New MK2 rear cush drive hub

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My 650ss lost the clutch cush when I fitted a Newby belt drive and clutch to it.
Though I would be happy to have a cush in there somewhere, it doesn't at present and I cannot distinguish any difference in riding it with Newby no cush vs stock cush.
I guess there is one difference, the clutch doesn't slip now. Also, it is ten pounds lighter and doesn't leak oil from the primary.

Some say the belt gives a bit of cush, some say not. I would guess that the belt doesn't offer much cush, if any.
I haven't run that bike far enough to say it's absolutely fine without cush.

Re the mention of MK3 conical with its big fluffy cush and disc brake.
I have run that setup very hard in the mountains and there was no problem with the cush overheating.
On one switchback I lost the front brake completely to heat ( stock setup, pre Madass) and prayed that the rear would hang in there.
This is quite a different thing from a drum and cush that Ludwig posted about.
The heat ransfer from the MK3 air-cooled rotor into and across the conical drum then into the cush would be negligible. I think you could have the pads red hot and still put your hand on the cush.
I can see where with the drum it's a totally different scenario.

Glen
 
SteveBorland said:
I'm hoping that someone who knows about this will chime in :)
Click to expand...

Yamaha XT 500 has a cush drive rear hub but it is very heavy . i fitted a SR 250
rear hub with cush drive to my Ducati single. XT 350 hub is the same as the SR hub but with a diff brake plate . rear axle is 17mm .
original the sprocket is on the lefthand side on the Yamaha .


New MK2 rear cush drive hub



Eldert
 
ludwig said:
Nice, but how will it handle the heat of the brake?
One quick descent of an Alpine pass ( 15- 20 km) will completely wipe out std cush drive blocks.
Polyurethane ones will melt, and rubber turns to powder.
Click to expand...


Ludwig,

Not sure what type of cush drive blocks you were using on that Alpine pass but one time it happened to me as well. That time I just replaced the old cush drive blocks for new aftermarket greyish type blocks. These greyish blocks disintegrated very quickly. From then I only used the original black Andover Norton cush drive blocks and never experienced premature wear again.

BTW if you also intend to visit next INR in Portugal end of May I than could show you my cush drive blocks, after quite a few pass descents ;)

Regards,

Constant Trossèl
www.hollandnortonworks.eu
 
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I rode my Norton for the first 100,000 miles with a conical Triumph hub on the rear, with no cush drive.

Although I had no complaints I came by a MK3 wheel and installed it to see if it made anything better.
I couldn't tell the difference.

And yes a chain provides more cushioning than a belt. Not that the metal stretches but there is clearance around every pin that is full of lubricant that provides a cushion.

A belt can not stretch. It has either glass or steel cords that make up the tensile member. If they are forced to stretch -they break.

Non of the KTM dirt bikes I have owned [70's on] had a cush drive rear hub.
 
A shock absorber in the primary drive protects the gearbox from engine pulses.
A cush drive in the rear hub protects the box from rear wheel induced shocks ( potholes..)
One does not replace the other.
Norton twins never had a cush drive in the rear hub.
With the introduction of the Commando, the shock absorber in the clutch was lost, and for the first years it had no cush drive either.
Maybe ( speculating here..) after noticing premature wear on the gearbox sprockets they came up with a cheap cush drive that required minimal re-engineering, while the real cause was the heavy clutch.
If you want to be nice to your gearbox, make the clutch as light as possible.

My rear hub is from a Honda CR500 without cush.
Well, I do have polyurethane bushes in the sprocket, but more to ease my conscience that to provide actual damping:

New MK2 rear cush drive hub


There are plenty of hubs with cush drive, but they are heavier.
The std Commando cush drive is a joke.
On My N15 I have a Commando hub, but modified so that I can change the blocks with the wheel in place.
Madass’s cush drive looks like it’s well made, but all hubs I know of have the brake on the other side.
My question is the vanes on the drum transfer the heat generated by the brake directly in the rubber blocks.
Likely of no concern on flat roads and moderate braking.
On downhill roads I usually trail brake in the turns, front AND rear.
Rear not so much to slow down, but to take all the slack out of my drive.
It tells me better what my rear tire is doing.
 
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[QUOTE="ludwig, post: 456142, member:
The std Commando cush drive is a joke.
[/QUOTE]

Well IMHO that is a little exaggerated, I agree the cush drive design itself is rather poor but at least it came with a nice quick detachable rear wheel for easy access.
 
ludwig said:
Nice, but how will it handle the heat of the brake?
One quick descent of an Alpine pass ( 15- 20 km) will completely wipe out std cush drive blocks.
Polyurethane ones will melt, and rubber turns to powder.
IMO, the need for a cush drive is overrated.
In My N15 with Commando hub, I now use PEEK blocks, which effectively eliminates the 'cush'.
Works just fine..
Click to expand...
"PEEK" - brain fart - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SVWJVMY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A12Y366VLUSSUB&psc=1. other than the price, anyone see any issues with 3D printing these things?
 
After reading all your relatively positive posts on the topic, I have not given a follow up with Bikepender who came out of stock of the Norton rear cush drive hub. Now he is back on the market and I'm very tempted to place an order. I don't know personnaly anyone of you gentlemen in this forum. But I have the feeling that the forum is driven by goodwill of the members contributing to Norton knowledge. So my question is: In your opinion, is it trustable to send 500 US$ to bikepender in the Philipines (no return accepted as per the seller) and receiving the claimed quality rear hub expected in exchange? Thank you all of you. Sergio (Canada)
 
I just sent Don Pender just over $400. for the reproduction Dunstall rearsets that he produces. Well made product, He sent me the shipping information for those rear sets the same day that I paid him, so he got them right out within 24 hours of me ordering them.

If you are buying a "non-returnable" item, then you should check with him to make sure that the item you want to purchase fits with the model bike you are ordering the item for... which is just common sense.

And my personal opinion: I wouldn't buy his modern cush drive hub and 1 piece axle, and then lace it up to the old stock steel rims. Go for the whole package if you really want an improved wheel. Cush hub, one piece axl, light weight wider alu rims and a modern tire... NOW, you have a significantly improved wheel.
 
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Sergio said:
After reading all your relatively positive posts on the topic, I have not given a follow up with Bikepender who came out of stock of the Norton rear cush drive hub. Now he is back on the market and I'm very tempted to place an order. I don't know personnaly anyone of you gentlemen in this forum. But I have the feeling that the forum is driven by goodwill of the members contributing to Norton knowledge. So my question is: In your opinion, is it trustable to send 500 US$ to bikepender in the Philipines (no return accepted as per the seller) and receiving the claimed quality rear hub expected in exchange? Thank you all of you. Sergio (Canada)
Click to expand...
He is one and the same as madass140 here. Don is a top guy.
 
The reason for the non return thing is if you try to return an item to me here in the Philippines then
here are the issues,
If returned by post office air mail like USPS etc then it can take months for me to receive it due to
Philippine Postal Service inept service , 2 years is the longest I've had to wait for them to release a
parcel to me.
If returned by courier then there are all sorts of problems before they will release the package , they virtually
hold me to ransom until I pay a fictitious fee , often their ransom is so high I tell them to keep the parcel
I am currently in a dispute with DHL who works in cohoots with customs here,
I purchased a Triumph front wheel on US Ebay for $95 ( I'm not obliged to pay customs duties and taxes
on anything below US$200. I have to show them Proof of Payment of the purchase price. I sent them my Paypal payment as well
as the Ebay ad showing the $95 winning bid by me, but to no avail, they said they wont accept my Paypal proof of
payment and they want to see another form of payment, well there can be no other form of payment.
I have had to go thru the same above drama over and over with couriers/customs If they dont accept my \proof of payment then they come up with their own figure and want me to pay which is often more than the item is worth.
Having said all that if anyone purchases an item from me on Ebay with the no return policy then that is not the
end of the story , I'm happy to sort issues out and send a replacement or refund
Don
 
I bought one of Don’s hubs with one bolt axle about three years ago. Beautiful piece of work.
 
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