Hi all. My fairly uninteresting questions go on unabated! I am told that the Roadholder forks fitted to my 1968 Atlas are not standard as they have the bellows type rubber gaiters fitted. Looking at earlier models like the Dommie 600 and 650ss chassis there seems to be a solid (tube like) fitment below the lower yoke/headlamp ears area to the upper part of the alloy casting of the lower leg. This tube-like part obviously allows the lower leg to telescope up into it when compression is required whilst riding over bumps etc. My model was only 115 builds before the last Atlas made, so was this part of the new Commando set-up? It also has a tls front brake. Pic of mine attached.
i have just googled 1968/9 commando pics and all are just like my set up so maybe they just ran out of Atlas front ends to finish the order book, so started using the (then) brand new Commando parts.
Comments welcome, and thanks.
Attachments nta80f-5-jpgI think the gaters look ok…
I think the gaters look ok, I'd be more worried about the rear mudguard! 
Previously Dan Field wrote…
Previously Dan Field wrote:
I think the gaters look ok, I'd be more worried about the rear mudguard!
Hi Dan, thanks for that. The bike came to me semi-restored, i.e. cosmetically started buy no mechanicals done before the previous owner sadly passed away. New guards,seat,alloy akronts, tubes and tyres,bars,levers,s/s wheel spindle nuts and adjusters etc etc. The rear guard is fitted by one bolt near the rear of the oil tank only. I took this pic as i bought it same day. Re: the forks I think they are ok too. Will all be stripped down anyway, and put together as a (non-purist) riding machine. happy days.......
If you do go for shrouds..…
If you do go for shrouds... they are annoying things to fit. They are held up by three set screws vertically up inside which hold the upper inner flange of the shroud to the bottom of the upper part of the fork leg. The screws are inaccessible and need a very long (magnetic?) screwdriver and it all needs to come apart to get them on and off. I wonder if your forks have the three screw holes?
Also if the top flange is not at perfect right angles to the fork leg, the shroud will sit at a sideways angle.
At least you have the post-1963 wider forks. Otherwise the shrouds often end up dragging on the insides of the mudguards.
Quite often you see shrouds too short, and showing a gap underneath. I imagine that comes about when an owner has got lost among all the changes in fork stanchion lengths.
Neil, David is spot on abo…
Neil, David is spot on about the three screws up into the bottom yolk. The early Commando has a short shroud about 1.25" long and that holds the headlight ears in place. Commando gaiters fit tight on the stanchion at the top and will stay up with a tywrap. The bottom is a devils own job to stretch over the fork seal collar but can be done with patience. You won't believe it if you see them at first. They are slimmer than what you have at present but look neater IMHO
This is a pic from p82 of…
This is a pic from p82 of this months Classic Bike magazine of a commando with TLS and gaiters.
Neil. The Commando had longer forks than the Featherbed framed twins, and had neither gaiters or metal shrouds, the stanchions being exposed. Actually, the early fastbacks did have gaiters, but later they were dropped. To my knowledge the Atlas had shrouds to the end of production, and sls front brake. A previous owner has no doubt added the tls brakeplate; no bad thing; and gaiters, probably because once upon a time they were fashionable.