OzVMX Forum

Clubroom => Tech Talk => Topic started by: firko on November 01, 2010, 10:30:34 am

Title: Doherty levers.
Post by: firko on November 01, 2010, 10:30:34 am
I'm fitting a set of steel Doherty levers to my under construction Hindall in a bid to keep the bike period correct. What I'm looking for is a 'slide in' style adjuster to suit the Doherty lever or a complete clutch lever and adjuster with good chrome. Surely someone has some old levers laying around after replacing them with spiffy Magura dog legs or something similar?
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/doherty.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/cimg0731.jpg)
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: LWC82PE on November 01, 2010, 12:36:33 pm
Most english parts suppliers will have those. They are just plain normal Triumph/BSA adjusters. Eade Classic All Parts or British spares NZ wo plus others will have them. Pretty sure i last got them from NZ. Also Dragan Fly in UK probably have them too.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: shorelinemc on November 01, 2010, 06:07:57 pm
dont think they will pass scrutineering will they?
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Curly3 on November 01, 2010, 06:15:18 pm
Firko, you could try Trojan Spares in Belmore, they have a heap of Brittish stuff.
Leith's scrutineering question interests me, why wouldn't they. I have no doubt there is an old thread explaining.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: SAABCOMBI on November 01, 2010, 06:38:55 pm
l may have a pair in my shed
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: LWC82PE on November 01, 2010, 06:52:39 pm
Why wont they pass scruitineering? They got balls on the end? Anyway Firko might not even be racing it anyway!
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: shorelinemc on November 01, 2010, 07:00:06 pm
pressed steel levers not nice on the fingers ,i was informed that they where banned a long time ago
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: LWC82PE on November 01, 2010, 07:09:12 pm
Im sure heaps of guys still use these in pre 75, 70, 65 etc. They dont look too dangerous to me.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: evo550 on November 01, 2010, 08:03:00 pm
Have you tried Don Newell, that guy has more old shit than a sewage treatment plant.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Curly3 on November 01, 2010, 08:54:22 pm
Thats what I wanted to know, I'm working on a pe65 project for next year.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: matcho mick on November 01, 2010, 10:46:05 pm
they're banned in NZ historic r/racing,fronted up there in 03 with them on my matchless,had to tape them up,apparently they have to be (appear) solid in constuction,not folded steel , i don't think it applies here!, :P
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: firko on November 01, 2010, 11:00:21 pm
Quote
Why wont they pass scruitineering? They got balls on the end? Anyway Firko might not even be racing it anyway!
Can somebody quote me the actual stanza from the MoMs that tells me I can't use them? I'm not being smart, I've just never heard that before. I've passed them in scrutineering in the past. As far as me not racing my bikes, that's got SFA to do with this. I build all of my bikes to be 100% legal and ready to race If I so choose. I do actually intend to race the occasional dirt track next year as well as offering the bike to some fast friends for the big events Leith.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: mainline on November 01, 2010, 11:10:53 pm
the only lever rules I could find related to them having balls on the end and the distance from the handlebar, couldn't see anything about folded metal vs solid.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: firko on November 01, 2010, 11:26:22 pm
Quote
the only lever rules I could find related to them having balls on the end and the distance from the handlebar, couldn't see anything about folded metal vs solid.
Same here....I'd be more than a little vocal if someone knocked my bike back for having them without a MoMs rule to support his action. Having said that, If they are in fact proven to be illegal, I'll use something else.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Captain Bilko on November 02, 2010, 06:32:25 am
They look like they come off a pushy.
Interesting that they use the same cable adjustment used by a well known Spanish company deemed "beyond it" by the powers that be around here....... ::)
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: shorelinemc on November 03, 2010, 10:39:16 am
Jikov where are you -it was he who informed me
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Bamford#69 on November 03, 2010, 04:35:53 pm
Hi Robin,
I can't find a GCR that bans the Doherty "knuckle cutters" , but I couldn't find a GCR that bans Acetylene headlights , Coal fired Boilers , or Hydrogen powered airships, or operating  a chainsaw while racing , its just common sense.
 I was exercising a general duty of care to a friend, I,m sure Brett welcomed my sugestion to replace the "Knuckle cutters" with period alloy levers to remove the possibility of having his fingers guillotined as the sharp inner edges slide past the handle bars if  he crashed .
cheers
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: firko on November 03, 2010, 04:37:52 pm
So....that makes them legal I guess. ;D
I fully understand the reasons for you doing it Michael but I'm surprised you took the rulebook that you find so precious into your own hands. You can't make it up as you go, they're either legal or illegal by the book.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Bamford#69 on November 03, 2010, 04:59:28 pm
Hi ,
Mark Mark Mark Mark Mark,
A wise man once told me :
There is none so deaf as those who have ears but won't listen, and none so blind as those who have eyes but can't see,
Cheers
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: firko on November 03, 2010, 05:20:05 pm
As another Queenslander once said...."Please Explain"?
 I have no problems with the deep and terrible danger to my fingers that Doherty levers MAY possibly offer up. Yep, they're probably dangerous in a fluke situation. What I do find amusing though is your taking the law into your own hands. Until something is written in the rulebook I'd say that Doherty levers are legal so I think you've made an error in knocking young Bretts bike back. You can't rewrite the rulebook to suit your own views on the sport Michael.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: LWC82PE on November 03, 2010, 05:20:25 pm
I was looking at a set of these levers in the flesh before and they are not that sharp at all. The edges are square. If you had bare hands then yeah maybe there is a SLIGHT chance you could 'hurt yourself' but lets be realistic here,  if you have got proper MX gloves on i think its pretty unlikely they could do any serious damage. So its good to hear that they are infact legal because a lot of bikes use them and they are a period lever. It should be up to the owner to decide if he wants to take the 'risk' with these sort of levers.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: shorelinemc on November 03, 2010, 05:25:15 pm
well as i often do scrutineering i will pass them if they are not illegal .have same looking things 50.00 a pr
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Bamford#69 on November 03, 2010, 05:52:22 pm
Hi ,

Speaking of unsafe equipment on Motorcycles , I can't find  any mention  in the rule book about leaking petrol tanks, loose, broken and missing spokes, cracked frames, loose and missing engine bolts, loose carburettor tops, missing axle nut split pins, loose handle bar mounts,loose lever mounts, but every race meeting you can bet some clown will present their race bike with these faults
Can someone tell  me which page these are mentioned as not allowed.
 
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: evo550 on November 03, 2010, 07:16:48 pm
As a level 2 C of C and steward,I have some issue with scruteneers making it up as they go along.
If you deem a bike unsafe for reasons other than what's stipulated in the gcr's and the rider protested I would side with the rider on this one.
You are by default deeming all other bikes that pass "safe" and that opens up a can of worms.
Stick to the rule books and the rest of those things you mention are taken care of when some clown at riders breifing says "Motorcycle racing is dangerous..........."
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: VMX247 on November 03, 2010, 07:25:04 pm
As a level 2 C of C and steward,
 when some clown at riders breifing says "Motorcycle racing is dangerous..........."

who's a clown ??   ;)  ;D
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: evo550 on November 03, 2010, 07:57:49 pm
As a level 2 C of C and steward,
 when some clown at riders breifing says "Motorcycle racing is dangerous..........."

who's a clown ??   ;)  ;D

Yeah, I'm thinkin of getting a red nose and a flower that spirts water, maybe even a bicycle horn. ;D.....and get around on a uni cycle juggling.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: Curly3 on November 03, 2010, 08:12:24 pm
If it was used in the era of the bike being raced then it should be kosher.
I'm into dirt track & speedway and every slider from the late 60's to late 70's had a Doherty lever, or 2, as original issue, infact if they don't have them they don't look complete to me.
All the project bikes that I have plans for have original examples and I'd like to keep them.
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: VMX247 on November 03, 2010, 08:20:39 pm
As a level 2 C of C and steward,
 when some clown at riders breifing says "Motorcycle racing is dangerous..........."
who's a clown ??   ;)  ;D
Yeah, I'm thinkin of getting a red nose and a flower that spirts water, maybe even a bicycle horn. ;D.....and get around on a uni cycle juggling.

some days I dont believe we discuss such things as bent bits on Doherty levers..cause the interpretations can be two clowns short of a circus   ;D
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: firko on November 03, 2010, 08:21:17 pm
Unfortunately I've seen a lot of this rewriting of the rulebook to suit the scrutineers personal philosophy before. Most of the time the point of the "protest" or scrutineering decision has no grounding in common sense or more importantly, legality and is purely a decision based on the scrutineers bias or personal belief. I'd have loved to have had that little caper pulled on my bike. ;D
A well known pre 65 Metisse has had Doherty levers fitted since the bike was built in 1992 and in that time it's raced in countless title events and won three Australian Championships and not one word has ever been said about the bikes levers. ::)
Title: Re: Doherty levers.
Post by: VMX247 on November 03, 2010, 08:23:47 pm
Unfortunately I've seen a lot of this rewriting of the rulebook to suit the scrutineers personal philosophy before. Most of the time the point of the "protest" or scrutineering decision has no grounding in common sense or more importantly, legality and is purely a decision based on the scrutineers bias or personal belief. I'd have loved to have had that little caper pulled on my bike. ;D

thats it !! Thats what i was trying to write  ;D 
cheers