Motorcycle News - Good things take time: A Trackmaster from NYC Norton
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This Trackmaster-framed beauty is the latest machine to roll out of his Jersey City workshop, and was commissioned by a Norton enthusiast from California—who also has a very specific interest in the 1970s flat track glory days.
Whenever Kenny got to a crossroads on this build, he emailed his client: “He’d answer with an old picture of Dave Aldana jumping his Norton, with the caption, ‘Like this.’ We were able to have latitude.”
This sits in the traditional spot behind the cylinders, and it’s an elaborate mod that requires a longer intermediate spindle, turning down the timing cover boss, and modifying the points cavity.
“Once the motor was done it became a static art display, sitting prominently on our bench, awaiting instructions on where to send it,” says Kenny. “The idea was for our customer to source a dirt track chassis so he could dabble with a build in his garage out west. But after a year or so the call came in: would we be interested in the full build of a dirt track-inspired street bike? Yes!”
A short time later, a Tri-C Trackmaster replica frame was delivered to the shop, and the fun really began. “The scope of the build was very basic,” says Kenny. “Put all foot controls on the RH side--à la flat track racers—and do just enough electronics to get it past inspection.
Armed with a couple of cocktail napkin sketches, Kenny and his crew went to work. “The first thing to do was to get the motor and gearbox in the frame, with the proper plates.” The gearbox was built from scratch using an H-D shell, but the increased wall thickness required some relieving of the plates beyond the usual.
The primary is driven by a Steve Maney Racing 40mm Belt drive, complete with anodized lightweight Commando clutch. The wide belt (and the aesthetic desire to run a Matchless G85 primary) meant cutting down the end of the Norton crankshaft, and tapping to add front pulley fastening.
Unfortunately, the swingarm bushings that came with the chassis we not up to spec, so the shop has made a custom set of bronze bushings in the same style used on their championship-winning Titchmarsh Seeleys.
The wiring is tidy: a simple harness runs from a key switch to a small battery under the solo seat, which powers the 5-inch Bates-style headlight, a tail light from Analog Motorcycles, brake lights activated by hydraulic brake switches, and the horn—“enough to keep the coppers at bay!” The tachometer is a Veglia, adapted to receive the proper ratio from a Norton Commando tachometer drive.
Jen’s brief was to do create a handmade logo in gold leaf, with clear-coat over the top. “When she brought the tank to our shop for the reveal, it was like our baby was born!”
Kenny’s latest is almost too beautiful to get dirty or damaged on a track. But if it’s called into action, you just know it’ll hold its own. NYC Norton | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Marian Sell Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c October 27, 2020 at 12:21PM Leave a Reply. |
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November 2020
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10/27/2020
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