just curious Mark 3 front disc

I was wondering if anyone knows why Norton moved the front disc to the left side in '75 as it was on the right in previous years?

I have heard that the reason for the front brake caliper move to the left hand side on the MK3 was due to the belief that the coupling of forces when the front and rear disc brakes were applied together would induce a front end oscillation if the calipers were both mounted on the same right side of the bike.

The MK3 was the first (and only) 850 Commando to have dual disks, with the rear mounted on the right side. Some say that the factory had actual experience with this effect. Most folks are not so sure. May just be another Urban Legend. Some MK3 owners have swapped the front caliper over to the right side without experiencing the dreaded “oscillation”. I will be swapping mine this winter too.

It seems they never figured as to where the steering wheel should go in their automobiles or which way around the round about the rest of the world drives?

So how would they know about brakes!

Sorry, It's a cold winter here! I cant even finish doing my Duc's valve shims. Burr!!!!!

Bruce MacGregor said:

It seems they never figured as to where the steering wheel should go in their automobiles or which way around the round about the rest of the world drives?

So how would they know about brakes!

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That should heat things up nicely!
Definitely going to spark further discussions.

Stay warm. Going down to single digits in NYC tonight.

Bruce MacGregor said:

It seems they never figured as to where the steering wheel should go in their automobiles or which way around the round about the rest of the world drives?

So how would they know about brakes!

Sorry, It's a cold winter here! I cant even finish doing my Duc's valve shims. Burr!!!!!

Click to expand...

Rest of the world?
Ever been to Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Australia or Scotland to name a few?
Ever seen the braking on a Formula 1 car, most of the development for these is done in the UK.
Ahhh, those Scots.......

Bruce MacGregor said:

It seems they never figured as to where the steering wheel should go in their automobiles

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It was the United States that had the steering wheel on the right (prior to 1906-ish), and then switched sides.
The Brits never changed....

P.S. Which side of the road do the Chinese drive on, that will indicate what the future standard will be ?

Mr.Sparks said:

Bruce MacGregor said:

It seems they never figured as to where the steering wheel should go in their automobiles or which way around the round about the rest of the world drives?

So how would they know about brakes!

Sorry, It's a cold winter here! I cant even finish doing my Duc's valve shims. Burr!!!!!

Click to expand...

Rest of the world?
Ever been to Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Australia or Scotland to name a few?
Ever seen the braking on a Formula 1 car, most of the development for these is done in the UK.
Ahhh, those Scots.......

Click to expand...

But the Scots invented the bagpipes! Oh, never mind, that was the Irish.......

China wanted nothing to do with East India City of London Crown corporation after Opimum War so can assure you its opposite Great Britian road rules. Been there to be amazed at the scale of their road works and building which makes Europe and Russia and Americans looks rather slip shod compact temporary. Think Great Wall mentality. I've heard brake switch to LH was to help avoid tendency to drift L hands off, which makes some sense to me as Peel allowed observing the effects of gravity pulling on fork assymetric mass so LH brake tends to rotate forks to L side which at counter steering speeds tends to turn cycle to the R thus nullifying L drift - more or less. Me or someone should try hands off with and w/o brake on either side to get some sense of my conjecture. All my cycles are indefinitely down for the count.

hobot said:

I've heard brake switch to LH was to help avoid tendency to drift L hands off, which makes some sense to me as Peel allowed observing the effects of gravity pulling on fork assymetric mass so LH brake tends to rotate forks to L side which at counter steering speeds tends to turn cycle to the R thus nullifying L drift - more or less. Me or someone should try hands off with and w/o brake on either side to get some sense of my conjecture. All my cycles are indefinitely down for the count.

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Mae sense to me. I have always been able ride hands free, having a stretch during a long ride, on the Norton Commando Mk111. I have a Triumph Thruxton which has the both brakes on the left hand side and I cannot take hands off for more than a few seconds.

I've never had Mkiii but I do know that something about the wheel bearing retainer or something is a reverse thread so you can not safely just turn the wheel around to move it from the left to the right side... Please anyone wanting to do this look into it first. Personally I hate the look of the caliper out front of the fork & always wondered why Ducati did it after having them behind the forks on the early 750 & 900 SS & Gt's as well as Moto Guzzi with the switch from back to front on the LeMans.. It's so ugly with the calipers out front to me.

gtsun said:

I've never had Mkiii but I do know that something about the wheel bearing retainer or something is a reverse thread so you can not safely just turn the wheel around to move it from the left to the right side... Please anyone wanting to do this look into it first. Personally I hate the look of the caliper out front of the fork & always wondered why Ducati did it after having them behind the forks on the early 750 & 900 SS & Gt's as well as Moto Guzzi with the switch from back to front on the LeMans.. It's so ugly with the calipers out front to me.

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Yes the retaining ring is a reverse thread.
However, I believe the MK3 has a clip ring on the front wheel bearing retainer. Earlier Commandos did not.