New Norton 650 Superlight

worntorn said:
Is it cast or built up tubing ( welded)?
I don't think I would want to ride around on a cast Al. ( or cast anything ) swing arm.
Second question- how does one machine a swing arm from billet?
Unless the swing arm members are hollowed out somehow they will be left as solid pieces, which would result in a very heavy swing arm, size for weight.

Glen
Click to expand...
Here's one from over 30 years ago - you give a motorhead a boring mill to play with and things like this happen.
New Norton 650 Superlight
 
That happened many/many times. It was way stronger and wider than stock.
 
Looking more closely at the photos of the SL there are welds visible so it is built up.
Perhaps the individual pieces are milled out of a billet.
And it does appear to be hollowed out somehow.
6000 GBP extra tho!
That is about what I paid for an entire new 100 hp motorcycle c/w alloy swingarm.
I guess these are " open wallet " type machines.
I like the style of the bike. Painted in BRG or a Ducati Red would really look good.

Glen
 
Last edited:
I assume you must be right Glen, individual pieces of machines parts welded together.

Does anyone know what the benefit to this is? I know we all like a bit of billet, but surely there’s some other benefit to justify the blingness?

Mine will have a stock SA, however they’re made!

How are such swinging arms normally made Glen if casting is not a desirable method and what’s wrong with casting?

I had assumed that all such single sided affairs would have been cast?

Paint that carbon!?... And I thought you were a decent bloke...
 
Last edited:
Just haven't gotten on to the CF look although I know it is good stuff.
To be honest Nigel, I was thinking of the swing arm ( double sided monoshock) I fabricated for my Egli and imagining it as cast in one piece.
Doesn't seem like a strong way to go about it, but the sections are small.
Now I have to look at the single sided Daytona swing arm.
Might have some egg on my face but it's happened before!
Interestingly, in 02 the Daytona went to a conventional alloy doublesided swingarm and that alone shaved 7 lbs off the bike.vs the single sided.
Buyers wanted the single sided look so they went back to it in 03.

Glen
 
Well, to be honest, my layman’s gut instinct has always favoured double sided swinging arms...

But, on the SL, with the high level pipe tucked up ‘out of the way’ and no swinging arm in the way, that CF rear wheel just looks even more stunningly gorgeous!
 
It does look good.
Take away the show polish and there are lots of similarities to my 05 Daytona 955i.
Both have curvy bodywork, not the sharp cornered Transformers look that is almost universally used on current sportbikes.
Both have single sided swing arms and twin tube alloy wrap around frames.
Also dual headlights.
And high level exhaust.
Both built in England.


Very different price tags tho!

Glen



 
Last edited:
worntorn said:
Is it cast or built up tubing ( welded)?
I don't think I would want to ride around on a cast Al. ( or cast anything ) swing arm.
Second question- how does one machine a swing arm from billet?
Unless the swing arm members are hollowed out somehow they will be left as solid pieces, which would result in a very heavy swing arm, size for weight.

Glen
Click to expand...
Hi Glen.... according to Simon Skinner- the designer- its a cast swing arm, same as on the the V4...see pic.... He also said the billet swing arm is made out of a solid block (probably reason why its so expensive !) and is actually 1KG heavier than the cast one...
New Norton 650 Superlight
 
Well that does look skookum.
And at 1 kg lighter, plus 6,000 GBP less costly it's an easy choice.

Glen
 
So is there no technical advantage at all to the billet swinger?

You gotta be a serious bling addict to blow £6k just cos it looks nice!

I’ll be very happy with the boring old stock one thanks!
 
Any claims that aesthetics doesn’t matter to what we spend on our bikes is funny.
 
Dutch said:
Any claims that aesthetics doesn’t matter to what we spend on our bikes is funny.
Click to expand...

Don’t think anyone is saying that Dutch, I’m certainly not, I say aesthetics matter a lot.

But there surely has to be a point where the ‘bling to $ acceptability ratio’ is passed... at least for us mere mortals !

A few bucks getting your swinger polished is one thing, but £6k (nearly $8k) for billet bragging rights? Too rich for me!
 
961al said:
Hi Glen.... according to Simon Skinner- the designer- its a cast swing arm, same as on the the V4...see pic.... He also said the billet swing arm is made out of a solid block (probably reason why its so expensive !) and is actually 1KG heavier than the cast one...
New Norton 650 Superlight
Click to expand...

Personally, I think that plain finish looks just fine. Got a kinda ‘honest’ look to it.

Easy to keep looking like that too !
 
I'm going to be in Amsterdam in a few weeks and will check their price for "swinger polishing".
 
Fast Eddie said:
So is there no technical advantage at all to the billet swinger?

You gotta be a serious bling addict to blow £6k just cos it looks nice!

I’ll be very happy with the boring old stock one thanks!
Click to expand...

Typically a billet machined swing arm should be lighter for the same stiffness.
 
bpjthornton said:
Typically a billet machined swing arm should be lighter for the same stiffness.
Click to expand...
With a complex shape like that swingarm, modern pressure/lost wax casting technology is far beyond what cad machining can do.
Billet "The new chrome" is mostly used for fashion with show bikes and cars today.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top