Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames ?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rohan

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
8,215
Country flag
It is well recorded that Reyolds made the early Commando frames - and the featherbed frames for Nortons before that. Anyone know where the Reynolds factory was, or been there ?

Anyone seen or got pictures of them making those frames ?

Bracebridge St /Aston Brook St, Plumstead, Marston Rd, Andover and Shenstone are all part of the Norton and Commando story. The Reynolds factory would seem to be a fair part of the story too, but little seems to be written on it.

Any articles or stories on Reynolds making frames anywhere ??
Anyone seen how they jigged the Commando or featherbed frames for welding ?
Has Ken Sprayson or his associates written of this anywhere ?
Does the Reynolds factory still exist, in any shape or form ?

Curious minds would like to know...
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Were a few referances I saw in relation to particular frames in the ' English ' motorcycle press , periodicly . M C weekly etc .
One or two I saw on Nortons but predecedeing Commandos , and they attempet to resolve the Honda Handleing Horrors ,
as they refered to it , on Hailwoods 500 G. P. Honda . Were two or three atempts on this thing , but , ' Handling as if on rails '
was not considered achieved , just moderateing its malicious tendancies .
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Rohan said:
It is well recorded that Reyolds made the early Commando frames - and the featherbed frames for Nortons before that. Anyone know where the Reynolds factory was, or been there ?
Click to expand...

According to Mick Duckworth's book Norton Commando:
Like its Featherbed predecessor, the frame was manufactured by Reynolds Tube of Hay Hall, Birmingham.
Click to expand...

As we know, 'Manchester' has also been mentioned: post117272.html


Reynolds' history http://reynoldstechnology.biz/assets/pd ... istory.pdf (there are several references to Norton in the document, on page 36, 37, 38, 40 & 43)
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Ok and where were frames made after Norton stiffed Reynolds?
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

hobot said:
Ok and where were frames made after Norton stiffed Reynolds?
Click to expand...

It's well known that a significant number (but not all-according to Ken Sprayson) of later Commando frames were made by Verlicchi in Italy.

I'm not sure Norton "stiffed" Reynolds? Apparently Reynolds were also in a similarly dire financial situation to Norton-Villiers at the time (along with the rest of British manufacturing industry) so it could just as easily have been the other way around with Reynolds not meeting delivery deadlines, or increasing their prices to the point where the factory had to seriously consider buying in frames from another supplier-but I expect we will never know.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

I think the main reason Norton chose to change to heavier gauge ERW tube frames made in Italy, was due to unit costs being far less than those made in the UK out of higher spec tubes.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Carbonfibre said:
I think the main reason Norton chose to change to heavier gauge ERW tube frames made in Italy, was due to unit costs being far less than those made in the UK out of higher spec tubes.
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware, neither Commando or Featherbed road frames were ever made out of any sort of high spec. tube, only the Manx frames were made from sifbronze-welded lightweight 531 tubing?
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Ok LAB sad point all the Brit Iron industry was in decaying supply states. That Italian name was not on top of my list to remember. The P11 frame had the good stuff in it.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

L.A.B. said:
Carbonfibre said:
I think the main reason Norton chose to change to heavier gauge ERW tube frames made in Italy, was due to unit costs being far less than those made in the UK out of higher spec tubes.
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware, neither Commando or Featherbed road frames were ever made out of any sort of high spec. tube, only the Manx frames were made from sifbronze-welded lightweight 531 tubing?
Click to expand...

The tubing used in the UK was high spec in comparison to the ERW the Italian made frames used...................
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Verlicchi who made the Norton frames are today probably the biggest motorcycle chassis manufacturer in the world, with factories in Italy, Spain, India, China, and the US. They make some really high quality products, and their aluminium competition frames are especially nicely made.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

The tubing used in the UK was high spec in comparison to the ERW the Italian made frames used...................[/quote]

What makes you think they used ERW
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

ok it says the factory issue was Reynolds 531 lightweight steel frame, which is a type of chromoly 4130.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

hobot said:
ok it says the factory issue was Reynolds 531 lightweight steel frame, which is a type of chromoly 4130.
Click to expand...

Manganese moly
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Seems that Ken Sprayson has written a book.
http://cache1.bookdepository.com/assets ... 497567.jpg

All our questions have been answered. (?)

Note that the publication date is given as March 2012.
Which I think means that he's probably still writing it...

No frame jig pics on the front cover, at least.
If there is not in his pics inside, of which we hope will be many, I'd be deeply disappointed that an opportunity too good to miss has been missed !
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

hobot said:
ok it says the factory issue was Reynolds 531 lightweight steel frame, which is a type of chromoly 4130.
Click to expand...


Thats interesting..................I guess the UK made Norton frames were all bronze welded then? I can see why they went to Italy and used MIG welded ERW tubes! Unit cost of bronze welded 531 must have been 5 times as much as the ERW frames, and while the 531 ones would certainly be lighter and stronger, cracking is often a problem with higher spec tubes.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Lets make it quite clear here - Commandos did NOT use 531 tubing.
So scrub any comments about that.

Manx frames, from Reynolds, and P11 frames (from where ?) from AMC days, did have 531 frames.

Chalk and cheese, chalk and cheese.
Be clear about what we are discussing here, confusion reigns otherwise....
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Carbonfibre said:
hobot said:
ok it says the factory issue was Reynolds 531 lightweight steel frame, which is a type of chromoly 4130.
Click to expand...


Thats interesting..................I guess the UK made Norton frames were all bronze welded then?
Click to expand...

Come back down to earth, the P11 was an AMC/Norton hybrid, not a 'Norton'.
http://www.motorbyte.com/norton/Report.html
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

So where did AMC get their P11 hi-tensile frames done then ?

Reynolds ?
In house ?

Was it still AMC by then, or Norton Matchless ?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top