Stripped!

Well that seems to have worked, I've got the bracket with iso 'core' in place and then assembled the plastic discs and verniers on to the threads. Just have to get the gaitors in place now and she'll be sweet. Thanks Sweenz.

BTW, the method I ended up using for the motor was to lie it on its side and then offer the frame up to it and then when in the right place put both back vertical, but by this time the damage was done. Groan.

Hey Stu, dunno if I've mentioned it before, but we're going back up to Cairns early in the New Year - to see what the place is like in The Wet. I promise to catch up this time.

My 73 Commando frame was a mess and had to be replaced. Bought one off eBay from the "guy" in Chicage which was supposed to be good. It arrived and was unusable due to bends in the tubes. Got yet another one which has been ok except for the rear seat loop bent down a bit no doubt from giving some fat girls rides.
Good luck with it! Third time is the charm!

I know some people have put the engine in the frame on it's side, but I've never tried it. I always put the engine in, in pieces, that keeps the weight down.

Dave
69S

Hey Stu, dunno if I've mentioned it before, but we're going back up to Cairns early in the New Year - to see what the place is like in The Wet. I promise to catch up this time.

Click to expand...

Cool ! By then I should have both bikes on the road. :shock:

We thought we had an early wet season the last fortnight but it is back to dry now ~

Parts arrived this morning and now have to work out ^%&% went wrong with te Trident primary as it was fine before the clutch gummed up .. and the Commando is well on the way to rcovery ! I want to get it on club plates by the 13th when rego is due ~

And if you are still toying with moving... you would be amongst a rash of Commandos up here ~ I am still the only active Trident owner despite the fact I know of a few in hiding..

Hi Stu, yeah, still thinking, but not a lot of work for my kind of engineering. Would be quite a cluster of Commandos though - as you say. (Now there's a new collective noun.)

Anyways, to the chase. Front iso all sorted, back is also done:



New swingarm axle installed. Far out - a swingarm that swings!



What's more, I can grab the swingarm and I can't move it and motor side-to-side by over an inch like in the past!

Headsteady. This has taken me (quite) a few hours, it's the classic made from 4mm angle. I'll now take it off, reverse engineer my own work and make a CAD model and then have the sheetmetal guy make up a decent version of it. I'll also change the bend angle from 90 to 105 degrees, so the rear support is vertical, but in reality, it probably makes little difference.



Man this thing is going to be different to ride!

Tank support made from 1cm sheet rubber, a lot of angle-grinder cuts and a fair whack of contact adhesive. Did this some time back, but still pretty happy with it. (Should have seen what it replaced. On second thoughts, I'll spare you the pain.)



More bits being prepared, the CDI will be a permanent fixture this time around, no more capacitors and ballast resistor.

Pity I missed Mods and Rockers today. I reckon 2 weeks more before it's a goer again. Then have to sort out a side or centre stand.

If anyone else is interested in a kit of headsteady parts - let me know, just as easy to get several run off as it is to get one done. At cost or pretty close to it.

Hi Dave:

I'm almost at exactly the same point in my rebuild: just about to put on the black base coat followed by 2K Spray Max clear coat.

I'd be very interested in a head steady as you have offered. Will the design clamp around the tube or bolt through the head steady mounts. Currently, the bolt holes have been filled by the previous owner so I'd have to use a clamp configuration. If this is what you're going with, please let me know the cost and I'll pay you to have a 2nd one cranked out at the same time.

Thanks

Bryn

71 Norton
68 TR6P

Hi Bryn,

no clamp I'm afraid, just the existing frame mount with 2 screws or some allthread through it and nylocks for backward compatibility.
I'm not sure what's been done to yours by your DPO - can you bung up a pic or two? Can it not be drilled out again?

(Where abouts are you by the way?)

Looking good and stable but for lack of swing arm spindle stablizing collars, to keep that stable when pressing the stability gained by the two links with tightened up swing arm and iso's. Once up and running and familiar with the feel, take off each link to see what each does, then over tighten each in turn to see what that feels like too.

hobot said:

Looking good and stable but for lack of swing arm spindle stablizing collars...

Click to expand...

Ahhhh... is that what the additional two flats machined in the spindle are for Steve? Must investigate further.

Nice job on the headsteady.

No clamps on the spindle?

Stillreel said:

Hi Dave:

I'm almost at exactly the same point in my rebuild: just about to put on the black base coat followed by 2K Spray Max clear coat.

I'd be very interested in a head steady as you have offered. Will the design clamp around the tube or bolt through the head steady mounts. Currently, the bolt holes have been filled by the previous owner so I'd have to use a clamp configuration. If this is what you're going with, please let me know the cost and I'll pay you to have a 2nd one cranked out at the same time.

Thanks

Bryn

Click to expand...

Here's some more info on the headsteady design.

the-keith1069-headsteady-t5862.html

swooshdave said:

Nice job on the headsteady.

Click to expand...

Thanks Swoosh, talked to my sheetmetal dude this arvo, will be building it in 3mm steel. Can do the 105degree bend with large (i.e. strong) bend radius. Just got to CAD it up.

swooshdave said:

No clamps on the spindle?

Click to expand...

Aaaargh! Got to find out more about these spindle clamps!

swooshdave said:

Here's some more info on the headsteady design.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I was going by eye from a couple of photos. Very smooth work there.

Head steady, the two bits of angle off the support tube, make the offside one longer so that it reaches the bolt for the rod end, then put the bolt through both plates, then there is no need to fit any other scews and it will be alot stronger. Try to keep the rod sqaure with the frame.

davamb said:

swooshdave said:

No clamps on the spindle?

Click to expand...

Aaaargh! Got to find out more about these spindle clamps!

Click to expand...

not-another-spindle-thread-t5978.html

splatt said:

Head steady ...make the offside one longer so that it reaches the bolt for the rod end, then put the bolt through both plates...

Click to expand...

Yep, no worries there Splatt, this is only a model - will all be sorted on my CAD/sheetmetal version. I'll bung up pics when designed.

swooshdave said:

No clamps on the spindle? Not another spindle thread.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. All is clear now including the extra flats on the spindle!

Been a bit crook last couple of days and have no sidestand, but managed to sneak a fang around the block. And then a bit. Ok and then a bit more.
Oh I see - the VIBES GO AWAY at 3k. Far out - whodathunk. Don't mind giving it a bit more of a rev without being scared it'll shake itself to bits.
And the rear end - it goes up and down and it goes 'round corners without requiring an undy change immediately after.
My my. What a different machine. Must investigate more.

Finished my headsteady during the week and improved the carby setup a bit too - has been fluffing a bit just off idle.



(By the way, I have a couple of extra sets of the steel brackets if anyone else is interested.)

I've had a couple of rides on the beast now she's all back together and still seems to be more vibration than I'm led to believe there should be. Pointless to investigate further at this stage until I either get someone else to ride mine to tell me if it's excessive or ride theirs.
Losing a fair bit of oil here and there, including out the oil tank filler. This is rather odd, I've tried different sealing gaskets on the filler cap and it doesn't seem to make any difference. Thought the tank might be pressurising, but no - the top vent is clear. Think I'll have to change the main crank seal, as it's leaking into the transfer case, but just want to make sure the PCV mod is working as it should before I do this. All seems to be pointing to this not being the case.

I would like to try this type of head steady, Just let me know what you want for the brackets. And maybe info on the other parts needed, You can e-mail me at chuckinton@aol.com Thanks for the offer, Chuck Horton. :wink:

I'll speak up for a set.


JD

Ok done. Now you have to find your own rose joints and screws/nuts/washers etc guys. I had no trouble getting these bits, came to about $25 (Aussie), will be equivalent cost wherever you are, i.e. pretty cheap. (I used 10mm joints and fasteners, not half inch though.) I'll see if I can get the (laser cut) bits folded during the week and then I'll get in touch regarding mailing addresses. All depends on how busy the sheetmetal shop is in the final trading week of the year. If the mailing costs aren't too stiff, you've just scored a chrissy present, otherwise I might have to make alternative arrangements. I'll let you know as soon as I do.