Oops. Quick fix. Will gaffer tape work

Lineslinger · Apr 15, 2022

glb said:
I am now less upset than I was. I threw my tools around the garage went upstairs wrapped myself in a duvet and cried myself to sleep. . I have already sent photos to a frame restorer and will get a quick fix until winter when it can go to Stuart Bodycoate for full strip down and rebuild. The most embarrassing thing is telling my friends about it as one of them has documented my breakdowns on video!!!!!!

Heavy drinking can help with the pain.

Stu Bodycote · Apr 15, 2022

Voodooo said:
I can relate to the feelings of something you love and see it not as how you wish. I would of thrown tools too.

Having the frame cracked like that makes me wonder about the heat or temper of the tube. That break is so clean it looks like a cut in the picture.

As Stu said, having a gusset welded on both sides with the Norton logo or the Norton letter N would look titties.

I’m curious as to who made these frames and what kind of tubing was used and what filler wire was used. My Domi naked is Tig welded, but who knows how well that’s made as well.

When you do strip the bike down, it would be a good idea to sandblast and magnaflux all the other welds before powder coat / paint.

Frames were welded inhouse...apart from those made towards the very end of the SG era over in India, by Kinetic. If you Google Kinetic Norton, it should being something up on the deal. I cant remember who supplied all the preformed and cut parts for the inhouse made frames, but I'll have it on file somewhere.
Yeah the Naked frames were tig welded...there was a couple of very shit looking swingarms out there though, where the metal they were using had a horrible coating or something. Looked like they were arc welded with a pair of jump leads on a car battery.

BritTwit · Apr 15, 2022

Fast Eddie said:
Well, either that or just posts them on here !!

Yes, or that.

glb · Apr 15, 2022

BritTwit said:
That is obviously a hate crime against all Nortons around the world.
This person must have his accounts suspended/cancelled immediately!
Or he should at least receive a strongly worded letter to cease and desist such boorish behavior.

To be fair there have been a few and he just happens to be on the trips where they happened.

BritTwit · Apr 15, 2022

glb said:
To be fair there have been a few and he just happens to be on the trips where they happened.

Then again, he's probably driven to do it because your Domi is so bitchin', and he secretly wishes he had one.

glb · Apr 15, 2022

Lineslinger said:
Heavy drinking can help with the pain.

Even for me a 9am start to drinking is a bit much. But I follow your principle

TonyA · Apr 15, 2022

Voodooo said:
I’m curious as to who made these frames and what kind of tubing was used and what filler wire was used. My Domi naked is Tig welded, but who knows how well that’s made as well.

Frames are definitely made in house .

Voodooo · Apr 15, 2022

glb said:
Hi Voodooo. Thanks for the advice. Ive been playing on the computer trying to find a design I like since I’m not riding it.

cliffa · Apr 15, 2022

I’ve been looking closely at the break, and there appears to be something inside the tube and red globules on the sheared surface. Any ideas ?

glb · Apr 15, 2022

cliffa said:
I’ve been looking closely at the break, and there appears to be something inside the tube and red globules on the sheared surface. Any ideas ?View attachment 94381

It looks like rust. Last time out I came across a lot of road salt so washed it off with a cleaner etc will check again in the morning

worntorn · Apr 15, 2022

What's happening with the tube at the bottom of the photo? Something looks off there where that small rusty step is located.

Glen

Longtimegone · Apr 15, 2022

Looks like where his slider bolts on. See post #1

Edit: Nope, my bad. It's appears in the photos in post #40 that it's where another part of the frame bolts up.

mean gene · Apr 15, 2022

Something defiantly wrong with tubing before it was assembled. With the heat effected area it never would have never broke that clean across. Almost looks like a water quench line! I'd look that frame over for other signs of stress lines around tubes

Stephen_Spencer · Apr 15, 2022

Really feelin your pain glb.

Much as we all love our Nortons this is just another example of why the majority of us need a second bike if we want to keep riding. There is one thing for sure, blasting around your favourite local roads on another well chosen machine significantly eases the pain of down time on the Norton. Most of us have been there.

‘Summer is coming’ in Blighty; really hope you can get it fixed quick smart. Get the full repair done in the dead of winter.

Fast Eddie · Apr 16, 2022

I don’t see a quick fix for this. Surely to get a good weld, all the way around, a bare frame will need to be presented to the welder. And that’s before you discuss gusseting.

Also, the frame looks like it needs some tweaking, and de stressing to me. The broken frame tubes do not line up, why not? Something is out somewhere. Forcing the tubes back together whilst they’re welded is putting them back under stress. And stress caused this failure.

On the subject of gusseting, the frame tube that’s broken looks to be one of two that take ALL of the twisting force between the headstock and swinging arm.

I’m no frame expert, but they look marginal, to say the least, in that regard.

Gusseting up to the seat stay tubes is unlikely to help IMHO. The forces are twisting and side to side forces. So the tubes need bracing to each other, or at the very least, to the central cross tube. But then the cross tube is at risk perhaps?

Basically, I would be looking closely at gusseting those two tubes together somehow. That requires getting inside that middle space.

Bracing has to be done by a knowledgable person. Incorrect bracing doesn’t remove stress points… it just MOVES them. And can exacerbate them.

Failures like this are the effect… not the cause. You need the effect repairing, and the cause resolving. This isn’t some broken bracket or chain guard, this is the core structural frame.

Personally, I’d want to be confident in the repair, and the root cause countermeasure, as I tanked into a bumpy bend at speed. The only way to do this is to give the frame to an experienced frame expert…

All only IMHO of course.

glb · Apr 16, 2022

Fast Eddie said:
I don’t see a quick fix for this. Surely to get a good weld, all the way around, a bare frame will need to be presented to the welder. And that’s before you discuss gusseting.

Also, the frame looks like it needs some tweaking, and de stressing to me. The broken frame tubes do not line up, why not? Something is out somewhere. Forcing the tubes back together whilst they’re welded is putting them back under stress. And stress caused this failure.

On the subject of gusseting, the frame tube that’s broken looks to be one of two that take ALL of the twisting force between the headstock and swinging arm.

I’m no frame expert, but they look marginal, to say the least, in that regard.

Gusseting up to the seat stay tubes is unlikely to help IMHO. The forces are twisting and side to side forces. So the tubes need bracing to each other, or at the very least, to the central cross tube. But then the cross tube is at risk perhaps?

Basically, I would be looking closely at gusseting those two tubes together somehow. That requires getting inside that middle space.

Bracing has to be done by a knowledgable person. Incorrect bracing doesn’t remove stress points… it just MOVES them. And can exacerbate them.

Failures like this are the effect… not the cause. You need the effect repairing, and the cause resolving. This isn’t some broken bracket or chain guard, this is the core structural frame.

Personally, I’d want to be confident in the repair, and the root cause countermeasure, as I tanked into a bumpy bend at speed. The only way to do this is to give the frame to an experienced frame expert…

All only IMHO of course.

Thanks. As I said I have already sent photographs to one of the UK best frame repairers in the UK and await their advice and recommendations

Fast Eddie · Apr 16, 2022

glb said:
Thanks. As I said I have already sent photographs to one of the UK best frame repairers in the UK and await their advice and recommendations

Good move. Please do let us know what they say.

piper 600 · Apr 16, 2022

The break looks like two pieces glued together , and the tubing filled with the glue .

Clive · Apr 20, 2022

And another one for the weekly inspection list.......

glb · May 13, 2022

Its back. I am now happy with the result. The specialist could not understand what the frame had fractured in that way. I did ask him if he wanted to to provide his details on the forum in case anyone else need this or other welding doing. He politely declined as he has too much work. He builds frames for specials ie Seeley frames. Old School and very reasonable and I am keeping him in my phone book in case. I may not have the time before Sunday's meeting to rattle can it temporarily.

Oops. Quick fix. Will gaffer tape work

Lineslinger

Stu Bodycote

BritTwit

glb

BritTwit

glb

TonyA

Voodooo

Guest

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cliffa

glb

worntorn

Longtimegone

mean gene

Stephen_Spencer

Fast Eddie

glb

Fast Eddie

piper 600

Clive

glb

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