Engine plate

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Whoa! Very nice!

I wonder what the ballpark selling price for a completed set would be?
 
grandpaul said:
Whoa! Very nice!

I wonder what the ballpark selling price for a completed set would be?
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Mass produced (well OK, limited runs) of Featherbed-Triumph or Triton plates are $270, so anything out of the ordinary has to be more than that :mrgreen:

Nice job on the Commando plates. Ludwig, c'mon, it would give you a chance to inspect and clean everything, it might make the bike lose a few grams of grime too :wink:

Jean
 
ludwig said:
Jeandr said:
Ludwig, you have to take your bike appart and take pictures of everything you did :mrgreen:

Jean
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That would be endless.. just the frame has been modified at 26 points ..
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Yes, but you have a digital camera now.
 
Ludwig, Thanks for the useful tip regarding 1st gear, I have a spare g/box where all of the gears are a mess so I will probably use the opportunity to upgrade to the close ratio set-up, however this looks like a good and relatively cheap improvement for this huge gap between 1st and 2nd gear.
 
ludwig said:
Icrken :
nice plates !
but if the bronze swingarm bushings should wear into the aluminum , it would be difficult ro repair .
That's why I opted for SS riveted thrustplates , harder and easy to replace in case of wear .
Same for the gearbox bolts : not directly in the aluminum , but pressed in SS bushings with top hats .
If produced commercially : because of the welding and the required precision ( swingarm ,gearbox and engine bolts must be absolutely parrallel ) , it would be way more expensive than Triton plates .
( Jean , don't tempt me ... you seem to know my weak spot ..)
Sidreilly :
sorry , no drawings , but they wouldn't be much help anyway : the deviations from STD have an influence on wheelbase , riding height , front engine fixing , headsteady , swingarm geometry , exhaust curves , etc ..
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I tend to agree about the wear. I haven't heard from Les for a couple years, so I don't know how they worked out. A friend of mine is putting his Commando together with a set of the plates he got from Les, but, again, no history yet. When I made my custom swing arm some years ago, I used two preloaded opposed tapered roller bearings on each side. There was no bushing to rub against the cradle, just a fixed spacer that didn't rotate. That sort of design would work well with alloy plates, but it's a lot of extra work to go to. A replaceable wear plate, such as you are using, is much simpler to implement.

Ken
 
lcrken said:
ludwig said:
Icrken :
nice plates !
but if the bronze swingarm bushings should wear into the aluminum , it would be difficult ro repair .
That's why I opted for SS riveted thrustplates , harder and easy to replace in case of wear .
Same for the gearbox bolts : not directly in the aluminum , but pressed in SS bushings with top hats .
If produced commercially : because of the welding and the required precision ( swingarm ,gearbox and engine bolts must be absolutely parrallel ) , it would be way more expensive than Triton plates .
( Jean , don't tempt me ... you seem to know my weak spot ..)
Sidreilly :
sorry , no drawings , but they wouldn't be much help anyway : the deviations from STD have an influence on wheelbase , riding height , front engine fixing , headsteady , swingarm geometry , exhaust curves , etc ..
Click to expand...

I tend to agree about the wear. I haven't heard from Les for a couple years, so I don't know how they worked out. A friend of mine is putting his Commando together with a set of the plates he got from Les, but, again, no history yet. When I made my custom swing arm some years ago, I used two preloaded opposed tapered roller bearings on each side. There was no bushing to rub against the cradle, just a fixed spacer that didn't rotate. That sort of design would work well with alloy plates, but it's a lot of extra work to go to. A replaceable wear plate, such as you are using, is much simpler to implement.

Ken
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There are some modern bikes that use an asymmetrical bearing setup on the swingarm. Rollers on the chain side and a pair of ballbearings on the other. The ballbearings to index the swingarm on its axis and rollers to handle the high radial loading from the chain. The axial forces must not be all that high on the bearings. It seems there would be battling forces between the bearings in opposite directions for the most part, radially; but not that much pulling the swingarm in a purely sideways direction at the spindle.

Dave Winship put a stiffening plate in the cradle. The bike is on the INOA Yahoo site under files. It's a great read. It seems that cradle plates walk and shuffle in every direction.

Engine plate


Ludwig, you don't have to take your bike apart, just set your camera on macro and give us close-ups. with plenty of text!
 
bpatton said:
[ Dave Winship put a stiffening plate in the cradle. The bike is on the INOA Yahoo site under files. It's a great read. It seems that cradle plates walk and shuffle in every direction.
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The stiffening plate looks like a great idea!

...but how do you mount the horn?
 
bpatton said:
Dave Winship put a stiffening plate in the cradle. The bike is on the INOA Yahoo site under files. It's a great read. It seems that cradle plates walk and shuffle in every direction.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link?

Jean
 
Jeandr said:
bpatton said:
Dave Winship put a stiffening plate in the cradle. The bike is on the INOA Yahoo site under files. It's a great read. It seems that cradle plates walk and shuffle in every direction.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link?

Jean
Click to expand...

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/EFpoSz...pYXFgmWuq29UKno/Norton multipoint linkage.doc

You may need to be a member to view. But you don't have to be an INOA member to join (theoretically). If you right-click and save linked file it might just work from here.
 
swooshdave said:
Jeandr said:
bpatton said:
Dave Winship put a stiffening plate in the cradle. The bike is on the INOA Yahoo site under files. It's a great read. It seems that cradle plates walk and shuffle in every direction.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link?

Jean
Click to expand...

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/EFpoSz...pYXFgmWuq29UKno/Norton multipoint linkage.doc

You may need to be a member to view. But you don't have to be an INOA member to join (theoretically). If you right-click and save linked file it might just work from here.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that is exactly what I wanted to do with my Commando. get rid of the side to side adjustments and use the ISOs for up/down vibration isolation.

Jean
 
Well...I decided to go for the RGM one, I will keep you posted on the quality and the outcome of this adventure...
Philippe
 
Seems I am out of luck...after more than 2 weeks waiting for my parts , and a couple of emails I finally received an answer stating that it will take "a few weeks...as the part is not in stock and they are so busy", the general tone of the email ticks me off as it does not show any customer interest as in "we don't care about your business...its our way or the highway...". Will RGM should not say, on their website/catalog which parts are made on request and which parts are in stock?
Maybe I am only jealous...I wish I could act like this with my own customers!!!
If I add to this a search I have been making for a couple of weeks to acquire a new/specially made Seeley Condor (with a G50 or a Gold Star engine), I can say that passionate motorcyclists, ready to spend money (like in "an arm and a leg") are taken for suckers and treated like s@#* : no answer to requests, excuses about everything and blatant lies...
End of my vent.
Philippe
 
prmurat said:
Seems I am out of luck...after more than 2 weeks waiting for my parts , and a couple of emails I finally received an answer stating that it will take "a few weeks...as the part is not in stock and they are so busy", the general tone of the email ticks me off as it does not show any customer interest as in "we don't care about your business...its our way or the highway...". Will RGM should not say, on their website/catalog which parts are made on request and which parts are in stock?
Maybe I am only jealous...I wish I could act like this with my own customers!!!
If I add to this a search I have been making for a couple of weeks to acquire a new/specially made Seeley Condor (with a G50 or a Gold Star engine), I can say that passionate motorcyclists, ready to spend money (like in "an arm and a leg") are taken for suckers and treated like s@#* : no answer to requests, excuses about everything and blatant lies...
End of my vent.
Philippe
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Not enough profanity in your rant. I give it a 5/10. :mrgreen:

Try to keep in mind that you are asking for a unique part with virtually zero demand. There is not a shelf with thousands of these just sitting around waiting for someone to order one. You should be jumping for joy that you even have an opportunity to purchase said part and don't have to go through the hassle of getting it made yourself, wanna guess how long that could take?

As for customer service and web sites, I always assume it's some cranky ol' Brit tottering about in a tiny garage, muttering and swearing to himself, especially when the phone rings. Actual website? Pure luxury. Updated frequently? Fantasy. :mrgreen:
 
Guess you are right on the Brits part! I was still under the impression of polite gentlemen wearing long grey overcoats and social secutity glasses, drinking tea with a "cloud" of milk and never loosing their patience...all of this with a lovely accent that helps in misunderstanding every words said....
Now, not having a part in stock does not help for a sale...and if it does not sale why have it in stock???
How many Brembo kits does CNW sell a day, a week, a month?? Every time you call on Matt, he is always answering graciously and every item is in stock...Why is this possible in Colorado and not in Cumbria??
I think I have a problem with the "cottage" industry!!
Philippe
 
prmurat said:
Guess you are right on the Brits part! I was still under the impression of polite gentlemen wearing long grey overcoats and social secutity glasses, drinking tea with a "cloud" of milk and never loosing their patience...all of this with a lovely accent that helps in misunderstanding every words said....
Now, not having a part in stock does not help for a sale...and if it does not sale why have it in stock???
How many Brembo kits does CNW sell a day, a week, a month?? Every time you call on Matt, he is always answering graciously and every item is in stock...Why is this possible in Colorado and not in Cumbria??
I think I have a problem with the "cottage" industry!!
Philippe
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Just like the bikes, the English suppliers are expected to be a wee bit eccentric. Part of the charm.

And they have the part for sale because you can purchase it, it just happens to be made to order or they are backordered. Happens. Unless you are broken down on the side of the road, not real reason to get the blood pressure up. :mrgreen:
 
prmurat said:
I have a nickeled (!) frame on my Egli and it is still ok after 5 years... nickel is normally applied on copper before chrome?
Philippe
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Yes
 
prmurat said:
not more expensive than chrome....
Philippe
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The problem with chrome (which is actually just a flash over nickel over copper) is that it stiffens the part to the point that rather than flex as it should, the plating cracks and the cracks propagate to the base metal. Don't know if anyone has ever done plasma-spray on a frame or motor plates. I am looking at having some exhaust pipes sprayed by Jet-Hot in a "Sterling" silver coating that is similar in appearance to chrome plating, but does not turn blue from heat. Never heard of plating stainless onto another metal, but since stainless is steel and chrome mixed, I would imagine the problems would be similar to chrome plating.
 
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