dave taylor head steady install

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Check the fit to the frame tube carefully, the english made tubes are 25.4mm, italians used 25mm. If you have the metric tube then you need to adjust the clamp faces to ensure the tube gets gripped fully.
 
The top half of the clamp may need to have a small bit of relief on upper rear corner to keep it from contacting main frame backbone as you move it rearward to get dog bone link perpendicular to chassis.
 
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Addendum- see photo - this is as far rearward as clamp can go to square up link - I have not relieved mine yet but may have to do so.
dave taylor head steady install
 
A small shim from an irn bru tin works well if things work loose - mine has given no problems since that original post. I remember you need to sit on the bike and settle everything down to find the best position for the heim joint before tightening everything up and the clamp (on mine anyway) sat quite close to the u/side of the petrol tank. Superb difference in the handling though.
 
Love mine. Handles like a dream now and less wear to the iso. washers. Every time the tank is off grease or lube the ball heim joints and enjoy.
 
well I left my job at the newspaper a lil early and came home and tackled installing the head steady which came yesterday..i had read as many posts as I could and looked at online pics of how it mounted.....I plunged in...putting it on is not so bad after all I did not need to shim piece that bolts to frame following the instructions to a T is vital.....the rose joint should be loose when you are on bike and when off and its on center stand rose joint is stiff......after I did th ejob and got the tank and side panel back on a lil voice said "Alan, look under tank to make sure nothing is rubbing" well I did and lo and behold main wire to pazon was pinched between headsteady clamp and side of gas tank...…….well I cursed and threw a chunk of wood against side of garage and fell to my knees in flustermacashun……...but after I regained my composer I took tank off and made SURE all wires were well clear...….now to see tomorrow during a test ride if anything on the headsteady is rubbing tank it looks awful tight..and how it handles......another adventure in the Sirens call that is owning a Norton Commando
 
Hope you pleasantly surprised during your ride .... I did end up making a small adjustment on spring tension after a couple rides and improved the ride even more .... you lucky to get out tomorrow , strictly 4 wheel travel now till Mar. or April ....
 
took bike out for 20 mile run on rural roads with some 50mph-ish curves and 55mph-ish straights bike felt totally better that vague squirmy sensation in rear end gone noticed some slightly more vibes but smoothed out around 2800rpm I guess it was $140 well spent
 
took bike out for 20 mile run on rural roads with some 50mph-ish curves and 55mph-ish straights bike felt totally better that vague squirmy sensation in rear end gone noticed some slightly more vibes but smoothed out around 2800rpm I guess it was $140 well spent

Well now you’ve gone and stirred things up for me - I was patiently working away on mine with the attitude “ it will be done when it’s done “ - has been of the road for more than 7 years - now I am lusting ...
 
it got up to 60F here and sun beaming could not resist... regarding the steady... I have spent more on other stuff with less results... better feeling made me smile
 
Also by unloading power unit , you allow iso’s to function properly , once moving , noticed improved ride with a couple more turns on spring to increase tension ....
 
Also by unloading power unit , you allow iso’s to function properly , once moving , noticed improved ride with a couple more turns on spring to increase tension ....

Does it improve vibration?
 
It might keep vibration at bay for a greater mileage as the isos aren't going to work very well when sagged out .
On my MK3, if I loosen the spring, vibration shows up at all speeds. With the spring tension in the sweet spot, the bike is smooth as glass when running at 3000 rpm to 6500 rpm.
This seems to indicate that the spring does reduce vibration, although I haven't ridden an earlier spring-less Commando to compare.


Glen
 
my thoughts now concern rubbing of the rose joint pieces on inside of tank I can take a screwdriver and stick under tank and move them but it is awfully close under there
 
I would agree with Glen , there is a definite sweet spot for spring tension , once there it smooths ride out , obviously my sweet spot is lower in rev range than Glen , more like 2500-5000 rpm ... rarely above that with 21T counter shaft sprocket , if you have the head steady type with spring it is well worth experimenting with spring tension to improve your ride .... before DT head steady the bike would move across shed floor at idle , it now stays put , improvement all across rev range maybe ....
 
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