Front Mudguard Stayed or Unstayed?

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Tornado

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I am fitting a replacement front mudguard I acquired a while back. It is stainless while one on when acquired was chrome (though rear is stainless). The chrome is chipping away at a couple of the through bolts.

Anyway, I just noticed the replacement has no holes for front stays. Is this a model specific thing? Whats the norm for a MKII 850?
Any harm not running front stays?
 
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Welp my bike has an unknown history as a hirider with big fatty 16" rear wheel and chromed engine covers as it came to me. Who knows what was swapped out over the yrs and for what reasons.
 
If I got it right you have a stainless front guard with no holes for front stays.

If thats correct then I think you have a Mk 111 850 guard. When they swapped the disc caliper from right to left it was no longer possible to fit the front stays.

A Mk 11 with the disc caliper on the right has 4 holes in the stainless guard with front and rear stays.

In my opinion both stays are a good idea. Norton forks are a bit spindly anyway and need all the support they can get.
 
I've fitted the Stainless front mudguard with only the rearmost stays in place. Seems to fit and provides reasonable stiffness to unsupported front section. If it seems to shake too much I'll whip the drill out and have at it.
Got a rubber flap fitted to this one as well. Hopefully a nice change from fling into front iso and engine casing off the tyre.
 
Seems i'm in good company having no forward stay:

Front Mudguard Stayed or Unstayed?


That'd an 850, pre-mkIII Interstate. There are others in Mr.White's book with same setup, including a fastback, Street Scrambler and interpol.
 
The original 74 MKII would have been stainless with 2 stays and both ends with a lip. The MKIII fender has only 1 stay and the lip only on one end.
 
Trident had two stays for mid T150 production and T160 had just the rear stay BUT there was a support
under the guard forward where it is connected 1/3 the way forward, mid section, with a bolt and nut.
SS likes to crack more than mild steel might be good to keep that in mind.
 
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I have a stainless one with only the front stay fitted. Need to modify the rear stay to fit round AP caliper but thought I'd try it. After a couple of thousand miles the guard is cracking from the mounting holes.
 
I have a stainless one with only the front stay fitted. Need to modify the rear stay to fit round AP caliper but thought I'd try it. After a couple of thousand miles the guard is cracking from the mounting holes.
I also have a stainless steel guard with an AP caliper and no stay on that side at the rear. Therefore have one stay at rear and both sides at front. Has been that way for at least 10 years with no cracking; will probably crack next time out as I've said that.
 
I also have a stainless steel guard with an AP caliper and no stay on that side at the rear. Therefore have one stay at rear and both sides at front. Has been that way for at least 10 years with no cracking; will probably crack next time out as I've said that.
Might try that as a solution.
 
To my eye the front mudguard on the bike on the front of Norman's Bible looks a bit odd.
It looks like the holes in the front of the mudguard drilled for a front stay are filled with nuts and bolts,
and the threaded holes in the bottom of the fork sliders are empty.
 
To my eye the front mudguard on the bike on the front of Norman's Bible looks a bit odd.
It looks like the holes in the front of the mudguard drilled for a front stay are filled with nuts and bolts,
and the threaded holes in the bottom of the fork sliders are empty.
I agree. That's not the photo I would have chosen for a "restoration" manual.
 
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