Front end

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What a contraption!
I always like the looks of the leading link forks on the MotoGuzzi V8
 
Picture of the Difazio Commando from Roy Bacon's book Norton Twins.

Front end


Ken
 
All that extra weight for a leading link with no chair. Center stands down with both wheels planted on the ground slow steering poor mk2a mod in my eyes.
 
www.accessnorton.com

Difazio Hub steering Commando

The bike was registered in Nov 1973 to Andover Norton and was used as a press fleet bike, I have a copy of Motor Cycle Mechanics dated Feb 74 with the roadtest in. Mike Jackson then took it to Jack Difazio in Frome and had it converted to the hub steering system Jack had designed, an link is...
www.accessnorton.com www.accessnorton.com
 
That registration number was last MOT’d September 2017, not now a legal requirement for its age, but it’s on a SORN so probably no longer roadworthy?
 
RoadScholar said:
Sidecar?

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No, actually they offered kits for many solo bikes and were highly regarded by folks who got a chance to ride one. Admittedly not pretty but supposed to ride and handle very well. After Difazio Quasar, Yamaha and Bimota also dabbled with hub centre steering.

About 6 years ago I went to the Jurby festival on the IOM. You really see all sorts there. An elderly gent with his wife as pillion pulled into the car park on a green Mk1 Gold Wing. I did a double take as they took their lids off. Blimey I said, is that a Difazio front end? the gent recoiled and very flatteringly replied “ yes, but you don’t look old enough to know that” We had a chat and he told me all about it and how it had transformed the bike’s handling and braking. I’ll have to see if I took a picture of it.
 
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Time Warp said:

Tony Foale Designs, article on motorcycle alternative front suspension systems.

Tony Foale Designs, world's best site for motorcycle chassis, suspension and frame info. Loads of pics., articles, free software. Source for the best selling book 'Motorcycle chassis Design'.
motochassis.com
Click to expand...
Looks like the REC KX
www.accessnorton.com

Modern Royal Enfield review

Ok someone asked for my experience with the modern Royal Enfield's. What's not to like, alloy wheels' great breaks and strong engines. I have two, a 2015 535 Continental GT and a 2020 650 Continental GT. The 535 was bought used on e-bay, cheap, had a oil leak at the head gasket. Contacted...
www.accessnorton.com www.accessnorton.com
might have the described "double link Hossack / et al"??

Front end
Front end
 
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As per the link.

DIFAZIO​

This is the design that most readily comes to mind when hub centre is mentioned. It incorporates the features mentioned above, but the king-pin is in the shape of a cruciform and is free to rotate on the axle. To prevent free rotation (except the small amount needed for suspension movement) the inner hub is connected upward to the steering links via an "A" frame on each side, the two being joined above the tyre by a crossmember. The brake calipers are mounted on these A frames and their torque reaction is taken by the steering arms. The axle is held between the open ends of a forward facing swinging arm, which must be wide enough to give tyre clearance as the steering is turned. Suspension units are connected to this swing arm, and the suspension loads are carried through the king-pin bushes. Overall this is quite a clever design mechanically but not aesthetically, and remember that it was patented nearly twenty years ago. As mentioned above the source of lateral compliance (relative to the steering axis) is reduced to that of the wheel, wheel bearings, and the king-pin bearings. Braking loads are spread between the bottom swing-arm and the top steering links, and because of their distance apart and proximity (compared to a head-stock) to the tyre contact patch, the loading is much less than that normally experienced.

Front end
 
74ok said:
Looks like the REC KX
www.accessnorton.com

Modern Royal Enfield review

Ok someone asked for my experience with the modern Royal Enfield's. What's not to like, alloy wheels' great breaks and strong engines. I have two, a 2015 535 Continental GT and a 2020 650 Continental GT. The 535 was bought used on e-bay, cheap, had a oil leak at the head gasket. Contacted...
www.accessnorton.com www.accessnorton.com
might have the described "double link Hossack / et al"??


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AKA. Mono Lever. ( BMW’s name for it)
 
The Telelever is not hub steer or done in the 1980's. ?

I'm glad the title wasn't 'I added a DIFAZIO frontend to my 750 with an 850 top end.
 
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