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Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

A long shot i know, i need a mid 30s onwards top girder fork yoke. This is the one to take the rubber mounted handlebars with the fixed clamp. I have a very good undamaged original Norton WD type with some original Norton undamaged handle bar clamps to take 1" bars. Not the usual rubbish that is available on ebay.
So has anybody got one of these early top yokes to take the rubber mounted handlebars either for sale or exchange for my WD type.
Pictures show what i want with the 1935 16H showing the top yoke with the rubber mounting for the bars. Other picture is what i have with the original WD top yoke complete with the handlebar clamps. Would prefere to deal with a regular to this forum.
This one
top-yoke

email (option): t.j.walker@btinternet.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

The rubber mounted type was also used on the Military Big4 combinations, but I haven't seen a spare one for a long time.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

I was just thinking the same thing. Ron
Handlebars-02

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Rob, Ron, Tim,

Big 4 did indeed have the same handlebar mounting in rubber grommets but those were for 1" handlebars.
1935 and 1936 civilian were also 1" handlebars.

1937 and up the civilian version was changed to 7/8" handlebars.

The castings however were all the same (no. 3530 and no.3531 in the spares lists).

Cheers,

Rob

email (option): wd16h@telfort.nl

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Here's a repro one on ebay Tim. Not cheap but here's a link to it anyway.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114539229904?ul_noapp=true

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke


A pity that the seller does not clearly state that this yoke was used on ALL civilian Norton models (16H to Internationals) as from model year 1935 (i.e. starting October 1934).
They were also used on the military B4 and India Office 16H machines. (the latter from 1938 and up).

Ignorance or marketing trick?? who will tell.

Cheers,

Rob


email (option): wd16h@telfort.nl

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Yes Rob, he's used the "I" word which always bumps the price up a bit.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Hi Dave,

Unfortunately the same as all those 100.000+ Norton gearboxes used on a few hundred Brough Superiors.
Never knew Broughs were made so badly that they apparently chew up gearboxes.

Problem is, they get away with it.
Downside is, the young people do not have the money to follow in our footsteps.
Will possibly be even worse after B... and Corona.

Cheers,

Rob

email (option): wd16h@telfort.nl

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

I can tell you're about to have a rant Rob 😂

You would think that someone would have started making "up right" gearbox shells for racing Norton's?

The prices of all original parts for these bikes has gone through the roof. We only have ourselves to blame, it's people like us that are paying these prices and driving the cost up.
If this top yoke is a well made item, which I'm sure it is, the cost of casting and machining these won't be cheap, and how long does it take to sell them all for the few people that want them?

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Ah Dave,

No, no rant, just a observation.

I don't think the price of this particular part is very excessive if it has been recently made of correct quality.
Man hours in our part of the world are high and the number of parts made will be low.
There is intricate modelling work required for the model to be used to form the casting mould and quite some setting up of machining actions.

I do think it is peculiar that they are only marketed for a very specific high price bike while there may be loads more wanted for a whole range of models and years.
That must have something to do with the apparently still magical name of the Norton racers.
Funny thing is that the "Unapproachable" marketing name was based on the successes of racing on a 16H !!!

Cheers,

Rob

email (option): wd16h@telfort.nl

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Rather like all the B31 and B33 bits listed as 'Gold Star'...As Rob notes it would seem logical to list all possible applications if you want to maximise the opportunities to sell something...

I mentioned to someone selling some maroon 'Gold Star' engine plates at a jumble that 'Those maroon Gold Stars are pretty rare you know'...

Strangely, he didn't seem to see the humour in my comment....:laughing: Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Hi Dave,

It came up on my eBay search this morning, i had a laugh when i read International. As you say he has missed all the other models that use the same part. Indeed a selling point to attract people not in the know. His Yoke does look good but his price is more than a paid for my complete 1935 16H which as you know has this top yoke. Good news is i have now acquired a yoke from Egypt that Hussein found for me. It's painted drab so will most likely be WD big four left over stock. It's on it's way to me now, an easy transaction and good communication from Hussein. That's one more piece for my special.
Rob I will post you a picture when it arrives and thanks for your help.

Tim W

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

[That's one more piece for my special...]...

What are you building this time Tim?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Mhh, for that price, 350 quid, the seller could have made the proper bolts and grease nipple to go with it!!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welb**e.net

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Hi Ian,

Had this picture for quite a few years and thought it looks an ace well proportioned bike with the most important right lines, you know what i mean, something that was factory built and not out of a back street shed. The picture is Rex McCandless's bike he built during the war years. Only if he had known what he had started with the Triton craze that followed.
Rex-Mc-Candless-s-1939-Triton-002-2

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Must be a 39/40 Speedtwin or Tiger 100 engine.....Indeed the first Triton! Very nice project!

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Tim, Ah so you've gone public with this now then have you!? I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with Rex about twenty years ago when the VOC visited his place, he was living in a converted railway station south of Belfast and his main interest was making wine from anything he could pick locally. The old engine shed at the station was stacked with plastic 25ltr. drums of the stuff and we made a good effort to reduce his stock. My Vin has never gone as fast as it did on the way back to the digs. Rex was a great host with loads of tales to tell, he must have kissed the Blarney stone many times, but unfortunately he had given up with bikes and engineering so there was nothing of interest in his workshop. He had known many of the old time racers, Freddie Dixon, Stanley Woods, and of course all the Norton factory guys with his involvement with the Featherbed. When asked about any of these famous types he would say "Ah yes he was a gentleman, a lovely fella" and then go into a character assasination and tales of how they had fallen out. We were having a dinner in the evening with Rex as guest of honour, and to everyone's surprise he arrived with a friend, no less than Stanly Woods himself. Stanley was a very different type to Rex, unassuming and modest, he really was a gentleman and a lovely fella. A day to remember.

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Just looking at the bike again. They look like Tiger 100 silencers? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Ron Pier
Must be a 39/40 Speedtwin or Tiger 100 engine.....Indeed the first Triton! Very nice project!

Ron
Your right Ron a prewar speed twin engine. These engines are too expensive for my project so i am using 6T alternator crankcases these look the same without the dynamo at the front. I have altered the cases where the K2F mag would have been and fitted a mag dyno as the early speed twin. Mag dyno is a MO1 which i have converted to a 180 degree twin. Mag will sit on the engine plates when i get them back from the laser cutters.
Silencers i am not sure, but didn't Triumph make some reverse cone mega's with a detachable end like these in the picture.

Tony, i wish i had been with you on that occasion, but not on the back of your Vin on the way home, i would have just walked:wink: .

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Those silencers with the removable ends were from the Triumph race kit I believe...A complete kit to spec. the bike for track racing...Then again they might be pre war Tiger 100 silencers...

The bike certainly has a nice line to it...and I do like those pie crust tanks..I'm currently making the second version of a 'wrap around' oil tank for my sprinter, another feature I like on those pre war bikes....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Tim, Too far to walk, it was about 25 miles to the B&B, wouldn't have got there in time for the piss up, sorry, evening dinner, just dialled in the auto pilot, all the enclosed Vins have this feature. Re. the silencers I think the first T100s did have the megga type silencers with removable ends. Looking forward to seeing the new Triton.

Re: Pre war Norton top girder fork yoke

Mine was a 38 Speedtwin. Here is a Tiger 100 and Armours make the silencers. Ron
Triumph-1939-Tiger-2705-1
DSC-0089

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

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