Isolastic front kit

There are 2 flavours of adjustable kits, one is for a pre MK3 iso and one for the MK3. The ISO bracket for the pre mk3 has 2 different end lengths, mk3 has identical lengths. So your first question is which of these 2 kits to buy so look at your ISO bracket, a 73 should has the different lengths.  Second is from who and Andover Norton seem to have the best take on the softness of rubber to use, RGM second and Norvil are off the table due to their odd take on what the inner tube sizes are with a slack inner ID.  

If you have access to or know someone with a lathe, you can modify the front mount to take the standard Mk3 parts - and I'd go to Andover for those.

[Edit] Or were you thinking of these threaded adjusters from Hemmings that simply replace one Isolastic end cap and keep all the other existing parts: https://norton.norvil.net/mhiso01.htm

I recently did a rubber hardness comparison between RGM and Andover Norton vernier isolastics and Andover are definitely softer and closer to the originals. I am a big fan of RGM and am not knocking their other products!

Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong David but, as I recall from doing this in the '80s, the Mk3 front mount is the same as the earlier ones except that both ends extend the same distance from the side plates. The rear mounts are the same. So the Mk3 Isolastic rubbers fit straight in. Just add the Mk3 end caps.

A very quick measurement on a rusty 850 Mk2A mount shows o.d. at the flanges of 52.5mm and i.d. of 47mm. Don't have a Mk3 mount that's not on a bike but the flange o.d. is the same 52.5mm.

I have no opinion on whether Mk3 rubbers are harsher than earlier ones.

Please double check this Tomas, but as I remember, you have to turn down longer end of the mount tube to the same distance from the side plates as the short end. Must be faced square to the bore.

Machine the front mount equal and order the MK3 vernier set from Andover Norton. They are the softest, but doubt they are as soft as pre MK3 originals but your old soft rears will help. 

You don't need to machine anything, AN do a kit that fits the pre MK3 front mount without machining it. What is truly surprising is that some of the above do not know this - the kit has been available for over 10 years. 

The part you need is 06.7337 for the front and if you look at the MK3 parts pages the MK3 rear kit fits all Commando's. 

Ashley I know the parts are there well somewhere but your site is terrible for finding off piste parts. I have just put 'Front Isolastic' in your site search and neither version comes up, just gaiters and collars etc. You should have a section just for upgrades instead of hiding them in all the standard stuff.

John, 

Just type isolastic kit and it is near the top of the list. It will also be listed on the exploded diagrams as well. The AN website is the best out there as far as classic parts websites go. 

"The AN website is the best ..." . Hope Joe gives you pat on the back for that Ashley :)

But, to be fair, if you go to the Mk3 Engine Mountings page: https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-drawing/136/engine-mountings-spring-head-steady-

it's right there as 19A next to the rubber itself (19). Interesting that the rubber alone is out of stock but the kit of parts that includes it is not.

"What is truly surprising is that some of the above do not know this...". Then you are easily surprised Ashley. Not interested would be a more accurate take since modifying the front mount is easy and you have a standard Mk3 item with no confusion about which part to use.

Very good website if you know what you,re looking for with part numbers or checking specific items. Awful and confusing if like Tomáš, English is not your first language and you,re trying to retrofit a later assembly. No additional data whatsoever and he did say he was happy to machine the mount to use the Mk3. RGM much better in this respect and they have the item in stock at a good price. 

I would never buy a cam from AN for the same reason. The WebCam, JS Motorsport and Megacycle sites show how it should be done.

The MK3 version with modification of thickness of parts might work well, but the Mick Hemmings version is much more confortable to assemble and renew PTF washers when needed.

It is just a slide in of the new adjusters. on top in stainless it is less afected by rust..

Mick and Angela have given me allowance to produce some sets, which he received samples and given his  ok  as for the quality concerns.

Interested might contact spanish NOC Branch

Stan,

I am just passing on what our customers say, they all can't be wrong and there is a lot of them and some are not even Norton owners, race bike owners for the AP stuff like it, AMC owners like it, Triumph owners like it, Vincent owners like it. No wonder then an NOC member who wants to advertise the interest in setting up of a new NOC branch using our newsletter as a window to all our customers. Why not advertise in the roadholder? that is where club business is done, does the club really need to use a commercial business newsletter, the request should have also come from the director in charge of branches as well. 

As for not interested, if they weren't then it would not sell, but it does.

Pat on the back, I doubt it, I'm big enough and ugly enough not to need one. 

I'm well aware there are various solutions for the front isolastic and the vernier type is the worst of the lot, but members need to be made aware of all the solutions, not some of them. 

As for cams, if anyone thinks there is a problem with them, I'm all ears, with the likes of Norman White and the Late Mick Hemmings using them feel free to tell me what they missed. We don't need to list the data of the Norton cams  - guess what, they are all on this NOC website or in Bacon's which is relatively accurate but not always. 

As for cam experts, I was told when I fitted my latest cam it would not work, the bike would not start, it would stall etc. No surprise as many will tell you it starts easily, runs nicely and puts out another 10 horses over standard on the dyno. it was designed by Pete Williams just before his passing. Think of a PW3 on steroids - and that is just visually. He looked at the dyno traces and said 'that is exactly what I wanted it to do' 

Donald, not much to worry about, the few thou of wear each decade will move the engine over to one side as against slowly turning on an arc. The front one is the one to get right, rear can go either way round.

Ashley, 'Just type isolastic kit' vs Front isolastic ? Yes your site is good for standard parts but try and find any upgrade part. Its hard to impossible, confirmed by you needing to leave 'Front' out to get a successful search for the 'Front isolastic' parts. Who came up with that twisted logic, search engines are better if they come up with too many results than none at all.

When purchased 45 year old Isos it was Impossible to one handed except for very low speed.

Hi Martin, Would you mind letting me know how I can purchase a set of these.

Many thanks

Eddie Cross

eddie.cross@houxoumail.net

Hi Ashley,

   Please tell is how to find the new version you quoted above. I tried to find it last week without success, as there was another query about cams on a forum.

     I agree that your search engine needs updating to give more results , as your users are giving good feedback!

Real simple, in the box where it says 'search item or part#' hover your cursor over the box then left click then type pw3 and it will automatically find all parts that contain PW3, which there are only the two. 

thanks for that Ashley. What puzzles me is that it doesn’t say that the Commando PW3 cam listed is the improved version or not!

Jan, yes these are the improved version using grind data supplied by PW just prior to his passing.  These cams are now UK made from EN40 and Nitrided, chill cast though very good is only viable for very large scale production these days. 

Thanks. Seems it might be a very good idea to STATE that info on the website!!