Friends,
There is a diy head steady on Captain Norton's list made by Mike Taglierri. About two years ago I saw Mike's design and decided to make my own from aluminum (his was steel).
http://home.clara.net/captain.norton/mtp.html
I bought a block of 2x2x3" square alum. bar from the scrap yard, and a piece of 3/8x4” long alum. angle. $10.
I bought two 1/2" rod-end bearings from WW Grainger (male and female). There are Grainger stores all over and the rod bearings are usually stock. You can buy stainless too. $15
http://www.grainger.com
I cleaned up the square bar with an aluminum cutting bastard file, and drilled a 1.5" hole in it. This is the size of the lower top frame tube.
I took the block to a friend's shop and cut it in half on a band saw, leaving two half rounds in opposing sides. A patient person could use a hacksaw.
I drilled one half with 1/2 through holes. The other half I drilled through and tapped 1/2-13. I now had a block that could be clamped cross-ways on the frame tube with 1/2-13 bolts. One bolt needs to be longer to protrude down and attach one of the rod-ends. The clamping block does not use the original head-steady tapped holes in the frame tube, since I thought clamping the tube would be stronger and more rigid.
I cut the angle to fit the head and drilled for the three 5/16-26 heady steady holes on the head. I drilled the vertical part of the angle ½” through and bolted the angle to the head, the clamp to the frame, and the rod-end to each part (clamp and angle.) It fit pretty easily under my steel roadster tank. A person could use 3/8 rod-ends and a smaller clamp for the fiberglass tanks.
This head steady eliminates lateral torsion inherent in the Isolastic design. The head steady allows up/down and forward/back motion, but no side motion at all, by rigidly triangulating the isolastic system.
Over 20 years I was never really happy with the handling of my Commando and over the years I fitted vernier isolastics, welded setscrews and jam nuts to the swing arm/frame tube and replaced rear shocks. None of it made that much difference, because the engine and drive train could still move laterally while under the torsional stress of cornering. The head steady transformed the handling of the machine and made it the best handling old motorcycle I have ever ridden. It doesn’t vibrate more, than before, but somehow it vibrates better! The bike now feels tight and confident and steady at any speed and in any corner. The Taylor design is similar, but whether made or bought, this is the best modification I ever made to my Commando.
I hope this helps!
Mike