Triple Tree Color

concours · Oct 5, 2016

Burgs said:
Hi
Been playing with motorbikes since 1964, and have always known yokes as yokes, triple trees seems to have crept in form somewhere else maybe USA?
Why triple trees, is it the fact that there are three connections, two clamped on the stanchions and third on the steering stem? Then again what if they are not clamped to the steering stem??
Elmsy you must be a young'un as I have only heard the word triple trees used lately (10 years or so) my manuals refer to them as YOKES?

On the original question I reckon silver would be correct, unfortunately my 72 YOKES have been chromed by previous owner/s, so cannot help other than my fading memory.
Best Regards
Burgs

I'd heard triple trees since the late 60's here in the US. Probably some old industrial reference.

L.A.B. · Oct 5, 2016

concours said:
I'd heard triple trees since the late 60's here in the US. Probably some old industrial reference.

I believe 'yoke', 'trees' are terms probably carried over from horse-drawn carriages and waggons.

http://www.drivehorses.com/double_trees,_neck_yokes.htm

Also 'dash'/'dashboard':

'Tire', (not UK tyre):

concours · Oct 5, 2016

L.A.B. said:
concours said:

I'd heard triple trees since the late 60's here in the US. Probably some old industrial reference.

Click to expand...

I believe 'yoke', 'trees' are terms probably carried over from horse-drawn carriages and waggons.

Still missing it.. :? help me connect the whiffletree/yoke referenceto the bike :?:

L.A.B. · Oct 5, 2016

concours said:
Still missing it.. :? help me connect the whiffletree/yoke reference to the bike :?:

In engineering terms a yoke is:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/yoke

6. (Mechanical Engineering) a part, esp one of relatively thick cross section, that secures two or more components so that they move together

I believe 'whiffletree' is another that made the leap to motorcycles. Certain bikes such as Royal Enfields having 'whiffle tree compensators':

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cscarlet41/16437982253

At the front was the first appearance of the 6" dual-sided brake which had a single leading shoe on each side of the wheel and a clever compensating cable arrangement to pull them on simultaneously, using a balancing beam (more quirkily referred to as a ‘whiffle tree compensator’) on the handlebars where both brake cables were operated by one brake lever.

'Breaking-in' (also UK 'running-in' which I think was training a team of horses to run together or, getting a horse used to pulling a carriage, cart or waggon, however, I'm not sure about that one).

Clanger · Oct 5, 2016

Then there's 'Whiffling Clara' and all the Willisisms - bungs, knockers, double knockers and more;

http://thevintagent.blogspot.co.uk/2010 ... ected.html

pantah_good · Oct 5, 2016

I'm also re-doing my triple clamps, which are now at the sand blaster's, so this is a timely thread. Today I went out all set to buy a can of the aforementioned Krylon Stainless Steel Finish, but the color of the can lid had a noticeable brownish tint to it, which put me off. I think the Krylon Bright Metallic Finish is a much closer match to what paint was left on my '72 Roadster triple clamps, and also reminds me a lot of the slightly matte silver paint that was on the triple clamps and sliders of the Ceriani motocross forks I had on my old '69 Victor. The only glitch with this color is that it says "Interior" on the can. But...so be it. No other color at the store looked nearly as good. I'm going to use a good primer, give them a good waxing, and really try to remember to bring the bike in out of the rain and snow.

And lastly, me and most of the sensible motorcycle people I have known over the last 55+ years of my playing around with bikes, use the term "triple clamps".
Bill

marshg246 · Oct 6, 2016

baz said:
Bit off subject really but I have often wondered why in America yokes are called "triple trees" ???? I can understand down pipes being called headers because they connect to the cylinder head etc etc even tyre spelt incorrectly with an I !! But triple trees ?????

I haven't a clue! "Triple" makes little sense - there's not three of anything involved, it's just what we call them. Not any more weird than you calling kerosene "paraffin" (paraffin is wax to us). Honestly, yoke doesn't make much sense to me either, but mudguard makes more sense that fender and sidewalk makes more sense than pavement.

I usually use the British term when talking about British bikes, but didn't think about that this time.

pantah_good · Oct 6, 2016

marshg246 said:
Triple" makes little sense - there's not three of anything involved,

Two fork tubes plus one steering stem.

Mark F · Oct 6, 2016

Go to your local hardware and get some 'Rustguard' epoxy enamel in aluminium colour. Spray can but dries super hard. I've used it on Norton air filter cover and black on Norton oil tank, BSA fork legs, fork shrouds, oil tank and gauge cups. Been there nearly 10 years now and still very good.
Saves a few shekels on painting when you can do it yourself and not that difficult to get a good finish.

baz · Oct 6, 2016

pantah_good said:
I'm also re-doing my triple clamps, which are now at the sand blaster's, so this is a timely thread. Today I went out all set to buy a can of the aforementioned Krylon Stainless Steel Finish, but the color of the can lid had a noticeable brownish tint to it, which put me off. I think the Krylon Bright Metallic Finish is a much closer match to what paint was left on my '72 Roadster triple clamps, and also reminds me a lot of the slightly matte silver paint that was on the triple clamps and sliders of the Ceriani motocross forks I had on my old '69 Victor. The only glitch with this color is that it says "Interior" on the can. But...so be it. No other color at the store looked nearly as good. I'm going to use a good primer, give them a good waxing, and really try to remember to bring the bike in out of the rain and snow.

And lastly, me and most of the sensible motorcycle people I have known over the last 55+ years of my playing around with bikes, use the term "triple clamps".
Bill

it's a funny old world if you walked into some of the old British bike shops I used to frequent and asked for a "triple clamp" instead of a yoke they would just laugh or blank you or throw you out!!!!,if you asked for a "fender" instead of a mudguard god knows what would happen !!!!

gortnipper · Oct 6, 2016

I have a 4/74 mk2 and my yokes/trees are black - even the allen heads. Very well done with similar frame paint as is on the frame.

I would think they are original, too, since when I pulled them apart they had the original bearings, so I doubt they had been redone.

It also has blacked out script, and a mk3 type reinforced swing arm with short bushes, FWIW.

auldblue · Oct 6, 2016

The yokes on my 69 bike are chromed don't know when it was done or who did it, but they look good.

Jg

L.A.B. · Oct 6, 2016

gortnipper said:
I have a 4/74 mk2 and my yokes/trees are black - even the allen heads.

I would think they are original, too

Extremely unlikely especially with painted-over bolt heads.

gortnipper said:
Very well done with similar frame paint as is on the frame.

In that case, it's almost certainly not the original paint finish.

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... ochure.pdf

freefly103 · Oct 6, 2016

Early ones e.g. for 69-70 models I have seen are black. The ones in the pic below are new from AN, but my original ones on my other 70 750 are black.

Later 850 types I have seen are bare metal or painted silver:

Rohan · Oct 7, 2016

The 850 ones are indeed painted silver.
They are steel, so if they were bare metal they would rust.

freefly103 said:
Later 850 types I have seen are bare metal or painted silver:

marshg246 · Oct 7, 2016

baz said:
pantah_good said:

I'm also re-doing my triple clamps, which are now at the sand blaster's, so this is a timely thread. Today I went out all set to buy a can of the aforementioned Krylon Stainless Steel Finish, but the color of the can lid had a noticeable brownish tint to it, which put me off. I think the Krylon Bright Metallic Finish is a much closer match to what paint was left on my '72 Roadster triple clamps, and also reminds me a lot of the slightly matte silver paint that was on the triple clamps and sliders of the Ceriani motocross forks I had on my old '69 Victor. The only glitch with this color is that it says "Interior" on the can. But...so be it. No other color at the store looked nearly as good. I'm going to use a good primer, give them a good waxing, and really try to remember to bring the bike in out of the rain and snow.

And lastly, me and most of the sensible motorcycle people I have known over the last 55+ years of my playing around with bikes, use the term "triple clamps".
Bill

Click to expand...

it's a funny old world if you walked into some of the old British bike shops I used to frequent and asked for a "triple clamp" instead of a yoke they would just laugh or blank you or throw you out!!!!,if you asked for a "fender" instead of a mudguard god knows what would happen !!!!

In the US, we just live with whatever English you use. We somehow know that fender and mudguard are the same thing and don't get upset about it - we're not just an offshoot of the British Empire - we're a melting pot. Pavement, Paraffin, and zed (to name a few) are lost on us until someone tells us what they mean to a British English speaker and then we can just tell what it being said by context.

I've only been working on British motorcycles since 1968 so I may not have 55+ years, but I've always referred to them as triple trees, not triple clamps since I've heard it used seldom -- may be a part of the country type of thing ("clamps" does make more sense to me). I had a grandmother in Michigan and a grandmother in Alabama - trust me, different parts of the country use different terms for various things (e.g., soda=pop=cola) and different pronunciations too: pecan is P-Can, Pah-Can, Pah-Con depending on where you are.

marshg246 · Oct 7, 2016

Mark F said:
Go to your local hardware and get some 'Rustguard' epoxy enamel in aluminium colour. Spray can but dries super hard. I've used it on Norton air filter cover and black on Norton oil tank, BSA fork legs, fork shrouds, oil tank and gauge cups. Been there nearly 10 years now and still very good.
Saves a few shekels on painting when you can do it yourself and not that difficult to get a good finish.

I'll try it! If I don't like it a little sandblasting and I can try something else. Thanks!

marshg246 · Oct 7, 2016

freefly103 said:
Early ones e.g. for 69-70 models I have seen are black. The ones in the pic below are new from AN, but my original ones on my other 70 750 are black.

Interesting, I'll ask AN if I bought a new set for my 74, would they be black or silver. Also, in the picture, it looks like your new ones are powder coated, not painted. Is that true?

peter nelson · Oct 7, 2016

Hi , have been asked to paint a lot of triple trees(yokes) , the finish that most people prefer is a 2 pack clear over medium course aluminium , cheers pete

ILLF8ED · Oct 8, 2016

Clanger said:
mschmitz57 said:

To further muddy the waters, here's the Wikipedia entry for "Motorcycle Fork".

"Conventionally, the fork stanchions are at the top, clamped to a triple tree (also called a triple clamp or a yoke), and the sliders are at the bottom, attached to the front wheel spindle"

Click to expand...

That seems like a reasonable summary of the situation in the US. However in the UK we predominately use the term yoke. I wonder what they are called in other parts of the English speaking world, e.g. Auz or NZ?

I believe the differences in language started as a bit of rebellion. Australia and New Zealand may have had different views of colonialism. After a couple of world wars and the Cold War, we are politically aligned, but the damage to the language is our legacy...how's that for a geopolitical response

Triple Tree Color

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