Typical Layshaft Bearing Failure?

Gday All,
some 12 mnths back I purchased a Commando box of flea bay for my cafe racer project. Now Ive finally got around to having a look at the internals and yep, out rolled some balls from that infamous bearing! I will have to check the shafts for straightness and replace the 4 th gear pair. In the photo below you'll see where the gears have chewed the housing a bit, but Im thinking it should be OK. No signs of cracks in the housing although a crack is visible at 3 oclock on the outer race of old bearing.

If my piggy bank allows, those close ratio gear clusters that RGM sells might find their way into it?
FOXY

The long gears are something I love about riding a Norton. Maybe I am daft! I have never raced, at least in any organized sense, but back in the day I rode with a lot of Japanese bikes. My friends where always busy shifting thru the turns and trying to get their bikes to lean over without vertigo setting in and I was always just relying on the torque to pull me up out of the corners that I would lay into like I was skiing, down shift going in, power out. Without effort I always ended up waiting for the group to show up. Off the line my buddies with Kawasakis would blow me away (aided by much closer gear ratios), but they were some of the worst offenders when it came to fighting them in the twists.

I have wondered to myself often if the close ratio gears would ruin that for me. It was in fact one of the reasons I went back to a Norton instead of a more modern bike.

Russ

Russ, you summarize a good part of Commando joy and advantage
in turns.
Having played with gearing for creeping on slick slopes to raging
into, though and out of lain over corners to long legged easy fast
cruise. I'm putting in lowest ratio first I can fit then late 850 higher
ratio 2nd gear and 21T chain sprocket with the 2:1 increased
ratio belt drive.
With Norton torque and mass, wider are much nicer.
Only close ratio advantage is if you hardly ever slow down
below red line.

hobot

Foxy,

If you are going with a 920 donk and belt drive primary, I dunno if you need close ratio gears. The reason is with that spread of torque and power, the easiest and most user friendly mod is to swap out the drive sprocket, ranging from 19T to 24T. At the lower end you'll have drag racer capability and on the other superb high speed touring. CR gears are great if you're racing...which by the way is the National Classic Championships 1st week of September at Phillip Island.

Spend your piggy bank on a stronger gearbox shell, you'll need that more than CR gears.

Mick

Never saw my original layshaft bearing but it has been replaced twice after grinding the shell in the exact same manner

Thanks for the replies, all good sound solid advice. It makes sense to stick with the longer gears given that my 920 should produce stump pulling power. Mmm.. might as you say Mick, invest in a stronger box instead!
Philip Island sounds good to me,I'll see how the work load stacks up, might bring the old Harley this time??

Foxy

Foxy,
RGM has lower ratio 1st which also gives lower kick start leverage.
Also really consider the taller 2nd gear set, less tire skip if downshifting
for engine drag and after 30 mph or so its your passing gear puller
up to 80-90 mph - depending on your drive sprocket T count.

hobot