finding year of square four

[john.whiting]

I find that the headlight hammering up and down a bit disconcerting.Maybe the roads are worse here .Yet Norton mounted the headlight to the steering stem part of the girders,and that wasnt popular either.

[chris.shearwood]

I wonder if you are comparing plunger framed Squares Chris when you say you prefer the tele forks? My experience, on rigid framed Squares, is the the girder forked bike handles vastly better than the tele fork version did, although it is a bit harsh on the bumpy bits. I put this down to insufficient grease having yet reached the fork dampers.

Hi Paul,
Unfortunately I have almost no experience at all with riding plunger framed Squares. My 46 Sq4 has got the rigid rear and I'm quite content with that end of the bike but I find the girder forks, even after following your excellent advice to fit the softer, Singles spring, make for a rough ride when the road surface is rough. I don't think the dampers are too tight and I guess they are fairly well saturated with grease by now. On a smooth road I totally agree with your statement that a girder forked bike handles vastly better than the tele fork version. The girder/rigid bike does not "wallow" around curves in the road!
While on this subject I might mention that although my motorcycle riding in the United Kingdom experience is limited to a short distance on the Club's Black Ariel at an AOMCC annual rally a few years ago (THANKS TONY!) I have put five or six thousand miles on rented automobiles, mostly on A or B roads, in your lovely country within the past couple of decades. From this I can say that, generally, your worst surfaced roads are smoother than the best surfaced roads here in the Province of Quebec, Canada. I suppose part of the reason for this is that our climate has more extremes than yours but I think the main reason is that during the great road building era in the middle of the last century our road builders were much more dishonest than yours. We can look to those roads the Romans built in Britain to find examples of well built roads remaining in good condition over a long period of time.
I still love riding my old Sq4 but I will get it up to higher speeds only on roads that I know to be in good condition or at least on roads that I know well enough to be able to prepare well in advance for any bad bits. Hitting an unexpected pothole at speed on a girder forked bike can be a frightening experience.
Thank you for your input, regards, Chris

[ABMartin]

From this I can say that, generally, your worst surfaced roads are smoother than the best surfaced roads here in the Province of Quebec, Canada. I suppose part of the reason for this is that our climate has more extremes than yours but I think the main reason is that during the great road building era in the middle of the last century our road builders were much more dishonest than yours.

The fact that the province of Quebec is basically broke may have something to do with it as well, just as here in New Brunswick. I find my girder/rigid '37 VH is an excellent handling bike when the roads are smooth. Almost modern in its tip-in to corners and very easy to toss about. It is, I suppose, rather lighter than a square though.


Bruce