If that were the case, every 100th crank might have balancing drillings in them.....I think it is more likely the process was based on something like:
'you have 5 minutes to get it as best you can, then move on'
Motorcycle Engineering by bean counter!
And if the factory had invested a little more time on each crank, I doubt the Atlas' reputation for vibration would be quite as bad as it is.
But there is little doubt, an unbalanced 750 Norton motor in a rigid mount is about as bad as it gets! I have ridden a Rickman with an out of balance Commando motor in it! It was unbearable, but on a race track so short track stints! A couple shortened further by bits falling off!
But equally, if they had balanced the Atlas, I assume Norton would have pushed on with the featherbed for a couple more years!
