Short Roadholders âTopping Outâ

200cc of heavier grade (To your choice) fork oil in each leg but no more or you will blow the seals. The books says just 150cc.

Also, try reading 'The Hole Truth.' Available on the Internet.

This should help. Been riding a Norton this week with 150cc fork oil and have your problem. Also riding one with 200cc and perfection.

Good luck.

If you fit damper rod extensions as sold in the past by Hemmings that will do the job.Don't know where to get them now though. May have to lengthen front brake cable too.

Hello John

This is the article I think Neil is referring to:

http://www.nocnsw.org.au/technical/norton-roadholders

The 'fix' is also known as the 'Covenant' kit. One is on ebay but from Australia.

Other damping improvements are also available. Let me know if you need details. As ever it depends how much you want to change and how much money is available.

Andy

John

Couldn't find this earlier on RGM site but also available from them:

https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/covenant-fork-damper-conversion-kit-improves-damping_2294.htm?bskt=58af54da-a731-4d77-a526-faaa89b8a869

Andy

Hi,

Matchless got it almost right with Teledraulics, Norton didn't with the Roadholder, I have just purchased the Fork kit by RGM without Sliders and the extended Fork Bushes and the Covenant upgrade, in the RGM kit the Damper holes have already been moved to facilitate the upgrade!

Both the longer bush and changed damper arrangement with fixed sleeve, to aid damping put Roadholders where Teledraulics where almost in, in the first place!

Sad but true, Matchless got there in the 1940s although earlier types probably only had one-way damping, after extensive testing for the British Army, they then initially, lost the contract to Triumph!

George Brown choose Teledraulics over Roadholders on Nero and Super Nero!

From what I have seen on Kent and Sussex roads, it is only a matter of time before someone is killed on a bicycle or motorcycle by a deep pothole!

Upgraded forks or not!

Cheers

John H

Be warned

Previously Andrew Heathwood wrote:

John

Couldn't find this earlier on RGM site but also available from them:

https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/covenant-fork-damper-conversion-kit-improves-damping_2294.htm?bskt=58af54da-a731-4d77-a526-faaa89b8a869

Andy

John

Be aware that the RGM kit includes 2 dowels to blank off the existing oil holes in the damper, but only covers the later forks, which had just 2 holes in each damper, each dowel passing right through to blank of both holes. My earlier forks had 4 holes in each damper so I couldn't use the dowels. I ended up getting a local garage to braze the holes closed and they did a very neat job and much cheaper than getting RGM's ready drilled damper assembly, which would have been an alternative.

Regards.

Lance

Lance, yep you are right, but because I bought the whole RGM Kit, which would have been £600!; but was less in monetary terms, as it was, minus new fork Sliders and a stainless Mudguard mount, I already had the new damper type with two holes in the "right" position and therefore had the two blanking plugs from the Covenant Kit spare!

I personally, only needed the metal sleeves/collars, which according to the Instructions are fixed with Locktite under the bush.

But you are right anyone with an older setup, needs 4 blanking plugs for the four holes! previously my only experience with British front forks was a D10 Bantam and the Shuttle-valve type of a 1970 BSA, both of which seemed to perform quite well as far as I can remember!

As for Matchless machines...My Uncle built Norton/Matchless hybrid Desert racers/ Scramblers in the Transport depot in Egypt in Tel el Kebir in 1947 , with Dave Bennet serving with him, Dave Bennett, was later killed racing for Norton in the Swiss grand Prix in 1952!

Most of the repair team were Ex Afrika Corps, German Panzer Engineers and service staff, who had been in the region during the War and were employed by the British Army!

My Uncle was impressed with their expertise and knowledge. between them Allies and Germans, they grafted several overhead valve Matchless units onto a side-valve Norton bottom ends with the necessary engineering adjustment made, I have the photos of the machines made 70 years ago! They raced round on them when they had time off and were bored! Makeshift circuits were put together

Many of the German soldiers never went back to their homes, because of the Russian occupation and I believe most ended up in the States!

Cheers

John H