Long vs short Roadholders...A definitive answer?

Hi guys,

I've been trying to an answer to this question, other than one is longer than the other.

What's the difference?

Engines I can cope with, wiring...no problems..but the finer points of fork internals are straight out of the land of Stanley Unwin :shock:

Steve

Prior famous handling Nortons got the longer kit while C'do were short changed spring length and damper rod travel. Search the fork ungrade threads to fine the URL that references the changes over the models. i once had that to the n'th degree by Bob Davis in Oz but 'puter crash took it away. I'm not on my 'puter with email saved to direct you to the URL right now.

Featherbed Nortons had 1" shorter forks than the Commando, the internal parts of each are similar, but obviously not the same lenght, they both offer the same fork travel. Commando fork tubes can be shortened to fit the Atlas.

Jean

However, 'Commando' Roadholders are not exactly the same as either 'Short' or 'Long' Roadholders.

http://www.nocnsw.org.au/forks.html

As with all things Norton, there are several versions of Long Roadholders and several versions of Short Roadholders - some shorter than others.

The original LongRoadholders, just postwar for models like the ES2, 16H , Inter Manx etc had external springs and very minimal damping arrangements. (There was a prewar version, that had NO hydraulic damping whatsoever). For the Featherbed models in the early 1950s, the forks became shorter (2" shorter) and got internal springs and a slightly more refined damping system. The Commando got a stretched version of the short Roadholders, still with internal springs and damping, and hard-chromed fork tubes.

Manx models had a shorter version of the short Roadholders (sometimes with external helper springs), and some much more sophisticated damping arrangements have been made available, with both compression AND rebound damping. Very firm ride and extremely limited travel, it is a race bike afterall.

hth

Hi guys,

Just a note to say thanks for the answers. I seem to have got it straight in my head now.

Triton , 60s Short Roadholders , External progressive rate springs .( not that thats relevant ) WITH the steering damper
through the steering head , the Chrome 70 Commando guard would just ding on the little factory threaded sucker in the
bottom for the threaded rod .So min. clearance under the bottom triple clamp at full compression.Pressumably
54 Wideline Forks . Though fitter had machine tool axis so ' shortened ' may be applicable to this set .

That gives you the ride hight COMPRESSED anyway .top Triple clamp was the two holes for bar rubber mounts type .

Works Machines of some makes were alledged to have HIGH TENSILE steel , Lt Wt Fork STAUNCHIONS . Makes Sense.

Manx lowers / sliders are forged . road bike with guard mounts cast . the contour at the axle is differant .
Cutting the stay mounts to the reduced diameter is a no-no . they are reinforceing Gussets , comprende .