classic motorcycle forum

I think the cush drive setup could easily be reconstructed by any engineering shop ,especially to adapt another one .....I would expect a similar year 500 single one to be the same ,or close enough to adapt..........I suppose you realize its a pity you didnt at least accumulate all the parts in the early years of the internet......I found some very good cheap vintage bike stuff online from around 2004 -2015.....More recently ,the cult of rich tossers owning old bikes as status symbols has made anything online ridiculously expensive......and you see all these outrageous efforts of assembled and highly chromed bits ,all from different bikes ,in fashion and poofs magazines.....Oh well ,Ive got mine.

Actualy ,the Villiers industrial motors follow the old time JAP practice of having adjustment by shims under the tappet caps.......JAP motorbike engines used this idea too.......the really tiny ones ,use the method of stem grinding for clearance ,and to reduce clearance ,recut the seat  a bit,or reface the valve......The Ford V8s used this idea too ,up to the jailbar models.

Simple really ,oil flows downhill.....leaks from tank into engine ,from engine into primary.....You re pretty lucky its not all over the floor.......My brother came back from holidays to find oil running out under his garage door,and down the driveway,from bikes that had "never leaked  before"......Nortons leak down like this in a week,and sometimes fill the engine overnight.......By the way ,drain the engine before starting ,if you decide to start and pump the oil back ,the exhaust will be flooded ,and smoke for 100 miles.

The time has come to do some repairs to my ES2.Possibly should have been done years ago.....anyhoo,I need a new mainshaft ,clutch spider ,and maybe a 4th gear,if not too pricey......When I last fitted bushes and bearings to the box ,there was a supply of ex WW2 gearbox parts ,which I used in some areas.......the mainshaft and 4th gear are different lengths between the boxes ,so no go there...............Ive looked for new bits,no one seems to have them anymore.....new mainshafts were available ,no more it seems..............Any ideas?

The funny thing was that all the major factories had directors who hated motorbikes....Its said that the last Collier brother ,Charles ,had a fatal heart attack from the stress of finding out that Norton was bust ,and also in a shambles ,being run for the benefit of the racing department.

The Matchless name was sold off to whoever was making the Rotax engined singles in the 80s .....they discovered Austrian engine styling may have made for efficient cooling,but didnt gel with customers.And is now possibly owned by one of the tossers making mugs and T shirts....None of the Collier brothers had sons ,and the directors of AMC in the late 50s  were the sons in law,and Jock West,appointed to replace Charles Collier ....West had the ability peculiar to scots of rubbing everyone the wrong way,and he also hated yanks ,in particular yanks telling him what to do....As Group Sales Director,this caused some problems...As the sixties dawned ,profit turned to loss ,and the banks appointed directors ,displacing family members......Tis said (truthfully) Norton kept AMC afloat.,but all good things come to an end ,and they did when carpetbaggers moved in for the kill.

I had a funny experience with an AJS V twin.....owner was a millenial ,and wanted it modified as a semi chopper ....disc brake /girder forks........and took the bike to an inner city bike restorer.....I was asked about the motor ,but the painter had already stripped it,and destroyed both mainshafts....No worries ,replacements from England ...anyway ,I suggested a lot of Harley parts could be used ,shock ,horror......the guy then sent the whole bottom end to Alpha in England ....postage costs topped $1000......then the restorer went broke with dozens of bikes in bits ,the motor is still sitting at the late Ron Russes house ,with a bill for rebore and pistons.....mainshaft came from Morgan Owners ,wrong one ,pre 37 is different from post 37,and AJS were actually a year behind Matchless for the same model....