First ride this year.

danno

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Hi Danno, While testing dampers for the modified steering stem I found Koni's to be the worst for soaking up small bumps and rough road, ok for big bumps and potholes, but rigid on the small stuff, as TT says change to a strutted rear end , I have just done this, I had fitted an AVO coil over and was disappointed with the result, then I realised more rear suspension travel meant more whacks on the backside, so calculated how long a pair of struts would need to be and knocked up a pair just to try, all I can say is BLISS
I immediately made a proper pair and would never go back to the standard C set up.View attachment 36661

Just looking at my standard suspension on the Rapide, the seat supports (not sure what the taps do) connect to the rear frame diagonal tube.
The seat then rises up with the whole back half of the bike and pivots on the front
brackets. I can see why it’s not very comfortable as you’re getting every jolt
from the rear frame.
Just to clarify, the struts in the pic are connected to the rear foot peg brackets so then the seat doesn’t move, like a conventional setup.
There are a couple of holes already in those plates on the Rap but the struts I think would obstruct the footrest when in the up position.
 

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Pop over and see Comet rider, You will learn more over a Cup of Tea than bits and bobs on here.
Does yours have a centre stand, Because with one , Like Kerry's, The suspension hangs down.
Makes the springs look longer ?, Although He could have the long ones ?.
Taps ?? Do you mean Damper knobs ?, We had a bit on here a few weeks ago, And with the "C",
We have an Hydraulic Damper between the rear springs, So don't really need the suspension to be damped by
tightening the knobs, In fact I said I had oiled mine to make it more free, Following what Vincent Brake told us a few weeks ago.
If you want to fit struts, You could move the rear footrests forward a hole, Maybe drill another hole and
Put the strut on the very rear hole.
What we are doing is copying the "D" Suspension, have a look at how they work.
There struts go more forward to the main rear suspension pivot.
 

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Chris Launders

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VOC Member
Hi Danno, mine has three holes in the footrest plate, but they are not originals, the footrest is in the back two and the struts in the front one, the footrest are also mounted out on 3/4" spacer blocks (these were already on when I got it) and the footrest is about 1/4" away in the up position, so yes I would say they would foul them without the spacer blocks.
 

timetraveller

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
A lot of rear footrest plates have three holes at the top rear to allow for positioning the foot rests to allow maximum passenger comfort. If you have those then you can use the two most forward holes for the foot rests and the most rearward hole for the seat supports. Like a lot of Vincent design there are subtleties in the design which means that there is a further adjustment. The crank on which the footrest rubber sits has an offset which means that a further adjustment is possible. If the two cranks are orientated in such a way that the foot rests are rearward then moving the two footrest assemblies left to right and vice versa means that the two footrest rubbers will now be be moved forwards and might well clear any seat supports which are installed.
 

Colin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Bill dont be ashamed! I am far worse :eek: now the Comet has messed its pants my favorite at the moment is a clone of the bike I first bought new in 1960....
View attachment 36654
Interesting Vincent point is the seat is close to a Vincent shape but its mattress sprung as well as Dunlop style foam so its very comfortable. And there was me with a T shirt "I'd rather eat worms than ride a two stroke";)
TIM. A Norman 250 Villiers twin Made in Kent, The Garden of England
I WANT IT , I WANT IT !
Back in the 50's I worked for Arter Bros, ran a Norman, among other things, and bought most of my bits through the back door of the factory in Beaver Road Ashford. Ah happy days:)
I'd rather ride a Norman than eat worms, or caviar,or tapioca, or quite a lot of other things!
 

Colin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Thanks Bill
I just got weak after 82 years of living! As me ol' mucker Phil Primmer used to say "It's a b---er get old but the alternative is worse" I think he might have been quoting someone else.
Good job my Comet is a good starter----- two kicks and I'm knackered
 

timetraveller

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
The Norman motorcycle factory was a great source of help to several of the Kent and Sussex section members. I remember that on one occasion we had an official tour of the factory. There was also lots of help with chroming over the years.
 

ernie

VOC Assistant Secretary
VOC Member
Not our first ride but Gill and I were going to VMCC Cotswold meet up at The Mill Inn Withington on Shadows. V hot and sunny as we set off. 10 miles along It becomes very gusty, branches across road and a glowering sky. Bale out decision so we turn around to fetch the car. Well we had booked a table so we felt we had to go. Just catch the first hail storm one mile from home. And no waterproofs! So, dry underwear and off we go in the red Jaguar, arriving after the first downpour has moderated.

No sooner in the car park and the owner runs out to say she had to evacuate 80 people minutes ago because she’s flooded.

8 restaurants called or visited were full. We ended up with a takeaway pizza!
 

BigEd

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
Just looking at my standard suspension on the Rapide, the seat supports (not sure what the taps do) connect to the rear frame diagonal tube.
The seat then rises up with the whole back half of the bike and pivots on the front
brackets. I can see why it’s not very comfortable as you’re getting every jolt
from the rear frame.
Just to clarify, the struts in the pic are connected to the rear foot peg brackets so then the seat doesn’t move, like a conventional setup.
There are a couple of holes already in those plates on the Rap but the struts I think would obstruct the footrest when in the up position.
Danno,
You have to study the geometry a bit to understand how the standard setup works. A simple way to look at it is that the rider gets to use the full suspension movement because the front half of the seat doesn't move much when you hit a bump. The passenger gets the benefit of approximately half the suspension movement because the supports for the rear of the seat mounts half way along the rear frame member so the rear of the seat moves up a distance approximately half the movement of the rear wheel. (Lever ratios and smoke and mirrors. ;))
 
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