Pre-War Type - Rubber Sheathed Front Wheel Speedometer Cable - 28" (Stainless Steel Ferrules)

Product no.: 1046 3882

Not in stock

£67.00
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This item is for a 28" length (Chronometric) Speedometer Cable - of the original Norton pre-war type, where the speedometer drive gear was mounted on the front wheel and the speedometer drive cable was rubber sheathed.  Most roadgoing Norton singles (from late 1920s onwards until Post-War) had this configuraion and this type of speedometer cable provides the ultimate in originality for your pre-war Norton model. 

We take a good quality proprietary speedometer cable, and add our own oil resistent black rubber sheathing, and stainless steel ferrules - the finished result is that authentic pre-War look.  See detail listing for more information.  

We take as a starting point, a good quality proprietary (UK manufactured) speedometer cable - with a spade end, of the type fitted to the original Norton type speedometer gearbox, that was screwed into the front brakeplate on pre-war models (see accompanyning photo of one, this from a 1937 International model) - of the type we also sell seperately for Post-War modelds, but then carefully add an additional sheathing of oil resistent black rubber covering over the original cable outer, with stainless steel ferrules on either end of the rubber - which just overlap the normal alloy cable end fittings - to give a really smart and genuine Pre-War look.

Sorry these are not cheap - but they require a lot of effort to make - including our own CNC made parts and jig - the price difference between these and modern style cables reflects that additional time to make

Bacground:

For anyone with an eye to originality, and owning a Pre-War Norton roadgoing motorcycle with a speedometer fitted, you will notice that period photographs of that era normally show the speedometer mounted on top of the girder forks, and a particularly thick speedometer cable running down the line of girder fork tubes to a speedometer gearbox mounted on the front brake plate.  Most SV, OHV and CS1 models had the brake plate mounted on the left side, while most Inters had their brake on the right hand side - but the speedometer cable was normally the same for both and the thick look of the cable was because the outer covering of these cables was normally rubber.  unfortunately, all these years later - original cables are almost impossible to find  - because the old style 'natural rubber' has long ago perished and fell away, or just been replaced with a more modern platic coated cable.

Therefore we decided to make the tooling and parts to allow us to make a batch of these. 

The starting point is to take a good quality (post-war type) speedometer cable of the correct length, but then remove the fittings on one end, then add a section of oil resistent hosing over the original cable outer covering.  However, to make this look smarter and more professional - we have added close fitting stainless steel ferrules, lipped on one end, that are pressed onto the end of the rubber sheathing on each end.  We have carefully trimmed the rubber to the correct length - so that once fully pushed the cable on one end - we can then add new crimped fittings on the open end, before sliding the rubber back down again over the fittings - so none of the original covering is showing and the lipped ferrules overlap the alloy cable fittings.  The final effect is to give that final pre-war look, but still maintain the original fully functional cable.

Sorry, but these cables are priced accordingly to the time and effort spent to assemble them - as well as cost of materials.  The sheathing is a high quality oil resistent pipe and we CNC manufacture the stainless steel ferrules from solid 3/4" stainless bar - as no good quality commercial ferrules are available.  We also re-manufacture the cable fitting on one end (again CNC), to allow the fitting of the sheathing.  Therefore, not cheap to produce - but they do look very original, and should generate comments when fitted to your pre-War bike!

In the accompanyning photographs you will see factory pictures of most road models with similar speedo cables fitted, as well as a couple of period photographs of road Norton models with the rubber sheathed cables fitted.  And of course - if you are reading this, and have another similar aged motorcycle, most other marques also fitted similar style cables.   We may also be able to make up other lenghts of cables - but if special order, we will need to confirm price and availability first - email on sales@racingvincent.co.uk.

Final Note: - the stainless ferrules are manufactured to be a close/tight fit over the rubber sheathing - and therefore I have found crimping or punching the ferrules to keep them in place is unnecessary as it will damage and mark them - however, a customer could use a single centre punch to do at a later date, should they think this extra security wothwhile. Likewise, we have found the rubber sheathing (which is not glued to the cable, as it needs to be slid after fitting to abut the alloy cable fittings) does not need any additioinal retention - but if it a later date that is required - a small loop of stainless lockwire tightened around one end of the rubber sheathing would further retain it. 

 

 

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