Talkin Springs,from the workshop.

Would'nt be great if one shoe size fits all feet?
Well in 1953 Norton did just that,not with shoe's..but fork springs.
350 light weight single- 850 twin, yes same old spring!
This may interest some...not all.

I have just last week made up some Lansdowne dampers for a Racing Seeley with a all alloy Goldstar engine,very light machine.
The forks Seeley design but with a caliper mount are just the same as Nortons .
Any way the guy phoned me after fitting them, complaining the action felt stiff and harsh,
so after a few trial pumps i agreed they where harsh with some sticking when fully compressed.
I stripped them checked all the clearance's etc and re-assembled them...no better!

At full compression the fork was reluctant to return and sounded rough, just for the hell of it i removed the internal stock norton spring and fitted a External spring....total transformation..now compliant and smooth!

It appears at full compression the stock internal spring binds,well the amount of side wear confirms this :!:
With a bit of assistance from the rebound damper this locking up is excessive.

Modern bikes have internal shorter springs and less travel, measured a R1 its 75mm,so the buckeling is far less.

So i did a little test , I installed a spring into a stanchion ,then using a treaded rod and two nuts fully compressed the spring inside , at full compression the spring snakes up and binds quite tight, if the stanchion as a rough internal surface it take's a hard push to move it :!:

So just another bit of trivia to think about, Me..well i am changing the MK 3 to External springs and gaiters....all that internal spring grinding is not for me, must produce some lovely metal slurry :!:

No wonder the slider's wear!..still out of sight out of mind.

Sounds like an easy fix. A lot of us already are using the gaiters. What external springs do you recommend for Commando?

Russ

Mayby Pre-feather bed ,to start with? Guess the compressional resistance is about the same, or Chrome manx with nylon cups.

I have been contemplating external springs just because. Clubman offers 2 different ones.

http://www.clubmanracing.com/suspensionforksnorton.php

Me and Bob Davis in OZ figured this out before I did my hobot ''04 Roadholders, they just used old over ordered stock, because no one would make new springs with Norton history of not covering orders. That why I've said Norton short changed the Commando with the short damper rod and by far most the stricken is springs inside stanchions, not the bushes. I'm intrigued pleased depressed at your external spring report, as its impractical in my gritty world.

On Ms Peel this is a total non issue because the extra spring spacer installed avoids coil curl binding till the very last instant of compression so can't really feel it bottom out just reverse rebound like silent magic. I have not measured the oil seal to bottom york travel distance yet, so it may not allow full 6" progressiveness I like. Personally I can't believe how good my forks are, not out of pride, which I have enough already, but pure joy and smooth safe security others might be missing out on. There must be ways to combine best of both upgrades. I can't experiment more till Peel going later this yr, maybe, fates and plain Roadholder Trixie allowing. I will never on purpose ride Trixie to get upset with her Roadholders, been there done that, no more thankyou.