Dave Taylor Head Steady bolts for Spring device

Status
Not open for further replies.
Old Bloke

Old Bloke

Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
293
I've fitted a DT head steady during my rebuild, and was looking at also fitting the Mk3 spring device. Unlike the standard box section head steady, the DT one has tapped holes to fit screws which attach the spring devise to the Head steady. I cant get a crew guage in to clearly see the pitch, and nothing in my toolbox seems right. Can anyone state what the bolt size should be please?

I also wonder if the benefits of fitting it are worth it, as in my case, It will interfere with the location I had planned for the Boyer ignition unit, and (imo), it's a pretty ugly looking piece of Heath Robinson engineering :wink: so I'd expect to see some benefit for the effort?

Peter
 
I found it to improve handling significantly. Takes out virtually all of the weave. When the tank is on, the bits you see aint too bad. I used the springs etc and it moved the vibes up to about 3200 rpm. 3500 to 4500 where I cruise is turbine smooth. You will be happy.
 
Sorry I can't answer the question about the thread size - mine came already assembled.
I'd back up what's already been said - the spring serves a very useful purpose and is very innocuous once the tank is on.
Without it the front iso has to carry the weight of the engine, and will sag over time.

Heath-Robinson?
Naturally! :mrgreen:
 
It's 6mm thread, +1 to the improved stability and the spring helps to tune out vibes at lower revs, sit on the bike or get a friend to do so to ajust the link while the bike is sitting on the wheels as it would be whilst riding.
 
I just added a spring to my home made head steady, which is similar in function to the Dave Taylor type. I don't notice much difference. At idle I can see that the engines bounces around more. Before it just sat on the isos. Maybe before it did transmit a bit more vibration at really low speeds. The bike is very smooth at over 3000 RPM but it always was even without the spring. The spring may help the isos to last longer since the front one will not be loaded as much when the bike sits parked.
 
I'll agree with most said here about the spring. I added it to my DIY heim joint head steady and all I can say is it got rid of the large sag at the front iso, centered the rear iso a bit better, and did remove a good amount of the idle vibrations. It's a bear to adjust, I just tightened it as much as I could to take up the front iso sag, but it still has about 1/8" downward sag. There is a correct dimension for the adjustment but I haven't got it. I can't say it did anything for the vibrations on the road which are not bad on mine, but I wouldn't call it butter smooth. I supposedly have the early soft donuts in the isos too. I don't know if it makes any difference on the early frame mounted center stands or later cradle mounted when you're parked.

Dave
69S
 
fredful said:
It's 6mm thread, +1 to the improved stability and the spring helps to tune out vibes at lower revs, sit on the bike or get a friend to do so to ajust the link while the bike is sitting on the wheels as it would be whilst riding.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the feedback regarding your experience with the springs :)

Fredful. 6mm x ? I'd tried a 6mm x 1.0mm pitch bolt, but the hole in the DT headsteady has a coarser thread, possibly 1.25mm? is that a standard thread?
 
Old Bloke said:
fredful said:
It's 6mm thread, +1 to the improved stability and the spring helps to tune out vibes at lower revs, sit on the bike or get a friend to do so to ajust the link while the bike is sitting on the wheels as it would be whilst riding.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the feedback regarding your experience with the springs :)

Fredful. 6mm x ? I'd tried a 6mm x 1.0mm pitch bolt, but the hole in the DT headsteady has a coarser thread, possibly 1.25mm? is that a standard thread?
Click to expand...

Definately M6 x 1 on mine, maybe he changed it?
 
Old Bloke said:
fredful said:
It's 6mm thread, +1 to the improved stability and the spring helps to tune out vibes at lower revs, sit on the bike or get a friend to do so to ajust the link while the bike is sitting on the wheels as it would be whilst riding.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the feedback regarding your experience with the springs :)

Fredful. 6mm x ? I'd tried a 6mm x 1.0mm pitch bolt, but the hole in the DT headsteady has a coarser thread, possibly 1.25mm? is that a standard thread?
Click to expand...

could it be 'standard' 1.25mm is approx 20 tpi and 6mm is just over 1/4" - mayne try a 1/4" 20 bolt?
 
I had the Dave Tayor with the spring on my 850 for about 4 years and I thought it was great!

Then just for the heck of it I sold it and bought the CNW head steady, have had it about a year now.

Really cannot tell any difference, they both have the rod linkage and stop the head from moving side to side.
feels the same, except maybe maybe my memory is the DT with the spring support to the head transmitted less felt vibration but can't say for sure.
 
gory said:
Old Bloke said:
fredful said:
It's 6mm thread, +1 to the improved stability and the spring helps to tune out vibes at lower revs, sit on the bike or get a friend to do so to ajust the link while the bike is sitting on the wheels as it would be whilst riding.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the feedback regarding your experience with the springs :)

Fredful. 6mm x ? I'd tried a 6mm x 1.0mm pitch bolt, but the hole in the DT headsteady has a coarser thread, possibly 1.25mm? is that a standard thread?
Click to expand...

could it be 'standard' 1.25mm is approx 20 tpi and 6mm is just over 1/4" - mayne try a 1/4" 20 bolt?
Click to expand...

Think I tried a 1/4 unf which has 20tpi, but no luck. I'm going to run a @6mm wooden dowel into the thread and see if I can then measure the thread marks on the dowel.
 
So, I removed the head steady and ran a 6mm dowel into one of the holes so I could measure the thread pitch, and would you believe it is 6mm x 1.0mm! Fredful was right.
So why won't my M6x1mm bolt not screw in? Tell you why, and it's the reason that the thread looked coarser than the 1.0mm pitch?
It looks like the holes were not finished right. after running a 2nd and 3rd M6x1 tap into the threads, they are fine.
Just another day in the Norton aftermarket parts world..............................
 
My threads were fine and you mentioned that you tried every screw in your toolbox...are you sure that you didn't stretch them by forcing UNF in ? :wink: I do think it's a bit silly of RGM to use Napoleonic threads on a proper motorcycle as it means another tool to carry.
 
Nah, been there before, I never try to force any bolts into it, always stop soon as the a bolt hints of resist. The M6 tap took off a little material all the way through the thread. I wish I had tried to photograph the threads before and after, you'd see what I meant. The thread looked "shallow", which I mistook for looking like a wider thread.

Not the first time i've had stuff not properly finished though, threads not deep enough, bolt shanks too wide, odd threads, part of commando ownership, lol.
 
I also had to fettle mine. Cleaned the threads and had to file it down so it would tighten on the frame. It did not fit out of the packet.
 
Nortiboy said:
I also had to fettle mine. Cleaned the threads and had to file it down so it would tighten on the frame. It did not fit out of the packet.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, good point. I should add I too had to remove material from the clamp so it would tighten to the frame, but I've got a mini-mill so wasn't too much of a job. I'd assumed I'd got a frame with an undersize frame rail, Italian maybe. I'd heard other people say they had clamps too large, so fitted shimming materials to allow a tight fit.
 
"Napoleonic threads...." I love it. I guess that's better than Corsican though.

Dave
69S
 
RGM's front brake caliper conversion plate also features "foreign" threads, So that's Whitworth, BSF, UNF, UNC, BS Cycle, BA and now Metric, Result!
 
Old Bloke said:
I should add I too had to remove material from the clamp so it would tighten to the frame, but I've got a mini-mill so wasn't too much of a job. I'd assumed I'd got a frame with an undersize frame rail, Italian maybe. I'd heard other people say they had clamps too large, so fitted shimming materials to allow a tight fit.
Click to expand...

I had to do this as well - just another example of us Brits 'nearly' getting it right :roll:

My frame is Italian, and the tube in question was measured in bare metal to be exactly 25.4 of your Napoleonic millimetres.
As the clamp is bored to One of Her Majesty's Imperial inches, the diameter is right: The inability of the clamp to er... clamp is a bit of a disappointment!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

kn0ck4times
  • Locked
Head steady bolts
Replies
9
Views
957
kn0ck4times
kn0ck4times
jamesp
Dave Taylor head steady for Norton Commando in good condition
Replies
2
Views
481
SPC73
SPC73
P
  • Locked
RGM Dave Taylor head steady fit.
2
Replies
34
Views
3,477
Flatspot
Flatspot
johnny Lagdon
  • Locked
Modify Dave Taylor Head steady
Replies
6
Views
1,840
swooshdave
swooshdave
H
  • Locked
head steady bolts stuck in head
Replies
7
Views
1,599
Stephen Hill
S
Back
Top