P11 Engine Plates

Last major thing I need for my P11 project is a set of engine plates.
Anybody have a set for sale ?
I see BSANUT has them for sale but they are alloy, we’re originals alloy
Quite easy to make a set
Anybody have a drawing or are able to trace round a set ?
Thanks Richard

Quite easy if you have templates, the correct material (which has to be sourced!), a bandsaw, a mill, etc. etc. You will end up with a cost of £500 including time spent on this and that, if not more.
Be realistic, save yourself the trouble, and buy a genuine set of plates.

- Knut

Like Knut says buy new plates and save yourself a lot of time.

Yes, the P11 engine/gearbox plates came from Norton in aluminum. I don't know who is selling plates where you are, but they sell in the USA for $259US plus shipping overseas. www.eurojamb.com

Thanks for replies.
Made quite a few different engine plates and is quite a simple process.
Just needs £40 worth of material, hacksaw and drill and a good template
A good template is all I need
Thanks Richard

tribonnie said:

Thanks for replies.
Made quite a few different engine plates and is quite a simple process.
Just needs £40 worth of material, hacksaw and drill and a good template
A good template is all I need
Thanks Richard

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Exactly
I've lost count of how many engine plates I have made over the years
The most time consuming set was a stainless steel set
That I chain drilled
These were to fit a commando engine into a wide line keeping the motor tilted forwards

I don't think Knut nor I were implying making P11 engine/gearbox plates was difficult or beyond anybody's capability. I was just saying you could save a lot of time buying new.

Even a simple man like myself could make new stock plates, since I have a good set of plates on my P11. I could also make plates that would support the TTi gearbox in a P11, but there's no market for doing it and I don't feel like tearing my bike apart to trace plates. Ya feel me?

Finding a set of used P11 engine/gearbox plates suitable for templates might take a while. Please report on your progress.

This is uncalled for speculation, but Ron L must be sitting on templates he may have stashed away. He's restored a lot of P11's.

Found some good used ones, shipping makes the a bit expensive !
So …. now ready to go. Going with Atlas forks and wheels, mainly because I have some and building an original set will be very expensive. With the price of classic bikes falling like a stone it’s just not worth it.
Richard

tribonnie said:

So …. now ready to go. Going with Atlas forks and wheels, mainly because I have some and building an original set will be very expensive.

Click to expand...

Hi Richard,
I am not sure what you mean by "not worth it". Are you building a bitsa and hoping to make a profit? By using genuine parts, you can expect a well-balanced bike. The outcome of fitting foreign parts is uncertain at best, and it's certainly a tedious process.
You probably know already that Norton's crown stem and bearing cups don't fit at the P11? And what about steering geometry and practicalities like a working steering stop? That's important if you want to use the bike on the road.
Lesson #1: Do your homework. Inspect a Norton frame, and compare the headstock area to that of the P11.
Lesson #2: Considering all the changes needed to make a Norton fork set fit (it won't be "Norton" when you are done), it's sensible to consider alternatives: Something better and lighter. The design philosophy of the P11 was to create a very light bike, and I suggest you follow this recipe.

'Doc' Casey converted a set of Ducati Alazzurra forks to fit his Matchless frame. You can read his story here:



There are alternatives. Good luck!

- Knut

Knut thanks for your reply.

Initial investigation leads me to believe the top and bottom stem bearing cups from a G11CS (which has Roadholder forks) will fit in P11 frame, I will let you know how I get on. Steering geometry, I don’t have the equipment to accurately but what I have says the rake between G11 (I have a frame) and P11 is about the same. Offset is a problem as I have no access to P11 yokes but I assume they are close which makes the trail similar. As both P11 forks and Roadholder fork have the same spindle lead all this leaves me to conclude my frame/fork geometry will be as near as dammit the same as P11.

I am building a bitsa but it will be all in period Norton so happy to call it a Norton in the style of a P11.

Make a profit, wouldn’t expect to. For what I can see the market for British classics 1970’s bike is falling like a stone with the possible exception oh very high end investment bike. Vincent’s have just about halved in price over the last, say 4 years along with Goldstars, a lesser degree Bonnievilles and Commandos so the expectation of making a profit is slim.

No ….. the idea is to make a bike I like and in this case one that is new to me. I have long since given up chasing parts to make “factory gate” standard bikes, been there, done that and etc. etc.

Richard