingarm like the ducati's. Any thoughts or idea's??
Click to expand...


Sure have, go look at my posts on my 1971 750 project.

Why? I dunno
 
For a given strength, the two sided swingarm is always going to be lighter than a singlesided one. The iso subframe issues would basically make it a nonstarter. You'd be committed to the cast wheel that goes on it. In which case you might as well do a front-end graft too, so the wheels match. Can't see a 180/55 on the back of a Commando, not to mention the handling. I have one on my VFR, it weighs a ton.They do look kinda cool though and you don't have to worry about wheel alignment.
 
Doing coustom alloy engine plates migth give you a chance to do a double the diameter swing arm pin and solve that problem while youre at it .

A Commando with NS 250 ?? honda suspension cleaned up at Pukekohe in 2002 odd / whilst it was precipitateing severely , near a deluge . Was
a keen young mans ' ride to work ' bike . Smooth , throttle ON all the way , smoothly riden .Whilst everyone else had wet nappies .
Basic Roadster , all ' home built ' , plain black , Alloy welded cradle , Honda suspension , Dunstall like system with muffler cans up aft .

Generally ' cowboys ' arnt approved their . This was an example of ' why ' , clear out in front .

Why Not . . . . Just Bl**dy Do It . 8)
 
Why not just fit the Norton pump in a frame made for the mono shock and single sided swingarm??
 
mikegray660 said:
wouldn't it be easier (and have a better bike) to buy a ducati?
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Nooooooooooo....one of my regrets is that i waited so long to get a Norton in my life....I have ridden many bikes you could name, all types (I work in the industry, was one of the first people to ride a 916 here in USA back in the early 90s) and there are some Very good motorcycles, old and new. Today i rode my 2004 R1(one of 8 bikes in my fleet) to work...was a very nice ride, fast, handles and stops on a dime, 68 degrees and sunny here in San francisco.......but the whole time riding it, all I think about is when I am going to take the Norton out again.
Some of the other guys on this forum can explain better why nothing can replace a Norton. Im still a "newer" Norton guy....Kinda why Im building my 2nd Commando
 
Rohan said:
Soneone here had a VFR (H*nda) swingarm fitted. Did it get to completion ?

First thoughts are that is it going to be mounted isolastically, or directly off the frame. ?
Frame would have to be reinforced, considerably, rather lightweight in that area otherwise ?

Now if it was a trellis / ladder style /spaceframe, may make some sense...
Click to expand...


No, But I am moving forward with it, just got a fastback tail off Ebay. Had to spend money on the BMW so that has delayed the project...just a bit. (she has over 150,000 miles on her, 1971 R75/5)

i put a clearer updated pictue tonight or tomorrow
 
You should do this sort of thing IF you keep it forever and not sell it on as soon as it's "finished" to some poor bastard who spends years and thousands of dollars getting it back to a more useable state.

Personally, I think you should find an old jap bike and try out all your ideas on that.
 
Powereng03 said:
Single sided swingarm ??

Has anyone ever tried to fit a commando with a single sided swingarm?? I'm not too far off of finshing my 74 roadster and I'm already dreaming of a new project. I was thinking of taking a 75 interstate, and turning it into a cafe racer type of bike, but with a ss swingarm like the ducati's. Any thoughts or idea's??
Click to expand...

Absolutely go for it.

Never mind the critics if it's what YOU want to do. I'm guessing it'll get a LOT more interest than another black roadster with a Corbin seat.

You need to design a whole new swingarm spindle tube into the tranny cradle; the stock setup is the weak link.
 
I think you should do it and maybe fabricate a swinger rather than a stock Ducati/Honda one

Its always nice to see modded bikes and I know you can go to 150 size back wheel as that is the size on mine
 
Fitting a single side swinging arm to a twin-shock frame with a rubber mounted swinging arm pivot, should make for very interesting handling!
 
post92597.html?hilit=single
1971-interstate-fastback-restoration-t6785-90.html#p81837

I take back just about everything I said. I missed the threads from earlier in the year. The design and the execution are great. The only reservation to a monoshock on a Commando frame has been the fact that the swingarm spindle isn't anchored to the frame. Any shock that strays from horizontal starts loading the iso's. A pair of laydown shocks, Monolever, or Pro-Link are all going to do it to some degree. The amount of the force on the iso's becomes a multiple of the rear axle load, may be significant. The problem is that before the suspension comes into play the iso's are going to allow a certain amount of wheel travel, and that travel is going to be uncontrolled. No spring rate or damping for that small amount. You could test it by swapping in a strut for the shock and just bounce the bike a little and see how much rear wheel travel there is from the iso's alone. Great job, if there's a bike that can settle the question, it's probably yours.
 
rpatton said:
http://www.accessnorton.com/post92597.html?hilit=single
1971-interstate-fastback-restoration-t6785-90.html#p81837

I take back just about everything I said. I missed the threads from earlier in the year. The design and the execution are great. The only reservation to a monoshock on a Commando frame has been the fact that the swingarm spindle isn't anchored to the frame. Any shock that strays from horizontal starts loading the iso's. A pair of laydown shocks, Monolever, or Pro-Link are all going to do it to some degree. The amount of the force on the iso's becomes a multiple of the rear axle load, may be significant. The problem is that before the suspension comes into play the iso's are going to allow a certain amount of wheel travel, and that travel is going to be uncontrolled. No spring rate or damping for that small amount. You could test it by swapping in a strut for the shock and just bounce the bike a little and see how much rear wheel travel there is from the iso's alone. Great job, if there's a bike that can settle the question, it's probably yours.
Click to expand...


"Any shock that strays from horizontal starts loading the iso's" <<<< Hmmmm, need to go look at this closer....was never a issue in my mind
 
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