Roadholder January 24

... especially as the writer reused components that were still serviceable. So many people seem to think everything should be renewed then end up having to run the engine in for hundreds of miles.

I was a little disappointed however that he chose to use metric replacements for the wheel adjusters just because he didn't have the correct taps. They're readily available and would have saved any future owner a lot of frustration.

I also enjoyed Grahams Article , well done .  A couple of pointers that Graham has probably worked out .  Closed up spark plug gaps are invariably due to them getting "kissed" by the pistons. The atlas normally can use extended nose plugs but in this case perhaps not. Another solution ,fit an extra plug gasket or if a stripdown is necessary then a compression plate under the barrel.  Some good news though. If the plugs stopped it running all those years ago then its possible that all else is good!. If the clutch feels a bit loose its likely that after pulling a S/C  that the sleeve gear bushes are a bit worn. I would pour some oil down the exhaust valve chamber as the cam area will be a bit dry.The sticky rings/ valves ? may sort themselves out with a little running time. Perhaps helped with a little Redex or two troke oil added to the petrol. Check sprocket teeth as you may have S/C gearing and maybe S/C fork yokes ?. Cant wait for the second installment.

Glad you liked the article guys and many thanks to Roadholder for publishing it. 

As for the engine - it's an absolute beast! The weather was pretty good yesterday so I took the bike out for a two hour blast and man this thing flies! The gearing is high due to the 19 tooth engine sprocket but that just makes it more fun through the twisties and scratching through the Kent countryside. I came up on a guy just after Goudhurst on a big Jap bike who was obviously feeling a bit cocky as he spied me in his mirrors and began giving it some beans and leaning it over into the bends but I think he got a bit of a shock when I blasted past him (on a bend) and then left him for dead! He tried hard to keep up but he just couldn't match the cornering ability of the old Atlas.

Top speed on this bike is probably only about 80mph at 4,500rpm but I'm not looking for high speeds, not with those upswept bars on it anyway. The sweet spot is between 50 & 70 and the torque is immense. It's a bit clunky selecting first but once it's up into third and fourth it transforms into something altogether different. Roll on the horses and it's like nothing else I've ever ridden. Exhilarating is an understatement.

I never touched the engine internals when I was recommissioning the bike, just had a peek inside with a borescope. 10-1 pistons lurking in there. Nice! And with the Thorspark mag ignition fitted and timed at 28 degrees BTDC it really does fire up first kick from cold every single time. 

I didn't actually "grease" the swing arm bushes, just squirted a bit of plus gas on them, so no worries there. The handling is nothing short of superb now that I've reconditioned the Roadholder forks with new springs, bushes and seals, fitted Hagon rear shocks and Roadrider tyres, and with that single reverse cone mega rasping, popping and tweeting it's roaring thunder on wheels!

Merry Christmas to you all and hopefully I'll get out with a few other Norton riders in the New Year. 

Regards,

Graham 

Hi Graham . The 19 t engine sprocket is sidecar gearing ,which is why it will take off so well. The norm is 21T which will calm it down ( a bit)  but also make it less vibratory and much more economic at the higher speeds . You will need to add a link or two to the primary chain. Or you can carry on just being a hooligan !!.

Yeah, I'm pondering whether to up the gearing a bit as 1st and 2nd are pretty useless. The thing I like about the current setup is I can get it into fourth pretty quick and keep it there most of the time, even for overtaking cos the engine is so torquey. A 20 tooth engine sprocket would be interesting (if there is such a thing). A 21 tooth sprocket may end up with me losing my licence as I do become quite hooligan-like when I get going on this machine!

Also, it DOES have sidecar fork yokes, though I've experienced no problems with the handling at all, other than it does turn in quite quick, though I kinda like that. Guess I'd have to fit a set of standard ones to see the difference.

As for the closed up plugs, no kissing has occurred as yet and I haven't spared the horses. Maybe a bit of mistletoe on the cylinder head, after all, it is Christmas!

 kIssing plugs may only occur at higher revs !.  Its what happened on my Austin Healey when the crank flexes . I too decided to drain the fork legs today.  A tiny trickle of  oil came out. But once i undid the top nuts and worked the legs up and down , the oil came out. So you may have double the quantity now.  Dont know what the effect would be ,probably messy, sooner or later !.

I can't imagine an Atlas crank flexing. Tough as ol' boots.

I fully stripped the forks. They're filled correctly

Well done to everybody who has contributed to both Roadholder and the NOC Tech Forum this year. The vast majority of the articles and postings are informative, accurate and well worth keeping for future reference.  It is so pleasing, on this Forum, to be able to read through the various postings and not get drowned in personal confrontations or disputes.

Possibly mega thanks to Mr Smith and his mates for moderating the pages so quickly. Extra brownie points to Paul for delivering the Minutes of the Director's Board Meetings within 2 or 3 weeks as opposed to the previous 2 to 3 months.

A Standing Ovation to Mark Woodward for churning out great issues of Roadholder on a regular basis. He is the right man at the right time for that most demanding role of Editor.  Add in his amazing efforts in getting the Dominator Service Notes finally published and surely a Knighthood must be heading his way. Thanks to Mrs W for helping out when times got difficult.

Finally.........best wishes to AJD who has not had the best of years. Lung cancer and eviction are not the kind of Christmas presents anybody would want to receive. Hopefully her Chemotherapy will be effective and the local Council will keep its promise to provide another home asap. 

Happy Christmas and a great 2024 to everyone.

They do flex Graham, its the reason they had to go to the special roller main bearing.I expect it they were a one piece crank  the problem would not have occured .

Hi,

I didn`t receive the January `24 Roadholder, as well as I didn`t receive the the Dec. `23 issue...

But I`ve payed my fee. Wonder, if there will be coming something?

Uwe

all depends on amount of flexing: plugs much more likely to suffer from insufficient piston cut-aways on high compression types, which is then combined with very small extra crank movement at high revs. , or wrong spec of plug!

Uwe,

Don't give up hope yet 

I only received my December 23 magazine in yesterday's mail

Hi,

Didn`t give up hope! On 28 Dec. the December Roadholder came in. Now waiting for the January issue.

Have a Happy N.Y.

Cheers Uwe