This is an excellent and accurate reproduction of the Andre multi-plate steering damper, of the type that was fitted to Norton International and early (pre-Featherbed) Manx models from the early 1930's - 1950. Price is for complete damper unit.
This item is UK manufactured and having compared it to other similar Andre's I have fitted to my own bikes - I would go out on a limb and say it is possibly the nicest manufacture of one of these units I have seen. The machining quality is excellent and the main friction disc holder is a genuine bronze material. Finally, the Andre knob has clean crisp moulding and the overall finish of the entire unit is excllent.
This type of Andre damper was fitted to Norton SOHC (and early DOHC Gargengate) International, M30/M40 and pre-Featherbed Manx models from the early 1930's through to 1950. The unit has the correct vertical steel sleeve fitting with centre nut to feed into the Norton SOHC headstock, where tightening the nut will secure the unit to that headstock. If you look at the accompanyning photographs you will see I have fitted one of these units to my own Norton 1939 Manx Spec 30M - where the unit sits on top of the steering crown top nut (note we also manufacture this large SOHC nut in stainless steel as shown - Item 0875). This is a girder fork fitment, but these units were also fitted post-war to SOHC models with telescopic forks on the plunger framed models.
Note that these damper units use a strap of approximately 1.00" wide with small loop, which fits with a 5/16 bolt through the eyes of the centre damper plates - to secure the damper plate to - either: a the retaining ring wiht eyes on the top of the headstock of the SOHC frame (of the type shown in these photographs), or, on earlier SOHC models - the strap was secured directly to the SOHC pie-crust petrol tank, petrol tanks of this type being identifiable by having a centre stud/threaded hole in the centre of the top of the tank close to the filler cap.
Note that the unit does not come with the strap supplied, but they can be easily made from 1" mild steel strip (and I always make them myself).
A final point. This style of multi-plate steering damper are an iconic fitment to many 1920's-1940's competition and sports motorcycles. They actually started manufacturing them in the early 1920's, but the earlier type have less friction plates and are less tall because of that. Also, the earlier units did not have this black (originally Bakelite) dampening knob - instead, originally having a steel crossbar knob or a pressed steel item with cutouts. However, as these earlier units have not been available for many years and very rare - you may want to consider this later type unit if you have a 1920's style race bike (just remember they will not be identical to the earlier units).
If you have a Norton frame and are not sure if this type of unit can be used - genuine Inter/Manx rigid or plunger frames (early 30's onward) should have a damper strap retaining ring with eyes brazed to the top of the headstock - as per the photographs attached. If your frame does not have this (but you still would like to fit one!), you will either need to make up some form of eye plate to the frame, or use a retaining attachment on the petrol tank (just remember that overtightening the damper unit can place additional strain on the mounting fitments of the petrol tank).
The early type of this damper was also originally fitted to some Flat Tank sports motorcycles - in which case, the original strap fitment was normally two pressed steel clips at the end of the strap that secured to the top frame tube of flat tank models - for an example of this, look at our Douglas section, as I have fitted an original early (i.e. less friction plates than this model) Andre damper to my Douglas TT Rep.
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