Re: Slimline steering stop plate

Previously wrote:

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Greetings,

Can anyone help me out with the correct assembly of the steering stop plate and is this correct for a 1964 650SS? Enclosed picture, but not on parts list and looks like it needs a spacer too. A photo of one fitted (if its right!) would be helpful, as would a part number for a spacer. I have a 1964 parts list but component not shown, see additional post.

Thanks Steve

Your pic looks like an aftermarket unit. I have attached a pic of one similar to yours assembled. The one on my 1961 es2 was steel.

If you send me your email address I will mail a pic of a sideon view from my 1961 es2 where you are able to see the fitment. The minute upload picture size on this forum makes it impossible to upload reasonable quality pics.

Steve Adkins previously wrote at June 16th 2011:

Greetings,

Can anyone help me out with the correct assembly of the steering stop plate and is this correct for a 1964 650SS? Enclosed picture, but not on parts list and looks like it needs a spacer too. A photo of one fitted (if its right!) would be helpful, as would a part number for a spacer. I have a 1964 parts list but component not shown, see additional post.

Thanks Steve

Hello Steve,

If your numbersinclude a 'P', then that type of stop plate may not be right. The stop on slimlines with 7 3/8" between fork tube centres went over to a small, horizontal bracketwelded on to the steering head tube toact as a stop. A cost-cutting measure.

Maybe someone has cut the bracket off for some reason? It doesn't really matter, because holes have been drilled in the 'trouser gusset' to hold the stop plate you have there.

The stop plate should be steel really.

Also, there should not be a chromed, cupped disc between your steering head tube and the bottom yoke. Those go on the top to keep stuff out of the bearings. The one you have fitted there will just trap grit & water, which will hen get to work on the bottom bearing.

Paul

Further to my post at 08.46hrs, where I said that the horizontal steering stop bracket is welded to the steering head tube.

It isnât!

I wasnât testing you.

It is actually welded to the trouser gusset (the strengthening plate at the top of the down tubes), in line with the stop dogs on the bottom yoke. It's not horizontal either, but angled upward slightly to coincide with those stop dogs.

I had my mind on the steering lock stop bracket, which is another feature of the 7 3/8â forked frames and is welded to the top of the steering head tube, so that it sprags the steering lock plunger.

Sorry about that.

Paul

What is the serial number on the frame of your 650ss? I am with Paul Wilson, the 64' Dominators had a piece of metal welded on the front of the frame that engaged the bottom steering yoke and stopped it from turning so far that the forks hit the fuel tank.

On the early slimline bikes that were made at Bracebridge Street there was a simple plate made from a piece of flat 3/16" thick steel with one bend in it that bolted onto the front of the frame to do this job.

When the production of Dominators was moved to the AMC works for 1963 and later, bolt-on features of the featherbed were eliminated over time as old parts stocks were used up. It was cheaper and easier to weld parts to the frame than it was to bolt them on. Eventually the upper rear engine plate mount was welded in instead of being held between the rear swingarm gussets by a through bolt. I wonder if eliminating the tension of that large through bolt made the featherbed frame less stiff in that area?

I have a couple of 1962 Bracebridge Street SS Nortons, a 1961 Manxman and also a later AMC 650ss which I can look at and see the changes that were made for whatever reasons. I also once had a nice original late production Atlas and a nice original paint 1961 650cc Manxman, and other early and late Dominators that showed the differences in production methods between the original Norton works and the AMC Nortons of 1963 and later.

I think the welded on steering stop was a good idea, it weighed less and was probably stronger than the bolt on job. But most of the changes AMC made to the Dominators were for not for the benefit of the motorcycle or riders, but in the name of profit. The original Norton works put alloy collars for the top of the fork springs to rest against, AMC switched these to heavier steel ones in short order. They axed the chrome-plated fastners for zinc plating too. I will bet that they never passed any savings on to the buyers of the bikes though.

The 1963 Dominators are interesting, the first AMC featherbed bikes probably had many changes throughout the production year as old Bracebridge Street parts stocks were used up and discontinued for cheaper and faster alternatives.

My least favorite AMC change was the eventual elimination of the speedometer in the headlight bucket. I thought this made the early Dominators really sleek looking. I am betting it was American styling preferences that were behind the change to a simple headlight bucket with the instruments put up high on a bracket held by the fork caps. I have an extra early headlight bucket with the chronometric speedo in it, and I am very tempted to slap it onto my 1966 650ss bike to give it more the look of the earlier bikes. I may go even further as I have a set of cast-alloy headlight brackets off one of the old lugged frame Dominators that would lower the headlight an extra inch, to make the bike look even lower and more sleek.