side stand spring location.

Information relating to the Matchless G80 or AJS Model 18 500cc Heavyweight.
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Group Leader
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Posts: 538
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:51 pm
Location: Herts UK

Re: side stand spring location.

Post by Group Leader »

Allen_F wrote:Side stand spring holes :beer:
I didn't realise there were two holes in this location as some kind PO had coverd the second with a black cable tie.

BUT ......

As both of these are some considerable distance behind the side stand pivot the spring will not go "Over Centre" and thus keep the stand down.

There is a further hole, forward of the side stand pivot on this frame tube at the transition from round to flat where the downtube attaches. With the spring in this hole it does go "Over Centre" and the stand stays down so I relocated the spring here sometime ago as that's the action I want.

BUT 2 ......

When the side stand is retracted with the spring in this forward position it rests across one of the lower crankcase bolt tunnels/lugs (if that's the right term). After sometime I noticed that the steel spring was busily chewing its way through the aluminium crankcase. Needless to say, I relocated the spring to one of the rear pair of holes which saved the crankcase but of course re-instated auto-retract.

Seems to me that the only sensible way to achive the manual retraction function then is to do as was suggested to add a bracket forward of the side stand pivot that provides the required over centre spring location but slightly below the frame tube to avoid the highly undesirable spring munching its way through the crankcase scenario!

So just to be clear, on my bike there are 3 holes:

One forward of the side stand pivot that provides the required manual retraction but causes damage to the crankcase.

Two to the rear of the side stand pivot about 1/2" apart (as shown in the photographs) that both cause the side stand to automatically retract.

Whether they are all original I do not know but then that's the joy (and frustration) of old bikes :)

Alan
1953 AJS 16MS, 1939 BSA 250 and a 1/3 scale Sopwith Triplane but that's another story ..... :lol:
Cerberus
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Posts: 348
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:51 pm
Location: BERKSHIRE UK

Re: side stand spring location.

Post by Cerberus »

After advice from other section members, I made up a small bracket, which I mounted behind the front exhaust mounting. See photo. Keeps the spring clear of the bottom of the crankcase.
Temp.jpg
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