Front Forks

Norton Short Roadholders were standard for both wideline and slimline.

Were you thinking of a non Norton setup?

Forks do fit but note that width of triplecrown/yokes is different. Earlier has 7" c/c, later 7 3/8. Don't remember year of change. No problem using any of them, as far as I know.

The change over was around 64 , yokes ,sliders and mudguards are all different and will not mix.

Hi,

Because I had the Brake side pegs/stubs enlarged by 3/8 of an inch to accommodate the wider 7 inch and 3/8ths yokes, it has enabled me to put a pair of modified 1948 Long Roadholder Sliders in the mix with a Short Roadholder rebuild kit from RGM! Once that was done, there doesn't seem to be any problem using sliders from an earlier fork set up namely the Long Roadholders of the mainly pre-Featherbed Dominators & Singles.

The Long chrome oil-seal holders screw right in, so I am presuming everything will fit!

The mudguard mounting casting mounts are different, vertical rather than horizontal, but that is no big deal!

The biggest job has been polishing out marks which are on the front of the forks sliders, but not the rear, which I think might be due to Winter rock salt!

Two hours on a polisher with an abrasive compound and one and a half hours with Autosol, has shifted everything except the strange patterning on the front

I am using Dominator gaiters with, special collars to locate the top of the gaiter and John Tickle headlamp mounts!

Anyone know the Aluminium alloy formula for the Sliders? They guy who did the work added slightly more silicon to toughen the pegs up!

Hopefully, it will all hang together okay!

Cheers

John H

Previously malcolm_baker wrote:

What forks can be fitted to a 1960 wide featherbed frame ?

I thought the reason for the 3/8 increase may have been to add further handling potential, but the reason turned out as far as I am aware to stop the mudguard hitting the fork shroud! British R & D! Meanwhile Honda was re-investing up to 17% of his profits back into the company!

There is the advantage also with the wider yokes 7 3/8ths of greater front tyre choice allowing slightly increased width.

The offset, from the centre of the stem to the centre of the stanchion yoke fixing on Roadholder yokes and Early Commandos is 2 1/4 inches, the later Commando being 2 13/16ths, presume Atlas were like early Commando! Then wider after-market stuff is available to enable exotic front brake drum fitting, I think around 8 1/2 inch width, not sure how this affects the handling though!

On my non-standard plot trying adapted 1971 upper fixed stem 750 Commando yokes, if it doesn't work I will revert back to Roadholder 7 3/8ths yokes!

Cheers

John H