superblend bearings Archives

Classic Techniques: Superblend bearings, part two

16th March 2018 RowenaH Features

Last time, Andy Heathwood introduced us to Norton’s solution to main-bearing problems in their big twins, back in the 1970s. Now he reveals whether ‘Superblend’ bearings were actually anything special. What’s in a name? Were Superblends something different? For their time and for this application the answer is probably ‘yes’. I am indebted to Anthony Curzon who has loaned me…

Classic Techniques: Superblend bearings, part one

15th February 2018 RowenaH Features

When the main bearings in Commando engines started disintegrating, Norton came up with a super solution – the ‘Superblend’ bearing which proved to be one of the success stories of the 1970s. Andy Heathwood explains how it was little more than smart marketing, and leads us through the potential pitfalls of specifying replacement bearings for big Norton twins today… The…