Please help my steering stop

I was quite happily tinkering and footering with my bike when I discovered this wonderful forum. Now I spend hours reading & worrying about all the problems I didn’t even know my bike had!!
However, I’m hoping that a member of this forum could help with a problem I do have. I have no steering stops on my bike. I own a 1971 Roadster where the frame has the central stop in the middle of the headstock, the yokes I think are off a 1969 – 70? I presume the previous owner swapped them out due to the high speed weave problems associated with the ’71 yokes.
The one thing I have realised from reading this forum is that a first post without photos is a bit like arriving at a party without beers, you’ll be let in but you will always be treated with suspicion!! So here they are.

Bike as is at present, wheels are off being re built. (Yes, yes, yes - pinstripes on side panel! I know, I know, I wanted them that way, to my eye it flows better with my tank)



The steering stop on frame below VIN tag



Yokes off a 1969-70??





After, I think, reading every thread on yokes including the 94 post thread on yokes & yoke geometry! I have worried myself to a standstill. Bike handles and rides better than I do, but am I just an accident waiting to happen? Thought I could swap out the bottom yoke for a ’72 or later but the stems are the wrong way round, I would need to get a pair (maybe the CNW ones? Then I remembered just how poor I am ) besides I like the ones I have.
I wondered if anything like this was made for commandos?



Any suggestions for a fix would be greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind I have some spanners, a drill & a hammer, no CNC machine, lathe, flow jet or defibulator!!


Thanks
McVic

The yokes on 69-70 accommodated the halo ring for the headlamp mount. The spindle was also attached to the bottom yoke, unlike later ones which I think are attached to the top yoke. 69-70 top yoke had 2 1/4-28 threaded holes on the underside to attach to the halo brackets. Lower yoke had special pinch studs to hold the bottom mounts of the halo.





Lock lug was attached to the top of the headstock above the ID plate.





The steering stops are 2 lugs on the headstock below the ID plate. They just contact the lower yoke and make marks on it.



Hope that helps.

Dave
69S

mcvic750 said:

Any suggestions for a fix would be greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind I have some spanners, a drill & a hammer, no CNC machine, lathe, flow jet or defibulator!!


Thanks
McVic

Click to expand...

I don't know if this would work because it looks as if the retaining pins would go straight into your lower bearing. Maybe you could drill 2 holes and use a plug fastened by a screw underneath?

Hi DogT

How apt that you should reply to my thread as your phoenix thread was partially responsible for me getting into the garage this winter and sorting out my bike. Only wish I hadn’t read your “….put on a bolt have a margarita and repeat” comment the day my 24 piece Stainless steal Allen screw kit arrived, Hic !! I had wondered why there are mounting points on the bottom of the top yoke your great pictures and explanation of the halo ring sorted all of that out, thanks (that’s a fine resource you have there in those photos.)I think it confirms that my yokes (Triple trees) are off a 69-70, only visual difference I can see between yours and mine is that my bottom yoke has a steering damper mounting point. Spoke to a triton guy yesterday that had a steering stop set up below the bottom yoke which sounded promising, going to try and see him this week.
Thanks again
McVic

Hi Pelican
I think you are probably right it just seemed a very clean solution to my problem. I did wonder if I could attach underneath but to be honest don’t have the ability to fabricate the part anyway so probably a non starter. Search goes on, pinning my hopes on the Triton guy.
Thanks
McVic

mcvic750 said:

The one thing I have realised from reading this forum is that a first post without photos is a bit like arriving at a party without beers,

Click to expand...

Bravo on the pics but where's the beer? :mrgreen:

I think I have a solution, let me see if I can get to the garage today and take some pics.

You might want to consider using the bottom triple clamp pinch bolts for an extension.Longer bolts would accept threaded hex stock or round or what ever, that would have bolts,(rubber covered maybe), screwed in. They would give you steering lock by hitting up against the frame. Also would be able to provide for adjust-ability. As used on P11 etc... would just have to see where they would hit the frame to make sure of a positive stop without messing things up too much or contacting the tank, etc.
Just an idea that you might consider if nothing better shows up.

Will

swooshdave said:

mcvic750 said:

The one thing I have realised from reading this forum is that a first post without photos is a bit like arriving at a party without beers,

Click to expand...

Bravo on the pics but where's the beer? :mrgreen:

I think I have a solution, let me see if I can get to the garage today and take some pics.

Click to expand...

Hi Swooshdave
If you have a solution there is "a wee heavy and a half pint" in it for you

Thanks
McVic

mcvic750 said:

swooshdave said:

mcvic750 said:

The one thing I have realised from reading this forum is that a first post without photos is a bit like arriving at a party without beers,

Click to expand...

Bravo on the pics but where's the beer? :mrgreen:

I think I have a solution, let me see if I can get to the garage today and take some pics.

Click to expand...

Hi Swooshdave
If you have a solution there is "a wee heavy and a half pint" in it for you

Thanks
McVic

Click to expand...

Only a half pint? What, are you, Scottish? :mrgreen:

Hi Will
Thanks for your thoughts. It’s an interesting fix and nicely within my technical ability . One worry is that at the moment the back of the bottom yoke stops against the frame and I am worried it will eventually damage the frame, when you see the gouges out of the front of the yokes on the pre – ’71 bikes where the stops hit, but I like the rubber covered bit and the adjustability.
Thanks again
McVic

I"m facing this fork stop issue on RGM alloy yokes, because I crash so often factory stem stops get removed too often. My first attempt was to tap holes in bottom yoke to put in 3/8" allen heads that bumped on stem tab but that didn't last too long. This next time I'm going to use a combo of the stop plate idea shown AND frame tube bumpers with slice of tire casing or conveyor belt glued on to prevent metal to metal contact denting thin frame. We never know when or what will slap us down so when testing w/o crashing give consideration to trying to break off fork stops about as hard as ya can before settling on a solution.

The stock steering stop on my 72.


This is the steering stop on my Bultaco Pursang. They are steel pins and I believe they are threaded on the bottom.

WIll something like that work? Drill a couple holes in the lower stem and put some pins in. Done.

That might work, since you have the 71 frame, maybe you could drill a couple of holes in the bottom yoke in the appropriate place and fit a couple of bolts with nuts under them to raise them up enough to hit the stop. Would be nicer if you could thread them into the bottom yoke too. Looking at my 69, it looks like there is a nice flat area on the back of the yoke to do that, but it is not thick enough to thread and hold, use nuts and bolts, or even studs and nuts. Look at my last picture above and you will see what I mean about that flat area.

Dave
69S

On Peel a Combat with stop tab on front of stem, I put big allen bolts where the cast tabs are in the picture above. The dang stem tab ain't that strong but worse its so far above the yoke the stops must stand up so tall there is huge leverage on bolts sticking up that far. I backed up the bolts with wider steel nut as spacer. Found that made bolt stops stronger than the stem stop. There is eough room under the stem tube to make a plate with welded on robust tall tabs, but plate is fixed by two bolts in the yoke so long bolts not an issue. Still worth while to add back up rubber bumpers on frame or yokes and trim to begin to stop right before the metal to metal stops touch.

Hi Hobot
The RGM yokes look really nice. I think the RGM stops I have are meant for those yokes



I'm going to see the Triton steering stops this week coming and if they are not a fix I'll try to drill the bottom yoke like you, DogT and Swooshdave suggest and using these RGM stops. Just hope I can measure right for the holes and that the bottom yoke doesn't end up looking like one of your late night drilling/lighted parts :lol:

Thank
McVic

Hi Swooshdave
If you have a solution there is "a wee heavy and a half pint" in it for you

Thanks
McVic[/quote]

Only a half pint? What, are you, Scottish? :mrgreen:[/quote][/quote]


I think like many, many foreigners that have gone before you Swooshdave,
You may well have under estimate the potency of the Wee Heavy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2dCMDNqE5Y

Fact: Much as our Irish cousins like to try, you will never out drink a Scotsman at a Free bar!

Now where the hell are the keys to my sporran? :lol:



All the best
McVic

I have a similar problem with my 70 "S". The block on the right side of the frame is knackered on the bottom and when you turn full lock right the block does not come in contact with the bottom yoke before the fork tube contacts the gas tank. My thought right now is to grab the mig and build up the bottom corner of the block. Any thoughts on the validity of my thoughts?

It should work as long as you don't melt or start a fire in the head bearings. Then there is the paint.

By the way Boz, would you be willing to supply a frame number and date from your 70 'S'?

I never did like the paint chips off the lower yoke, but I doubt if a rubber bumper would stay on there.

Dave
69S

mcvic750 » Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:16 am
Hi hobot The RGM yokes look really nice. I think the RGM stops I have are meant for those yokes

Click to expand...

oh man, I didn't know RGM supplied them, drats! Screw in stops on yokes pretty much have to screw downward into the yokes as impacts can easy bend the bolts,so imagine backing them out from below, ugh. Double issue on placing them, one proper stopping point, two not drilling out the under web of yokes. My holes on RGM yokes ended up so close to a web I could not put on a back up nut.
Mane got clobbered and were a booger to get out form the top. My 'measured' by guess/by golly got holes a bit too close to the stem tab to just slip on nuts as bumpers so had to grind some off a flat to get full range.

In your case might not be a bad idea to tie the tops of the two towers together to back each up from bending. Better to knock off the tab and fix than towers.

I think my best bet is a thick steel plate the two bolts clamping to the yokes but welded robust lugs on the the plate do the actual impact bearing.

i now know I'm both a fool to ride and more so to ever think again I'll not be forced down by my own hand or others/animals/nature, so extra fork limiting back up will be via a bar across RGM fork brace [foot rests] that hit case/crash bars just as the fork stops contact and yokes touch frame cushions. If I don't back up forks they would crush in the IS tank front, as happened before... by my own hands in terror save out the blue d/t rear blow up deriming @ 50 mph.
Bashing forks that far saved hi side from rear passing by the R side. it needed repeating in slightly decreasing cycles till able to put feet down and unload pants and limp home.

btw I've a spare RGM yoke set uninstalled to be rid of.

Hey, at least if you beat up the F/G tank, it's an opportunity to buy a steel one. No more Avgas.

Dave
69S