Sidecar, Norton

So I wrote to Jay Giese at Dauntless Sidecar asking him about an idea I had to mount the sidecar, and what I should do. I sent along this picture demonstrating my current idea, and asking him if he thought the bracket might hold under the stress of riding the sidecar rig, it was a longshot, but worth a try.


This was his reply:

John,
Do not use the lower rear mount how you have it set up. It will fail.
What we would do for the lower rear mount if it was in our shop is to
build a sub frame. The sub frame would attach to the center stand mounts,
go under the exhaust pipe and also attach where you have the ball now
mounted. This would put the ball under the exhaust pipes as far back as
you now have it but would be much stronger.

A frame clamp should work on the upper front just down a bit on the tube.
Rarely will we weld on a mount, usually only if the bike has been welded
on before however this is a less expensive way to get your upper mounts.
We will not sell just the body. We really want people to see the overall
quality of our product and as such really need to control all aspects of
the final product.

Jay Giese

So I got to thinking about using the center stand mount and thought well I could find some steel bar the same diameter as the frame and then another that would fit through the center stand mounts. I could connect them at a 90 degree angle with a solid bolt. THEN I could run another bracket up to the mount that I had been using before. I could then Take it together to a local shop and have it all welded together so that it was strong and had no chance of randomly coming apart from vibrations.

Well then I glanced over and remembered the front frame rail that the fellow who sold me the chassis had handed me that has a mounting ball on it already, and this frame rail has through holes for mounting the engine in the bike... and I thought for a few moments and this is what I came up with:


THAT is not Quite what Jay recommended but it will work, and it will work well. So what I'll do is get a Die the right size for that bar that I have and I will thread it in the right places, then I can run a bolt down on either end so that it will mount to the center stand brackets.

This is actually a bit more involved than I just made it out to be. What I'll have to do is:

First I'll have to cut down the frame rail so that it ends in the back just beyond the ball mount, and I'll have to cut it down in the front so it doesn't interfere with the brake pedal - so just after the brackets where the mounting hole is drilled.

Then thread the whole rod (cut to the length I need). Then I will slide it through the center stand holes and run a nut on the end to fix the far position. Then I'll run another nut down to clamp it to the center stand outside brackets. Then there will be another nut run down to where I want the frame rail to be fixed on the inside side of the bike, slide the frame rail up against THAT and then run one last nut down to clamp it in position. That way it won't Shift at ALL.

The next step will be to make a bracket to go to the foot peg mount, which will be a bit of 1/4" x 1" flat steel that I have, maybe 5" long. and I'll clamp it down really tight to my frame rail section so that it won't wiggle.

Then I can take it off and bring it to Worcester City Welding, I will leave it all together except for the outer Nut that clamps it to the far side of the center stand mounts. I will then have them weld the nuts in place so that nothing can move, as well as to weld caps on the ends of the pipe so that it's not open to weather. I can then paint the whole thing a nice shiny black, and behold I have a poor man's subframe. The whole thing should cost about $50 between the die and the welding.


========Norton 750 Atlas=========


That is my father (you know this) in a field at Nelson's Ledges in Ohio around 1971 drinking beer in a Triumph t-shirt standing with his 1967 Norton Atlas, which he bought new when he was 21 (in 1968). I still have it, but it's fallen on hard times, the engine needs totally rebuilt, and I even considered selling it for a long time, which was a HARD choice to make, because quite frankly it is the bike I have loved more deeply than any other since I was 7 years old, which is actually when dad told me I could have it.

I used to go out to the garage from the age of 8 until he died and sit on it and pretend that I was riding it, pretend I was a racer, or pretend I was Steve McQueen in the Great Escape (Yes I know that was a Triumph). But you know what I mean.

It's also the bike I always associated with Dad, my Hero. So to me it is the champion, it is the Unapproachable Norton! I have had two 73 Triumph 750s, I have yet to ride a Norton, the Atlas my dream bike, 38 bikes in 5ish years and no running Norton! What the hell?

So I have decided again to restore, to Resurrect the Norton. I'm not going to be stupid about it, but I am going to do it right. There is a Lot that needs to be done, and yet not really very much at all.

These are simple projects that require mechanical skill. Norvil in England makes every part you need to build a new Norton, and even sell (in England) brand new Norton's like this one for example is a 2009 Norton Dominator 600:



AND THIS is a restored 1967 Norton Atlas, ie, Dad's bike (but not):


That is more or less the dream as it were. To go back to that. And I have a lot still. I have the frame, gearbox, main engine parts, fenders, forks, a wheel, gearbox, seat, oil tank, gauges....

So Norvil sell's these "Kits" take this one for example, the bottom end rebuild kit:


That kit as you can see (even if you don't understand) includes all the parts that I need to completely rebuild the bottom end so that I can re-fit the crank shaft in the cases. Next would be to put the Timing side back together so that I can seal up that case. Then I would get new pistons and rings and install them and re-mount the barrel and the pushrods. Next is the top end kit, which is basically new valves and head bolts. After that the main engine is back together again. I'm replacing the Magneto with a Boyer Electronic Ignition kit. She'll get a new alternator as the original is hammered and ancient by all rights for what it is.

I plan on splurging and getting a belt drive kit.

When it comes down to it its not too extravagant when you cost out getting a new clutch or rebuilding one, plus the chain, sprockets, oil seals, etc. The Belt Drive doesn't actually NEED oil, it just needs vents so it can breathe.

Gearbox needs rebuilt, then I'll have a functioning powerplant. The forks have already been rebuilt, I have head pipes and mufflers, tank, seat, oil tank... I'll need a new rear wheel though, and possible a new front wheel.

The company Grimeca makes great drum brakes, and has been doing so forever.


So I can either buy new Grimeca wheels or I can watch E-bay for Norton wheels that may need rebuilt. I think she'll get a new rear wheel for sure, and then I'm not sure on the front.

My goal is to have the bike finished in 4-5 years. Then I can probably give the KZ1000 back to Balducci and just ride the Norton year round, which would actually be a better suited machine for winter riding, and actually has an even better suited frame for it than the KZ.

At any rate, there is my long overdue LONG motorcycle talk.