Quincy Rally - Peter Williams Questions for John

Jerry Doe · Jun 24, 2016

Hi All,

I just got off the phone with John Favill and he will be doing a Skype interview with Peter Williams on July Wednesday 13th at Quincy 8:30 AM. If you have any questions that you would like me to pass on to John, to ask Peter, drop me a quick email. accessnorton [at] gmail.

I will be interviewing John too on the evening of the same day. I will try to write it all down to post here later. Or maybe someone can video it.

Cheers
Jerry

ILLF8ED · Jun 25, 2016

Hi Jerry,

Since you ask. I've wondered who the maker was for the JPN team leathers for the 1973 season. These were the white with blue and red accent. They look like Bates, but since it's a British team, probably not.

L.A.B. · Jun 25, 2016

illf8ed said:
I've wondered who the maker was for the JPN team leathers for the 1973 season. These were the white with blue and red accent. They look like Bates, but since it's a British team, probably not.

Yes, they were Bates leathers.
[video]https://youtu.be/a-SOXVVdIZ4[/video]

acotrel · Jun 26, 2016

I've got a question - How do you measure the rake and trail on the Monocoque Commando with that forward axle ? And what are the head angle and yoke offset numbers on that bike ? In the latest Classic Motorcycle magazine it mention the bike tends to run wide coming out of corners, instead of tightening it's line.
Thanks,
Al

Fast Eddie · Jun 27, 2016

acotrel said:
I've got a question - How do you measure the rake and trail on the Monocoque Commando with that forward axle ? And what are the head angle and yoke offset numbers on that bike ? In the latest Classic Motorcycle magazine it mention the bike tends to run wide coming out of corners, instead of tightening it's line.
Thanks,
Al

How to measure rake and trail is surely the same as any other bike?

The monocoque may run wide with unworthy riders on board... Remember Williams used to drift it...!

acotrel · Jun 27, 2016

When you measure the trail, don't you subtract the yoke offset ? I can't quite work out what you are supposed to do when the axle is mounted on the front of the sliders. Is it a simple addition to the yoke offset ? If it was exactly the same as having a fairly large offset on the yokes, I can see how when combined with the 27 degree rake, it might make the bike tend to run wide coming out of corners.

acotrel · Jun 27, 2016

From what I have read about the Monocoque Commando, I have the impression it is set up for the IOM rather than short, tight circuits.

Fast Eddie · Jun 28, 2016

acotrel said:
When you measure the trail, don't you subtract the yoke offset ? I can't quite work out what you are supposed to do when the axle is mounted on the front of the sliders. Is it a simple addition to the yoke offset ? If it was exactly the same as having a fairly large offset on the yokes, I can see how when combined with the 27 degree rake, it might make the bike tend to run wide coming out of corners.

No you don't subtract yoke offset when measuring the trail, well you can do it that way if it makes it easier in your own workshop, but trail is supposed to be:

"measured in distance (inches or millimeters) between the point of the front wheel’s contact with the ground and a line drawn through the axis of the steering head".

Measuring this way will tell you the trail you have whatever your yoke offset and whether your spindle is in line with the forks, or mounted in front.

acotrel · Jun 28, 2016

That sort of makes sense to me. However whenever I measure the trail I always find it difficult to get an accurate line through the steering head to the ground, so I take a line down the side of the forks, measure the yoke offset then subtract it. When I look at the photos of the Monocoque Commando, the forward axle combined with the yoke offset looks to be too much for a 27 degree rake. It must be extremely stable under brakes, and I have already read somewhere that it does not tighten it's line in corners - which I would have expected it to do from the way Peter Williams rode it. Although, it WAS good in the wet, so it might not have had quick steering.

acotrel · Jun 28, 2016

From what I've read, the Tom Arter Matchless 'Wagon Wheels' also had steering which was set up more towards stability than self-steering. The thing is that if the steering is quick and the bike tends to tighten it's line in corners, it is probably easier to deck yourself, however on short circuits it enables you to race with more confidence.

CanukNortonNut · Aug 8, 2016

Jerry Doe said:
Hi All,

I just got off the phone with John Favill and he will be doing a Skype interview with Peter Williams on July Wednesday 13th at Quincy 8:30 AM. If you have any questions that you would like me to pass on to John, to ask Peter, drop me a quick email. accessnorton [at] gmail.

I will be interviewing John too on the evening of the same day. I will try to write it all down to post here later. Or maybe someone can video it.

Cheers
Jerry

Hi Jerry,
Did you ever get those questions answered at Quincy?
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

Jerry Doe · Aug 8, 2016

Unfortunately John could not make it so we did not get to it.

One thing though: John still has lots of data and details of the Norton 76. He is going to put it all together and I am making a website dedicated to it and the engineers. I am excited to do that. Its going to be a while though...

Cheers

Matchless · Aug 10, 2016

Looking forward to that Jerry. I remember the article in Bike magazine & the only part I didn't like was the plain tank script.

Martyn.

Quincy Rally - Peter Williams Questions for John

Jerry Doe

ILLF8ED

L.A.B.

Moderator

acotrel

Fast Eddie

acotrel

acotrel

Fast Eddie

acotrel

acotrel

CanukNortonNut

Jerry Doe

Matchless

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