Wedge locking washers - not for 'conkers' purists

Looks a good system. Not that our Nortons need vibration-proof fasteners... I must admit that non-concours nylock nuts can be found in assorted places on my bike. Not that mine is anywhere near concours.

As for the kiskstart, I eventually went the high-tensile bolt route. I drilled out the thread on the kickstart and used a through bolt and nut and plenty of torque. Works a treat.

I read somewhere recently (can't remember where) that spring washers are no longer specified as it's been shown they can make things worse rather than better. As soon as the nut or bolt starts to turn, the spring washer actually helps push the head away from whatever it's supposed to clamping up against and makes it come loose quicker.

I have seen the wedge shape washers before on a mountain bike, might be worth getting some to try on my Inter tank bracket!

Andy

A pinch bolt on a spline is not the way a spline should be fitted engineering wise but we are stuck with it. To allow the pinch bolt to tighten the grip on the shaft you need to remove two or three teeth either side of the slot otherwise the pressure from the pinch bolt is just fighting those spline teeth. Use loctite on the spline and the bolt after cleaning everything with carb cleaner spray. leave it overnight to go off.

I've considered turning the splines off the shaft with a carbide lathe tool and fitting a T160 style kickstart with a cotter pin. particularly once the splines on the shaft start to disappear. A genuine new shaft is expensive Any thoughts on this?

I had a similar problem with the kickstart on my G80c with the AMC box, I overcame it by cutting with a small slotting disc, a small slot obove the spindle this allowed just enough movement enabling it to be tightened a tad more. kind regards

Previously david_evans wrote:

A pinch bolt on a spline is not the way a spline should be fitted engineering wise but we are stuck with it. To allow the pinch bolt to tighten the grip on the shaft you need to remove two or three teeth either side of the slot otherwise the pressure from the pinch bolt is just fighting those spline teeth. Use loctite on the spline and the bolt after cleaning everything with carb cleaner spray. leave it overnight to go off.

I've considered turning the splines off the shaft with a carbide lathe tool and fitting a T160 style kick start with a cotter pin. particularly once the splines on the shaft start to disappear. A genuine new shaft is expensive Any thoughts on this?

If the spline is worn why not provided you can get one. There is a second hand Trident kick start on ebay at the moment. RGM motors do a Trident style Commando kick start to fit the splines.

Looking at the top photo, the clamp appears to be completely closed at the bottom, preventing a further tightening onto the splinters. Widening the slot might be a good idea.

Looking at the top photo, the clamp appears to be completely closed at the bottom, preventing a further tightening onto the splines. Widening the slot might be a good idea.

The main issue with the trident kickstart is whether it will clear the exhaust. (and my home brewed rear sets) The spindle splines are tough but slightly brittle and start to break off if the kickstart is allowed to work loose

Previously david_evans wrote:

Hey David, what model of Norton is a Trident? Members have already been censured for mentioning Tritons (at least partially Norton) on this site. Go sit in the corner, and recite "Norton is the motorcycle, and there is no motorcycle but Norton!"

Hey David, what model of Norton is a Trident? Members have already been censured for mentioning Tritons (at least partially Norton) on this site. Go sit in the corner, and recite "Norton is the motorcycle, and there is no motorcycle but Norton!"

Hi Andy, I quite understand the problems, with flash photography in a garage. I had similar trouble getting decent pictures of a chromed fuel tank, If the washers are working for you, great. There have been problems, in the past, with the threads, on the clamping bolt, being cut too short, in this case, a thicker washer, under the bolt head, is a quick solution., regards, John.

To cure the flash bounce, try standing farther away and use your camera's zoom feature to get the close-up result.

Mike