Lansdowne Fork Damper Kit (2009)

I note the comment about the damper tubes not providing a mechanical end stop...... And there was silly old me for decades setting up my forks correctly so that the mechanical end stops did NOT occur in the std damper assemblies. If you BOTHER to measure things you will find that that there is about 1/8 inch more movement in the damper assemblies than there is with the fork tubes in the sliders.......You simply setup the damper rod and nut in the fork tube top bolt (as some call the big nut) so the damper tube assembly can never be a mechanical end stop. Mind you I have seen total pratts who have fitted Dommy length damper tubes into Commando forks.....the forks do look funny on full extension and must feel even worse as the mechanical end stop takes place in the damper tube...... Mind you NOT as funny as the rear end of a Wideline frame and swinging arm looks when people fit Slimline length rear suspension units ..... I never could understand why owners did not hear the rear tyre wearing away on the mudguard bolts on full compression....or notice the gouge in the rear tyre....but how many Commando owners ever noticed the timing side rear suspension unit is not upright thanks to the frames fixing point being further out than on the swinging arm (6mm / 1/4 inch??).....until the sepension unit comes away from the swinging arm as occured many years ago shortly before the end of the race to the Commando that finished second in the 1973 Spa 24 hour race. The headline of the time was EMPLOYEE BEATS FACTORY. The bike was a private entry...the factory bikes failed LONG before the end ..as usual!! Apparently the factory motors produced lots of power but did not stay together long when doing it!!

I seem to remember a zillion years ago people were fitting Japanese damper units into Norton forks........ I suspect it was a fad.
Wonder how many forks could be improved if the damper top nut was the correct fit on the damper rod and thus cotrolled correctly the flow of oil past it as the forks extend? Wonder how many fork sliders are so badly worn that oil is passing the fork tube bush incorrecrtly? Just a thought.......
 
J. M. Leadbeater said:
I note the comment about the damper tubes not providing a mechanical end stop...... And there was silly old me for decades setting up my forks correctly so that the mechanical end stops did NOT occur in the std damper assemblies. If you BOTHER to measure things you will find that that there is about 1/8 inch more movement in the damper assemblies than there is with the fork tubes in the sliders.......You simply setup the damper rod and nut in the fork tube top bolt (as some call the big nut) so the damper tube assembly can never be a mechanical end stop.
Click to expand...


If you had BOTHERED to measure things you would know your information is INCORRECT, as you have repeatedly been informed both here and some while ago at BritBike.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/randell/nort ... pgrade.htm

http://www.members.shaw.ca/randell/top_stop.htm

http://atlanticgreen.com/forks.htm

http://www.nocnsw.org.au/technical/norton-roadholders

http://www.britbike.com/ubb/bin/ultimat ... tml#000008

http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthrea ... #Post67261


J. M. Leadbeater said:
..but how many Commando owners ever noticed the timing side rear suspension unit is not upright thanks to the frames fixing point being further out than on the swinging arm (6mm / 1/4 inch??).
Click to expand...

And how many more times must we hear this? The timing side shock of my Commando certainly doesn't lean as you describe.

The upper shock mounts on the Commando frame are nothing more than flat plates (06-0412/06-4282, see AN link below) attached each side of the seat loop tube, so for an upper mount to be "a 1/4 inch too far out" the RH seat tube would also have to be a 1/4 inch too far out.
The upper shock mounts are immediately to the rear of the spine tube frame plate (06-1973) and a 1/4" difference from the spine tube centre would not only be apparent to the eye but also easy to measure as the plate would also have to be 1/4" off centre of the spine tube, so where exactly is this 1/4 inch frame error supposed to be?
Also, as we know, the Commando swinging arm is attached to the cradle and not the frame, so any apparent misalignment of the swinging arm could just as easily be due to the cradle being out of alignment.

http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/FRAME%2 ... 0Parts.pdf
 
madass140 said:
Or contact me here or madass140@gmail.com
Click to expand...
Hi Don, the subject of damper rods came up in another thread. Which material are your damper rods made of?

On another note, I'd be interested in your damper kit for my Matchless bikes (G12, G15). This would necessitate a longer damper body, as the forks are somewhat longer than the Commando version. Would you offer a variant?
(The damper rod was retained by the factory - fine tuning may require a longer rod though.)

- Knut
 
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