Roadholder Stanchion length

Johnnymac

Johnnymac

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Oct 8, 2011
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Hi Guys. I have been trying to determine what length fork stanchions should be installed on a 1966 Atlas. Should they be the long tubes or short? From what i've read on the NortonOwnersclub.org website ( http://www.nortonownersclub.org/support ... lder-forks ), the pre-featherbeds had tubes that were 21.843" in length. Does this mean that the Slimline Featherbeds had the long tubes... the 23.312" tubes? Thanks!
 
Johnnymac said:
Does this mean that the Slimline Featherbeds had the long tubes... the 23.312" tubes?
Click to expand...

No. Wideline and slimline both used short roadholder forks, with the 21.xxx tubes.
And internal fork springs

Older ES2's and dommies and 16H's used the Long Roadholders with the 23.xxx tubes, and external springs.
Commandos also used 23.yyy inch tubes, but hardchromed and with different holes and arrangements in the tubes...
Hopethishelps.
 
Rohan said:
Johnnymac said:
Does this mean that the Slimline Featherbeds had the long tubes... the 23.312" tubes?
Click to expand...

No. Wideline and slimline both used short roadholder forks, with the 21.xxx tubes.
And internal fork springs

Older ES2's and dommies and 16H's used the Long Roadholders with the 23.xxx tubes, and external springs.
Commandos also used 23.yyy inch tubes, but hardchromed and with different holes and arrangements in the tubes...
Hopethishelps.
Click to expand...


Thanks!
 
I am troubleshooting my Roadholders. I knew they needed some servicing when I bought the bike. They do not fully extend back down after being compressed. If I take the weight off the front end they do fully drop, but easily compress with the weight of the bike. (Probably about an inch or so too much). I drained the fork oil overnight on both legs and there was about 125ml in each leg. I honestly haven't done any fork work before so I thought I'd ask here before I start ripping things apart. I plan on getting some SAE20 fork oil and adding back 150 to 175mls of oil to each leg. Any other areas I can easily check? The forks didn't seem to be leaking so I'm thinking the forks seals might be OK.
 
The manual says to use 5 fluid ounces (142 ml) of fork oil, per leg.
Filling via the top is slow, with funnel, so be sure not to spill any.
Watch that the spring will put pressure on the fork top nuts, even on the centrestand.

While you are there, it might be a good time to remove the front wheel,
and check the wheel bearings and condition of the brake shoes.
Your life particularly depends on these, so always good to check.
And remove any spiders, grease, rust and small lizards....

When the wheel goes back in and with the fork top nuts back in place,
keep the axle nut and fork clamp nuts loose,
and bounce the forks a few times to see that the action is good and everything is aligned
- and that the handlebars and everything are straight.
This time honoured ritual may help if the forks are misaligned, the usual cause of stiff or uneven action.

A manual helps too - no have yet ??
This info comes from the little Pitmans "The book of the Norton Dominator Twins 1955 - 65".
(don't know why it doesn't include pre 55 or post 65 dommies, but thats what they wrote on the cover)(published 1966).
Hopethiselps.

There is probably a pdf of this booklet, LAB may know ?
 
Rohan said:
........When the wheel goes back in and with the fork top nuts back in place, keep the axle nut and fork clamp nuts loose, and bounce the forks a few times to see that the action is good and everything is aligned - and that the handlebars and everything are straight. This time honoured ritual may help if the forks are misaligned, the usual cause of stiff or uneven action......Hopethiselps.
Click to expand...
The last work I did to my bike involved removing the front wheel. It's been a while since I did it, & I used the manual, but I don't remember bouncing the forks a few times. I'm gonna go and have another look at it now :) ......always useful info to be found on this forum :D
 
Triton Thrasher said:
If they really compress too much under the weight of the bike, I'd suspect broken springs.
Click to expand...

Or sagged springs....

Could be worth measuring the lengths of all bits (if the forks are apart),
to ensure no miscellaneous strays have been introduced to the mix.

I once bought a set of new fork springs - to replace some that had lost some of their sproing.
Close inspection revealed one of the new ones was thinner diam wire than the others !!

Its not uncommon to find extra spacers etc to pack out springs that have been well used either.
 
Hey guys, are the atlas and commando fork legs/stanchions interchangeable? I know the commando ones are about an inch longer, hard chromed... But is it possible to slide out the commando legs, internals, etc..the entire front end essentially and stick them into a set of atlas yokes?
 
Johnnymac said:
But is it possible to slide out the commando legs, internals, etc..the entire front end essentially and stick them into a set of atlas yokes?
Click to expand...

To some extent yes, and to some extent no.

Commando forks are ~2 inches longer than Atlas forks, if you do the math.
So an Atlas would always be going uphill !!

Also, Commando forks expect the speedo and tacho alloy housings to fit a space at the top of the forklegs,
and Atlas don't usually have such fittings, so there would be a gap - unless filled with something.

Also, Atlas forks came in 2 widths - the earlier 7 inch wide forks, and then the later 7 & 3/8 wide forks.
If you try to fit Commando forks into 7 inch wide yokes, making the wheel fit might be interesting.
Depending on whether you had the earlier or wider forks, and wheels, of course.

You also have to watch that you don't try to mix and match any bits,
since the lengths of bits is mostly different, and all the threads of the fasteners are different too.
(Commando went unified threads.)
The mudguard/fender fittings are even different heights (??) although not by much.

But, with care can be done.
Doesn't improve the handling though... ?
 
Rohan said:
quote]
Also, Atlas forks came in 2 widths - the earlier 7 inch wide forks, and then the later 7 & 3/8 wide forks.
quote]

From your earlier posts I see you are now contradicting yourself saying that he Atlas had both the 7” yolks and the latter wider yolks.
The Atlas always, repeat ALWAYS had 7 3/8” yolks form their first date of manufacture :!:
Click to expand...
 
Bernhard said:
Rohan said:
quote]
Also, Atlas forks came in 2 widths - the earlier 7 inch wide forks, and then the later 7 & 3/8 wide forks.
quote]

From your earlier posts I see you are now contradicting yourself saying that he Atlas had both the 7” yolks and the latter wider yolks.
The Atlas always, repeat ALWAYS had 7 3/8” yolks form their first date of manufacture :!:
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. Sounds like it's not a great option. What about the sliders? I assume one could take the sliders off of a Commando and put them on Atlas tubes with relatively no problems? Here's a picture of the custom brake my buddy made for his commando. I'd like something like this eventually on my Atlas racer.

Roadholder Stanchion length
 
Johnnymac said:
Bernhard said:
. What about the sliders? I assume one could take the sliders off of a Commando and put them on Atlas tubes with relatively no problems?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

That is quite do-able.

Watch that you will now have some unified threads on the Commando sliders.
The correct bits will fit straight on, wrong threads only if you force them.
 
Bernhard said:
From your earlier posts I see you are now contradicting yourself saying that he Atlas had both the 7” yolks and the latter wider yolks.
The Atlas always, repeat ALWAYS had 7 3/8” yolks form their first date of manufacture :!:
Click to expand...

Nonsense.

Perhaps, Bernhard, you would like to quote here the date and vin of the bikes at changeover that got the wider forks,
so you can remember for future posts what the truth of the matter is.

Hint - it was sometime in 1964.
Hint - the Altas was being made before then...

We have been through this sooooo many times now,
you don't learn from all the great posts and intelligent folks here ??
 
Rohan said:
Perhaps, Bernhard,
Click to expand...

Why don't you also consult the pre and post 64 parts books,
and quote to us the correct part numbers for Atlas 7 inch and 7 & 3/8 fork yokes.
Prove to us you have finally learned the difference, and that there IS a difference...
 
Re: Atlas fork yoke width

My Atlas titled 1963, probably built late '62, has 7 inch wide fork yokes. I am original owner and know the provenance, the forks are factory original.

Many of our UK friends do not know the Atlas was produced prior to 1964, as all ( or at least virtually all) production prior to that year was exported, mostly to the US I suppose.

Slick
 
Thanks Slick.
That info has had a mention previously here before.
But someone seems to ignore any such posts...
 
interesting stuff Guys

The Atlas was made pre 1964 and I think 1962 was the first year for US export models
We brit`s had to settle for the good old 650ss back in 62

different yoke centres I can only assume were used for brake options ( correct me if I am wrong )

7" for factory SLS brake fitment and 7-3/8" for TLS brake to give additional room for the link rods ?

both Atlas and Dominator SS were sold with TLS option and both yoke centres would be used ?
 
kiwi said:
different yoke centres I can only assume were used for brake options ( correct me if I am wrong )
Click to expand...

No - the TLS first appeared for the Commando.
(and were never fitted to any dommie oem, not even the Mercury ?).

The move to 7 & 3/8 was to allow for slightly wider front tyres,
which were a rather tight fit in 7" forks.

P.S.
Since Johhnymac has the 7 & 3/8" centres, several folks here have mentioned they have fitted commando forks to such bikes,
and it doesn't affect the steering that much - as long as care is taken that the potentially longer travel forks doesn't allow anything
to clash on 'full bump'. It will look a little uphill though....
 
Rohan said:
kiwi said:
different yoke centres I can only assume were used for brake options ( correct me if I am wrong )
Click to expand...

No - the TLS first appeared for the Commando.
(and were never fitted to any dommie oem, not even the Mercury ?).
Click to expand...
The Mercury that I picked up earlier this summer was only on the road for 6 years so is likely fairly original and has a SLS front brake, though I have a TLS ready to go on it.
 
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