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Handlebar controls - Anorak questions

Submitted by howard_smith on Sun, 27/11/2022
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Nortons - General

I'm working on a '47 Inter & '53 Dommi 88.  My mate has a mid '50s FB Inter and a couple of twins.  Therefore these questions pertain to OHV/OHC singles and Twins between '47 and late '50s.  We are trying to figure out the correct handlebar controls. So:

1.  Did Norton always fit AMAL controls post war, or were Doherty or Bowden also fitted?

2.  When did the switch from solid clutch/brake levers to pressed steel levers take place?

3.  With the solid levers, the most common spacing of pivot center to cable nipple center seems to be 1 1/16",  but we've encountered clutch levers with 1 1/4" spacing. Also 7/8" spacing. Comments?

4.  There seem to be a wide variety of clips.  Some plain and some with "AMAL" embossed on them.  Did Norton fit the AMAL embossed ones, and if so when?

5.  Embossed clips: there are appear to be three versions of font:  4mm high (suspect military), 5mm,  and 5mm in a slight curve with the beginning of the first 'A' and the end of the 'L' drooping down.  When did Amal produce these types and what Nortons (if any) were they fitted to?

6.  Choke and Mag levers:   Some have plain caps, others embossed with "AMAL".  Which years of Norton were fitted with which type?

Just trying to get it right - if we can !!

Cheers.

Submitted by alan_whelan on Sun, 27/11/2022

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Can’t help with the twins I’m afraid, but Ken McIntosh (www.manxnorton.co.nz) will guide you on the singles. 

Submitted by robert_tuck on Sun, 27/11/2022

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Best to study early road test photos .  i think the 7/8 pivot center clutch levers came with the AMC box later. Although they paired this with 1" centers brake levers !!  . Sounds crazy I know. 

Thanks, Robert.  We've searched for period photos, but the few that are in all the Norton books that we have are mostly lacking the resolution required to answer these types of queries.

Submitted by ian_soady on Mon, 28/11/2022

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... what might be original but do know that the earlier (dollshead, laydown etc) gearboxes with the scroll clutch actuation need as much cable travel as you can get - 1.1/16" pivot distance as a minimum, which is what I have on my ES2. Clutch operation is very light so could probably go to a 1.1/4" if necessary. The so-called AMC box doesn't need to much cable travel so 7/8" is right here.

For front brakes I like as much leverage as possible so 7/8" pivot distance here. With a well set up assembly there's plenty of travel.

Submitted by paul_standeven on Mon, 28/11/2022

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on the laydown box on my Dominator works well.  It's light and smooth, but I do have to be careful to select neutral as I stop, and to make sure that it's well adjusted.  I think the 7/8" brake lever is better too.  My bike came with 1 1/16" levers, new parts circa 1980, but I can not vouch for them being original spec.

Thanks, Ian - nice to know.  My Inter has the upright box and I have a pair of 1 1/16" spacing solid levers for it, so that should work.  Maybe not perfect for the front brake.

 


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