Ikon shocks on T140

wavey_davey said:

Nigel,
I think the konis on my t140 are a bit longer than standard, though I've never measured them. Centre stand barely lifts rear wheel and it has a similar aapect to yours judging by the photo? I LOVE the handling of mine, a bit quicker steering but no loss of stability. The T140 has the best mass produced frame of any of the latter day brit bikes, it can stand a bit less trail

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Absolutely agree, the T140 frame should have been fitted with the T160 motor, witness many who have made a superb special of that marriage, All it needed was to sort the oil capacity done (easy) and strengthen the bottom of the oil tube around swing arm gusset area.
sam

trident sam said:

Absolutely agree, the T140 frame should have been fitted with the T160 motor, witness many who have made a superb special of that marriage, All it needed was to sort the oil capacity done (easy) and strengthen the bottom of the oil tube around swing arm gusset area.
sam

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Sam, if you ever embark down such a route, the best way to strengthen that swinging arm pivot to spine joint is to not have it!

That’s what I did to my TSS, cut off the joint altogether, weld in a scallop to the spine frame to clear a ‘normal’ swinging arm pivot tube. I got a tube welded to the stock swinging arm legs, an alternative would be a box section job etc.

Dresda executed this works for me, and a fine job they made too.

I can't see me ever doing anything like it again, I built and sold two Rob North Tridents, and vowed never again , it just takes too long and costs too much. I did have a Starracer frame (copy Trackmaster) all ready set up for a T160 motor that in the end I sold to George P as I was never going to get round to it. I don't mind maintenance and jobs, but complete strip downs are gone for me now.
sam

Gee where are the photos?

The first one is under sammytrident in the TOL gallery. I don't have pics of the second even though it turned out much better, as I'd learned by then !

Fast Eddie said:

Half inch longer Konis.
Wady’all think...
View attachment 11914

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Can we get a close up of the shock please?

You looking for anything on particular?

I’ve now tried several sets of shocks on this bloody bike, latest are a pair of really rather costly Maxton’s.

It’s an interesting learning curve actually, the bottom line appears to be that you get what you pay for. The Maxton’s are the best yet by quite a margin. The cheapo Girling replicas were barely fit for purpose frankly.

This made me reflect on the Girling Replicas, I think replica is too kind, they’re more ‘look alikes’ as Girlings were FAR BETTER.

The Girling look alikes are the ones on sale everywhere these days, frankly they are utter shite and it made me realise that hundreds of bikes are having them fitted and in the process hundreds of fine handling classics are having their handling severely compromised.

People who know no better will just assume that’s how they always were... a big shame.

Rant over. Where’s my pills...

Those in the photo: little wheel atop are for adjustment of damping as with Ikons?

Onder said:

Those in the photo: little wheel atop are for adjustment of damping as with Ikons?

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Yes. And spring preload is via the threaded collars.

They are then the T260 Maxtons? The threaded adjusted bit looks different than the ones on their web site.

Onder said:

They are then the T260 Maxtons? The threaded adjusted bit looks different than the ones on their web site.

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Yes they are the T260s and yes, you’re right, they do look different. I think the ones I’ve shown on the T140 might be older, the ones I bought last year for my Commando were the (nicer looking) black ones with the different adjuster rings that they show on their web site now.